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i
2013 Edition
copy 20122013 COVER PHOTO COPYRIGHT SANDRA BRODIE All rights reservedUnauthorised copying duplication of this image is a violation of applicable laws
PLEASE READ - IMPORTANT INFORMATIONVersion B13 - Released 8th April 2013
This eBook is FREE to copy and distribute However please note the following
1 Please Register If you have been given a copy it is wise to register at wwwstayingintouchontheroadcom itrsquos FREE ONLY registered users can receive the free important updates and website access to
a ldquoMust Knowrsquo updated information b Interviews with experts on numerous topics c Updated technical support information and much more
2 Some lsquoMust Knowrsquo information is duplicated in the Mobile Phone Modem and External Antenna sections
3 This eBook is written for the novice or less experienced reader and is not intended as a technical manual
4 Contributed content remains the property of the contributor and may not be copied or dis-tributed in any way other than as part of this complete eBook
Contact Details Please email Grant Nielsen supportStayingInTouchOnTheRoadcom
Welcome
Just imagine for a momenthellip
Yoursquove arrived at your holiday destinationhellip set up and relaxing in your new camp and now decide to call home but your phone displays lsquoNo Servicersquohellip
Frustrating isnrsquot it
This eBook will provide you with the simple solutions to help overcome that dreaded message
Generally itrsquos as simple as relying on the wrong advice or equipment However there can be times when you will need to rely on other techniques to stay connected and they are also outlined in this eBook
What Devices Applications and Websites are most useful
Once you have that reliable connection itrsquos now only a matter of knowing what devices programs and websites will most suit your on the road needs
This eBook is written specifically for travellers who are not technically minded or who need to understand the basics and their travel communication options it is not intended as a technical lsquoHow Torsquo manual
Special ThanksIrsquod especially like to thank all the lsquoExpertsrsquo who contributed to this eBook
bull Nichol Hill
bull Collyn Rivers
bull Ken Sulman
bull Matthew Peters
bull Laurie Hoffman
and many others
Enjoy and see you ldquoOn The Roadrdquo
Grant Nielsen
email supportStayingInTouchOnTheRoadcom
bull Gail Bennett
bull Dave Caron
bull Sandra Brodie
bull Angel Sityar
bull Motherhen
1 Getting ConnectedImportant Mobile Device Features Overview 2Mobile Phone Features 6Mobile Internet Modem Selection 9Powering Your Device On The Road 12External Antenna Selection 13Testing Your Internet Speed 19
2 Other Communication DevicesTaking Your Computer On The Road 21Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You 22Satellite Phones 25Satellite Internet 26CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication 28EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices 29VAST Satellite TV 31Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers 32
3 Applications Programs and WebsitesUsing Skype and Other Services 35Facebook and Other Social Media 38Easy Video On The Road 40Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert 42Managing And Sharing Your Photos 45Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy 47Wordpresscom 48Learning Advanced Blogging Skills 49Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog 51Online Shopping 54
INDEX
1
Part 1 Getting Connected
2
Creating a list of your mobile communication requirements and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which mobile devices and service provider are most suited to your needs
The following applies to allmost mobile devices
1 What features are best suited for your needs Consider how frequently you intend to rely on it and the lsquoMust Haversquo features versus those you can do without on short holi-days Is this your primary phonemodem or just used on short holidays
2 Where do you plan to use it
3 Does your service provider offer guaranteed service in ALL your travel locations
Your lsquousage locationrsquo needs should be considered as three different types
1 City Major population areas where ALL providers should offer strong reliable service
2 Rural Country areas with larger populations that have a reliablefair to strong signal from your service provider Just be sure your chosen provider has proven service in these rural locations
3 Remote Low population areas with possibly much weaker signal strength less tower locations and with many providers your nearest signal or service tower can easily be hundreds of kilometres away from your holiday location
Important Mobile Device Features Overview
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when between townsu
3
Most truly Remote locations will NOT be serviced by ANY mobile service provider and you should contact locals to find out what is available in the area
Although Australian providers cover in excess of 95 of the population it does not mean that they provide service to 95 of the Australian landmass
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE if you require an always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in other sections of this report)
3G or 4G
With Telstrarsquos ongoing rollout of their 4G network capital cities and many regional locations now have access to far faster speeds and an increasing range of 4G enabled devices
Whilst the 4G network will not always be available for folks on the road 4G devices will automati-cally lsquostep downrsquo and use the 3G network when 4G signal is not detected so even 4G devices are quite suitable for on the road use
Which Service Provider Is Best
Picking your service provider by price alone can be an acceptable practice in city areas however on the road it is far more important to establish the geographic locations where you intend to use your phone andor modem and confirm that your service provider does cover this region This is CRITICAL do not just accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map
If you have any doubt It is well worth calling to the local council store or service station to check which providers the locals use (In my experience Next G is well ahead of all other pro-viders in RuralRemote national coverage areas)
Armed with this information you are far more prepared to ask lsquothose questionsrsquo that guarantee your device and service provider will be keeping you in contact when you arrive at your holiday destination
VERY IMPORTANT Do NOT rely on sales advice or coverage maps aloneConfirm which Service Provider the locals use If necessary call the local council caravan park or tourist information centre
u
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
copy 20122013 COVER PHOTO COPYRIGHT SANDRA BRODIE All rights reservedUnauthorised copying duplication of this image is a violation of applicable laws
PLEASE READ - IMPORTANT INFORMATIONVersion B13 - Released 8th April 2013
This eBook is FREE to copy and distribute However please note the following
1 Please Register If you have been given a copy it is wise to register at wwwstayingintouchontheroadcom itrsquos FREE ONLY registered users can receive the free important updates and website access to
a ldquoMust Knowrsquo updated information b Interviews with experts on numerous topics c Updated technical support information and much more
2 Some lsquoMust Knowrsquo information is duplicated in the Mobile Phone Modem and External Antenna sections
3 This eBook is written for the novice or less experienced reader and is not intended as a technical manual
4 Contributed content remains the property of the contributor and may not be copied or dis-tributed in any way other than as part of this complete eBook
Contact Details Please email Grant Nielsen supportStayingInTouchOnTheRoadcom
Welcome
Just imagine for a momenthellip
Yoursquove arrived at your holiday destinationhellip set up and relaxing in your new camp and now decide to call home but your phone displays lsquoNo Servicersquohellip
Frustrating isnrsquot it
This eBook will provide you with the simple solutions to help overcome that dreaded message
Generally itrsquos as simple as relying on the wrong advice or equipment However there can be times when you will need to rely on other techniques to stay connected and they are also outlined in this eBook
What Devices Applications and Websites are most useful
Once you have that reliable connection itrsquos now only a matter of knowing what devices programs and websites will most suit your on the road needs
This eBook is written specifically for travellers who are not technically minded or who need to understand the basics and their travel communication options it is not intended as a technical lsquoHow Torsquo manual
