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During the drive you might face static, noise, or interference on your walkie talkie. There are many possible reasons for that. I will list them as per most likely: 1) Our Frequency range is License-Free, hence it can be used by anyone. In busy areas or high altitude this can be an issue. 2) Our radios are not professional grade, and more prone to interference compared to the branded expensive ones (which need a license to buy). We see good results from the Crony/Motorola MT777 and the Kangda branded radios. The Baofengs are ok but seems to be more sensitive. 3) Your vehicle. Yes that's right, we have seen cases in which there is constant interference while sitting inside the vehicle, and this stops when exiting the vehicle. There is lots of electronics in the car which can cause this. To reduce interference, there is a setting called "SQL" on your radio which sets the "sensitivity" to which the radio will open its channel. The higher the setting the less sensitive it becomes, so you can experiment with this. It works a bit like an aperture setting on your camera lens On the Baofeng UV5R, which is a great radio especially for that price, this model is known to be a bit more sensitive, and a hack was created a few years back to change the SQL limit from 9 into a much higher level. This involves using the Baofeng USB cable (which you can find on Amazon) and the free software called "CHIRP". Below a description on how it works: https://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Squelch.php Baofeng USB Programming Cable for Baofeng UV-5R,BF-F8HP, BF-888S,UV82HP,UV-9S,UV-R3 Handheld ham Radio transceiver Ham Two Way Radio with Driver CD: Buy Online at Best Price in UAE - Amazon.ae Download - CHIRP (danplanet.com)

Thank you everyone for making this winter welcome drive so successful and beautifully graced with your friends and family. As our families support our passion every week, so we also need to treat them with an outing in nature to meet our extended carnity family. Spending time with loved ones and chill with friends to see each other faces than just names on the convoy list was an amazing feeling. I'm sure many of you must have seen each other for the first time. Thank you all advisors to make this WWD a great success with your brilliant planning, ideas, support, and responsibilities, without each one of your crucial roles this wouldn't have been possible. My wife has uploaded her pictures to the gallery. Looking forward to seeing your clicks soon. https://carnity.com/gallery/category/1013-winter-welcome-drive-qudra-dubai-15-oct-2021 @Usman Basit @Joseph Sebastian @Muhammed Saeed @Super Safari Girl @Zed @Savio Fernandes @Stav @Danish Mohammad @Ahmed Wagdy @Tom V @WaYan @Enrico Biscaro @Paul Zeitoun @Rsjiv Samuel @Joji varghese @topgear @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @Christopher Assal @Raman_Dbx @Senthil Kumar @Richard Franks @Junaid Iqbal @Adnan Halepota @Hitham mohamed @Premjit Vappala @Jerry Han @Sudhanva Sonawane @Trekado @hasan hamadeh @qaiser ijaz @Ahmed Abdelsalam @Morshedi @jodha singh shekhawat @Lawrence_Chehimi @AlexM @Kishore S @Wrangeld @Srikumar @Chaitanya D @Alex Raptor @Tbone @Lorenzo Candelpergher @GauravSoni @Frederic @Asif Hussain @M.Seidam @Mehmet Volga @Jeepie @Janarthan @Luca Palanca Falsini @Yousef Alimadadi

Getting stuck and unstuck is an integral part of the off-road journey. To get unstuck with minimum efforts, tools, gear and time is an art. With an aim to teach the real art of recoveries we need a stand-alone training session so that you can learn the basics, tricks and techniques with complete peace of mind. Bring your camping chair, shovel, water, hat and a willingness to learn. What you'll learn: Basic self-recovery techniques Self-recovery with steering Crawling out of difficult situations When & where to dig & shovel or not Learn to self-recover by yourself Side slope recovery with a shovel How to self-recover from dune crest Soft sand stuck recovery with steering Tow rope recovery – basics Identify & inspect tow points Secure tow rope & shackles How to give tow rope tug, safely Recover vehicle without tow points Identify alternate points to tug Safely securing with bridle support Executing coordinated tug & recovery How to fix tire pop out / change Safe lifting procedures Clean tire for safe sealing Inflate to use the same tire How to deal with extreme recoveries Vehicle roll-over / flipped sideways Safe jacking points and angles to lift Safe anchoring points for securing How to deal with vehicle overheating How to stop engine overheating How to avoid transmission overheating How to prevent clutch overheating First-Aid response In case of scorpion or snake bites Accident or roll-over first response Coordinate with paramedics or ambulance Firefighting response First emergency response Escaping from a difficult situation Correct use of fire extinguishers Drive Details Level: Selected Support Team only @Mukundan Nair @Veedooshee @Melenany @Dodi Syahdar @Niki @Lawrence_Chehimi @GauravSoni @Rizwanm2 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ @Alex Raptor @Russ When: 30 Oct 2021, Saturday Meeting time: 3:00 PM, (Sharp, without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/QcWUZQnkeyw6U8QF9 Solar Park Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. Approximate finish time: 08:00 PM Please RSVP on the below calendar:

