September 2015 (Issue 418)
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
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CONTENTS Intro - 5 Committee - 6 From The President - 7 Upcoming - 10 Next Meeting - 10 Trips and Social Events - 10 Avoca- Pyrenees State Forest - 10 Frog Hollow/ Traralgon - 11 Photography Day - 11 Border Track - 12 Frog Hollow/ Traralgon (again) - 12 Still to Come In 2015 - 12 With rough dates - 13 No date as yet……but get excited - 13 Long Term Future Planning - 13 Trip and Social Contacts - 14 Trip and Recovery Gear - 15 Trip Reports - 17 Brisbane Ranges 16 August 2015 - 17 Menindee/Rocket Lake/Mungo 25th July – 9th August - 20 Train and High Tea in the Yarra Valley September 13th - 27 Member Tips and Reviews - 32 Installing an in-car UHF/CB radio With Dan Conlon - 32
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Buy and Sell - 37 Club Resources - 37 Member Items for Sale - 38 Minutes - 39 Club Meeting Minutes - 39 Committee Meeting Minutes - 43 Editor Notes - 51
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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
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C OM MIT T E E 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
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F R OM T HE P RE SI DE N T President’s Report: September Magazine Welcome to the September Subaru 4WD Club magazine. More and more warmer days are presenting themselves to us and, while we don’t stop with the trips and events in our club during winter, the warmer months do help us get us out and about with more frequent trips. Welcome to the new club year with a whole new committee – but more on that later. I’m writing my report this month not long after arriving home from a fantastic weekend with the club! We had the ‘Lerderderg & Wombat State Forest Camp & Night Drive Trip’ this weekend… and it was a whole lot of fun. The fact that the Trip Leader’s vehicle was sick is beside the point! Indeed, my vehicle was sick but that did not stop the trip from going ahead. We had 16 vehicles and 25 members making it an excellent turn out and a very enjoyable social weekend. As for my vehicle; I did a patch repair job on a spark plug lead at home to ensure I could limp it to camp and then complete an ontrip repair. However, once at camp and with the ignition coil out, it was discovered that the problem was worse – the spark plug lead had actually fused to the ignition coil pack and would not come out. Again, another patch job was done but I didn’t have the confidence in the coil pack to last the distance of the night drive (and, most importantly, getting home), so I left the vehicle at camp that evening. I’ll leave the story there for now. Full details will be in the trip report in next month’s magazine. Just know that it will be an entertaining ‘fines and fun’ segment at the September meeting.
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We had an excellent turn out for our AGM last month. Thanks to all who came along and made it a very enjoyable evening. Special thanks go to those who put up their hand to continue (or start) their time on the committee! Your new committee is again made up of an excellent group of individuals who will collectively assist in making this the best four wheel drive club in Victoria. Your new committee for 2015-16 looks like this: Dale Rebgetz (Vice President), Peter Bellis (Secretary), Bob Marshall (Treasurer), Jean Bellis (Social Coordinator), Jamie Scott (Trip Coordinator), Martin Foot (Membership), Dan Conlon (Editor – welcome, Dan), Mike Dale (Website Development and Magazine Content – welcome, Mike) and Meredith Dale (Venue Coordinator – welcome, Meredith). It’s an exciting new committee. Thanks to the new members who have put their hand up to help with the management and general running of this great club. Your assistance is greatly appreciated! At our first committee meeting with the new committee (held on a Saturday afternoon at the Bellis’), we discussed many issues for the club. One of these issues was the need for us to identify/encourage a member to be the Training/Education Coordinator. With a welcome influx of new members, we need to provide training to ensure the safety and welfare of everyone on our trips and we need someone who can assist us to ensure this is carried out. This role is not one that would require you to be at a committee meeting once a month. It is a role that will involve ensuring everyone is appropriately trained and gains the necessary skills to become great four wheel drivers. If you think this sounds like something you’d like sink your teeth into, then let myself or a member of our committee know. It’s very important for me to make a special mention of those who are stepping down from committee this year. This includes Mike Hartshorne (who spent 3 years as Editor of our magazine – thanks, Mike), Damian Stock (who, after 8 years as President, spent the last year as Immediate Past President – thank you, Damian) and Jessica Walsh (who had a myriad of roles over the years – the 8|Page