Special ThanksIrsquod especially like to thank all the lsquoExpertsrsquo who contributed to this eBook
bull Nichol Hill
bull Collyn Rivers
bull Ken Sulman
bull Matthew Peters
bull Laurie Hoffman
and many others
Enjoy and see you ldquoOn The Roadrdquo
Grant Nielsen
email supportStayingInTouchOnTheRoadcom
bull Gail Bennett
bull Dave Caron
bull Sandra Brodie
bull Angel Sityar
bull Motherhen
1 Getting ConnectedImportant Mobile Device Features Overview 2Mobile Phone Features 6Mobile Internet Modem Selection 9Powering Your Device On The Road 12External Antenna Selection 13Testing Your Internet Speed 19
2 Other Communication DevicesTaking Your Computer On The Road 21Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You 22Satellite Phones 25Satellite Internet 26CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication 28EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices 29VAST Satellite TV 31Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers 32
3 Applications Programs and WebsitesUsing Skype and Other Services 35Facebook and Other Social Media 38Easy Video On The Road 40Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert 42Managing And Sharing Your Photos 45Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy 47Wordpresscom 48Learning Advanced Blogging Skills 49Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog 51Online Shopping 54
INDEX
1
Part 1 Getting Connected
2
Creating a list of your mobile communication requirements and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which mobile devices and service provider are most suited to your needs
The following applies to allmost mobile devices
1 What features are best suited for your needs Consider how frequently you intend to rely on it and the lsquoMust Haversquo features versus those you can do without on short holi-days Is this your primary phonemodem or just used on short holidays
2 Where do you plan to use it
3 Does your service provider offer guaranteed service in ALL your travel locations
Your lsquousage locationrsquo needs should be considered as three different types
1 City Major population areas where ALL providers should offer strong reliable service
2 Rural Country areas with larger populations that have a reliablefair to strong signal from your service provider Just be sure your chosen provider has proven service in these rural locations
3 Remote Low population areas with possibly much weaker signal strength less tower locations and with many providers your nearest signal or service tower can easily be hundreds of kilometres away from your holiday location
Important Mobile Device Features Overview
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when between townsu
3
Most truly Remote locations will NOT be serviced by ANY mobile service provider and you should contact locals to find out what is available in the area
Although Australian providers cover in excess of 95 of the population it does not mean that they provide service to 95 of the Australian landmass
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE if you require an always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in other sections of this report)
3G or 4G
With Telstrarsquos ongoing rollout of their 4G network capital cities and many regional locations now have access to far faster speeds and an increasing range of 4G enabled devices
Whilst the 4G network will not always be available for folks on the road 4G devices will automati-cally lsquostep downrsquo and use the 3G network when 4G signal is not detected so even 4G devices are quite suitable for on the road use
Which Service Provider Is Best
Picking your service provider by price alone can be an acceptable practice in city areas however on the road it is far more important to establish the geographic locations where you intend to use your phone andor modem and confirm that your service provider does cover this region This is CRITICAL do not just accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map
If you have any doubt It is well worth calling to the local council store or service station to check which providers the locals use (In my experience Next G is well ahead of all other pro-viders in RuralRemote national coverage areas)
Armed with this information you are far more prepared to ask lsquothose questionsrsquo that guarantee your device and service provider will be keeping you in contact when you arrive at your holiday destination
VERY IMPORTANT Do NOT rely on sales advice or coverage maps aloneConfirm which Service Provider the locals use If necessary call the local council caravan park or tourist information centre
u
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
Welcome
Just imagine for a momenthellip
Yoursquove arrived at your holiday destinationhellip set up and relaxing in your new camp and now decide to call home but your phone displays lsquoNo Servicersquohellip
Frustrating isnrsquot it
This eBook will provide you with the simple solutions to help overcome that dreaded message
Generally itrsquos as simple as relying on the wrong advice or equipment However there can be times when you will need to rely on other techniques to stay connected and they are also outlined in this eBook
What Devices Applications and Websites are most useful
Once you have that reliable connection itrsquos now only a matter of knowing what devices programs and websites will most suit your on the road needs
This eBook is written specifically for travellers who are not technically minded or who need to understand the basics and their travel communication options it is not intended as a technical lsquoHow Torsquo manual
Special ThanksIrsquod especially like to thank all the lsquoExpertsrsquo who contributed to this eBook
bull Nichol Hill
bull Collyn Rivers
bull Ken Sulman
bull Matthew Peters
bull Laurie Hoffman
and many others
Enjoy and see you ldquoOn The Roadrdquo
Grant Nielsen
email supportStayingInTouchOnTheRoadcom
bull Gail Bennett
bull Dave Caron
bull Sandra Brodie
bull Angel Sityar
bull Motherhen
1 Getting ConnectedImportant Mobile Device Features Overview 2Mobile Phone Features 6Mobile Internet Modem Selection 9Powering Your Device On The Road 12External Antenna Selection 13Testing Your Internet Speed 19
2 Other Communication DevicesTaking Your Computer On The Road 21Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You 22Satellite Phones 25Satellite Internet 26CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication 28EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices 29VAST Satellite TV 31Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers 32
3 Applications Programs and WebsitesUsing Skype and Other Services 35Facebook and Other Social Media 38Easy Video On The Road 40Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert 42Managing And Sharing Your Photos 45Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy 47Wordpresscom 48Learning Advanced Blogging Skills 49Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog 51Online Shopping 54
INDEX
1
Part 1 Getting Connected
2
Creating a list of your mobile communication requirements and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which mobile devices and service provider are most suited to your needs
The following applies to allmost mobile devices
1 What features are best suited for your needs Consider how frequently you intend to rely on it and the lsquoMust Haversquo features versus those you can do without on short holi-days Is this your primary phonemodem or just used on short holidays
2 Where do you plan to use it
3 Does your service provider offer guaranteed service in ALL your travel locations
Your lsquousage locationrsquo needs should be considered as three different types
1 City Major population areas where ALL providers should offer strong reliable service
2 Rural Country areas with larger populations that have a reliablefair to strong signal from your service provider Just be sure your chosen provider has proven service in these rural locations
3 Remote Low population areas with possibly much weaker signal strength less tower locations and with many providers your nearest signal or service tower can easily be hundreds of kilometres away from your holiday location
Important Mobile Device Features Overview
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when between townsu
3
Most truly Remote locations will NOT be serviced by ANY mobile service provider and you should contact locals to find out what is available in the area
Although Australian providers cover in excess of 95 of the population it does not mean that they provide service to 95 of the Australian landmass
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE if you require an always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in other sections of this report)
