COVID 19 Compliant - Morning Fewbie Desert Drive - Qudra, Solar and Beyond - 22 Jan 2021

[Wrangeld]

• Mahmoud Asar @Mahmoud Asar
• Mohamed Abo ElKomsan @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan
• Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese
• Shehab Alawadhi @Shehab Alawadhi
• Mohamed Seidam @Mohamed Seidam
• Szymon Stankiewicz @Szymon Stankiewicz
• Arman @Arman
• Alphin Aloor @Alphin Aloor
• Aus Alzubaidi @Aus Alzubaidi
• Harold Roberts @Harold Roberts

Evening Desert Drivers, 

Wednesday night is the last opportunity to bow out of a drive gracefully. I say that not because I want to lose anyone, but because signing out after that date really has not been paying attention during the week. 

Assuming you are all still committed to the drive, tomorrow I will send out the convoy order and the radio channel. Some of you may wonder about my convoy positions and why you are being put there. While you wait and see, I will let you know that convoy positions are not haphazard and random. Drive leads look carefully at the drive and the positions of the drivers from a number of perspectives. A number of my choices for the drive Friday will be because I want to offer new challenges to the participants. They may or may not be welcome challegnes, but they are always considered from the viewpoint that we want every driver to develop at their own pace and capability and our job as leaders is to help everyone reach their full 4x4 potential. We may not get it right all the time, and we are by no means the complete drivers ourselves (boy there's still so much to learn), but we do feel that it's not just about driving round the desert and finding nice dunes but about helping every driver. 

Perhaps it comes as a surprise, perhaps not, but the leads talk to each other and check the recommendations on the convoy, identifying if a particular driver might bebetter placed in the convoy than the original plan. Mine, I am glad to say has been validated so I know what is planned ... unless someone pulls out. 

By 10,00 tomorrow, you'll hopefully see what we agreed - with any changes that need to be made because someone'e plans changed. If not, you'll get the final pre drive instalment so you can prepare yourselves for Friday's adventure. 

Myself and @Janarthan are looking forward to seeing you all soon in the sand. 

[Thomas Varghese]

3 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

• Mahmoud Asar @Mahmoud Asar
• Mohamed Abo ElKomsan @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan
• Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese
• Shehab Alawadhi @Shehab Alawadhi
• Mohamed Seidam @Mohamed Seidam
• Szymon Stankiewicz @Szymon Stankiewicz
• Arman @Arman
• Alphin Aloor @Alphin Aloor
• Aus Alzubaidi @Aus Alzubaidi
• Harold Roberts @Harold Roberts

Evening Desert Drivers, 

Wednesday night is the last opportunity to bow out of a drive gracefully. I say that not because I want to lose anyone, but because signing out after that date really has not been paying attention during the week. 

Assuming you are all still committed to the drive, tomorrow I will send out the convoy order and the radio channel. Some of you may wonder about my convoy positions and why you are being put there. While you wait and see, I will let you know that convoy positions are not haphazard and random. Drive leads look carefully at the drive and the positions of the drivers from a number of perspectives. A number of my choices for the drive Friday will be because I want to offer new challenges to the participants. They may or may not be welcome challegnes, but they are always considered from the viewpoint that we want every driver to develop at their own pace and capability and our job as leaders is to help everyone reach their full 4x4 potential. We may not get it right all the time, and we are by no means the complete drivers ourselves (boy there's still so much to learn), but we do feel that it's not just about driving round the desert and finding nice dunes but about helping every driver. 

Perhaps it comes as a surprise, perhaps not, but the leads talk to each other and check the recommendations on the convoy, identifying if a particular driver might bebetter placed in the convoy than the original plan. Mine, I am glad to say has been validated so I know what is planned ... unless someone pulls out. 

By 10,00 tomorrow, you'll hopefully see what we agreed - with any changes that need to be made because someone'e plans changed. If not, you'll get the final pre drive instalment so you can prepare yourselves for Friday's adventure. 

Myself and @Janarthan are looking forward to seeing you all soon in the sand. 

@Wrangeld & @Janarthan I'm comfortable at any position offered and I'm ready. Can you believe I was already driving in the desert with you all when I took a short afternoon nap. 

[Wrangeld]

The wait is almost over. Only one more sleep until the desert. Below is the convoy list for the drive and positions. 

Morning Fewbie Last Exit to Solar 22 January 2021
Attendees	Level	Car	Radio	Pos #
Wrangeld	Marshal	Mitsubishi Pajero SWB	Y	1	Lead
Harold Roberts @Harold Roberts	Fewbie	Toyota FJ Cruiser	Y	2	2nd lead
Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese	Fewbie	NIssan Xterra	Y	3
Arman @Arman	Fewbie	Jeep Wrangler SWB TJ	Y	4
szymon stankiewicz @Szymon Stankiewicz	Fewbie	Mitsubishi Montero Sport	Y	5
Mohamed Seidam @Mohamed Seidam	Intermediate	Nissan Xterra	Y	6	CF
Alphin Aloor @Alphin Aloor	Fewbie	Nissan Xterra	Y	7
Mohamed Abo El Komsan @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan	Fewbie	Mitsubishi Pajero LWB	Y	8
Shehab al Awadhi @Shehab Alawadhi	Fewbie	Ford F150	Y	9
Aus Alzubaidi @Aus Alzubaidi	Fewbie	Jeep Wrangler LWB	Y	10
Mahmoud Asar @Mahmoud Asar	Fewbie	Jeep Wrangler Unlimited	Y	11
Janarthan @Janarthan	Advance	Nissan Xterra	Y	12	SW

We will be using radio frequency 3 (44605625). 

