October 2015 (Issue 419)
Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. Reg. No. A – 0006149J / FWDV Member PO BOX 2456 Mount Waverley VIC 3149
www.subaru4wdvic.com.au
Volks-Baru Subaru and Volkswagen Specialist Parts and Service Centre
We will smooth out your motoring costs with extremely competitive prices, offering trade discounts to all Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria members on all parts and repairs.
John Bailey 1362 Heatherton Rd Dandenong North 3175 Phone: (03) 9793 5655
2|Page
CONTENTS Intro 4 Committee 5 From The President 6 Upcoming 7 Next Meeting - Tuesday October 27th 7 Trips and Social Events 8 2016 Trips 10 Long Term Future Planning 11 Trip and Recovery Gear 12 Trip Reports 14 Avoca Trip 14 Frog Hollow Weekend 22 Photography Day 23 Member Tips and Reviews 27 CB Radios 27 Deep Cycle Battery Voltage & State of Charge 30 Buy and Sell 32 Club Resources 32 Member Items for Sale 33 4wd Victoria Training Dates 34 Minutes 35 Club Meeting Minutes 35 Committee Meeting Minutes 37 Editor Notes 40 3|Page
INTRO The Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. was originally formed over 30 years ago by an enthusiastic group of Subaru owners. Today the club has expanded to include all Subaru 4WD and AWD vehicles, as well as all other makes of AWD, light 4WD and crossover/soft-roader type vehicles. The club aims to participate in the exploration of the Australian countryside without damage to the environment, vehicle or individual. Visitors are most welcome to attend the club’s General Meetings and contact committee members regarding participation in club activities. The club relies on membership fees to offset its running costs, including insurance. Membership fees are payable each year, due on 31 May. Fees for the 2015/16 year were agreed at the general meeting in April 2015 and are as follows:
Member rates: Single: $120 (Seniors card - $110) Joint/family: $140 - (Seniors card - $125). One off joining fee of $10 ($20 for Joint/Family) also applies All annual fees include FWDV affiliation and trip insurance: $47
Non-member trip fee: A trip fee of $15 per adult non-member applies (for insurance purposes)
Please contact the membership officer for further enquiries. Email: mship@subaru4wdvic.com.au
4|Page
COMMITTEE Stephen Whittaker (President)
president@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Dale Rebgetz (Vice President)
vice-president@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Peter Bellis (Secretary)
secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Bob Marshall (Treasurer)
treasurer@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Martin Foot (OM: Membership)
mship@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Dan Conlon (OM: Editor)
editor@subaru4wdvic.com. au
Jean Bellis (OM: Social Coordinator )
events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Jamie Scott (OM: Trips Coordinator)
events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Meredith Dale (OM: Venue Coordinator)
venue@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Mike Dale (OM: Website/ Magazine Content)
venue@subaru4wdvic.com.au
5|Page
F R OM T HE P RE SI DE N T President’s Report: October Magazine Welcome to the October Subaru 4WD Club magazine. It’s been a busy month for our club! Two very successful events occurred in the past 4 weeks; the Pyrenees Ranges Grand Final Long Weekend Trip and the Photography Day at Cloudehill Nursery in Olinda. Both events ran perfectly – and well done to our firsttime trip leaders, Mike & Meredith Dale, on a brilliantly executed trip out of Moonambel… but more on that later. I cannot believe I’m going to write this, but, Christmas is not far away! Which means our club Christmas Party is just around the corner. On Sunday 29 November, we will be heading to Sugarloaf Reservoir to celebrate another fantastic year for the club. Be sure to lock this date in your calendar. Look out for details on what to bring and we will have a great day together. At the Christmas Party, we will be presenting our annual Club Awards. These are a way of recognising those who have contributed to our club in a very positive way in the past year – particularly with the Clubman and Clubwoman Awards. There are also the other, rather entertaining, awards; including: Burnt Billy – most humiliating campfire cooking or lighting disaster Piggy Bank – individual who received the most number of fines Silver Socket – the most well maintained vehicle Bent Valve – mechanical breakdown on trips or vehicle most worthy of retirement Jacked Up – most number of flat tyres or most impressive puncture Bogger – vehicle stuck most often Think about the various incidents and amusing situations which have occurred since August last year and nominate away! Please fill out the nomination form emailed to you during this month and bring it along to the October meeting. We’re looking forward to collating the nominations and awarding those most worthy of our club awards. You will have noticed that our magazine has a slightly different look and feel. This is thanks to our new Editor, Dan. Dan has made some changes to the layout and general feel of our magazine. The changes will take place gradually over the coming months until we’ve settled on a final look. While the magazine is changing slightly, your favourite segments will remain. In fact, we’re adding new segments soon too including member profiles and vehicle focuses. In other news, we’ve got some details from David Wilson about the destination for our Christmas Trip. This year, it will be a standing camp based near Corryong with day trips out and about from there. Looking forward to another great Christmas Trip!
6|Page
Speaking of trips; earlier this month, on Grand Final weekend, Mike & Meredith Dale ran their first trip as leaders. It was a well-attended and very well-run trip. The weather was perfect as we toured the Pyrenees Ranges and areas south of Moonambel and west of Avoca. There are some very impressive four wheel drive tracks and incredibly scenic views to enjoy in this area. We must get back there again soon. Thanks to Mike and Meredith for a fantastic trip – can’t wait to read the trip report. Peter and Jean’s Border Track Trip is on again this year on Melbourne Cup Weekend. At this stage, I believe there’ll be 15 vehicles in attendance, so it will be a good trip. The latest details will be presented by Peter at the October meeting. Speaking of the October meeting, we will have a special guest in Frank Amato. Frank is a professional photographer who will share his insights into how to take the best photos with your camera and how to communicate through your photography. We have some really good photographers in our club. This is demonstrated year on year through our very popular Photo Competition. If you’d like to learn more about how win that competition, get along to this month’s meeting to hear Frank’s tips, advice and guidance! We look forward to your company at the October General Meeting where you can also catch up on the latest club news, hear trip reports and mingle with other members. In the meantime, enjoy the October magazine and I’ll see you at the meeting and/or out on the tracks – wherever we may be heading! Stephen Whittaker President
UPCOMING Next Meeting - Tuesday October 27th Date: Tuesday, 27 October 2015 at 8:00pm - Meetings are the Last Tuesday of every month (except December) Venue: South Camberwell Tennis Club, 332 Burke Road, Glen Iris
Presentation: presentation by Frank Amato (photographer). Q & A style presentation, so if you have any specific question bring them to the meeting. Frank will explain simple techniques that he thinks are important to photography in general. He will also give an overview of his outback photography workshops. If anyone is having a specific concern with their camera, Frank will be happy to chat with them at suppertime, so bring your camera gear.