Thanks @Carnity for this amazing experience!!!

I have been trying the radio around my neck, but for some reason it makes my beard grow faster???

Fantastic initiative to further train our backbone members of the club and cementing their future growth potential.

My meme for the week

@Srikumar bought it for me last year from Dragon Mart. I think it was Shenda or sheng da shop who sells baofeng they supply Kangda too. Dragon Mart customer service center can guide you for shops who sells Kangda. Previously I was happy with Motorola too and have been using MT777 for almost a decade. But this Kangda is few notches above MT777 in clarity, range and battery life.

That's OK, we have heard this happening before. I recommend putting on a tin foil hat to guide the electromagnetic interfence away from you and direct it upwards so it can travel back to the nearest Etisalat antenna.

That is a great one @Gaurav.. and what is better than giving the team a challenge to recover a 3 tons black beast from a one meter hole! Tempting ha😜

It was nice coming toghether for the start of the winter off-roading season. A great thank you to all those at @Carnitywho joined and those who made this possible. Here are a couple of snapshots of Convoy 3 on its way to the camp site: Thanks @Jeepieand @Luca Palanca Falsini for your support and to @Alain Canivet-Abikhalilfor being our 2nd lead.

Im up for all of this, but I hope I don't have to suck snake venom out of @Niki 's ankle

Thanks a lot @Gaurav for this lovely day, it was really needed for the families, hope we do that more often.

Few issues with that: 1) If the rest of the convoy is broadcasting with cheap chinese radios, it won't make a lot of difference. 2) From what i heard in the past, customs will hold them if you buy from Amazon (not verified). 3) If you find one, make sure it's a UHF model, as many of these CB radios are VHF models. Additionally you will need to be careful with RTA passing, or even crossing the border into Oman. If they spot it in your car it will be confiscated.

@Gaurav@Humayun Ghias @Islam Soliman @Sunil [email protected] @Rawad @munkybizness @Frederic @Mehmet Volga @Alex Raptor @Russ @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ @Niki @Zixuan Huang - Charlie @Hisham Masaad @Brette @Zed @Bernard Kalaani @Anish S @Thomas Varghese @Lorenzo Candelpergher Thank you all and looking forward joining the Support team and growing further with @Carnity family. See you soon on sand.

Congrats @Johannes Roux

Hi @Gaurav, @Humayun Ghias, @Alex Raptor, @Russ, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @JAISROCK, @Brette, @Anish S, @Hisham Masaad, Thank you all! I had a great time during my first drives but what I really did not expect during before I’ve joined, is the special team spirit on every drive even if people meet for the first time. I really like the short socializing sequences during breaks and recoveries. Unfortunately I could not join the barbecue last week due to my sons birthday but I’m looking forward to all the upcoming community hours. Special thx to @Vanessa8580 who was leading my absolute newbie drive I hope you feel better and you are back in the sand soon, you still owe me a side sloping session!!! thank you all - c u!!!