3G or 4G
With Telstrarsquos ongoing rollout of their 4G network capital cities and many regional locations now have access to far faster speeds and an increasing range of 4G enabled devices
Whilst the 4G network will not always be available for folks on the road 4G devices will automati-cally lsquostep downrsquo and use the 3G network when 4G signal is not detected so even 4G devices are quite suitable for on the road use
Which Service Provider Is Best
Picking your service provider by price alone can be an acceptable practice in city areas however on the road it is far more important to establish the geographic locations where you intend to use your phone andor modem and confirm that your service provider does cover this region This is CRITICAL do not just accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map
If you have any doubt It is well worth calling to the local council store or service station to check which providers the locals use (In my experience Next G is well ahead of all other pro-viders in RuralRemote national coverage areas)
Armed with this information you are far more prepared to ask lsquothose questionsrsquo that guarantee your device and service provider will be keeping you in contact when you arrive at your holiday destination
VERY IMPORTANT Do NOT rely on sales advice or coverage maps aloneConfirm which Service Provider the locals use If necessary call the local council caravan park or tourist information centre
u
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
1 Getting ConnectedImportant Mobile Device Features Overview 2Mobile Phone Features 6Mobile Internet Modem Selection 9Powering Your Device On The Road 12External Antenna Selection 13Testing Your Internet Speed 19
2 Other Communication DevicesTaking Your Computer On The Road 21Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You 22Satellite Phones 25Satellite Internet 26CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication 28EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices 29VAST Satellite TV 31Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers 32
3 Applications Programs and WebsitesUsing Skype and Other Services 35Facebook and Other Social Media 38Easy Video On The Road 40Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert 42Managing And Sharing Your Photos 45Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy 47Wordpresscom 48Learning Advanced Blogging Skills 49Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog 51Online Shopping 54
INDEX
1
Part 1 Getting Connected
2
Creating a list of your mobile communication requirements and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which mobile devices and service provider are most suited to your needs
The following applies to allmost mobile devices
1 What features are best suited for your needs Consider how frequently you intend to rely on it and the lsquoMust Haversquo features versus those you can do without on short holi-days Is this your primary phonemodem or just used on short holidays
2 Where do you plan to use it
3 Does your service provider offer guaranteed service in ALL your travel locations
Your lsquousage locationrsquo needs should be considered as three different types
1 City Major population areas where ALL providers should offer strong reliable service
2 Rural Country areas with larger populations that have a reliablefair to strong signal from your service provider Just be sure your chosen provider has proven service in these rural locations
3 Remote Low population areas with possibly much weaker signal strength less tower locations and with many providers your nearest signal or service tower can easily be hundreds of kilometres away from your holiday location
Important Mobile Device Features Overview
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when between townsu
3
Most truly Remote locations will NOT be serviced by ANY mobile service provider and you should contact locals to find out what is available in the area
Although Australian providers cover in excess of 95 of the population it does not mean that they provide service to 95 of the Australian landmass
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE if you require an always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in other sections of this report)
3G or 4G
With Telstrarsquos ongoing rollout of their 4G network capital cities and many regional locations now have access to far faster speeds and an increasing range of 4G enabled devices
Whilst the 4G network will not always be available for folks on the road 4G devices will automati-cally lsquostep downrsquo and use the 3G network when 4G signal is not detected so even 4G devices are quite suitable for on the road use
Which Service Provider Is Best
Picking your service provider by price alone can be an acceptable practice in city areas however on the road it is far more important to establish the geographic locations where you intend to use your phone andor modem and confirm that your service provider does cover this region This is CRITICAL do not just accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map
If you have any doubt It is well worth calling to the local council store or service station to check which providers the locals use (In my experience Next G is well ahead of all other pro-viders in RuralRemote national coverage areas)
Armed with this information you are far more prepared to ask lsquothose questionsrsquo that guarantee your device and service provider will be keeping you in contact when you arrive at your holiday destination
VERY IMPORTANT Do NOT rely on sales advice or coverage maps aloneConfirm which Service Provider the locals use If necessary call the local council caravan park or tourist information centre
u
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
1
Part 1 Getting Connected
2
Creating a list of your mobile communication requirements and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which mobile devices and service provider are most suited to your needs
The following applies to allmost mobile devices
1 What features are best suited for your needs Consider how frequently you intend to rely on it and the lsquoMust Haversquo features versus those you can do without on short holi-days Is this your primary phonemodem or just used on short holidays
2 Where do you plan to use it
3 Does your service provider offer guaranteed service in ALL your travel locations
Your lsquousage locationrsquo needs should be considered as three different types
1 City Major population areas where ALL providers should offer strong reliable service
2 Rural Country areas with larger populations that have a reliablefair to strong signal from your service provider Just be sure your chosen provider has proven service in these rural locations
3 Remote Low population areas with possibly much weaker signal strength less tower locations and with many providers your nearest signal or service tower can easily be hundreds of kilometres away from your holiday location
Important Mobile Device Features Overview
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when between townsu
3
Most truly Remote locations will NOT be serviced by ANY mobile service provider and you should contact locals to find out what is available in the area
Although Australian providers cover in excess of 95 of the population it does not mean that they provide service to 95 of the Australian landmass
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE if you require an always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in other sections of this report)
3G or 4G
With Telstrarsquos ongoing rollout of their 4G network capital cities and many regional locations now have access to far faster speeds and an increasing range of 4G enabled devices
Whilst the 4G network will not always be available for folks on the road 4G devices will automati-cally lsquostep downrsquo and use the 3G network when 4G signal is not detected so even 4G devices are quite suitable for on the road use
Which Service Provider Is Best
Picking your service provider by price alone can be an acceptable practice in city areas however on the road it is far more important to establish the geographic locations where you intend to use your phone andor modem and confirm that your service provider does cover this region This is CRITICAL do not just accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map
If you have any doubt It is well worth calling to the local council store or service station to check which providers the locals use (In my experience Next G is well ahead of all other pro-viders in RuralRemote national coverage areas)
