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Dear Prof. @Frederic, SQUELCH (SQL setting) is the White Noise ("ssszzzzz"). Setting SQL to high basically mutes white noise, that may be caused by other radio signals, mobile phones, or even electronics from our cars, BUT high SQL means now your radio will only receive the STRONGEST signals from other radios on the same frequency. If you are in the same building yes, high SQL makes sense, but when we are 10-cars apart, a high SQL can mean you only hear the car in front of you and behind you. Of course this needs testing, but this is the theory anyways 😁 I propose 2 different approach (again needs testing, but we engineers like to test assumptions, right? 😀) 1. Set SQL to be as low as possible instead of high. The default is 5 on Motorola and probably most other radios. We can try 3 and see if white noise is audible or not. The reason is when we set SQL LOW, we allow "weaker signals" to come to us... weaker signals as in the Marshal in front who is 9 cars ahead. This is also called Noise Squelch: muting background noise. 2. Make use of CTCSS code. This is like a "password". So yes we are using license-free Channel #1 446.00625 MHz and there are 2 clubs using this channel. Group #1 uses Channel 1 + CTCSS code 77 while Group #2 uses Channel 1 without any CTCSS. Now comes another Club, Group #3 with Channel 1 again without any CTCSS. Guess who will hear each other voices? Group #2 and Group #3 will hear each other and may cause confusion unless they switch channel. Meanwhile, Group #1 who is a Smart Group like Carnity is not distracted by Group #2 and Group #3, because they have password-protected their free Channel #1 with the CTCSS code 😉 This is also called User Squelch: muting other Non-Carnity Users, which is what we probably want in our convoy... Below visually depicts what I mean:

Was about to register for Waiting List here (1st drive with Mehmet on Friday), but noticed superstars @Gaurav Soni and @Niki are already in support.... I think they do better shoveling than me 😁 , but if Mr. @Srikumar allows for 1 more party after RSVP limit is reached, happy to join this Fun Gang 😄

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 😂

@Wade Pat2 bro, a quote from my insurance agent was "Off road cover with full insurance can provided by some companies for upto 10-12 years." So for offroading until end 2022, the car model must be from year 2010+ 😭 Our cars fall into the Classics, so after spending so much on them, either we sell them to museums or car collectors... or keep on using them and hope nothing expensive breaks 😅 As for the recovery part, maybe best to subscribe to AAA membership per year (usually included with some insurance) ? 500dhs includes the Off-Road Recovery...

Congrats @Lawrence_Chehimi, great meeting you in the Winter Drive. Looking forward to driving with you in future drives 👍

congrats @Warren Flay , hope to see the cat-less Gojero once again in Sweihan 😁

@Ahmed Abdelsalam since we’re in the same convoy, I have spare deflator & gauge, we can exit the same time so you can use my compressor too. Look for a White Patrol if you change your mind 😊

This timely-released updates just keep the excitement going, where's that fast-forward to 6pm button on my watch? 😅

Congrats @salah2u 👍

Congrats fellow Y62 offroader @Mohammed Mansoor! Now you can join the Sweihan drives 😁

@Wade Pat2 the Ratatatata sound will only come on full throttle. Doubt you’ll do it on asphalt highway as it may attract the police or CID 😁, but here’s one way 👇🏻 to make that sound once supercharger is installed

That was pretty vague @Wade Pat2, but did you buy Marco LX470's SuperCharger??? 🤑 Our LandCruiser is heavy, so SuperCharger will be useful for climbing Iftar Bowl in Sharjah or Nagrah Sweihan in Abu Dhabi... or even participate in LIWA Festival to try out the Mureeb Dune 🔥

Well I was expecting a walk-in-the-park easy newbie drive, hence brought the Y62 with its owner (a.k.a. wife), but got a bonus of 3-in-1 drives: newbie afternoon, upgraded fewbie criss-cross, then fewbie night drive 😁 We arrived back in Abu Dhabi at 1am safe & sound, but that was quite a good weekend adventure... Thank you to Marshal @Foxtrot Oscar , I like learning from different marshals and the way you visited _each_ car to check on us was quiet comforting... though you probably didn't have to go all the way to the back, we Fewbies in the back were enjoying the view, having nice coffee, and got your back 👍 I may have jinxed your drive by commenting, "Next upgrade is gonna be a Night Drive" , so I'll stay quiet next time 😂 Thank you Center Support @Niki , just like in a football game, the Center Forward is key 😃 We listened to the radio while you guided those who got refusals, and these folks self-recovered nicely thanks to the clear advice. I need to learn to get this "Radio Voice", I think when I was guiding people it might come as shouting to those who never met me, but actually that's just my normal voice tone 😂 We didn't get to chat much as it was hot at 3pm and it was late & sweaty at 9pm, but let's chat before the drive next time... Thank you Sweeper Prasanth @Pacific , I think we made a good team. @luis mantecon and I had a different view of pulling the flying-wheel Pajero, but your way was proven correct 👍 That comes with experience, *respect 👮‍♂️ Also I'm so used with the Amber Lights in my LC100 when night-driving, but struggled a bit with the Y62 stock lighting, very happy to have Light Support from the back with your array of lights that can fill-up a toy store 😁 It sure helped when I got that mini-refusal when picking the wrong terrain to climb. @Mohammed Mansoor & @salah2u : great Y62 driving, you did not disappoint the brand 😁 @salah2u you need to get that Diff Lock fixed my brother, the importance of the Diff Lock is explained in my post here >> @Goh KP : I think you had a few refusals, but don't immediately believe if someone says it's because of your 2.7L engine. I have driven (actually borrowed) a Prado 2.7L engine and drove it up in Sweihan. The key is to drive it manual which I'm sure you'll learn as you progress through... or I could show you if we meet again in another drive 👌 To the rest, it was a very good crowd, nice driving with the tribe 👍

