Ray!

I think Darcy was talking about a method of holding the strap in place when not in actual use. I would absolutely never, ever, use a chain in any shape or form for snatching. Chains are designed for lifting and constraining loads, they are not designed to be used where sudden and high forces are applied. I used to do rigging in the oil and gas industry, I have a vague idea of what I'm talking about. Cheers Ray

I think that one needs to understand ratings when it comes to applying forces to load points. A tow or lifting point that is rated to sustain a load of 3500kg, is in fact able to sustain a much higher load before deformation or breaking. This is where Safe Working Loads (SWL) or as they are now defined as Working Load Limits (WLL) apply. The safety factor is usually around 5:1 ie if the WLL is 3000kg, the failure load will be at least 15,000kg. A lifting chain or sling with a rating of 8000kg will have a failure rating of 5:1, but a snatch strap rated to 8000kg does not have that 5:1 factor built in, it has a breaking strain of 8000kg ie it will fail at or about 8000kg of load (depending on condition of strap and other factors it will usually be a lot less). If a tow bar has been bent like a banana, I would dread to think what the chassis looks like, to which that tow bar has been attached. There's a lot more to this discussion than meets the eye. Cheers Ray

You cannot take over any website without the owners approval. You can secure a domain name if payment for the name lapses, but you don't get the content. I think I know what they are trying to do and they are being discrete about the whole process. Cheers Ray

Why not put them into the trips section, as that's really where state based activities/issues are most relevant and makes it easier to find what's going on. Cheers Ray

This is my day to day antenna, a rubber ducky shielded by an alloy housing a mate of mine had machined up, so that it locks in the same way as the 4705 and can't be pilfered: I just wanted to add that years ago, before I had this made up, I'd contacted GME Electrophone in Melbourne and asked them if it was possible to make a shorter antenna with the same base as the 4705, just so that it could be used around town and not interfere with carparks, garages etc. I was met with a resounding no, there's no point. Excellent Australian innovation, not. Cheers Ray

I bought this kit from Aldi, to which I added a snatch block I already had. Everything fits into that bag and it still has room for perhaps a tree trunk protector. Cheers Ray

Latest word is they want the forum to run like a 4.2lt and not a 3.0lt, it may soon look like a Bulletin Board. Cheers Ray

I forgot to mention that Woolworths is owned by a US company, and: http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/05/09/dick-smith%E2%80%99s-foods-a-resort-to-desperate-commercial-hansonism/ Cheers Ray

I contacted Prestige probably over a year ago and they said one of these two fit the same base as the 4705, ie screw in, but I can't remember which one. Cheers Ray

No, this is not politics, it's just about another whinger like Gerry Harvey. Cheers Ray

I think I misinterpreted what this thread was after. For some reason I had in mind a sticker to put on one's Patrol, not the logo on top of the forum web page, and to that end, I think what's there is pretty good. Cheers Ray

This is one that I've thought about replacing my fairly old rubber ducky with either this one: http://www.prestigecom.net.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=371&products_id=2116 or this one: http://www.prestigecom.net.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=371&products_id=2163. as I think both fit the 4705 antenna base. Cheers Ray

Disclaimer: I love Aldi products! http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/11/481121_latest-news.html Interesting, considering that DS has made his fortune on said 'capitalist' models. But what's disingenuous is the fact that Coles and Safeway only started to go Australian after Aldi came on the market. I've been buying from all of these stores for some years and I know for a fact that Aldi has, for a long time, sourced fresh produce from Australian suppliers, compared to the Chinese etc crap that Coles/Woolies was bringing in for so long. Yes, they do import goods from overseas, but so do the other big two. Furthermore, it wasn't until Aldi hit the scene that prices started to become competitive and where there isn't an Aldi store, the prices are always higher. Also there's never been a secret that Coles/Woolies have been screwing the producers for years, setting prices and saying if you don't like it, bugger off. Maybe DS isn't happy that his own branded products aren't selling that well. Cheers Ray

It's a Tekonsha Prodigy, a few years old now. The UHF with all the controls in the handset is a very good option, it saves a lot of installation hassles. Cheers Ray

I have a GME UHF that has a separate head unit and the control unit fits neatly under the console, with the power unit on the passenger side kick panel. It is a much more elegant solution than a handheld. Here's a photo of the unit attached to the bottom of the console (the mic normally hangs off the clip on the right of the head unit): Cheers Ray

Can we get some clarification on this? I was hesitant to mention a company in response to another post, because doing so appeared to conflict with what you've described and I hadn't seen this thread when I put up my DIYs. Sometimes mentioning, or providing a link to, a product or supplier helps with explaining things in a response. Blatant advertising of self-interest is understandable, but I'm now not quite sure about mentioning specific products or suppliers in posts. Cheers Ray

The longer the other forum stays in limbo, the less inclination there is to go back as you become comfortable with something new. I don't miss the political crap either, it was becoming a broken record. Cheers Ray

I have an Icom IC-40S that I originally bought for much the same reason and later wanted to attach an external antenna, but couldn't find a suitable adapter in those days. I just had a look at one supplier's site and you can get a magnetic base that fits all standard handhelds with removeable antenna. The latest Icom IC-41W is probably the best handheld you can get and you can get attachments such as a battery eliminator to run directly off the vehicle cigarette plug. PM me if you want the suppliers details. Cheers Ray

All UHF antennas are tuned to length, if you cut them, you'll make them really poor performers. I have the 4705 and find it very good, are you sure you don't have an issue with the cabling or radio? Why don't you get a small rubber ducky UHF antenna for around town and use the longer one for the bush, that's what I do. Cheers Ray

I've never had to use mine in anger yet, so can't say one way or the other. I know of at least one owner who has had to use theirs and it seems to work OK. Basically, I think it's as good as any of the Chinese made winches that seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays. At the time, the price was better than anything else around. Cheers Ray

A change is as good as a holiday. Cheers Ray

No, I didn't rotate anything. The motor is on the passenger's side and the release lever is on the driver's side, with the lever facing the engine, but easy to reach. Cheers Ray

Were those towbars from Patrols and were they Nissan ones? As I pointed out, my towbar is also attached to the centre of the chassis cross member that runs at the end of the chassis. For the towbar to bend, it would also bend/rip the chassis. Also, one has no real idea as to how those towbars were used, regardless of the brand. It's also then ironic that ARB sell snatch strap attachments for towbars. One could potentially claim recompense if they sell a product that will clearly damage another product. Cheers Ray

It's been rooted for days. Whether it will recover is the unknown, but it sure seems like it's in its death throes. Cheers Ray

Yes, you loop it over. I've added some extra photos. Cheers Ray