Travelling the outback can throw up all sorts of unexpected situations and being able to communicate with others is extremely important. There are vast areas of 'Outback' where you'll need to use either satellite or radio communications (or both) to stay connected. This is especially important if you're planning a "Big Lap" road trip around Australia and intending to go exploring off the beaten track.
As a bare minimum have at least one mobile phone on either of the two major network providers, AND at least one satellite device (satellite phone, satellite communicator or EPIRB/PLB).
A satellite phone is the most common tool for remote communications in recent years and can be hired or purchased outright. Once you get outside the coverage of the mobile networks, you’ll need a satellite-based device for outback communications.
HF Radio is another possibility. Before the advent of satellite telephones HF Radios were the only means of mobile communication 4WDrivers could rely on when out in the outback. It’s a fixed option and new devices are very expensive. A licence is required to transmit from an HF radio and you then need to subscribe to a service provider.
UHF (CB) radio is a popular method of communications; however, it has a very limited range. Used mostly for vehicle to vehicle or person to vehicle comms, the UHF is a handy little tool, especially when matched with a 5-watt handheld. But CB is near on useless in an emergency if there isn’t anyone close-by that also has one.
A SPOT is a small personal satellite GPS messenger, tracker and locator that allows family to track where you are as it sends GPS locations in real-time. It can also send your exact location, with a predefined message to alert a pre-programmed contact group if you get into trouble.
A Personal Location Beacon (PLB) is a last resort solution and should only be activated if a life is in danger, not if you run out of fuel or simply lost. Think of it like dialing ‘000’ from a phone if you were able to. If your situation would warrant a call to 000 then use your EPIRB or PLB.