Armed with this information you are far more prepared to ask lsquothose questionsrsquo that guarantee your device and service provider will be keeping you in contact when you arrive at your holiday destination
VERY IMPORTANT Do NOT rely on sales advice or coverage maps aloneConfirm which Service Provider the locals use If necessary call the local council caravan park or tourist information centre
u
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
2
Creating a list of your mobile communication requirements and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which mobile devices and service provider are most suited to your needs
The following applies to allmost mobile devices
1 What features are best suited for your needs Consider how frequently you intend to rely on it and the lsquoMust Haversquo features versus those you can do without on short holi-days Is this your primary phonemodem or just used on short holidays
2 Where do you plan to use it
3 Does your service provider offer guaranteed service in ALL your travel locations
Your lsquousage locationrsquo needs should be considered as three different types
1 City Major population areas where ALL providers should offer strong reliable service
2 Rural Country areas with larger populations that have a reliablefair to strong signal from your service provider Just be sure your chosen provider has proven service in these rural locations
3 Remote Low population areas with possibly much weaker signal strength less tower locations and with many providers your nearest signal or service tower can easily be hundreds of kilometres away from your holiday location
Important Mobile Device Features Overview
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when between townsu
3
Most truly Remote locations will NOT be serviced by ANY mobile service provider and you should contact locals to find out what is available in the area
Although Australian providers cover in excess of 95 of the population it does not mean that they provide service to 95 of the Australian landmass
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE if you require an always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in other sections of this report)
3G or 4G
With Telstrarsquos ongoing rollout of their 4G network capital cities and many regional locations now have access to far faster speeds and an increasing range of 4G enabled devices
Whilst the 4G network will not always be available for folks on the road 4G devices will automati-cally lsquostep downrsquo and use the 3G network when 4G signal is not detected so even 4G devices are quite suitable for on the road use
Which Service Provider Is Best
Picking your service provider by price alone can be an acceptable practice in city areas however on the road it is far more important to establish the geographic locations where you intend to use your phone andor modem and confirm that your service provider does cover this region This is CRITICAL do not just accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map
If you have any doubt It is well worth calling to the local council store or service station to check which providers the locals use (In my experience Next G is well ahead of all other pro-viders in RuralRemote national coverage areas)
Armed with this information you are far more prepared to ask lsquothose questionsrsquo that guarantee your device and service provider will be keeping you in contact when you arrive at your holiday destination
VERY IMPORTANT Do NOT rely on sales advice or coverage maps aloneConfirm which Service Provider the locals use If necessary call the local council caravan park or tourist information centre
u
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
3
Most truly Remote locations will NOT be serviced by ANY mobile service provider and you should contact locals to find out what is available in the area
Although Australian providers cover in excess of 95 of the population it does not mean that they provide service to 95 of the Australian landmass
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE if you require an always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in other sections of this report)
3G or 4G
With Telstrarsquos ongoing rollout of their 4G network capital cities and many regional locations now have access to far faster speeds and an increasing range of 4G enabled devices
Whilst the 4G network will not always be available for folks on the road 4G devices will automati-cally lsquostep downrsquo and use the 3G network when 4G signal is not detected so even 4G devices are quite suitable for on the road use
Which Service Provider Is Best
Picking your service provider by price alone can be an acceptable practice in city areas however on the road it is far more important to establish the geographic locations where you intend to use your phone andor modem and confirm that your service provider does cover this region This is CRITICAL do not just accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map
If you have any doubt It is well worth calling to the local council store or service station to check which providers the locals use (In my experience Next G is well ahead of all other pro-viders in RuralRemote national coverage areas)
Armed with this information you are far more prepared to ask lsquothose questionsrsquo that guarantee your device and service provider will be keeping you in contact when you arrive at your holiday destination
VERY IMPORTANT Do NOT rely on sales advice or coverage maps aloneConfirm which Service Provider the locals use If necessary call the local council caravan park or tourist information centre
u
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
4
Selecting Your Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Naturally you will be limited to the plans offered by the service provider you decide can service ALL you location needs
The choice of a Prepaid or Postpaid account will be determined by your personal needs Regardless of which plan type you choose it is wise to have a clear understanding of your plan features conditions and any additional charges
If you also intend to use your mobile phone for internet surfing or use your mobile as a WiFi Personal Hot Spot or lsquoMobile As Modemrsquo it is wise to consider your Data requirements as part of your overall phone plan 60
60considerations
Prepaid Postpaid and Internet Data Plans
Using any type of mobile device can get very expensive very quickly so selecting the right plan is another important issue
Prepaid
A Prepaid plan is where you buy a dollar amount of mobiledata credit from most local stores directly from your phone or online with a Credit Card
Opting for a Prepaid service allows you to monitor your lsquoSpendrsquo far more closely than a Postpaid plan You know exactly how much you are going to spend ndash to the centhellipit means no surprise at the end of the month
The major benefit is that you can buy the credit only as you need ithellip you can recharge as frequently as you wish whilst travelling but then have no ongoing monthly charges when you are not on the road
One drawback is there is a fixed time the credit lasts forhellipyou may find when you need to use it your credit period has expired and you have lost the remaining credit
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
5
Postpaid
A postpaid plan is an agreed monthly phonedata plan that is charged to a monthly account
Postpaid plans are more beneficial if you have ongoing Internet needs and also gives you the peace-of-mind that you will never run out of credit at a cru-cial moment Additionally if you choose to link it to your bank account to your postpaid account you will never have to rush to pay the bill on its due date
Although you will still stay connected any usage in excess of your agreed plan can get very expensive Like prepaid plans any unused monthly credit is generally lost at the end of the month
Review your current and predicted monthly voice and data usage before selecting your plan and also have a clear understanding of the terms of the proposed plan
Postpaid and prepaid are not necessarily more expensive than each other it does pay to explore both options before deciding which best suits your needs
Do You Need An External Antenna
Most devices that use their inbuilt internal antenna will perform well in strong signal locations however an external antenna will dramatically improve your signal strength in weaker signal locations
Ensure you have established if you require an External AntennaPatch Lead and your device has an external antenna plug or similar solution if you are venturing into weaker signal areas
Finding Mobile Tower Locations
Advice from service providers checking their coverage maps and even calling local councils and tourist information centres are usually the most practical way to locate existing provider towers at your destination