most recent as Vice President – thanks, Jess). We sincerely appreciate your time, dedication and significant contributions to enhancing our club. Personally, I’m looking forward to another exiting year as President. We have a great club with very passionate, positive people. I’m keen to see the club continue to grow in the way it has in the past year. With trips like The Disputed Border, Simpson Desert 2016 and Fraser Island among a few being planned currently, we’re in for a ripper year! We look forward to your company at the September General Meeting where you can catch up on the latest club news, hear trip reports and, most importantly, see what shape our committee and club will take over the next 12 months. In the meantime, enjoy the September magazine and I’ll see you at the meeting and/or out on the tracks – wherever we may be heading! Stephen Whittaker President
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U P CO MIN G Next Meeting When: Meetings are the Last Tuesday of every month (except December) at 8pm Where: South Camberwell Tennis Club - 322 Burke Road, Glen Iris (Melways 59 H6)
Trips and Social Events Avoca- Pyrenees State Forest Date: Friday 2nd October – Sunday 4th October (Friday is AFL holiday) Trip Leaders: Meredith and Mike Dale events@subaru4wdvic.com.au Trip Standard: Medium
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Details: Standing camp at Moonambel Campground From the main road in Moonambel turn North into Greens Lane (opposite the pub). Travel down Greens lane for 300m metres, and it's on the left. Free camping, large area, Pit toilets, Fires in fireplaces and plenty of room for camper trailers. Dinner will be at the local Pub on Saturday night.
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Friday, starting at around 1:30 pm, a short couple of hours trip on some of the easier medium tracks. Saturday will be a full day out and Sunday morning will be a short trip on some of the harder medium tracks.
Frog Hollow/ Traralgon Date: Friday 2nd October – Sunday 4th October (Friday is AFL holiday) 2015 Trip Leaders: Jamie Scott – js@subaru4wdvic.com.au Details: Jamie has offered his place for anyone who would like to camp there over the AFL weekend. Come for one night or the whole time. I am not sure what Jamie’s work commitments are over some of the weekend but he can point you in the direction of some tracks or places of interest to visit in the area. Or you can just go down and relax. Contact Jamie directly if you are interested.
Photography Day Date: Saturday 10th October 2015 Trip Leader: Jan Rebgetz – resources@subaru4wdvic.com.au Trip Standard: social ☺ Location: Cloudehill Nursery and Gardens Olinda then back to the Rebgetz Residence. Cost: $5-$10 entry TBC. Diggers Club members free. Lunch at the restaurant attached to the Gardens. Mains $25 -$30 but the food is excellent.
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Details: There are many of us in the club who enjoy taking photos, close-ups, macro photography, scenery, nature while we are on trips. The purpose of this is to get together, take some photos and then later in the day choose a few of our better compositions to share with the group, so that we might discover what makes a good photo, thinking about composition and lighting etc.
Border Track Please Note that this trip is full. Date: Saturday 31st October to Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Trip Leader: Peter Bellis - secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Frog Hollow/ Traralgon (again) Date: Saturday 31st October to Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Trip Leader: Jamie Scott – js@subaru4wdvic.com.au Details: 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.
Still to Come In 2015 Plenty of fantastic trips and events still to come in 2015 12 | P a g e
With rough dates • •
Christmas Break up - Sunday 29th November. Oxfam Christmas Tree Delivery - Saturday 5th or Sunday 6th December.
No date as yet……but get excited • • • • • •
Driver Training High Country Huts Mud Day Trip Coombe the Melba Estate for a garden Tour and Devonshire Tea Discover Melbourne Walk Puffing Billy – Dinner and Murder Mystery Night
Long Term Future Planning In 2016 •
• • •
•
Disputed Border (The Full length of VIC/SA border) Friday 25 March to Sunday 3rd April 2016 (Easter 2528th March) Option for People to do just Easter as there are exit points on major roads. - Jean and Peter Bellis Kangaroo Island? Simpson Desert 17th July 2016 for 3 weeks - Dale Rebgetz 11th Australian 4WD Gathering – 19-22 August
Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary
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In 2017 • •
Central Australia Fraser Island
In 2018 •
Cape York
In 2019 • •
Canning Stock Route 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
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T R IP AN D R E C O VE R Y G E AR 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. Nonfinancial 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. Personal details form as specified by FWDV, copy to Trip Leader 2. Two rated D- Shackles (minimum 3.2t) 3. Rated snatch strap 4. 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) 15 | P a g e
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
Sufficient Fuel, Oil and Water for the trip and delays A Tyre Pressure Gauge; Compressor (according to the trip) 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 non-emergency medical needs are expected to be meet by individuals own medical supplies.