Due to covid we will be restricted in any activites outside the car. Please only one person out of the car to deflate and if we are able to do it, brief. Being conscious that while this sort of weather is like high summer for me it is not for a lot of the drivers, if it's cold tomorrow morning we can brief inside the car. 

The plan - we will drive South from our start point to reach the long range dunes near to the Al Qudra Short cut. We will then travel East along the dune range making the most of these lovely wide high dunes.Passing through a few small sabkas we will reach the North side of Solar park and then cut North East across a mix of sabkas and high pyramid dunes enjoying some of the highest used dunes in the Al Marmoon dune complex. Here we will face cross tracks and cut up dunes - but that's the price we need to pay to reach the areas where we will be able to play and traverse for kilometer after kilometer ... 

We will be stopping for breathers for both car and drivers along the way, and for me to check the route because, in all honesty there are areas of deadly technical dunes all around. We will venture in there from time to time with our drive ending with a truly challenging technical section that will be all the more difficult because it is going to come at the end of the drive when everyone is tired. 

Our end point - well, we will keep that between friends for now. 

Am I looking forward to that routing - you bet. You'll all need to bring your A game tomorrow. This routing will be a real Fewbie challenge. Pace will be quick, dunes will be big and we will be taking a route that is at least partly slipside rather than our usual routing. It means you will need to be able to criss cross confidently. 

But enough ... Let's hope there is no fog. If there is, we will treat it like a night drive

Myself and @Janarthan are truly excited about what's to come. 

If you have problems getting to the start pint because of fog my number is 0504254574 - ping me with problems. 

See you soon in the sand.  

[Aus Alzubaidi]

Thank you @Wrangeld, looking forward to drive under your lead in few hours.

Not sure who can help with this. But over the last 9 drives, I had no issues with Channels 1 & 2. Last week, we used Channel 3 with @Rahimdadand it generated a lot of noise. I tried different radios, switched off my mobile phone, but the continuous interference was unbearable. The only way to stop the disturbance was switching off the engine. We had to use the emergency channel 5 at the end.

Should i try a CB radio? Can we use another channel? Any other tips? 

[Srikumar]

6 minutes ago, Aus Alzubaidi said:

Thank you @Wrangeld, looking forward to drive under your lead in few hours.

Not sure who can help with this. But over the last 9 drives, I had no issues with Channels 1 & 2. Last week, we used Channel 3 with @Rahimdadand it generated a lot of noise. I tried different radios, switched off my mobile phone, but the continuous interference was unbearable. The only way to stop the disturbance was switching off the engine. We had to use the emergency channel 5 at the end.

Should i try a CB radio? Can we use another channel? Any other tips? 

Maybe your car is trying to tell you something..more gas...more gas?😂

[Wrangeld]

1 minute ago, Aus Alzubaidi said:

Thank you @Wrangeld, looking forward to drive under your lead in few hours.

Not sure who can help with this. But over the last 9 drives, I had no issues with Channels 1 & 2. Last week, we used Channel 3 with @Rahimdadand it generated a lot of noise. I tried different radios, switched off my mobile phone, but the continuous interference was unbearable. The only way to stop the disturbance was switching off the engine. We had to use the emergency channel 5 at the end.

Should i try a CB radio? Can we use another channel? Any other tips? 

What radio unit do you have? The Boafeng UV5 is very sensitive to all external interference. the Motorola is better. Some cars seem to impact the radios more than others, or just the atmospherics. By the sound of things there is something in the systems in your car that causes the problems, interferring with the reception. Perhaps take a look on google and see if there are people with a similar problem. Maybe there are other Jeep owners that have a similar problem here on Carnity that we can ask. 

[Srikumar]

Channel 3 used to be a problem with only one driver who used to drive a 2010 Pajero and I used to think the Japs just built cars much smarter. Guess Jeep is catching up as well. 

[Thomas Varghese]

3 minutes ago, Srikumar said:

Channel 3 used to be a problem with only one driver who used to drive a 2010 Pajero and I used to think the Japs just built cars much smarter. Guess Jeep is catching up as well. 

There is another problem as well with my Xterra. Its so weird. If I'm in JLT the remote key fob doesn't work. I will have to lock and open the car manually. Everywhere else the key fob functions normally. Any tower I go to in JLT  the key fob doesn't work. No problem with my other car which is an Altima in JLT

Edited January 21, 2021 by Thomas Varghese

[Thomas Varghese]

[M.Seidam]