Timbuktu or bust!

[Spinal]

Just got an email confirming my teams acceptance into the Plymouth-Timbuktu Challenge!

After all the preparation and work that's gone into it, we were all really quite nervous about not getting "in". The car is almost ready too - going to try to MOT it this weekend...

I'll post a link to our site as soon as I have something more "concrete" typed up - shouldn't be more than a day or two.

I'm grinning from ear to ear, and really can't wait to be in the middle of the desert!

M.

 

[renault12ts]

So, what car are you using?

 

[Spinal]

I'm using (assuming the MOT doesn't find something horrendously wrong) a 3.0l V6 Petrol Mitsubishi Shogun (against Spike's wishes ).

It was that, a W124 or a Suzuki Vitara...

The vitara was light and had the 4x4, but not the comfort. The W124 had the comfort, but not the 4x4... the shogun has both...

That said I do realise that the 4-wheel drive will, in all probability, be overkill... still, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Maybe next year I'll take a W124

M.

 

[verytalldave]

Diesel would be better.
Quality of petrol in that part of the world is variable to say the least.

 

[Spinal]

Diesel would be better.
Quality of petrol in that part of the world is variable to say the least.

Very true - but beggars can't be choosers, and for the price I got the car for I'm really quite pleased it hasn't fallen apart yet!

M.

 

[SimonsMerc]

Do you have communications (radio, satellite phone) organised?

 

[Spinal]

Do you have communications (radio, satellite phone) organised?

Not totally -

• I've got a few mobile phones (a selection of GSM and GPRS);
• a selection of Sim cards (UK: Vodaphone, O2; a french one, an Italian one and have asked my father to pick up a Gambian one)
• a fixed CB radio in the car,
• 2 portable CB radios (the idea being that each team member always has one when they move away from the car)
• and I'm looking for a satellite phone. My closest friend works for Inmarsat, so I'm trying to get a sponsorship deal off them; otherwise I'll probably end up buying/renting one of their units. I was considering Thuraya as well, but their data connectivity isn't that impressive; and I really want to be able to upload images from the middle of nowhere (Sahara CyberCafe )

M.

 

[SimonsMerc]

Not totally -

• I've got a few mobile phones (a selection of GSM and GPRS);
• a selection of Sim cards (UK: Vodaphone, O2; a french one, an Italian one and have asked my father to pick up a Gambian one)
• a fixed CB radio in the car,
• 2 portable CB radios (the idea being that each team member always has one when they move away from the car)
• and I'm looking for a satellite phone. My closest friend works for Inmarsat, so I'm trying to get a sponsorship deal off them; otherwise I'll probably end up buying/renting one of their units. I was considering Thuraya as well, but their data connectivity isn't that impressive; and I really want to be able to upload images from the middle of nowhere (Sahara CyberCafe )

M.

Ok good. I was going to offer the loan of a couple of portables, but it looks like you have that covered.

Data over satellite will be expensive unless the sponsorship goes through, but probably worth it as long as you don't go mad ;-) Is any of the crew a licensed and knowledgeable radio HAM? 300bps over HF would give you a very slow but free to use connection - and when you're in the middle of the desert, slow but free is probably good.

-simon

 

[Spinal]

Ok good. I was going to offer the loan of a couple of portables, but it looks like you have that covered.

Data over satellite will be expensive unless the sponsorship goes through, but probably worth it as long as you don't go mad ;-) Is any of the crew a licensed and knowledgeable radio HAM? 300bps over HF would give you a very slow but free to use connection - and when you're in the middle of the desert, slow but free is probably good.

-simon

Nope - noone licenced nor knowledgeable... though I did think of getting a ham licence a few years ago...

What's the range of HF? Will it get all the way back to the UK?
M.

 

[SimonsMerc]

Nope - noone licenced nor knowledgeable... though I did think of getting a ham licence a few years ago...

What's the range of HF? Will it get all the way back to the UK?
M.

The range of the HF band is 2 to 29.999 Mhz. Oh wait, that's not what you meant ;-)

The "range" of HF can be huge, I've seen a signal sent from the US bounced off the atmosphere talking to someone in Australia. It depends on many things, including the weather and solar flares. It also depends on who might be where to help out relaying signals - HAMs are a pretty friendly bunch who exist in the unlikeliest of places, and are often able to help out, so you might not have to get a signal directly all the way to the UK.

When are you leaving? Perhaps it's time to find your local HAM radio club...

 

[Spinal]

I think that's what I'll do - we leave in December!

The more means to communicate, the better... I'm considering a "backup" Thuraya phone given that I've seen them for for £250/300 on ebay.

The site is pretty much done now, but will go live after I get my welcome pack and see how much of their (copyrighted) text I can use... hence on the weekend of the 5th of July I'll go live... seems like ages away now that I'm so excited!

M.

 

[Spinal]

As promised....







Clickable images

M.

 

[glojo]

Far be it for me to gossip but if this HAM radio is so good......

Why not get a radio

Install it in the vehicle and then do your best to pass an exam?

To use VHF radio at sea you need a licence, but in all my experience I have never heard the coastguard ask someone if they have a licence when they shout, "Help"

You only have one life

I guess you have lots of portable GPS navigating aids