7|Page
Franks website: www.outbackphototours.com.au
Door Prize: Come along to win a special door prize at this month's meeting
From the Venue Coordinator
Trips and Social Events At the last Committee Meeting it was decided that because we have so many active members in the club who are looking to get out on trips as much as possible some trips will have a convoy limit. This could mean that once a trip is full there is the opportunity for the same trip to run on another weekend or a different trip run on the same weekend. We have more members stepping up to be trip leaders as well which means that we are in the position to run more trips. If you have an idea for a trip or event during 2016 please let Jamie and Jean know. If you don’t want to lead it someone else may! If you want to run your first trip or event, again talk with Jamie or Jean. We will provide you with a mentor who can give you advice or can be a co leader with you. We have a Trip Leader pack that includes a check list and other helpful items to assist you.
Border Track Please Note that this trip is full. Date: Saturday 31st October to Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Standard: Medium Trip Leader: Peter Bellis - secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Frog Hollow/ Traralgon Date: Saturday 31st October to Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Standard: See notes Trip Leader: Jamie Scott –
jamiescott@gippwater.com.au
8|Page
Jamie has offered his place as a standing camp over the Melbourne Cup weekend. (For anyone not going on the Border Track Trip). Come for one night or the whole time. Jamie has work commitments over some of the weekend but will be available to lead some short trips of varying standards depending on interest. When he is not available Jamie can point you in the direction of some tracks or places of interest to visit in the area.
Christmas Break up. Date: Sunday 29th November. Location: Sugarloaf Reservoir, Christmas Hills. (North East of Melbourne) Trip Contact: Jean Bellis- events@subaru4wdvic.com.au Come and enjoy a relaxed day in a beautiful setting as the Club celebrates the end of a fantastic year. Meat for a BBQ lunch will be provided along with soft drinks and cold water. BYO a salad or desert to share, other drinks, chairs, plates, cutlery, glasses etc. During the afternoon the Club Awards will be presented. We are hoping that Santa may be able to find time in his busy schedule to visit. For those feeling energetic after lunch there are walking and bike tracks.
Oxfam Christmas Tree Delivery Date: Saturday 5th or Sunday 6th December. Trip Leader: Peter Bellis - secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au Every year our club joins with other 4WD clubs to deliver pre ordered Christmas trees for Oxfam. Saturday trees are collected from Heatherwood School in Donvale for delivery in southern and eastern suburbs or Sunday trees are collected from Princes Hill Primary School, Nth Carlton for delivery in northern and western suburbs.
9|Page
You will need a trailer unless you willing to have pine needles in your car or want to put trees to the roof rack. It also makes the task easier if you have a driver and navigator.
Christmas Trip Date: Saturday 26th or Sunday 27th December to Friday 1st January (TBC) Location: Corryong area (TBA) Trip Leader: Dave Wilson – dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au Trip Standard: Day trips will range from medium to hard to very hard. It is proposed that this trip will be a standing camp somewhere in the Corryong area but this is still to be confirmed as it will depend on campsites. This will give you the opportunity to come and just have a relaxed time around camp or do days trips.
2016 Trips We have started planning for 2016 and have the following trips
Mt Alexander (near Castlemaine) Date: Friday 22nd to Tuesday 26th January 2016 (For some this may be a Long Weekend with Australia Day on the Tuesday) Trip leaders: Mike and Meredith Dale - michael.dale@aanet.com.au Trip Standard: Social to Easy Medium This will be a standing camp with room to bring Campers.
Twilight Cinema Trip Leaders: Jan and Dale Rebgetz - janzz@westnet.com.au Date: to be advised but January or February 2016. Location: Belgrave
10 | P a g e
Come and have a meal at the Reel CafĂŠ before enjoying the movie at the Outdoor cinema.
Disputed Border This Trip has reached the convoy Limit. Description: The Full length of VIC/SA border Date: Friday 25 March to Sunday 3rd April 2016 (Easter 25-28th March). Option for people to do just Easter as there are exit points on major roads. Trip Leaders: Jean and Peter Bellis - events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Simpson Desert Date: 17th July 2016 for 3 weeks Trip Leader: Dale Rebgetz - vice-president@subaru4wdvic.com.au
11th Australian 4WD Gathering Date: 19th – 22nd August 2016 Where: Barmera, South Australia (2 hours west of Mildura), Loveday 4x4 Park.
40th Anniversary Celebrations Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary during 2016. Stay tuned for some special events during the year.