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T R IP R E P ORT S Brisbane Ranges 16 August 2015 The weather really turned it on for us on our first trip as leaders. Our day started with some of us having breakfast or morning tea at The Jolly Miller. We then meet at the Gell Street parking to go over convoy procedures and order. Peter and I would like to especially thank Stephen for his help in this endeavour. It was a great way also for some of our new members and visitors who were on their first trip to also learn. We headed south out of Bacchus Marsh towards the Brisbane Ranges. Upon entering The Brisbane Ranges National Park we hit the dirt roads. As you descend into the area which has the Little River Picnic Area if you looked up you could see the big house on the hill which would have amazing views. Heading towards Stony Creek Picnic Area you are given great views over the valley and the You Yang’s. There is even a small area to park and get out and have a look. As we were a big group some of us didn’t stop, but continued onto the Stony Creek Picnic Area. We stopped for a quick break, cuppa and chat and then continued on our way to explore the United Albion Goldmine where we even manage a group shoot. Thanks Meredith.
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From the Goldmine we headed to our lunch spot at the Fridays Creek Campground. Lunch was a time of learning; CB radios were one of the topics discussed and lots of socialising. It was nice to spend a bit of time to get to know some of our newer members. Bonnets where up with lots of show and tell happening.
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After lunch we headed towards Steiglitz. We arrived at the historical township where we got to explore this lovely old goldmining township. The main attraction is the old Courthouse (built in 1874) which is open from 2-4 pm only on Sunday. We had about an hour and a half to wonder around and see the old cottages and my favourite place where the library once stood. Another spectacular view was offered on the drive down into Anakie of the surround area, which include Geelong. We finish our day at Anakie, some of us even stayed for coffee, custard tarts and a beer. Sadly for this trip there were no fines and we even managed to finish on time. Thanks to everyone who attended and made this our first trip as leaders just brilliant. We hope to run another one in the not too distant future when I have less study on my plate. Participants: Peter and Edith Fullalove - Pajero (Leaders) Stephen Whitaker - Forester Peter Devine - Forester Meredith and Mike Dale - Forester Rick, Jacki and Josh Koster - L Series Lee Wegner and Duncan McCrae - Forester Martin and Dot Foot - Forester Charles and Paula Tam - Prado Craig Jackson - Forester Tim Folliard - Landcruiser (40 Series) Jacinta Kearney - Forester (Visitor) Lachie O’Brien (Passenger: Ben Burke) - Forester (Visitor) Anthony Saunders (Passengers: Nyree & Angus) - Jeep (Visitors)
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Menindee via Rocket Lake / Mungo 25th July – 9th August Saturday 25 July Dark rainy morning down through the city Well out the other side l was passed by a red Subaru, it was M&M & Sandy off on their trip away‌we stopped to see how they were doing. I turned off at Hatta out to Rocket Lake to camp for the night, it was a very nice spot.
Sunday 26 July I went out and visited Mopoke Hut ochre pit gypsum mine hopper and a number of dry lake lookouts, then into Mildura for couple of days ready for Mungo and after.
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Friday 31 July Packed up myself & Mike, we were off from Mungo around to Top hut and on to Pooncarie to meet Bev around lunch time. After lunch on the Darling it was on to Menindee and out to the Burke & Wills camp site on the river, and a nice spot it was.
Saturday 1 August Oh no its 11 o'clock let’s go! Things we did for the day Pub meal Walked the main st Grave site Hot showers Back to camp for R&R Learnt local lingo (Going back to the Hill) Broken Hill
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No yabbies fishing ok yellow belly What music he likes to play at night
Sunday 2 August More late starts, 11.30am and off into town. We called into the local market with two stalls and BBQ. We had a late lunch - wood fired Pizza, very good Back to camp where Les & Elaine had arrived. With all of us there we went for a look at the Main weir wall on the Darling and we got some wood for the night.