I want to add 2 aspects to this query raised by @varunmehndiratta. There are 2 situations when you have to leave your car inside the desert. 1. The vehicle is in movable condition and can be towed away. eg. My car broke down in the desert when the battery failed and the engine wouldn't crank even while trying to jump start. @Alex Raptor towed my car with his F 150 and brought it to tarmac. The only problem was as engine was not running all power assisted services stopped. But it was still towable with lots of muscle power. If he didn't tow my car I had to get out of desert, buy a new battery and bring it back inside the desert and recover the car. 2. The vehicle is in immovable condition and cannot be towed away until the mechanical failure is repaired. eg. My differential broke down as I forgot to switch it back to 4HI from 4L after getting unstuck from soft sand. There are 2 scenarios to this - the axle can get dislodged and the car is still drivable in 2HI. Unfortunately in my case the differential cover itself broke. The front wheel was jammed. Wouldn't move an inch. The only solution was to disengage the drive shaft and disengage the axle which is not possible with ordinary tools we carry during offroading. We had to bring in a mechanic. We brought him inside with the tools and did what was necessary and released the stuck wheel. In a 2nd time a friend's car had his engine belt broken as sand jammed the AC compressor. We brought in the mechanic again inside, released the jammed compressor, fixed new engine belt and drove back. The 3rd time which was the unfortunate incident which happened to @Shaaz Sha's car in Sweihan. The upper arm of the left wheel broke and rendered the car immovable. There was no way the car could be towed out. The only solution was to source the parts and get the arm replaced with a mechanic. We did just that. No man who loves his car would sleep when his car is abandoned inside the desert. Also I'm of the opinion that cars shouldn't be left inside for a long time as once the tracks are blown away by wind then it becomes difficult to relocate the car even with maps. Kindly note you don't have to leave your car and go home abandoning it in a desolate place when you have friends who will stand by you come what may until the driver drives out and goes home in his car under its power. If anyone in Carnity faces such a situation you can call my number 0552690503 any time and I will be there to assist. I will not lead you to the car and drive it out as I never had that training but will stand with you by sourcing the parts and a mechanic to get it out.

What you are expecting is like mechanic on stand by kind of service that will cost you lot more as annual retainer than one time extreme recovery expense. I have been in such extreme situation twice in 15 years of offroading. First one was my ignorance or stupidity that I broke my front differential on LC100 in 2008. Second one was sheer bad luck or end of life of tie rod end that failed and twisted one tire right when steering was straight in 2019. Left the car and came back next day with mechanic and parts, all sorted within 500 dhs (I think). My realistic and practical advise, dont overthink, just be positive and stay sensible, that goes a long way.

Ah there's another AAA, and these are the ones with the proper Desert Trucks: Hitachi Crawler Tank & a 4x4 Lift Truck... I saw AAA Recovery sign and I thought they're the same, apparently not 😂

I highly agree with all points Sri and Lorenzo mentioned. Keep your "desert toy" in good health - as per extreme condition - service intervals. Team up with the mechanic and learn to inspect your own 4X4 for the minutest details. Most car businesses cut corners with lube and parts quality or brand, which can cost you dearly inside the desert. Double-check everything at every maintenance. Desert drives aren't meant for test runs, so don't take chance when you have 1% doubt on your car, fluids, tires, suspensions, spare tires, etc. Buy the comprehensive insurance with off-road cover as far as possible (up to 12 years old, I guess). Drive sensibly - THE MOST IMPORTANT Stop abusing stock cars with what rally drivers or race track cars shows on film. Those cars are fully modified and still run with a recovery truck behind them with all needed spare parts, mechanic and lube - You don't. Avoid distractions even after 1000 drives experience. Don't jump - After having a 20K suspension setup, the rest of the stuff is still stock so those components will take a bigger hit - drive shaft, axle, tie rods, control arms, etc. Stock vehicles aren't meant for jumping and if your car weight lands on one wheel then surely you'll need on-site mechanics and parts. Thanks, @varunmehndiratta for raising such a brilliant concern, that allows me to share my views and experience. Getting stuck and unstuck is part of off-roading and we will always find a way out. Everyone should read this Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Breakdown recovery is totally different based on two major factors Movable state: Car can be towed out safely with disclaimers, that break down car owner takes the full responsibility of his/her car and support car damage - if any. So if vehicle breakdown is near the exit or on flat dunes, with stock cars we can tow out dead vehicles with all safety measures without any damage (mostly). If vehicle breakdown is deep inside tall dunes, so dragging dead weight uphill is not advisable with stock cars due to safety reasons and that's where professional recovery companies, trucks, or insurance comes to play. Non-Movable state: This is the most difficult situation, in which even insurance companies can not do much and the owner has two options in hand. Onsite repair - mostly advisable to avoid further damage. A tow truck with crane - Unimog type - most expensive - 1500-3000 dhs - depending on the distance involved. My Experiences: One of my friend's H2 suspensions broke and we need to strap the suspension with tie-down ratchets to exit on-road as the insurance company provided 200-meter off-road coverage BUT on the flat track and not in dunes. One of our carnity members had a 4WD failure and Ford sent professional experts to recover who couldn't move the vehicle and broke the tow hook after few strong tugs. The simple mistake was they didn't clear the sand wall from all tires, as each tire was half-buried and they kept forcing their way with power. So the definition of "professional" and "expert" is super gray until put to the real test. My wife 4X4 has AXA comprehensive insurance with off-road cover. Its gear shifter cable broke and the car was stuck in parking (on tarmac) and the AXA recovery truck couldn't move it an inch after 3 days of struggles, emails, phone calls and eventually provided me a forklift quote to lift the car up to put it on a recovery truck. Along with a disclaimer that AXA will not be responsible for any damage. Finally, I found a way to go under the gear and move the gear shifter from Parking to Neutral. My Recommendation: If you have an off-road cover, you must give your insurance or car dealer a try to recover your car once to judge the reality than believing in the sales pitch. I was seriously very disappointed with AXA service lately. Operation guys were from different planets (voice of tone, behavior, skills, ideas), that each recovery truck guy was crying that sir I don't even have anything to help you other than this truck and winch, I can pull the car in parking but surely it will damage the transmission. The office guy was unable to send a wheel dolly (my idea from youtube) on which front of the car can move.

