New guy from Sacramento, CA

[skidoo]

I have been offroading since 2008 when I bought a 2000 Land Cruiser and started modifying it. Photography had been my hobby and seeing photos of great locations in the remote southwest, decided I needed a 4wd to get there. My cousin calls my Cruiser world's most expensive camera bag. Quickly realized I needed to know more about how to drive offroad so took Dirty Toy School at Anza-Borrego where Bill Burke was one of the instructors. Have gone to CruiseMoab several times over the years to have fun and meet up with other CruiserHeads. Taken lots of offroad photo trips all over the Southwest. Last year on trip through Capitol Reef with my wife I buried the Cruiser to the frame in a mudhole, cell and CB were useless, help arrived and we got out okay, but when I got home got my Tech license and a few weeks ago got my General.
I am a member of TLCA and active on IH8MUD forum under this user name. I joined your forum as you have a focus on Ham radio and offroading and that fits my future directions.
I have installed a dual band along with TinyTrak4 and Android Tablet for APRS.

sandcruiser.jpg (69.39 KiB) Viewed 1696 times

[DaveK]

Cliff

Welcome to OAUSA!!!

As you have noticed, we have a different perspective on outdoor 4WD adventures, as we have a special focus on Ham Radio. For a host of reasons, including emergencies and long distance communications, Ham radio is not just the best option, but sometimes one of the very few options.

We do an Amateur Radio net every week which covers a huge variety of outdoor adventures, and given your experience and interests, you should enjoy participating. I see from your QRZ page that you are located near Sacramento. I know there are may repeaters (2m or 440) that serve your area and if you have a favorite (or favorites) let us know and we will contact them to see if they will allow us to add them to the list of repeaters that carry our nets.

I share your interest in the American Southwest, and you can view some of our travels in the Expedition Report section of the Forums. We will be doing another this year to Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, and I will be posting information shortly. You can view the initial post here: viewtopic.php?f=202&t=3935.

[NotAMog]

Cliff,

Glad to see another Toyota owner in the group. It looks like you get down to Southern California occasionally so I hope you are able to get down for some of our activities.

I have an '04 Tacoma 4x4 with a Flippac camper as well as the Pinzgauer in my avatar. I use the Tacoma for longer trips or trips requiring sustained high speed highway driving. It's much more comfortable than the Pinzgauer. It feels absolutely luxurios driving off road with power steering, automatic, and air conditioning! I generally limit the Pinzgauer to about a 250 mile radius from home.

I keep looking at used Land Cruisers every time I see one come up for sale locally but haven't popped for one yet.

Please post some of your pictures. It would be great to see some from your trips to Moab. It's a beautiful area. I had a chance to spend a couple of days there last year with a rented Jeep and can't wait to get back there again.

[cruiserlarry]

Welcome to the OAUSA forum, Skidoo !! Very nice 100 Series Landcruiser, too !!!

I'm a fellow Toyota aficionado, having owned a 40, 60, 62, 2 80's and currently a Tacoma and an FJ Cruiser...and I've come to respect the 100 Series as one of the best expedition off-road rigs available.

I think you'll find the folks here to be a great group, very diverse in talents and interests, but all with a love for the outdoors and an appreciation for amateur radio.

[toms]

Welcome to OAUSA. I look forward to meeting you on the trail sometime. I am running a 97 80 series.

[skidoo]

Thanks for the welcome. The 100 has been a great expedition rig for me and trips with me has gotten a number of friends hooked on 4 wheeling.

Toms, a heads up, I am helping my friend with a 95 LC replace his engine wiring harness. You might want to check yours where it drops down to engine from firewall, his rubbed against the EGR riser wore through the thermal insulation so wires shorted and melted. That thermal insulation also needs to be in good shape as a lot of heat there.

That trip to Utah and AZ sounds interesting hope I am free when it is scheduled.

With taxes and all kind of busy so it will be a while before I post more photos, but here is a link to flickr where I post my photos.
http://photos.cliffhall.com

Here is a link to some of my videos, has offroading, canyoneering and hiking.
http://videos.cliffhall.com

Cliff Hall
KK6YYG

[Matt2001TJ]

Welcome to the OAUSA forum,...And the obsession...