However when exact tower locations are required such as when aligning a Yagi antenna or simlar our options are somewhat more limited with many service providers being unwilling to advise specific tower locations
AMTA mantain a radio frequency national site archive at httpwwwrfnsacomau and tower locations can be searched by region postcode etc Opening individual listings will display a location map and service provider deatails are displayed below However it should noted that not all towers are specific mobile service towers but it is certainly a very good guide
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
6
Mobile Phone Features
These days you can divide mobile phones into two different categories ndash from your old basic mobile phone to a Smart-phone When looking at them on a shop shelf some can look very similar but in fact they provide a range of functions that differ a great deal Before you begin shopping for your new phone it helps to understand the basics of each type of mobile phone
Whilst you have a vast array of mobile phones models and features to choose from it simply gets down to your needs
Often a basic mobile phone will fulfill all your light use travel needs however to take advantage of the wider features and benefits available a Smartphone may be your answer
Regardless of whether you are considering your first mobile phone purchase or more likely an upgraded more feature packed model itrsquos critical that you con-sider the following points when making your decision
What Phone Is Best For Your Needs
Make a list of all the features you require After considering your individual phoneinternet needs you will be able to determine if a Basic or Smartphone is more suited to your needs
It is increasingly difficult to separate your phone and modem options for many users and so both are discussed here
Many new mobile phones can function as an Internet modem for your other devices internet needshellip however your internet connection also offers high quality phone services from provid-ers such as Skype GoogleOne etc The line between these two devices soon blurs and again you need to consider your personal phone and internet requirements as part of your considerations
I believe the days of travelling with a dedicated modem are numbered in some situations This lsquoall in onersquo phonephone as modem option justifies serious consideration for many users and modem enabled phones may be a consideration in your purchase
Without doubt some phone models will tolerate fringe area signal better than others and this is one of the reasons Telstra promote their Blue Tick devices
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
7
With a smartphone apart from phone calls you can also
bull Surf the Internet quickly and easily on generally larger screensbull Take edit and send photosbull Access Facebook or use Skype Google Voice and others for freecheap national and inter-
national callsbull Store hours of music to listen to at your leisure bull Store movies to watch when you arrive at your destination bull Turn it into a WiFi lsquoHot Spotrsquo when you want an internet connection for your computer or other
devices eg WiFi only iPad (Confirm this feature is available on your selected model)bull Turn your smartphone into a fully functional GPS navigator bull Access some of the applications you use at work allowing you to keep on top of your workbull Download and use an ever-growing array of ldquoappsrdquo (downloadable smartphone applica-
tions) that allow you to do everything from check the news weather stock market sports scores and many other features just by touching a single iconhellip even helping you to find a great place to eat access your bank account or play a game that has quality graphics Smartphones can do all of this and more because they are powered by scaled down versions of the microprocessors found in personal computers and have more built in memory than the basic phones
(Some Basic phones can perform some of these features also)
Basic Mobile Phones
Basic Mobiles are most suited for general phone use and the other expected features of a basic phone model Basic mobile phones are usually the more inexpensive solution
Regardless of your style preference - Standard Slide Flip or Touchphone phone itrsquos wise to test all phone features lsquoin storersquo if there is any mobility vision or other usage considerations
Smartphones
As clever as some basic mobile phones are their functions all pale in comparison to what the current generation of smartphones can do
However Smartphones generally do not perform as well in fringe signal areas due to their technical specifications and their inability to usually accept a direct external antenna connection
But if your usage is confined to fair to good signal areas the huge benefits and flexibility of a Smartphone can make them a very wise purchase
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
8
The Smartphone segment is now a battlefield between the iPhone and the Android operating systems with some smaller fringe players
Since mid 2012 the Samsung Android range has outpaced iPhone sales so a much rumored 2013 release of a low end plastic iPhone could make for an interesting 2013 The iPhone is still domi-nating many markets due to its innovative approach and features but more importantly because of the wider range of approved Australian use 3rd party Apps (Applications) Many of the expected benefits and features of your new Smartphone will rely on these Apps
However the Android offerings have VERY QUICKLY closed this localised apps gap It would be wise to establish that Australianised versions of any apps you may require are currently available for the Smartphone operating system you are considering
Visit Applersquos App Store or Googlersquos Google Play Store to view these applications
If you have any doubts Irsquod highly recommend you visit Youtube and watch the results of searches like lsquosamsung galaxy reviewrsquo and lsquoiPhone reviewrsquo Some will higlight features and problems that are generally not mentioned elsewhere If you are really lucky some reviewers may even mention that it can also be used to make phone calls
One often overlooked Smartphone feature is its ability to create a WiFi Hot Spot internet connec-tion for your other computer devices Please confirm this feature is available on your selected Smartphone and your computertablet is WiFi enabled
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE If you require an lsquoAlmostrsquo always available phone connection a Satellite Phone is your only reliable option (Satellite phones and satellite modems are discussed in later sections of this ebook)
NOTE Additionally many of the functions of a smartphone require a databrowsing plan included with your phone planu
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
9
Mobile Internet Modem Selection
Naturally your modem is really your computerrsquos lsquoconnection to the worldrsquo and most considerations for a successful modem connection are identical to your mobile phone requirements
Only mobile 3G or 4G enabled internet devices are a practical lsquoon the roadrsquo option and naturally ADSL and Cable modems are unsuitable
Generally you have four modem device options whilst on the road1 USB plug-in 3G4G modem 2 WiFi Hot Spot enabled 3G4G modem3 lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo mobile phone connection4 WiFiHot Spot enabled Smartphones
WARNING ndash PLEASE NOTE In low signal locations such as Rural and Remote you need to ensure your modem has an external antenna input plug (Discussed in the External Antenna section)
NOTE A dedicated modem may not be requiredhellip a lsquoMobile as Modemrsquo or Smartphone WiFiHot Spot could easily suit your requirementsu
These devices can generally be recharged from 12 volt connections or 230 volt mains power a 12 volt accessory plug connected to a small 230vt inverter or even from a your car lighter or a well charged laptoprsquos USB port
What Modem Is Best For Your Needs
Creating lsquothatrsquo list of your modem needs and where you intend to use it will quickly identify which modem device and service provider is most suited
Consider how your computer Smartphone iPadAndroid Tablet and other devices will be con-nected to your modem Whilst some rely on a WiFiHot Spot connection other devices will require a physical cable connection and some devices work equally well with either
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
10
Consider Your Service Provider And Their Modem offerings
Establish EXACTLY the geographic locations where you intend use your device and confirm that your service provider DOES cover this region This is CRITICAL Do not accept the assurance of the salesperson or their coverage map Examples below are modems offered by TestraBigpond