@Gaurav@Frederic thanks! It seems we will have to bear with the static!!! Channel 5 is nothing but Zzzzzzzz for my pajero!!!!!

Not that we know off. Etisalat coverage is more amazing than radio range. Even in liwa crossing (in 2018) we have had etisalat coverage that we never used the Thuraya sat phone that we bought for emergency use. Radio license are for companies who have requirement of 24/7 comms on radio devices like transport, security, aviation, construction, etc. Last we checked, it says each device has to have license with annual subscription of 1800-3000 dhs.

If you are a Ham Radio Amateur you can apply but need to have an Amateur radio license from your home country. As we are off-roaders and not radio amateurs I don’t see the benefit. Will even cost you a bit for yearly license. Security companies will have this for their employees using radio.

Congratulations @Johannes Roux

Congrats @Lawrence_Chehimi. Well done! I have a good memory of you assisting with a complex recovery in a calm manner on a recent drive.

Get well soon @Vanessa8580, we are missing your drives ☺️

I tend to suffer with this @Frederic (I have the Baofeng). For me sometimes a simple fix is moving the radio away from the vicinity of the centre console as it is often worse there. Thanks for the hack on the SQL limit!

thank you!! Thank you!! 😁

Better leave the car there and hire a 4x4…. Take a MC with Carnity …. Take a mechanic ….. fix things there and bring back the car …… 2500 I thought it was an air lift by chinook helicopter 🚁 …..

Congrats @Aisha S, well done!

congrats @Lawrence_Chehimi

Congratulations @Lawrence_Chehimi

Congratulations @Aisha S

Congratulations @Warren Flay

Congratulations @Johannes Roux

Before buying call them and check if off-road pullout covers vehicle breakdown or dead vehicle pullout?

thank you good sir! 😁 Thank you!! Thank you!!

@Johannes Roux congrats - now you see, all that soft sand was just the prelude to ... more soft sand with a more challenging drive

But it is limited to 1100AED. Which wont be enough if you are deep in the desert with non moving broken car.

It was heartwarming to see so many people together, from different walks of life, all enjoying the serene desert and getting to know one another. More than any dunebashing session or sidesloping tactic, this is the true essence and reason I joined this club. I hope for many more of these evenings, spending time with friends, fellow desertnauts, and sand junkies 😀

@Johannes RouxCongratulations!

Well done @Johannes Rouxweve done a few drives together and another one coming up tomorrow, well deserved

Congratulations @Johannes Roux Well done

Well done @Lawrence_Chehimi congratulations 👏👏👏👏

Totally agree with @Srikumar's feedback. On top of it, personally, I would stress the importance of having a proper and comprehensive off-road insurance. This is something that very often is underestimated until it is too late. Yes, it is an extra cost but it is also extra peace of mind, whether you damage your vehicle, you damage someone else's one or you have a mechanical failure which requires a professional recovery. When any of these things happen, that extra cost all of a sudden becomes very small in comparison to the actual cost of the repairs or the recovery.