2020 April TD News -- Shut down
Dean Eppley | Published on 4/7/2020
TD4WD Club activities are currently shutdown and the Sixteen to One Mine tour will be rescheduled to a later date. The Moab trip was also cancelled. We will resume trail runs and other activities as soon as it is safe to do so. Check out TD4Wheelers.org for any updates.
Now is a good time to do get prepared. For example, your vehicle’s navigation off the beaten path isn’t adequate. Consider downloading a topo mapping app. Several of us use the Gaia App as it has CarPlay capability. If you have cellular (no actual signal required) it uses your devices existing satellite interface. If you have an iPad or other device without cellular, you can purchase an inexpensive Bluetooth GPS antenna and not incur any use fees. It is really nice to know exactly where you are. We also carry a satellite beacon and communicator with us just in case. Units like SPOT or InReach Explorer do have subscription fees, but it is worth having in case of emergency as cell signal isn’t always available, so having one on the road, biking or hiking is a good idea.
We use family radios to communicate during trail runs. These inexpensive handheld radios don’t require a license at low power settings (under 2 watts) and are perfect for our club activities. For higher power transmission radios, a $70 FCC ZA license good for 10 years is needed and no test is required. Midland XTalker or Motorola Talkabouts portable radios are some popular choices.