USB 3G4G Modems
Whilst these modems come in many shapes and sizes they all function in a similar way and require to be plugged into a USB port on your computer
A USB modem is usually intended for use only with your computer as the supporting software is located on this device
WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G Modems
The more recent introduction of Wi-FiHot Spot enabled modems has rapidly gained popularly
Once connected to the Internet these modems create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) that can then connect your computer and other devices simultaneously Naturally your other devices must be WiFi enabled or this modem option will be unsuitable for your use
230 volt USB 3G Modems
Your existing 230 volt lsquo3G wirelessrsquo home modem is also a practical holiday option if you have guaranteed 230 volt power
Using Your Mobile Phone As A Modem Mobile As Modem
Many mobile phones can now provide a quality Internet connection Basic mobile phones can be cable connected as a lsquomobile as modemrsquo
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
11
Smartphone WiFiHot Spot
Most Smartphones can create a local area lsquowirelessrsquo network (Wi-FiHot Spot) solution for your camp Internet devices
Their wireless network functions in a similar way to the WiFiHot Spot enabled 3G4G modem and also permits additional devices to be connected simultaneously
NOTE If you intend to use your phone andor modem in Rural or Remote locations ensure your modemphone has an external antenna (Patch Lead) connection This is a MUST HAVE feature
u
Other Internet Connection Options
Many local caravan parkshellipeven in more remote parts of Australia local libraries Internet Cafersquos Tourist Information Centres even McDonaldrsquos and many other locations offer economically priced or even free WiFi Hot Spot internet connections for light use on the road
lsquo Paidrsquo WiFi can become a very expensive option for daily use with longer term stays
These connections can be a cost efficient low useage solution but naturally your device must be WiFi enabled
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
12
These devices are more readily purchased at retail stores like Dick Smith Tandy Jaycar etc
Powering Your Device On The Road
Naturally most devices will require 230 volt power at some point if only to recharge them and in many holiday destinations this is no problem However in more remote locations reliable 230 volt power must be a consideration
Very economical 12230 volt inverters are now readily available and will easily handle your 230 volt communication power requirements however ensure your selected inverter outputs Pure Sinewave and not Modified Sinewave 230 volt
Pure Sinewave is the ONLY safe option for powering any electronic device
This also applies to any generator power only use power from portable generators that output pure sinewave power
If you have ANY doubts about your 230 volt quality contact a specialist to discuss you power needs including surge protection
IMPORTANT NOTE As of 2000 the Australian mains supply voltage is 230 volts with a tolerance of +10 -6 as specified in AS 60038 However Australian mains volt-age is still popularly referred to as being 240 volts
Any 230 volt mains socket or 12 volt car accessorycigarette lighter plug may be your first option to recharging your device but consideration should be given to other recharge options also
A wide range of inexpensive devices are now available to recharge your device including small 12230 volt inverters USB port Solar Battery Adaptors and even a hand cranked emergency devices as a last resort
u
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
13
NOTE Your mobile device MUST have an external antenna connection plug to accept a patch lead from your external antenna for much of the following information to be useful
u
Test Everything Before You Head Off - I Canrsquot Stress This Enough
Now that yoursquove got your new purchase homehellip assemble and test EVERYTHING to ensure it works and you have everything you need
By doing a test run at home where you have a proven signal will establish that you have all the necessary components and your setup functions correctly
Just imagine driving 2500 km and arriving at your holiday destination in the Northern Territory and attempting to setup your modemhellip only to discover you were supplied the wrong patch lead
Itrsquos amazing how easily your salesperson can leave you short or with the wrong lsquosomethingrsquohellip Itrsquos best to find out before you head off and not find yourself trying to resolve a missing lsquosomethingrsquo when you arrive at your destination
External Antenna Selection
Naturally that lsquoNo Servicersquo message is going to be displayed more frequently the further you are away from your service providerrsquos tower or even if your signal is blocked by man-made or geographic obstacleshellip perhaps something as simple as a tall building heavy tree line or a hill That small in built internal antenna simply canrsquot get enough signal to perform its job
Assuming your selected service provider has a tower within range the necessary signal should still be there but in laymanrsquos termshellip the lsquosignalrsquo is just too lsquoweakrsquo for your device to perform effectively and this is where an external antenna can make a HUGE difference
There is no guaranteed performance distance with your device and this will vary from location to location and indeed even between service providers
Up to 25 kms may generally be the maximum direct distance from the service provider tower for good service without using an external antenna However local conditions can substantially reduce the effective distance
(Expect your mobile phone connection to function beyond the range of a reliable Internet modem connection)
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
14
Note Omni directional antennas can be permanently mounted whilst Broad Beam and Yagi directional antennas generally require setup on arrival at your holiday destinationuNote A telescopic swimming pool net pole makes an ideal portable antenna tower if room permitsu
Generally you have four antenna types for your phone or modem signal
1 Internal Device Antenna
An internal antenna is built into all modems (like the modem shown on the right) however this is certainly the least performing option in anything less than good signal service areas
It is generally wise to invest in an external antenna for many holiday locations Even if not neces-sary they will generally improve the performance in poorer signal areas
2 External Omni directional antennas
Ranging from a small flexible wire with piggy tail twists to a broomstick like shape they are generally the most popular antenna for most situations They spread their signal around a 360 degree arc and lsquolock onrsquo to the service providerrsquos tower regard-less of the tower direction They are easy to erectinstall on your vehiclevan and are ideal for substantially improving performance where distances or obstacles are not excessive
3 External Broad Beam directional antenna
Broad beam antennas offer better performance than Omni directional anten-nas and are useful where an adequate signal is required in hilly terrain and where the actual signal direction may be more difficult to determine
4 External Yagi directional antenna
These will look like the old fashioned TV antennas of differing lengths and certainly they are less popular as they are more difficult to erect and align
However their lsquofocusedrsquo beam will outperform omni and broad beam directional antenna options Higher dBi Yagirsquos provide a increasingly stronger signal but are also increasingly more difficult to align
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
15
Ensure Your PhoneModem Has An External Plug Connection
You should not assume that your intended phone or modem has the necessary external plug to accept your external antenna some phone and modem models do not
Smartphone Passive Connection
Many Smartphones do not provide a plug however this is overcome by sitting the phone in a specialised inductive cradle that is attached to your external antenna
The phone sits in the cradle (left) and any chosen external antenna attaches directly into this cradle Generally these cradles do not provide as good a reception as devices connected directly by a patch lead
They are normally only stocked by specialist communication outlets Donrsquot be surprised if your phone salesperson has no knowledge of this accessory
ONLY buy quality ones from experienced specialist retailers and avoid the Hong Kong Internet lsquoSpecialrsquo at all costs