Long Term Future Planning 2017
Central Australia Kangaroo Island? Fraser Island
2018
Cape York
2019
Canning Stock Route
11 | P a g e
Simpson Desert – reenactment of the 40th anniversary of the Club’s 1974 crossing from Macumba Station to Purine Bore
Trip and Social Contacts • • •
Trip Coordinator: Jamie Scott Social Coordinator : Jean Bellis events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
TRIP AND RECOVERY GEAR The aim of all Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. trips is to have an enjoyable experience in the bush, increasing 4WD’ing skills and experience, whilst maintaining the highest regard for the safety of individuals, the vehicle and the environment. As a driver you have ultimate responsibility for the safety of your passengers and vehicle. It is the responsibility of any participating driver to contact individual trip leaders for clarification of individual trip requirements and standards. Financial members are encouraged to participate in as many trips as possible to increase confidence and experience. Visitors are welcome subject to the payment of the appropriate levy to cover insurance, but after two visits, should consider membership. Non-financial members are not covered by insurance and may not participate until payment is received. Individual drivers with concerns or queries regarding their vehicle and the trip standard should contact relevant trip leaders. The Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. recommends that each vehicle carry the following items or equipment on every trip: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Personal details form as specified by FWDV, copy to Trip Leader Two rated D- Shackles (minimum 3.2t) Rated snatch strap Recovery Points, Front & Rear; plus optional bridle strap, according to vehicle design; 5. AM (27Mhz) Channel 5 or UHF (477Mhz) Channel 16 CB Radio. Ideally in car but hand held are ok provided sufficient battery(s) to last the trip. 6. Fire Extinguisher, accessible to the driver 7. Spare Tyre (full size) 8. Jack and wheel Brace, or equivalent 9. Emergency Supplies (matches, food, water and clothing) 10. Sufficient Fuel, Oil and Water for the trip and delays 11. A Tyre Pressure Gauge; Compressor (according to the trip)
12 | P a g e
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
An Axe, Bow or Chain saw; A Sturdy Shovel (collapsible shovels are no good) Spare Parts (appropriate to the nature of the trip) A Tool Kit Personal First Aid Kit The Vehicle Manual
Any vehicle not carrying at least the first five (5) items of equipment should contact the individual Trip Leader before leaving. Any Club member unsure about any of the items of equipment listed above are advised to contact the Trip and Social Coordinator or the Trip Leader concerned. All Trip Leaders carry a complete First Aid Kit in case of emergency. All nonemergency medical needs are expected to be meet by individuals own medical supplies.
13 | P a g e
TRIP REPORTS Avoca Trip By Edith Fullalove and Mike Dale We had a lovely few days away at the Pyrenees State Forest, with great company and fantastic weather. We had a standing camp at Mountain Creek Picnic Area at Moonambel. Meredith, Sandy, Edith and Peter arrived on the Wednesday to secure camp sites. Lunch was had at the local cafe in Avoca, “Olive & Lavender�. When we arrived at camp we set up, and then Meredith and Peter went in search of firewood. We had yummy soup for dinner that Meredith had made for us.
Thursday we had a very relaxing day waiting for Mike, Kadin and Alan to arrive. We went into Avoca for afternoon tea. We had a great roast that was cooked on the fire in a camp oven; it was so nice not to have to cook tea. Mike and Alan arrived just in time for tea. Stephen arrived a bit later in the evening.
14 | P a g e
2 October 2015-Friday Meredith cooked bacon and eggs for those who were there for breakfast on Friday morning, yummy thanks Meredith. Graham, Kerry, Dave, Jesse, Charles and Paula arrived at different times during the morning and set up their camp sites. Lynette rang to say that herself, Stewart and Maddie were going to be a bit late, so we waited for them to arrive. They found a place they were going to set up and left the camper which they would set up when they got back from our afternoon drive.
We left the camp ground around 2:30pm and made our way out through Moonambel onto Moonambel-Warrenmang Road, Glenlofty-Warenmang Road, then a series of 4WD tracks: Cactus Track, Barkley Track, Blue Mountain Track and finally Irongate Track where we had afternoon tea in what has been dubbed ‘log valley’ (we had to clear a large log there on our pre-trip). We left log valley and headed along to Glenlofty-Warrenmang Road, and then back to more 4WD tracks: Blue Mountain Track, through Landsborough Reserve, down Squatters Track, back to Cactus Track, and finally onto Saltpatch Track, where we saw some old gold mine diggings. We then headed back to camp for dinner. In the evening there was a roaring fire with toasted marshmallows, where Maddie tried valiantly to get Steve to eat a marshmallow but it was not to be.
15 | P a g e
3 October 2015-Saturday Left camp at 8.30am and made our way out through Moonambel to Landsborough Road, and up Landsborough Ridge Track. Along the ridge track there were lovely views so we stopped for some pictures. You could see the Grampians to the West and the Pyrenees to the East. The day was clear and sunny with a gentle North Westerly, it was just breathtaking. We also stopped at the cairn at the top of Landsborough Hill. After a few tricky ascents the ridge track met Malakoff Track which wound its way through forest and at the bottom we stopped to have morning tea in a lovely clearing. Some of the group went and had a look at a fairly extreme climb on Hill Track which Mike, Meredith, Peter and I had discovered on a pre-trip but did not attempt. There were even bits of car parts up the top from vehicles that had been up (or down) before at some time. We decided we didn’t want to leave car bits! Once we got back to the others waiting in the clearing we headed off along the black stuff for a bit and then headed up Smith Track, Black Range Track, Dridian Track, Spring Creek Road and finally Cameron Track where we met a group of motor bikes heading in the opposite direction down the track which made for some interesting moments as we were heading up. The bottom of Cameron track is quite steep and was not in the best condition. We stopped at the camp ground at the top where we had lunch in the shelter and had a lovely view overlooking the valley.
16 | P a g e
We then hit Cross Track, Main Break, New Nowhere Track (which by the way goes nowhere!), Main Break Track (again), No.2 Creek road then we reached the Percydale historic area and Governor Rock lookout where we had our group photo taken (see the cover!). We had great views here as well; you could see the wind turbines at the Waubra wind farm and to Avoca and beyond. We continued past the tower back onto NO2 Creek Road, then onto Vinoca Road which become black top and headed into Avoca. Some of us got fuel, ice creams or headed back to camp to rest up before going out for tea. We walked down to the Moonambel Hotel for dinner; there were a couple who went in their cars. A lovely time was had and another roast meal for some of us. Dessert was very nice also. We were given a special deal on dinner and dessert. Most sat up for another fire to finish the night off.
4 October 2015-Sunday Daylight savings started so we all lost an hour of good sleep, and as a consequence the start of the day’s trip was a little bit later. Lynette, Stewart and Maddie needed to head home early so didn’t come on this outing. Some people packed up as they would leave from Avoca after the trip, while others had to return to camp to pack up. Graham and Kerry had time to stay another night.