Monday 3rd August Hurry up we’re late, it's 11am. We went out to Kinchega N/P to look at the old wool shed and steam engines. We came back along the Darling checking out the river camp sites. There were a number of nice spots. Back at camp we planned our next camping spot. With that all done it was time to set around the fire and 22 | P a g e
enjoy a drink. We all had jaffles for tea. We hadn't had these for a long time and very nice they were. It was good old camp cooking on the fire.
Tuesday 4th August. Nelia Garri Station on the Darling, here we come. It is around 70km north and there are gates to open (Lollies). On arrival no one was home so we did the right thing and I left a Club Flyer with our money. For what happened as a result you will have to read on. We set up camp, got a fire going and sat back for more R&R. It was great. Wednesday 5th August Things we did for the day Got out of bed R&R 23 | P a g e
Bird & River watching Nanna naps ( for some who will remain unnamed) Yabbying Played 9 holes of golf Had a hot shower Walked along the river & camp areas
That night I had promised to cook a roast tea for all to enjoy which they did. Yum! After tea we did Star & Satellite gazing, story telling and watched fire TV with no ads. Thursday 6th August Pack up day. On the way out I was stopped by the owner who asked, “Are you with the Subaru 4wd club?” “Yes we are,” I replied. “We've got something to show you. Come with me.” 24 | P a g e
There was a Brumby to look at plus a flying thing that Les liked. There were old cars & trucks and much more. We thanked them very much for showing us around. Bev said, “You blokes and old stuff, you can talk. You think us ladies are bad.” It was time to go as it was about 12 o’clock. Out we went to the main gate for a group photo & lollies again. Down the road we went along, we stopped to say good bye to Mike. He was going to Broken Hill for a couple of days. The rest of us were going back to Menindee to top up on supplies. Then back through Kinchega & around the lake system and back onto the river out past Packers Cnr to Bindara Station. The drive out around there was a very scenic way to go and we all enjoyed it. There were some gates to open so more lollies. We got there in good time, all set up and time to sit back, have a cold drink and enjoy. Friday 7th August We spent the day on Bindara Station. We visited the station’s cemetery. In its heyday it had over 200 staff and their families. It was a big place. Drove around some of the tracks and along the river. The camp site had a very nice hot, hot shower with no roof on it. I had a shower late that night. It was great looking up at the stars (I hope there were no satellites). Even when you’re sitting on the loo there was no roof. They are fairly new. Time to get the fire going, time for nibbles & drinks which we did enjoy and had dim sims for tea. Tea over with some more wood put on the fire, it was time to plan what we are going to do tomorrow between the three of us. Saturday 8th August We packed a lot of stuff the night before so we could get an early start. Along the way back down the river we passed old sites including Sheep Punt Crossing, Harp of Erin Pub and Coona Point Pub where the famous Sydney Kidman main coach stopped. We
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also saw Darling River over flow points and the site of the murder of Jodie (recently released book, ‘The Killing Jodie’) And cross the river into Pooncarie for an egg & bacon roll and a cuppa. From here we split up. Bev was going to Mildura, Les & Elaine were heading home and I went back out over the river to follow it down to Wentworth. I took a number of old side roads close to the river then I found a very nice spot, set up by 3pm, got a fire going and sat back to relax. After a while I had a visitor. It was the station owner. “G'day,” he said, “you’re on private land you know.” “Sorry about that, I wasn't aware.” We got talking and found out that he's whole family have Subarus, from 79 to 2014xv. He said that the next time you want to camp, call in and ask. I thanked him very much. Sunday 9th August Last leg of the Darling River. What a morning sitting by the river. I slowly packed up and back onto the Low River Rd. Closer to Wentworth I took a back street along the river to where it runs into the mighty Murray River and the end of the Darling. It was amazing to see how much the river changed along the way from water levels to the colour of the water and bird life. On the trip we had 4WD, AWD and 2WD vehicles which just shows you where you can go if you take your time when driving & towing campers. Thanks to Elaine & Bev for cooking tea for us, very nice it was & Les for cooking the Dim Sims
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Hope you all enjoyed the R&R camping and travelling the outback. Jamie Participants Jamie Scott - 105 cruiser & cub camper (Leader) Bev Davison - Forester & A van Mike Dune - Nissan & camper trailer Les Scott & Elaine Hyde - Ford ute & Nipper camper Shellbe & Splash - Four Legs
Train and High Tea in the Yarra Valley September 13th What a beautiful spring day to venture into the Yarra Valley on Sunday 13 September.