Car Kits
Directly-coupled car kits allow the phone to be directly connected to an external antenna on the outside of the vehicle This provides significant additional coverage for Next G mobile phones and is important if you are using the service in some parts of the Next G network coverage area such as rural and remote areas or along major highways Even when you are in an area where hand-held coverage is possible an external antenna solution may also improve the coverage perfor-mance of your phone
To get the best reception it is recommended you use a car kit that enables the antenna to connect directly into the phone (lsquodirectly-coupledrsquo car kit)
Please note Not all car kits enable the direct connection of the antenna to the phone
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
16
Telstra Smart Antenna
Firstly lets look at what the Telstra Smart Antenna is NOT It is not a modem nor does it create a WiFi Hot Spot that connects you to the internet
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is best considered as a device that creates a super zone of Telstra mobile signal for up to eight Terlstra mobile phones and modems simultaneously Itrsquos like having your own mini Telstra tower in your camp Naturally it still needs a reliable Telstra wireless signal but it can also be used with any external antenna if required
Once you purchase the device there is no ongoing cost associated with using it and all mobile call costs or modem data use is charged to the individual devices exactly as if they was connecting to any Telstra tower
Itrsquos increased performance can help you
Make voice calls and access mobile broadband within 100 metres of your base station Enjoy more reliable voice calling Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds
Itrsquos a very impressive solution and ideal if two or three families are travelling together It allows each family to use their mobile and modem as if they were in a normal signal area with everyone paying for their own usage
Patch Leads
Most antenna leads end with a standard FME connector plug however mobile phones modems and other devices have a wide variety of different external antenna connectors
The connection between the antenna cable and the device is completed with the appropriate patch lead
NOTE Always carry a spare patch lead With regular use patch leads are the lsquoweak link in the chainrsquou
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
17
NOTE Even the best wireless network may be spasmodic when travelling between townsu
All antenna lsquopowerrsquo is measured in dBi (gain) and the Wikipedia definition of this is
dBi
dB(isotropic) ndash the forward gain of an antenna compared with the hypothetical isotropic antenna which uniformly distributes energy in all directions Linear polarization of the EM field is assumed unless noted otherwise
No doubt if this makes perfect sense to you you are highly unlikely to be benefiting from this ebookhellip so letrsquos proceed accepting that even a small external antenna can dramatically improve reception even in generally good signal locations and normally lsquoBiggerrsquo is lsquoBetterrsquo in many Rural locations certainly in Remote areas or even in very poor signal City area locations
Generally as the antenna dBi increases the larger the antenna becomeshellip so you may need to consider the overall size of the antenna and any support towerpole as part of your travel space considerations
Use reliable advice from an experienced antenna consultant and your own common sense to select the suitable antenna size and type for your specific needs
In a large number of Rural and Remote locations many providersrsquo do not have a service tower Their nearest service tower can be hundreds of kilome-tres away Generally Telstra is the best remote service provider option
Ensure that you independently confirm that your intended service pro-vider does actually provide lsquoProvenrsquo service at your holiday destination
Naturally your phone modem internal antenna or a small Omni directional antenna (even located inside your van) may be just what you require in city or lsquoclose to towerrsquo rural locations but it is wise to consider a higher dBi externally mounted Omni Multi Directional or Yagi antenna as the improve-ment can substantially improve reception
At the time of writing my Yagi is mounted on a five metre tower and located twenty seven kilome-tres from the Telstra tower Borroloola NT My phone connection is generally very clear and the modem is delivering faster lsquotestrsquo speeds than when using the modem (with no external antenna) five kms from the Southport Gold Coast tower Obviously there are very few other users compet-ing for service from this tower
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
18
Other campers here are perfectly happy with their larger Omni directional antennas for a reliable lsquonormal usersquo phone or slower internet connection
So with the right external antenna setup very acceptable phone and internet speeds can be attained in seemingly remote locations
Using An External Antenna Inside a CaravanMotorhome
Whilst small external omni directional antennas can improve your lsquoInsidersquo signal the nature of most metal van construction and even some types of insulation will degrade your signal An outside mounted antenna will generally far out perform an internally located antenna
External Antenna Cable Length
Using the shortest practical connection cable between your antenna and your device will retain the best signal strength Ideally 10 metres or less however a 5 metre extension can be used if asbsolutely necessary
Using Signal Splitter Adaptors
It is NOT recommended to use a signal splitter adaptor to simultaneously connect your mobile phone and modem to the external antenna when in weaker signal areashellip it degrades the signal strength to both devices
However a signal splitter may be suitable when strong tower signal is available Once connected check that the signal strength (bars showing) is adequate on both devices
Antenna technical advice provided byTim Sulman Little Devil Antennas Phone 0409 258 154 Website httpwwwldantennascomau
u
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
19
Testing Your Internet Speed
The number of bars on your device is the most popular indicator of your signal strength and inter-net speed However free speed test sites such as wwwspeedtestnet can provide more infor-mation about your internet connection performance by showing your Ping Upload Speed and Download Speed
What is Ping
Imagine you measured the time and the degree of difficulty it took you to complete a return drive between two townshellip this would be similar to your Ping speed on the internet highway
Wikipedia Ping Definition
Ping is a computer network administration utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer
The lower your Ping result the better
In our lsquoDrivingrsquo analogy the time taken to reach and then return to our starting point would be our Upload and Download speeds
What Is Download Speed
Download speed is the speed at which data can be downloaded from the internet to your computer The higher your Download result the better
What Is Upload Speed
Upload speed is the speed at which the data can go from your computer and be sent to the inter-net The higher your Upload result the better
When you do repeated speed tests from the same location and at different times of the day your results can vary considerable due to factors like network traffic weather conditions and others Ideally you are looking for acceptable results for all three
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
20
Part 2 Other Communication Devices
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
21
Taking Your Computer On The Road
Irsquom often asked lsquoShould I take my Laptoprsquo
The answer is very simple If you rely on it at home have the space suitable power and that necessary internet connection then it is worthwhile taking it with you
There are advantages and disadvantages of taking a laptop travel-ling and some may be concerned about damaging your laptop in transit but with a little care and safe storage your laptop can be perfectly safe and a huge benefit to have on the road
NOTE Be sure to take your Computer system backup CDs with you In the unlikely event of a crash your backup CDs may be a necessary requirement to overcome your computer problem It is also prudent to do a complete computer system backup before traveling
u
Advantages of a Computer
bull If your laptop is your primary communication tool at home itrsquos ideal to have on the road Not only are you familiar with it and all your programs but that large screen compared to most other devices is a huge bonus