@Foxtrot Oscar yup I’ll be in Dubai from morning and will join your afternoon drive 👍🏻 Thank you

Congrats @Niki

Hi @Adnan Halepota my friend just shared this photo he said it’s 75aed for a flag. Bear in mind this is in Musaffah and the timings (Musaffah closes at 8pm while Ace & Dalma closes later) Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ca1FxEjpiFZWe2rh8 Flag samples:

Hi @Adnan Halepota , Sri's based in Dubai but we in Abu Dhabi here can help you on this. First like @Anna Dillon said, go to Ace Hardware Yas and ask for AOR suction cup and flag. If not available, call this number +971 2 554 8466 , it's a shop in Musaffah that also sells AOR-brand. Finally if you've exhausted all option, I've got a fishing pole + suction cup, which is a poor-man's flag, but better than not going without a flag 😄 Lemme know your search result... EDIT: AdventureHQ also sells both Suction Cup & Flag according to their website https://adventurehq.ae/products/aor-offroad-flag-suction-mount , so maybe Dalma Mall AdventureHQ branch has it in stock...

Ay ay Captain 👨‍✈️, happy to help. I only manage to transfer the "non-heavy" stuff: ropes, soft shackles, & ARB portable compressor (heavy but not gonna leave this baby in the garage 😁 ) . But no worries, I've procured the missing pieces: 12T Bottle Jack for pop-outs, and 2 ARB base-plates instead of 3 IKEA chopping boards stacked for height. Unfortunately I only have gardening shovel with me, so I hope tomorrow's drive doesn't involve much shoveling 😂

Bro @Lawrence_Chehimi when you’re in Sweihan area, let’s go to the Patrol Bowl… local legend says this is where the locals test their stock Y61 before deciding to mod it 😁 Save this GPS loc for next time you’re visiting Abu Dhabi >> https://maps.app.goo.gl/pL8VHTQ7M7JCJbV38 PS: I’ve done this with my LC but not yet with my Y62 😅

Hi @Anna Dillon have you sort out your Flag bracket yet?☺️ 4LO is used when in refusal so I hope you don’t have to use them on Friday, but it’s always good to prepare for the worst 👍🏻

Still fresh on the air filter topic 😁

Now for my opinion why these non-OEM filters exist (but not necessarily why you should use them): 1. SOUND. Most manufacturers (Toyota, Nissan) want to make Silent Cars, so they add Resonator (absorb sound) and Paper Filters (maximum filtration). People being people (what’s the fun if my car is the same as yours 😁) want that Revving Sound. These performance filters, as @Srikumar has mentioned have larger pores, or let more air pass through. Additionally when installing, the OEM Resonator is usually removed, so no more air restriction. It’s like vacuuming your room with a 1000w vacuum, all that air (and dirt!) gets sucked in, which leads to the next point… 2. Little (again, little) performance 😁. More air coming through fast, more call for computer to pump fuel and cause faster combustion for the power needed to push car. BUT this makes sense in Yas Marina circuits (or Dubai Autodrome), because in drag race, you only cover a short distance so any small performance tweaks count. But for regular sand offroading, over long term yes those sand particles that didn’t get filtered out may cause you to do engine rebuilds after some time. In short: a. if you have recently bought new car, don’t do it, keep it at stock paper-based air filter. You will also break warranty if you modify this. b. if you have older cars that you want to experiment with, again don’t do it unless you like that revving sound. I put mine in the old LandCruiser cos I want to hear more of its V8…. And also planning an engine rebuild end of year, so yeah expecting to clean sand particles from my engine later 😂

Adding to the already scientifically-sound paper and good advice from both Sri and Fred is this video to prove the excellent Sand Filtration point of Paper-based filter (OEM):

There are already very good advices here and I think @munkybiznesshas made his choice, but I want to give an opinion on this “height” vs “width” since you were banging your head over this weeks ago 😁: 1. Generally like guru Sri has mentioned, higher is better. For the simple reason: your rear diff (aka the pumpkin) can only be moved up (higher ground clearance) by taller tires (thicker sidewalls). 2. But if you have a lift, whether suspension (move frame up) or body (move body up from frame), you just made the Center of Gravity even higher than factory design. In this case you may want to consider the wider tires, for the simple reason: a tall car with skinny/narrow feet (tyres) vs a tall car with fat feet/wide tires, which one is easier to roll over during side-sloping? I know which one cos I have rolled over 😂. Additional aesthetic reason: once you lift your car, you create that extra space that can only be fulfilled by larger tires, since some will see that space as “unbalanced”, “not in harmony” or “ugly” 😅 In short: tires are not forever, after few years they’ll wear out so good time to experiment a bit. If it doesn’t work out, you can always sell the tires after experimenting and fall back to the previous proven ones ☺️

OMG, you DID NOT use Elsevier to compare air filters, did you @Frederic 😂 Now who can beat a peer-reviewed paper except another PhD 😅 Btw how do you still have access to the subscription, the only reason I still have mine is probably they forgot to delete my academic account 😁