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We met at the Yarra Valley Railway in Healesville at 10.30am which gave people time to enjoy a coffee in the lovely little café in the Station building.
The train was a RM diesel engine built in the 1960’s. Andy was our Train driver and Gordon the Guard. Whistles were blown, doors closed, the green flag was waved and we slowly started to move. A few seconds later we stopped. “Sorry,” came the announcement, “we are having a technical problem”.
Then we started to move again only to stop a short distance down the track. There was a problem with the brakes. Problem fixed and the journey began. It was a very pleasant trip with some lovely views and a brick lined tunnel. Gordon provided a 28 | P a g e
commentary along the way with a history of the Yarra Valley Railway, the work of the volunteers in restoring it, places of interest along the route and some interesting little stories. There were lots of opportunities to take photos. Some of the group took the opportunity to wander up to watch how the train was driven and learn about its workings. After the trip we were offered a tour of the Goods Shed. This included a beautifully restored carriage, an engine, another carriage under restoration and a guard’s van build in 1870.
We then took a very pleasant drive to Yarra Glenn where we planned to have a quick stop to look at the Black Saturday Bush Fire Memorial in the park. The park was very popular and there was no parking. Due to the volume of though traffic it took us a while to make a right turn onto the main road and park around on the side street. I think we were just as interested in the amazing playground and some of the brilliant flowering native plants as we were in the very moving
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memorial. Meredith suggested that we have the Christmas break up in the Park so she could play on the big disc swing. Martin did a quick google map search on his phone to see if we could get down to the big roundabout via back streets instead of having to make a right hand turn onto the extremely busy main road again. While we couldn’t quite enter at the roundabout we were able to take advantage of it to help get onto the main road. As we drove past the Lilydale Airport, it seemed that not only were there lots of people in cars out enjoying the Yarra Valley but people in planes as well. There were even two bi planes. We arrived at the Yarra Valley Lodge where we met up with Bev, Ruth and Bob. Soon we were enjoying wonderful food and each other’s company. During the afternoon we acknowledged Jan and Dale Rebgetz 35th Wedding Anniversary. Jan Aylott was with us for her final club trip as she has sadly decided that the time has come not to continue her
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membership of the club. In recognition of her 29 years as a club member, Dale presented her with a Certificate of Appreciation and a letter of thanks. Thanks you everyone for coming and making it a very enjoyable day. Participants: Jean Bellis (Leader) Edith Fullalove Meredith Dale Jan and Dale Rebgetz Dot Greiveson & Martin Foot Lee Wegner & Duncan McCrae Jan Aylott Bev Davison Elaine & Phil Milkins Ruth & Bob Marshall Jean & Peter Bellis
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M E M BE R T I PS AN D R E VIE W S 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.
Installing an in-car UHF/CB radio With Dan Conlon So after getting tired of flat batteries in the handheld cb radios I had, I got on eBay and ordered a new cb setup and mount. I ordered the following items:
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$15 with free postage ‌..and set about installing it. You can mount the antenna a bunch of places but I did a bonnet mount, as I have no bull bar so no mount points. 1. I sized up the bracket to fit under the edge of the bonnet and screwed it in. I had to bend the bracket a tad. 2. I attached the aeirial to the mount. 3. I had a look at my handy-work and tempoariliy forgot the job wasn’t done. 4. I added a little screw with a few cable ties to keep the cable snug and secure, and so the bonnet wouldn’t contact it.