17 | P a g e
Lucky them; it is such a lovely place. Kerry told me they had the whole place to themselves that night. Graham and Kerrie jumped in our car for the day, we certainly enjoyed their company, and it was like having children in the car again!
We left camp at 10 am and headed along Moonambel-Warrenmang Road, into Warrenmang, then along Miles Lane and Miles Track. Our first climb of the day was up Sanderson Track which had deteriorated significantly since the pre-trip. A couple of people needed multiple attempts on some sections. We then headed along Main Break, No.2 Creek Track, and down Fraser Track. Fraser Track has some long steep descents in places and Dave’s car certainly had that lovely aroma of brake pads which had been used a little too often. We had morning tea at Fraser’s Trail Bike Picnic Area. Mike left his car at the picnic area and jumped in with Alan and Sandy. We headed out along Elbing Track and onto Old Bluff Track. At the bottom of the first steep section we met another group who had a car stuck half way up a fork in the track. From about this point on things got a little complicated! Steve decided to walk up and see what was happening. The other group moved their cars to the side so we could get past, which we did and we waited at the
18 | P a g e
top of the first steep section for everyone to catch up. At this point Alan had to head off back down the track to Avoca to drop off Sandy for lunch with her family, and Michael decided it was time to go home. In the meantime the other group had recovered their vehicle and was heading up. Things got to be a little bit of a squeeze with Alan and Michael going down and the others coming up. Everyone got past and the other group continued up the track. Alas for everyone involved the third car in their convoy broke a CV joint and was stuck on the steepest section of Old Bluff Track and that was the end of that. They planned to winch it up the rest of the way – but that was going to take forever. Mike and Meredith hopped in with Charles and Paula and we headed back down. Although first Stephen wanted to test his car on one of the extreme sections of Old Bluff with the assistance of Graham and Kerry as guides. There is some good video of this floating around (thanks to Kadin). Once back at Fraser Picnic ground Mike picked up his car and Alan had returned from dropping off Sandy. We then headed back up Fraser Track, which was a steep climb and a couple of tricky sections for some. We then wound our way along Main Break and down Jackson Track, where Kadin had to move a big rock from the middle of the track so the trip leader could get his car down. Jackson Track has a fork and Peter and Stephen did the loop. Stephen decided to go up and down the hard way. Everyone else did the chicken track, even Peter and I decided after what Stephen and Kadin had gone through (on Old Bluff) we would take the easier track. Go Stephen! We reached Clear Patch Track which was very dusty and not very clear at all; you couldn't see the car in front of you at all in some spots on the track. Some poor camps beside of the track would have had lots of dust their way. Then we came to Farnsworth Track which was a pleasant scenic drive along the side of some hills. This joined Sardine Track and hit the black stuff at GlenloftyWarrenmang Road. Charles and Paula headed back to camp to pack up, while what remained of the party headed into Avoca for a late lunch around 3:00pm. Stephen, Dave and Jess left from Avoca to head home, Mike, Meredith, Peter and I headed back to camp to pack up. (continues on page 22!!)
19 | P a g e
T R IP S S U MMA RY Trip
Next Meeting
Border Track
Frog Hollow/ Traralgon
Date Tuesday October 27th
Leader(s)
See you there
Saturday 31st
Peter Bellis -
October to Tuesday
secretary@subaru4wdvic.c
3rd November 2015
om.au
Saturday 31st October to Tuesday 3rd November 2015
Jamie Scott – js@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Jean Bellis-
Christmas
Sunday 29th
Break up.
November.
Oxfam
Saturday 5th or
Peter Bellis -
Christmas Tree
Sunday 6th
secretary@subaru4wdvic.c
Delivery
December
om.au - 9801 4762
Saturday 26th or Christmas Trip
Sunday 27th December to Friday 1st January (TBC)
events@subaru4wdvic.com .au - 9801 4762
Dave Wilson dwilson@rttf.vic.edu.au 0429 942 724
20 | P a g e
Friday 22nd to Tuesday 26th Mt Alexander
January 2016 (For
Mike and Meredith Dale –
(near
some this may be a
venue@subaru4wdvic.com.
Castlemaine)
Long Weekend with
au
Australia Day on the Tuesday)
Twilight Cinema
January or
Jan and Dale Rebgetz –
February 2016
resources@subaru4wdvic.c
(TBA)
om.au
Friday 25 March to Disputed
Sunday 3rd April
Border
2016 (Easter 2528th March)
Simpson
17th July 2016 for
Desert
3 weeks
11th Australian
19th – 22nd August
4WD Gathering
2016
Jean and Peter Bellis events@subaru4wdvic.com .au - 9801 4762
Dale Rebgetz- vicepresident@subaru4wdvic.c om.au
See you there
21 | P a g e
(from page 19!!)
Thanks to Mike and Meredith for a great run trip. Mike plans to run a future trip there titled ‘Avoca trip for crazies!’ where Hill Track can be once again considered. Participants: Michael, Meredith & Kadin Dale (Leaders) Peter & Edith Fullalove Sandy & Alan Christiansen Stephen Whittaker Michael Hartshorne Dave Denver & Jess Paula & Charles Tam Kerry & Graham Gill Lynette Mudford, Stewart & Maddie Ball
Frog Hollow Weekend Short and sweet summary of the weekend. Friday night: Les and Elaine turned up around 7pm we had a BBQ tea and off to bed
22 | P a g e
Saturday: We got the Brumby out and ran the winch cable out to test it all works well. Les moved the camper van into the shade and got stuck, needing a tow! We then sat around for some R&R. Later that day we lit the fire, very nice! Sunday: all we did was sit around and enjoy the day.
Participants: Jamie Scott (Trip leader) Les & Elaine ford ute & nipper camper Shelby (4 Legs)
Photography Day The venue for the day was Cloudehill Gardens at Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges. We met in the car park at 9:30 am with cameras at the ready. Before the taking of any photos occurred, we silently and observantly walked around the gardens, as a meditation, to get the feel of the nature and beauty of the area. We then had two hours to take photos, some of which would be shown and shared later.
