Frederic

Well deserved @N@ved!!

Well deserved @Lawrence_Chehimi !

Congrats @Chris Wing !

Small clarification: - This is not a Carnity Offroad Drive, it is a meetup session for astrophotography enthusiasts where we will bring our camera and practice taking some nice night photos. Please share which camera gear you will be bringing so we can help you out with the settings. There will be some gentle offroad driving to reach our destination, so any Newbie and onwards can join. Some pics from our previous session in Faqa:

Hahaha well spotted. We will shift to the evening of May 11th.

Good morning @Naim Aoun. If you are new to the club you will need to join our Absolute Newbie drive first. If you have done a Carnity Masterclass, then you can sign up for a Newbie drive. This drive is a Fewbie level drive which is only meant for drivers who have reached this level and were promoted to Fewbie.

Thanks @Niki Patel for requesting this drive. It has indeed been a while and it will be good to get our cameras out of the basement and practice again what @Mikhail Lukichev has taught us.

According to the Moon Cycles, @Niki Patel found out that the evening of 11 May 2021 is going to be excellent for night photography! We will have an almost new moon which will hide below the horizon right after the sunset. The plan is to have a meetup with max. 10 members to practice and enjoy the art of night photography and learn from each other. Bring whatever camera you have and have a look at the advisable settings in your camera manual or ask in the forum. After the event you can publish your photos in our gallery ! Location: Murquab Mosque: https://goo.gl/maps/KQzEFTBcxE83N5qu5 We will be deflating at the meeting point, and then head out to a nearby quiet Sabkha. Please bring your offroad tools as you would do for a regular offroad drive. (pressure gauge, deflator, compressor). What to bring: headlamp and/or flashlight, camping chair, Camera or Smartphone, tripod, film/memory cards, extra battery, Recommended Lens(es). A tripod is recommended for night photography. Note: This meetup session is COVID compliant, hence we strictly ask all members to wear their masks, keep a social distance, and not to share any food.

I would advise the following: 1) calculate the total wattage of LED lights that would be activated at the same time. If you have different switches for different configurations maybe you won’t be switching them all on. 2) Divide the total wattage of the LED lights with 12. That will give you the current in Amps. An example: 450W total LED power divided by 12 Volts gives you 37 Amps. This is perfectly fine for a stock battery but a 75Ah battery will run empty after about 2 hours. Think about the following setup: 1) Powerful setup for off-roading. As long as your engine is running the battery won’t run empty. 2) Economical setup for camping which has lower wattage so it doesn’t drain your battery quickly. A few of those small cubicle LEDs could be good enough. A second battery will require a lot of extra cabling, extra weight, and will need to be installed properly. If you go that direction, Optima Yellow batteries are fantastic but need to be equipped with battery management systems. As an off-road vehicle you’ll need to make certain compromises: if you like dynamic dune bashing and fast pace driving you should think about the fact that every kg reduces engine power. If you want to make a kind of overlanding vehicle where you focus more on crossing the desert safely this is less of a concern.

Nice project @Wadepat2 ! There is a satisfying feeling to bringing a car back to its former glory. In your case a Landcruiser has shown its capabilities already far and beyond and its status in this country means you will always find people willing to service it, supply parts, or help you look for the right solution. With regards to desert driving, the Landcruiser is a very capable 4x4, but i see it more as a vehicle to perform overlanding and cross the deserts, more than a kind of dunebashing vehicle. Good luck and share your progress !

Hi @Ali Abas Correct. For now we have 5 channels, but will be rolling out another 5 in near future. BR, Frederik

And no Carnity convoy in sight ?? What a shame

Hi @Tareck yes this pintle hook is a perfect and adequate recovery point.

Hi @Mario Cornejo i enjoy both landscape and urban photography as well. In my opinion as much as i love the white sands in Faqa area, i do love the red sands that Maliha and Pink rock has to offer equally. I also love visiting abandoned areas like farms to play with the contrast. Some examples below. On Flickr.com you will find many photographers in UAE.

Well done @Watteau ! See you soon in the sands !

Hi @Lawrence_Chehimi you have done 7 FB and 2FB+ level drives so far.

@Thomas Varghese this is the common RSVP guidelines. I have added the following line to it now: Different RSVP levels can be used for specific drives as per the trip lead preference, area, timing, day or night drive, etc.. In other words, it is up to the drive lead to select his limited RSVP level. Especially during week drives with less support you will find the trip lead will reduce the RSVP.

RSVP Limitation Every drive we organize has a limited RSVP signup: Absolute Newbie and Newbie Level Drives: 12 members, 1 drive lead, and supported by 1-2 senior members. Fewbie, Fewbie Plus, and Intermediate Drives: 10 members, 1 drive lead, and supported by 1-2 senior members. Different RSVP levels can be used for specific drives as per the trip lead preference, area, timing, day or night drive, etc.. RSVP etiquette and Closing Times Signing up for a drive means you take up a spot on the list, so if you cannot make it, please withdraw your RSVP in time (+ 24 hours prior to the drive), so others can take up that spot. The RSVP usually closes a day in advance of the drive, so the drive lead can prepare the convoy list. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join this drive, please mention your name on the drive thread with the request to be added to the waiting list. The Trip lead will keep a chronological overview of the waitlisted members. Members who have not RSVP'd for the event will not be accepted on the drive. Latecomers will not be accepted. There will be no exceptions. Repeated no-show members will have their account suspended for a month. Within the waitlist, preference will always be given to members who are waitlisting for their first drive of the weekend. Only when this list is exhausted, the trip lead will add members that waitlisted for their second drive.

Two Way Radio Guidelines for Carnity Offroad Club Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. Programming advice and instructions can be found in below article:

Congrats @amir amiri !!

Well done @Arman !!

Well deserved Luis !!