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5. The hardest part was finding where in the firwall to run the cable. I sat down for a while and googled some forum articles and found a good existing hole to use. The one I used (for a manual model, I think automatic may be a tad different?) is on the left of the engine bay and comes out just above the clutch pedal. There is a layer of insulation behind the existing rubber stopper and I had to poke a small hole in it. 6. I put a hole in the rubber stopper also and ran the cable through that then through the hole in the firewall, and pulled it through from the inside of the car. Also cable tieing along the way to keep the cable snug. 7. I used the included mounting bracket to mout the radio below the switches on the right. The radio sits in front of my right knee when driving, but there is a fair bit of space. I tried a few spots but the size of the radio (a mini one may have been better?) limitted it a bit, and this spot was best. 34 | P a g e
8. I attached the radio and wires to the back. The only thing about this spot is I have to remove the radio console to access the fuse box. But there plastic grips for the mounting screws (you can see in the photo) so it’s easy to remove. 9. I removed the console where the gearstick is to access the wiring for the cigarette lighter. To do this you unscrew your gear know (it’s a very fine thread so takes ages). Once the knob is off you can put a screwdriver in the lower side of the console (near the low range) and pop it up, then pull the console towards the back of the car. The other two points that hold it in are marked on the photo, they just pop out. 10. I messed the next bit up and accidently touched the positive and negative wires during wiring, blowing the inline fuse in the radio and the fuse 15W fuse in the car, so replaced both, which is more just an annoyance than anything. I recommend removing the radio inline fuse if it has one, or removing the car fuse for that circuit before connecting anything. This
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way if you touch the wrong wire in the process nothing goes wrong. My inline fuse looked like this photo. 11. I then found the positive and negative wires for the cigarette lighter, in mine red was positive and black was negative (I think that’s pretty standard) and cut both wires, reconnecting them with a connector (like the one on the right) and wiring the radio wire into that (one for the positive wire and one for the negative). In hindsight the connectors are probably not totally necessary as you could just poke the wires into the existing connectors or take the plastic coating of part of the existing wire and wrap the new radio wire around this exposed section, then tape it up. If I did it again I would probably not bother with connectors. 12. Once happy you would reinstall any fuses you’d removed, put your console back on, and test the radio. 13. Enjoy your new radio!!
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
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B U Y AN D S E LL 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 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
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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 Item: 3x 225/60 R17 Yokohama Geolander G012 A/T-S tyres to suit the current Outback/Liberty. Cost: Two of them have been driven about 30,000km ($50 ea.) and the other is near new with about 4,000km of use ($100). Contact: Jessica Walsh, jw@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.
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M IN U T E S Club Meeting Minutes The general meeting of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc was held on Tuesday, 25th August 2015 at the South Camberwell Tennis Club starting at 8:04pm. 1.
Present
Jean Bellis, Peter Bellis, Michael Hartshorne, Martin Foot, Les Scott, Jamie Scott, Michael Dale, Meredith Dale, Stephen Whittaker, Katie Mynard, Dale Rebgetz, Dave Denver, Phil Milkins, Elain Milkins, Paul Saleeba, Bev Davison, Bob Marshall, Edith Fullalove, Peter Fullalove, Duncan McCrae, Lee Wegner, Mike Dunn, Tim Folliard, Cynthia Rennolds, Rick Koser, Peter Devine, Lisa Jantke, Andrew Jantke, David Wilson. 2.
Apologies
Graeme Gill, Kerry Gill, Ruth Marshall, Dorothy Greiveson, Elaine Hyde, Peter Mynard. 3.
Visitors
Richard Saleeba, Anthony Santuclione, Dan Conlon, Peter Landouris. 4.
Welcome
A welcome was extended to all members and visitors. 5.
Minutes of the Previous General Meeting
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5.1. The minutes of the July 2015 General Meeting were accepted without amendment after being moved by Edith Fullalove and seconded by Katie Mynard. 5.2.
There was no business arising from the minutes.
6.
Correspondence
6.1.
In
•
Magazines from various 4WD clubs
•
Various advertising material
•
4WD Victoria – e-News.
6.2.
Out
•
None
7.
Reports
7.1.
Resources
• L-series and Liberty – Gary Impson has been able to acquire some genuine head gaskets. Available for a short time to members. See Dale if interested. 7.2.
Editor
•
As per the magazine.
7.3.
Trip and Social
•
See details elsewhere in the magazine.
7.4.
Venue
•
See details elsewhere in the magazine. 40 | P a g e
7.5.
Membership.