23 | P a g e
At midday we met at the adjoining Seasons Restaurant for an al fresco lunch. We were pleased that Jean and Peter could join us. All agreed that the food was tasty and well presented.
From here we travelled to the Rebgetz residence where we each chose 10 of our best photos. These were viewed on the large TV screen and commented on. The commentary was enthusiastic and thoughtful. The photography from each person was of an extremely high standard and the subject matter varied a great deal. We all learnt much from each other about angles, light, colour, reflections and focus. There was some outstandingly artistic and original photography. It was a very enjoyable and educational day for us all. Thank you to everyone for their participation and input making the day such a success.
24 | P a g e
imagine... be alone ... breathe in the essence of colour billowing from every crevice dripping from every flower unfurling from every fern soaring with every bird
be humbled by the noble trees for they are older and far wiser than you disappear into shadows where the lyrebird rustles its food
touch the myriad rainbow colours blowing in the breeze
dance silently in sunshine around and around until clouds drift over then cry softly under greying skies
listen always listen to the busyness of bees for it is they who make all this possible stop the fall of a water drop from the fountain with the blink of your eye and the shutting of your ear step lightly on ancient soils uplifted into hills
scoured into valleys bedrock of our being
… when you have done that do it again and again until you are part of it all … then you may lift the camera to your eye because you have already seen
© Jan Rebgetz 2015
25 | P a g e
Participants: Jan Rebgetz (Trip leader) Dale Rebgetz (Technical adviser) Kadin Dale Meredith Dale Martin Foot Edith Fullalove Kerry Gill Dot Greiveson Jamie Scott Stephen Whittaker
26 | P a g e
MEMBER TIPS AND REVIEWS Looking to get some new bits for your car but not sure what to get? Or curious how to install this or that? The member tips and reviews sections is a “by members for members” section to share advice or review on gear bought. All entries to this section will get a “oh yeah that sounds reasonable” test before being published. We also must stress that this is advice from one person to another and should still be verified and checked like any other. There are a lot of people in this club that know an awful lot about cars, but your car is ultimately yours and we are not responsible for anything that happens as a result of taking our advice.
CB Radios By Mike Dale Following on from Dan's article about installing his CB radio and aerial, I thought I would write a series of articles on the CB radios themselves. This is the first of three parts. This month will focus on the background of the CB radio, recent changes and some features they have. Next month will focus on in-vehicle radios and in the third part it will be hand held radios. CB radios in Australia have been around since the mid 1970s. There are two systems available: 1) 27MHz and 2) 477MHz or more commonly called UHF. The two types are not compatible with each other, which mean a 27MHz radio will not communicate with a UHF radio. A working radio is essential as it allows any member in the convoy to communicate hazards or problems (oncoming vehicle, road conditions, vehicle issues, etc.) to other members. The club requires all members on a trip (other than selected social trips) to have a working UHF radio. Therefore the focus of these articles will be on UHF radios. However I will briefly discuss the 27MHz systems. They are the older of the two and are not used very much today. They have the advantage of being able to communicate over much longer distances. Without getting too technical, this is due to the longer wavelength of the signal, which will, to some extent bend over hills and undulations on the ground, and also bounce off the top the earth’s atmosphere (the ionosphere). This is analogous to why an AM radio station can be received much further away than a FM radio station. These types of radios are useful on trips such as
27 | P a g e
the Simpson Desert where the convoy may be strung out over many kilometres. Some club members also carry this type of radio. UHF stands for Ultra High Frequency. It is a continuation of the acronyms HF (High Frequency) and VHF (Very High Frequency). Essentially they are line of sight and do not bend over or around hills. The first UHF radios appeared in Australia in the early 1980s and were expensive; more than double the cost of a 27MHz system. As electronics became cheaper, the cost of a UHF handset decreased, and with the saturation of traffic on the 27MHz system, UHF increased in popularity. The initial system had 40 channels using a 25kHz channel spacing. This is commonly known as wideband UHF. In 2011 the ACMA implemented a reuse of the frequency spectrum allocated to UHF CB radios. This reduced the channel spacing to 12.5kHz and in turn allowed for 80 channels, although effectively it is only 77 as channels 22 & 23 still use 25kHz of bandwidth (making channel 62 & 63 invalid and channel 61 is a guard channel). This is known as narrowband UHF. Both the 40 and 80 channel systems are compatible with each other due to a novel reuse of the bandwidth and channel numbering. With the narrowband 80 channel system, the frequency of each channel is not consecutive. When they split the 25kHz channel of the wideband system into two 12.5kHz channels, the second channel was offset by 40. That is, channel 1 wideband, contains the bandwidth of channels 1 and 41 of the narrowband system. Channel 2 would be 2 and 42, and so on. See below.
Wideband
Narrowband
Channel 1 476.425MHz
Ch 1 476.425
Channel 2 476.45MHz
Ch 2 476.45
Ch 41 476.4375
Channel 3 476.475MHz
Ch 3 476.475 Ch 42 476.4625
Ch 43 476.4875
28 | P a g e
It is currently alright to use a 40 channel system, although some articles suggest they will be deemed illegal from 2017. The ACMA in 2016 is planning on reviewing their continued use. So it is unknown until then what will be the outcome.
Features Scan: this feature allows the radio to scan through a list of channels searching for activity. If it finds an active conversation it stops momentarily on this channel to allow the user to stop the scan and stay on that channel. An open scan will search all 80 channels for any active conversation. Many radios allow the user to include or exclude channels in the scan list. This is commonly referred to as group scan Priority Scan: this feature allows the user to select a channel (known as the “Priority channel”) while the radio scans a limited selection of channels. If there is any activity on the priority channel, then the radio will always switch back to that channel. This can be useful in convoy situations where one of the party members maybe scanning to see who else is around, but their radio will always switch back to the priority channel if another member of the convoy starts speaking. From experience I have used the scan facility several times when travelling in the outback. You do not want a B-Double sneaking up behind you because you couldn’t see it due to the dust your vehicle was creating. Selective calling: this feature allows for a pseudo reuse of channels. There are a couple of different methods to achieve the same result. All the methods require that the radios are setup prior so that a group of radios know what signals to make available to the users. Selcall - allows a radio to call another radio using a sequence of tones. The setup is typically presented to the users as a series of 5 numbers. UHF radios can be set to be completely silent until they receive a series of tones matching the pre-programmed sequence. Radios which are using this feature usually indicate that a call has been received by emitting a number of beeps and by opening the squelch. The popularity of selcall has dropped since the introduction of CTCSS. Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) - allows a group of radios set with the same tone to converse on a channel without hearing other radios using that channel. CTCSS can be used to silence a radio until another radio with the same tone transmits. This allows monitoring of a channel for transmissions from radios set with the same tone without hearing other conversations that use different or even no tone. Note: the use of CTCSS is not permitted on UHF CB repeaters or the designated emergency channels.
