Pearly White from Downunder

[duncho]

[quote="aussiebob"]Build list so far...Aftermarket Accessories:Front window tintingWhispbar CrossbarsTravall Pet BarrierX-Shades rear window shades[/QUOTE]
Can you please post a photo of how "Front window tinting" looks like? The rest (except dog barrier - no dog) I have installed as well and I'm more than happy with Whispbar and X-shades! These are top class products!

[duncho]

[quote="aussiebob"]duncho, it's UHF around 477. Given that you're not going to get comms spanning 100's of km across the country like you do on the old 27mhz, it's really for more "local" stuff.Yes that is a 3db antenna. Lower gain is said to be better for hilly terrain etc, but the real problem is travelling around the city as well.With a 3db antenna's the car's clearance is just under 1.98 meters. Lots of underground/multistory carparks have a 2.00 to 2.05 height limit.The antenna can easily be unscrewed and replaced with a 6db or higher antenna. Doing so takes the clearance to around 2.6 meters.Usually radio's go off in major cities, or you get off the usual road channels (there's not 80 or so available), as once you hit the major cities the usual road channels are full of goons broadcasting garbage all day long (lots of 4 letter words and suggestions as to what your mother gets up to at night).[/QUOTE]
I see. Here in Europe I would need the licence to use that so called "Radio-Amateur band" which is in range of 400-470MHz. What purpose you use the radio for? Is it still so popular especially in areas near larger cities as are Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane? Have you drilled the roof rail or just glued in to it?

[aussiebob]

Front window tinting on the QashQai is probably more about what you don't notice.Here most cars will have window tinting applied aftermarket, just dark film applied to the windows to block some of the heat / direct sunlight / etc From the factory the car has rear privacy glass so the back windows are a lot darker than the front windows.If you look at the first picture, it looks like the front windows look about the same color/shade as the rear windows. They have had the tinting film applied to the maximum legal tint (here it's about 30%).

[Gel]

[quote="aussiebob"]Yeah, the Thule were the other ones I was looking at. They have the crossbars sitting just above the rail with a rubber strap thing that wraps around the car rail and secures inside the end cap.The whispbars are more like a C clamp that just clamps onto the roof rail and the bulk of the crossbar sits in between/at the same height as the car rails.One thing to note is that the first thing I threw something up on the roof it was hitting the radio antenna. Ended up removing it for that trip and then a quick visit to ebay and I had a shorter stubby one on it's way to me.Gel, the antenna is for a CB radio (nice try but no cigar, duncho). Here we have some pretty cheap radios (2-way walkie talkie style) that are useful for car to car when travelling with people, talking to other road users (truck drivers / caravanners /etc) when you're trying to overtake, or even with handhelds and a spotter to help you hook up to your trailer. Also, very importantly, unlike mobile phones, they are legal to use whilst driving.[/QUOTE]
Thanks; I think I've still got a couple of CB radios in loft, in case we ever face civil emergency.Not too many people have installed, save for some die hard enthusiasts/ truckers.That's a big 10 4!

[aussiebob]

Licensing here for these radios is probably similar to what google is pointing to me with the European PMR446, only we can transmit up to a maximum of 5W instead of the 0.5w that you guys seem to get.There is also 27mhz CB similar to the system the UK seems to have, but that has died down a lot I believe in favor of the UHF varieties (probably due to much smaller antenna and much lower cost).Around cities there is a fair amount of use on the CB channels, but range is much reduced. They are used by things like workers in a factory or warehouse or on a construction site or roadworkers so that they're not yelling to each other, and things like that. Even kids playing with walkie talkie's can be using them.Cheap 0.5w handheld units are available in a pair for about $40 australian dollars, up to 5w commercial radios costing a few hundred dollars.Also a lot of units will allow you to scan/receive only other licensed UHF frequencies, and you used to be able to listen in to police and other "interesting" bits and pieces. (These days police etc have gone to a digital encrypted system you can't listen in on).Mine is because I have had it from a previous vehicle, and is mainly used for car to car chat when travelling with other people. I have a pair of handhelds in the glove box that I can give to the other people I'm travelling with if they don't have one. I do a fair amount of country miles as well, and can be handy talking to other road users about conditions ahead or even talking to the road train driver you're about to overtake to see if it's clear and to give them warning you're about to come through. (Lots of single lane highways where you have to wait for specific overtaking lanes or cross to the other side of the road to overtake). Heavy vehicles here are speed limited to 100kph in light vehicle 110kph zones.

[aussiebob]

duncho, this is an older image showing the 6db antenna.You may not be able to see it properly, but it pretty much extends to the top of the image.What you can't see is me cringing every time I forget it's on there and it goes THWACK into a low carpark's roof.