• Two new memberships were approved at the last committee meeting. •
Name tag was presented to Mike Dunn.
7.6.
Treasurer
•
Current bank account balance is $8,509.
• $255
Major income was membership - $600, and advertising -
•
Major expenditure – 4WD Victoria affiliation fee - $192
7.7.
Secretary
•
Nothing to report.
7.8.
Vice-President
•
As per the magazine.
7.9.
President
•
As per the magazine.
8.
General Business
8.1. Bev’s new Forester is starting to chew oil and so, has to take it back every 1,000 km to be checked and topped up. 8.2. Damian managed to get a flat tyre by picking up a teck screw. Even though the Subaru service centre said that the tyre was now unroadworthy, Damian’s tyre technician said otherwise and promptly repaired the tyre.
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8.3. Martin managed to collect a kangaroo on a recent trip to Maldon and managed to bend the front bullbar in the centre. He was told by the assessor to get the bullbar repaired, and the repairer 8.4. Damian – Mt Skene – people got booked for driving there without a permit, and doing the wrong thing. 8.5.
Damian – second battery in car.
8.6. Stephen – drive shaft CV boots – able to source cheaper boots – comes with spare circlips. If interested, contact Stephen. 9.
Fines and Fun
9.1.
Nametags
•
Bev Davison, Les Scott.
9.2.
Last to Meeting
•
Andrew Janke.
9.3.
Trips
9.3.1. Trivia Night •
No fines
9.3.2. Lake Mungo • Jamie Scott – sleep in the afternoon before everyone arrived. •
Jessica – for waking up Jamie.
•
Jamie and Mike – for bring camper trailers.
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• Mike and Jamie – for eyeing off the larger caravans at the campsite. • Mike – for threatening to dismantle the new shelters for fire wood. • cold.
Jessica – for wearing a jacket at night because it was so
9.3.3. Menindee Lakes •
Jamie – for causing Bev to get a flat battery.
•
Jamie – dead second battery.
• Elaine – for leaving the windows open on the caravan for 80 kilometres following three other vehicles. 9.3.4. Brisbane Ranges •
No fines
9.4.
Total fines collected - $8.85.
10. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 29th September 2015 commencing at 8pm. 11.
Meeting closed at 9:00pm and was followed by the AGM.
Committee Meeting Minutes Minutes of the meeting of the committee of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc held on Saturday 12th September 2015 at the home of Peter Bellis starting at 10:50pm.
1. Present
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Peter Bellis, Jean Bellis, Dale Rebgetz, Michael Dale, Stephen Whittaker, Bob Marshall. 2. Apologies Jamie Scott 3. Past Committee Members Damian Stock, Michael Hartshorne, Martin Foot, Jessica Walsh. 4. Visitors Meredith Dale, Dan Conlon. 5. Quorum A quorum was achieved with five committee members present. 6. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
6.1. Minutes of the August 2015 were accepted with the amendment that Jessica was an apology.
6.2. Business Arising from the Minutes and Outstanding Actions 6.2.1. Bank account signatories. 6.2.2. AGM report for 2014 – need to update the vice-president’s report and email to members in PDF format – Fixed in minutes of previous AGM in the 2015 annual report. 6.2.3. Club’s cupboard. Have problems finding a locksmith who can access the blank (evidently these are kept in the USA). 6.2.4. Ongoing 4WD Education / Awareness. 6.2.5. Membership renewal form. 6.2.6. 4WD Victoria membership renewal – Bob cannot operate the spreadsheet sent out by 44 | P a g e
4WD Victoria as he is running an older version of MS-Excel. The spreadsheet does contain a page that allows the club to update its description on 4WD Victoria’s website. 4WD Victoria are updating their computer system so that clubs will be able to log in and update their membership list with 4WD Victoria 7. Correspondence 7.1. In Magazine from various 4WD clubs Advertising material 4WD Victoria – request for trip reports for TrackWatch. Lachlan O’Brien re attending club trips. 7.2. Out None.
8. Reports 8.1. Resources Nothing to report. 8.2. Trip and Social See elsewhere in the magazine for details of future trips and events. As per circulated report. Christmas party – need a few suggestions as to where. Needs to be finalised by next committee meeting. 8.3. Venue See details elsewhere in the magazine for details of future meetings. November meeting needs confirmation and forwarding of details. Need to organise a club meeting at a Subaru dealer in 2016. 8.4. Membership Have 39 memberships.