29 | P a g e
Repeaters (Duplex operation): this feature can extend the range of the radio. It of course assumes there are repeater stations available. The repeater receives the signal and automatically re-transmits the signal on another channel. The duplex operation allows the radio to transmit on one channel and receive on another. Repeaters use channels 1 to 8 and 41 to 48 and the duplex button should be pressed to access the repeater. External Speaker Socket: this feature is as it says – it allows the user to connect an external speaker. This could be useful depending on how and where the radio is installed. For example if it is installed in the console and the internal speaker is baffled by the in car CD player, then attaching an external speaker will allow other parties to be heard more easily.
Next month I will look at in-car CB radios and delve into a few different types
Deep Cycle Battery Voltage & State of Charge Article forwarded by Damian Stock – originally from www.energymatters.com.au/ Editor’s note: This article is from an external website, links to their products have been removed, though a very interesting read particularly with a few longer trips coming up! If you’re the owner of a mobile or off grid solar power system, one of the most obsessive pastimes is determining how much charge you have left in your deep cycle battery bank. This is also known as “state of charge”.
While not totally accurate, the easiest way to determine this is with a multimeter if your solar regulator or charge controller doesn’t have a voltage readout. State of charge does vary a little between a sealed lead acid, flooded, gel and AGM deep cycle battery types and also between brands. Even the weather can play a role
30 | P a g e
The table below shows the voltage and approximate state of charge for each type of battery. Note: The figures are based on open circuit readings; i.e. when the deep cycle battery isn’t under load and hasn’t been under load for a few hours. This scenario may not occur very often in a battery based system that’s continually being used; so the best time to take the reading is early in the morning before the sun hits your panels, in the evening as the sun is setting, or when it’s very overcast. If you take a reading while the battery is receiving charge, it could read anything up to 14.5 volts. If you take the reading when the panels aren’t exposed to the sun, as there will likely be power being drawn at the time, you can assume that whatever the voltage reading, it’s a conservative estimate. Once all load is removed from a battery, voltage can bounce back up substantially. State of Charge
Sealed or Flooded Lead Acid
Gel battery
AGM battery
100%
12.70+
12.85+
12.80+
75%
12.40
12.65
12.60
50%
12.20
12.35
12.30
25%
12.00
12.00
12.00
0%
11.80
11.80
11.80
General rule of thumb: the less your deep cycle battery is discharged before being properly recharged again, the longer it will last. Here’s an example: A Sonnenschein Solar Bloc 100 AH Gel Battery discharged to a depth of 70%, i.e. with only 30% or 30 AH (amp hours) remaining, will have a lifespan of around 1200 cycles, which is quite impressive. However, if it’s only discharged to 50%, the expected number of cycles skyrockets to around 1700! If a cycle is a day, that adds over 1.25 years to the life of the battery.
31 | P a g e
Depth of discharge, also known as DOD, shouldn’t be any more than 50% in most deep cycle batteries in order to get the best value for money. So if you have a 100 AH battery, consider the cut-off discharge depth being 50 AH. Depth of discharge is a very important calculation you should make when choosing the size of a deep cycle battery. Here’s another example: If you want to power a laptop computer, check the amps rating on the adaptor. It’s likely to be somewhere between the 3 and 5 amp mark. This translates to probably around 2 – 4 amps an hour under normal usage as your laptop won’t be using the full amount at all times. So, based on the lower end: 100 AH battery = 50 AH available capacity/2 amp draw = 25 hours usage. As mentioned, there’s 4 main types of deep cycle battery – sealed lead acid, flooded lead acid, gel and AGM. To learn more about the difference between them, view our deep cycle battery guide.
Want your voice here? There are a lot of people in this club who know a lot and we’d love your input! Send submissions in a word document to editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au
BUY AND SELL Club Resources We have plenty of resources to sell. We may have many, some or none of the following items so if you are interested in any of these then please come along to the club meeting and I will be very happy to sell them to you. Correct change will be much appreciated. Short sleeve blue chambray shirt w/logo (Size 14) - $30.00 Long sleeve blue chambray shirt w/logo (Size M) - $60.00 New Style Red Polo Shirts (M, L, XL, 2XL) - $30.00 Hat Oiled Skin size 55 - $20.00 Hat Safari size 59 - $20.00 New Style Vest - $60.00 New Style Jacket - $70.00 Blue Polo Shirt - $15.00
32 | P a g e
Large Sew on Badges - $3.50 Small Sew on Badges - $2.00 Fuel Filter Plastic x 45deg. - $5.00 Fuel Filter Plastic x 90deg. - $5.00 Fuel Filter Plastic x Straight - $5.00 eFlare HZ510 Red with Base - $55.00 Wheel Nuts [Set of 4] - $1.60 CV Boot Clamps Large & Small - $3.00 CV Joint Grease - $4.00 MSP Engine Formulation (oil additive) - $50.00 For substantial discounts on all general automotive spare parts, oils, filters, shocks, etc., please see me for details. Resources Officer: Dale Rebgetz Email: resources@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Member Items for Sale Item: Forester Aluminium Bash Plates Details: made from 6.0mm construction grade aluminium Cost: $300 for club members, $330 for non-members. Fitting can be arranged. Contact: David Wilson, dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au, Item: Set of 4 alloy rims from Outback 1997 model Cost: $120.00 ONO Contact: David Wilson, dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au, Item: Roof console to hold CB and lights and switches for Outback Cost: $100.00 Contact: David Wilson, dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au,
Want to sell something Subaru/off-road related? Contact editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au The club makes this space available free of charge to members wishing to buy or sell items. Please note that the Motor Car Trader Regulations 1998-22(4) require that vehicles for sale advertisements must contain: (a) the cash price of the vehicle and; (b) the registration number if registered or the engine/chassis numbers if unregistered.