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Have received another two membership renewals. Albie and Rae Turner have chosen to let their membership lapse. It was suggested that in future, for all memberships that lapse/cease, the membership officer send a letter of thanks/appreciation for their involvement with/commitment to the club. Jan Aylott has also chosen to let her membership lapse. Life Membership and 4WD Victoria levy Have had responses from some of the life members. Received a number of membership applications. The committee discussed the applications.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to accept the membership application from Daniel Conlon and Lauren Cross.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to accept the membership application from Peter Landouris and Birte Zittlau.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to accept the membership application from Sandra and Alan Christensen.
8.5. Editor Nothing to report. 8.6. Treasurer 46 | P a g e
Current bank account balance is $8,819.63. 8.7. Secretary Nothing to report. 8.8. Vice-President As per circulated report. 4WD driver training Need to sort out a date(s) with Damian for members who have not done previous training. Will organise refresher training for members who have previously done 4WD driver training. 4WD Victoria is identify areas for conducting 4WD driver training as alternates to Werribee. Need to also look at other training – first aid and chainsaw. 8.9. President Nothing to report.
9. Sub-Committees 9.1. Communications Website – trip reports are starting to be uploaded. It will be an on-going task. Will need one or two photographs with each report. Need a dossier of photographs from club trips for submission to 4WD Victoria for inclusion in their magazine, website and promotional material. 9.2. Community Involvement “Clean-up the Bush” activities have been expanded to cover Wombat State Forest and the Otway Forest. The club needs to look at assisting with 4WD Victoria’s “camp host” scheme. Need to look at next year’s list to identify a suitable site and organise a trip. 9.3. Constitution Review
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Jessica and Peter are continuing with the activity. Convoy rules – currently being reviewed for submission as a By-Law.
10.Annual General Meeting Review Prior to the AGM, need to do a better job at promoting/explaining committee roles to members to seek greater involvement.
11.New Committee The committee members elected at the AGM are: President – Stephen Secretary – Peter Treasurer – Bob Ordinary – Jean, Jamie, Dale, Michael D. Thanks for their efforts over a number of years were given to the members who are standing down from the committee – Jessica, Martin, Michael H, and Damian. Vice-President - the current role was explained by Jessica. After some discussion about the club delegate’s role, it was agreed that the role would be separate from the position of vice-president. Dale offered to take on the role of Vice President.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to appoint Jessica Walsh as the club’s delegate to 4WD Victoria.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to appoint Dale Rebgetz as the club’s Vice President.
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Trip and Social – Jamie and Jean agreed to continue to jointly manage this role. Membership – it was proposed to remove this position from committee and Martin has offered to continue with the administrative side of membership. Any membership applications would be presented to the committee by the Secretary. The committee accepted Martin’s proposal.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to appoint Dan Conlon as an ordinary member of the committee.
Editor Currently, it takes about 8 hours a month to put the magazine together. It is then sent to Martin for publication and distribution, which may take another hour per month. Does the role need to be split into content co-ordinator and layout co-ordinator? Dan has offered to take on the Editor’s role with Michael D assisting with the content. Resources – Dale will continue to manage the role.
RESOLUTION
The committee resolved to appoint Meredith Dale as an ordinary member of the committee.
Venue – after some discussion of the role, Meredith offered to take on the role. Education / training co-ordinator – the club needs a role to promote / reinforce 4WD education and training to members. It does not necessarily need to be a committee role.
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CB Radios Need to look at requirements for both vehicle and handheld. For handheld radios, the minimum should be 5 watt. Club trailer Need to restore/use the club’s trailer more often as a means of promoting the club. Jessica thanked the committee for their support over the past few years during her time on committee.
13. Next Meeting will be held on Tuesday 6th October 2016 at 7:30pm at the home of Meredith Dale.
14. Meeting closed at 3:03pm.
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E DIT OR N OT E S Thanks for all the contributions again this month!
The deadline for submissions for next month is: Tuesday 13th October
As always please send submissions to: editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Cheers
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