33 | P a g e
4 W D V I CT O RIA T RAIN IN G D AT E S November 2015 Wednesday
4th
Advanced 4x4
(AD151115)
Theory - Nth Balwyn Friday
6th
Proficiency
(PC151107)
Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday
7th
Proficiency
(PC151107)
Practical - Werribee Friday
13th
GPS
(GPS151113)
Nth Balwyn Friday
13th
Advanced 4x4
(AD151115)
Practical - Tallarook Saturday
14th
Advanced 4x4
(AD151115)
Practical - Tallarook Sunday
15th
Advanced 4x4
(AD151115)
Practical - Tallarook Friday
20th
Proficiency
(PC151121)
Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday
21st
Proficiency
(PC151121)
Practical – Werribee Friday
27th
Ozi Explorer
(OZ151127)
Nth Balwyn
December 2015 Thursday
3rd
Chainsaw
(CS151206)
Theory - Nth Balwyn Friday
4th
Proficiency
(PC151205)
Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday
5th
Proficiency
(PC151205)
Practical - Werribee
34 | P a g e
Saturday
5th
Chainsaw
(CS151206)
Practical - Tallarook Sunday
6th
Chainsaw
(CS151206)
Practical – Tallarook For more information about our training you can browse our website (www.fwdvictoria.org.au) or to make an enquiry or book a course contact the office on (03) 9857 5209 or e-mail training@fwdvictoria.org.au
M IN U T E S Club Meeting Minutes The general meeting of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc was held on Tuesday, 29th September 2015 at the South Camberwell Tennis Club starting at 8:10pm. 1.
2.
3.
Present Peter Mynard, Katie Mynard, Meredith Dale, Michael Dale, Dave Denver, Jean Bellis, Peter Bellis, Bob Marshall, Jessica Walsh, Les Scott, Jamie Scott, Stephen Whittaker, Paul Saleeba, Edith Fullalove, Peter Fullalove, Lee Wegner, Ducan McCrae, Tim Folliard, Peter Landouris, Graham Gill, Peter Devine, Rick Koster, Damian Stock. Apologies Andrew Jantke, Lisa Jantke, Ruth Marshall, Martin Foot, Bev Davison, Elaine Hyde, David Wilson, Dan Conlon. Visitors Celeste O’Connell, Anthony Sauders, Michael Dickman.
4.
Welcome A welcome was extended to all members and visitors.
5.
Minutes of the Previous General Meeting 5.1. The minutes of the August 2015 General Meeting were accepted without amendment after being moved by Bob Marshall and seconded by Paul Saleeba. 5.2. There was no business arising from the minutes.
6.
Correspondence 6.1. In Advertising Western Port Festival Classic Car Show Car carpet special 6.2. Out None
7.
Reports 7.1. Resources Nothing to report. 7.2. Editor Nothing to report. 7.3. Trip and Social Details are elsewhere in the magazine. 7.4. Venue
35 | P a g e
Details are elsewhere in the magazine. Will have door prizes for tonight. 7.5. Membership A number of name badges were presented to new and existing members. 7.6. Treasurer Current bank account balance is $9,071.13 7.7. Secretary Annual awards – need nominations by the October meeting. Next committee meeting – Tuesday 6th October at Mike’s and Meredith’s place Committee for 2015/16 Non-committee roles – seeking a member to assist with the co-ordination of training and education. 7.8. Vice-President Nothing to report. 7.9. President Seeking access to an area near Tallarook to conduct 4WD driver training. The club will provide some financial support to access to the facility. Will be developing education material to go into the magazine, and a “new member” pack. Assistance in developing these would be appreciated. 7.10. 4WD Victoria Delegate The finances of the Association are looking a lot healthier due to a lot of hard work over the past few years by the Association’s board. Will be running “Clean up the Bush” in Wombat State Forest and the Otways next year. Training – some courses are being rejigged due to a recent audit. Mt Skene Track winter access – procedures are being revised. Tyre/suspension modifications – need to be aware of update to regulations.
8.
General Business 8.1. Duncan has access to LED light bars at “cost plus”. 8.2. Forester oil consumption – Paul gave an update on the on-going saga. The upshot is the engine is getting a full rebuild at Subaru’s cost, and in the meantime, Paul and wife get to drive a Subaru XV. 8.3. 2013/4 Forester – recall regarding direction indicator/wiper switches. 8.4. Sand flags – club has access to a good deal to purchase SA Parks compliant flag.
9.
Fines and Fun 9.1. Nametags
Peter Mynard. Last to Meeting Damian Stock 9.3. Trips 9.3.1. Train Ride / High Tea Dale – couldn’t remember how many years Jan and he had been married. Martin and Dot – for leaving ahead of everyone else from the train station. Jean – for not giving clear instructions. Jean – for not being able to count cars. Jean – for not planning the stop at Yarra Glen. Meredith – for kicking the kids off the swing at the playground. Peter – for falling asleep at the dinner table. 9.3.2. Wombat Night Moves Stephen – ignition problems with the engine – running on three and half cylinders. 9.2.
36 | P a g e
9.4.
Dale R – needing to replace a drive shaft the morning of the trip. Peter L – for being extremely late to the start of the trip. Dan C – for getting bogged 10 metres into a four wheel drive track. Stephen – for not taking his vehicle on the night drive. Meredith and Mike – for each having a hot water bottle on the night drive. Daryl L – for getting stuck in a bog hole that all the Subarus got through without issue. Rick – for leaving behind a peg and guy rope. Meredith – for getting the Subaru muddy up to the sills. Jessica – for wearing a jacket on the trip. Dan – having to refill the gas bottle. Dan – slight electrical issue with light bar. Total fines collected - $8.10.
13. Meeting closed at 10:16pm and was followed by supper.
Committee Meeting Minutes Minutes of the meeting of the committee of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc held on Tuesday, 6th September 2015 at the home of Michael and Meredith Dale starting at 7:50pm. 1.
Present Michael Dale, Meredith Dale, Stephen Whittaker, Jamie Scott, Jean Bellis, Peter Bellis, Dan Conlon, Bob Marshall (via phone).
2.
Apologies Dale Rebgetz.
3.
Quorum A quorum was achieved with six committee members present.
4.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting 4.1. Minutes of the August 2015 committee meeting were accepted without amendment. 4.2. Business Arising from the Minutes and Outstanding Actions 4.2.1. Bank account signatories. 4.2.2. AGM report for 2014 – need to update the vicepresident’s report and email to members in PDF format – Fixed in minutes of previous AGM in the 2015 annual report. 4.2.3. Club’s cupboard. Have problems finding a locksmith who can access the blank (evidently these are kept in the USA). 4.2.4. Ongoing 4WD Education / Awareness. 4.2.5. Membership renewal form.
5.
Correspondence 5.1. In Pajero 4WD Club - magazine. 5.2. Out None
10. Guest Speaker / Presentation Peter Bellis gave an informative talk on trip gear requirements / considerations.
11. The Lucky door prize was won by Peter Landouris.
12. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 27th October 2015 commencing at 8pm.
37 | P a g e
6.
Reports 6.1. Resources Nothing to report. 6.2. Trip and Social Details of future trips and events are elsewhere in the magazine. It is suggested that the club start offering multiple trips on the same day/weekend or run the same trip twice in a month to cater for the increased number of members attending trips. In conjunction with this, trip attendance limits need to be considered – to be set by the trip leader taking into account the trip rating and track conditions. It was agreed that all future trips will have a trip limit specified. The club currently has a good mix of trips – duration and difficulty. Australia Day 2016 – falls on a Tuesday and coincides with the club’s general meeting. The club could offer a two or four day trip – Jamie to investigate. Club’s 40th anniversary – possible day option in Melbourne is a Yarra River cruise. Club Christmas Party Will be held at Sugarloaf Reservoir. Martin to get 4WD Victoria barbecue. Will ask Dale/Jan to get meat. Meredith to supplied sliced onions – 2kg bag. Jamie to source drinks. Santa Claus - ?? Someone has offered. Lolly bags – Jean. Club shelter – Stephen. Club flags – Stephen. Barbecue tools – Dan and Meredith. Bread – Dan – 3 white sliced, 1 wholemeal. Tables – 2 for serving food and one for cooking – Dan and Meredith. Serving tongs – Meredith. 20 litre drinking container filled with water, plus some cups – Stephen. Food covering. 6.3. Venue Details of future meetings elsewhere in the magazine.
List of duties to be emailed to Meredith, based upon the old by-laws. Need to organise a meeting at a dealer next year around the time of the launch of the Forester facelift – March/April.
6.4.
Membership Gary Impson – is he still a member? Needs to be followed up with Bob if payment has been received. Received two new membership applications. The committee discussed the applications.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to accept the membership application from Anthony and Ngaire Saunders.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to accept the membership application from Matt Chaplin.
6.5.
6.6.
6.7.
Editor Had both positive and negative feedback on the new format magazine. Some members received a mailed copy of the magazine who had requested just email. Will revisit the format of the magazine to reduce the number of pages in the magazine (fonts, layout, etc). This month’s deadline is Tuesday 13th October 2015. Treasurer Current bank account balance is $9,071.13. Major income include sale of club clothing, and a membership application. Secretary
38 | P a g e
6.8. 6.9.
7.
8.
Annual awards – need to send out an email reminding members to submit their nominations. Vice-President Nothing to report. President Club is running along nice and smoothly, and so is the committee.
Sub-Committees 7.1. Communications Michael is yet to start playing with the club’s website. Will start with the club calendar. Michael made some suggestions in regards to trip reports on the website – such as a paragraph summary / thumbnail of trips that then link to the main trip reports / photographs / etc. Also need to consider how photographs are loaded and set them up to distinguish between fixed line and mobile devices. 7.2. Community Involvement Camp Host – does the club want to be involved in the scheme? If so, what area? 7.3. Constitution Review Currently reviewing convoy rules. 7.4. Education / Training Currently seeking a member to take this role on. Will be looking at a weekend 4WD Driver course at Tallarook in February / March 2016.
General Business New member pack Jean presented a suggestion for a new member pack. It should be sent out within a week or two of a person becoming a new member.
Gear list – to be broken into categories similar to what Peter had in his recent presentation. Add a list of suggested modifications / legal requirements. Courses offered from 4WD Victoria – get a booklet / listing from 4WD Victoria. Add a brief history of the club. The pack could fit into a large envelope that could be sent out if the new member is not at the next meeting. Alternatively, should it be done as a booklet? Dan offered to put it into a book form provided others provide the content. Membership application Some additional questions should be added to the member application form: 4WD experience. Reason for wanting to join the club. Skills / interest / job area. Know anyone in the club? How did the applicant find out about the club? Modification of the form – Jean to follow up with Martin. Member exit survey Need to have some means of doing a member exit survey so that the club understands why people leave the club.
9.
Next Meeting will be held on Tuesday 10th November 2015 at 7:30pm at the home of Dan Conlon (tbc).
10.
Meeting closed at 10:38pm.
39 | P a g e
E DIT OR N OT E S Thanks for all the contributions again this month!
Just a couple of things from me: In an effort to BE GREEN AND SAVE PAPER please let me know via email if you currently receive a paper version of this magazine and would be happy with an email version instead Any interesting articles you find and want to share, or if you would like to write an article for the magazine in the member's tips and reviews sections, let me know! The deadline for submissions for next month is:
Tuesday 10th November As always please send emails to: editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au
40 | P a g e