You can do anything that you would do at home on your computer connect with the grand kids on Skype and check your bank statements send emails etc
If you are going to use to it every few days it is a serious contender in the travel technology stakes
Disadvantages of a computer
bull Technology is merging and it is not absolutely necessary to take it your Smartphone or Tablet will work if you want to travel light
bull It requires more space to use and store bull And naturally you will require 230 volt power to recharge
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
22
I rely on my iPad for a wide range of uses
bull Video chats with my familybull Skype phone callsbull Checking emailsbull Browsing the netbull City Remote and Marine navigationbull Facebookbull Tides
bull Weatherbull Bankingbull Word processingbull Newsbull First Aidbull PhotoVideo editing amp sharingbull and many other uses
Is An iPad Or Android Tablet Right For You
If you plan on vacationing in the near future expect to see more and more iPad or other tablet users Whether you should succumb to gadget envy or not depends on just what type of traveller you are
For those who want to spend their vacations consuming information rather than creating it a tablet might be ideal especially with a handful of apps that will make your tablet considerably more use-ful while on the road
And yes you can say the same thing about the humble laptop you already own but chances are that your laptop weighs far more than the Tablet takes far longer to set up and pack away a lon-ger time to lsquoboot uprsquo and devours far more power
Other considerations include the fact that the device includes a camera for video chats so while travellers can use it to make cheap phone calls through Skype and other services they can also utilise Skype Facetime or other video chat software to make video chats
Typing on the Tabletrsquos touch screen is not the same as a normal keyboard but is still very effective for normal light use and many new users find the touch screen to be far more intuitive and user friendly
You will use it in ways unlike any other device on the market
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
23
NOTE If you do not want to transmit both audio and video or do not have a webcam these software applications still allow you to watch the other partyrsquos webcam feed or even just lsquoaudiorsquo chat u
Printing On The Road
Having even found space for a dishwasher in my van I donrsquot intend to enter the debate on lsquoDo you have the room for a printerrsquo Suffice to say that a quick visit to most computer super stores will reveal a wide range of smaller ink jet printers that are suitable for life on the road
I personally travel with a small lsquoall in onersquo Brother printer as it also provides very handy scanning and photo copying features But a standard ink jet printer is likely a more practical option for most on the road use
There are even extremely small lsquoportablesrsquo available however these can be an extremely expen-sive option as they use smaller expensive ink cartridges
Webcams And Video Chat
Just image for a momenthellip being 2000 kms away from home on Christmas morning in a remote NT clinic after a minor accident and still lsquobeing therersquo as my children and grandchildren shared their presents We easily shared live video chat and SMSrsquoed recorded smartphone video
My iPad paid for itself that day
All new laptops come with an inbult webcam however if your laptop does not have a webcam you can purchase one from any computer outlet or super store and they are quite easy to set up
Also tablets smartphones and even some other devices are video chat enabled and the required software is pre-loaded and ready to go
Additionally other Apps such as Skype can be downloaded to your computer smartphone or tablet and are extremely easy to use
Without doubt a videochat is the most personal way to communicate with others for work or personal purposes however longer video chats can soon eat up a large amount of your data plan So when practical it is better to restrict your chats to lsquoAudio Onlyrsquo
Visiting these links will provide an overview of using video chats on mobile devices Android Smartphone httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=txiAJt8DmTs iPhoneiPad httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FLOrf0tGMCc
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
24
NOTE Even the smallest Laser Printers MAY be impractical on the road as they require too much 230 volt power u
Most inkjet printers have a very low 230 volt draw and can be powered by a small 230 volt inverter accessory When power is an issue I simply power my printer using my inverter accessory (normally used to charge my laptop) and run my laptop on itrsquos in built battery This is ideal for short printing jobs
No doubt a printer can be very handy especially when travelling for an extended time but there are other lsquoEmergencyrsquo printing options Most caravan park receptions tourist information centres local libraries and even some local businesses will readily print that necessary document for a small charge or even free Itrsquos simply a matter of taking it to them on a USB Memory Stick or even emailing your required print document to them
Naturally all internet Cafersquos offer a printing service also
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
25
Satellite Phones
Satellite phones are different to mobile phones in that instead of your phone linking to a tower it links to a satellite The satellite then passes your signal back down to earth where it is connected back into the normal telephonemobile network
This means that unlike mobile phones satellite phones will have reception as long as you can see the sky where the satellite is located
As satellites are hundreds of kilometres away there needs to be clear line of sight to the sky and the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
The prices of satellite phones have come down drastically in the last several years At the time of writing it is possible to purchase a satellite phone for less than $1000 (even less if you are eligible for government subsidies) and have it connected for less than $35 a year Satellite phone call costs have come down too but are still a more expensive call
Irsquove travelled with my Satellite phone for over 5 years now and itrsquos only been URGENTLY required four timeshellip It was worth its weight in gold on those occasionshellip getting urgent medical assistance to one accident at least three to four hours earlier
However itrsquos also been an invaluable tool when Irsquove decided to change plans mid-trip or if I want to assure my family that things are fine on the rsquoremotersquo road
It simply provides the lsquopeace of mindrsquo that no other communication option can match
Selecting Your Satellite Phone
There are a few different types of satellite phone systems The two most common systems used by travellers in Australia are Iridium and Inmarsat
Each satellite phone provider has different pros and cons with the system they offer along with different pricing structures Before you buy a Satellite phone you should decide if you are after a satellite phone for emergencies or if you want one for day to day use
Unlike a mobile phone a Satellite phone can only be used with the network it is designed for The best things you can do is research the different upfront and ongoing costs
Voice Over Internet (VOIP) with satellite
In an upcoming section we discuss using Skype and other VOIP services If you are looking for day-to-day communication using these services in remote locations a Satellite Internet connection can provide a very cost effective method of staying in touch when you do not have mobile phone coverage If you are interested in looking into this I recommend speaking to a Satellite Phone specialist outlet
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
26
Satellite Internet
ANT Portable Satellite Internet System
So you want to hit the road and visit the most remote parts of our great country where there is no mobile or wireless coverage but you still need internet communications
There is an solution
Australian Nomad Technologies (ANT) have developed a relatively economical solution with their portable works anywhere 2 Way Satellite Internet and VOIP phone access system
The system is compact folds away easy to store relatively quick to set up and requires no tools Therersquos already many of us who are setting up satellite dishes for TV so this is really just the next step it gives you the freedom to travel anywhere and still stay lsquoconnectedrsquo and doing those tasks you can only do with an internet connection
The ANT system used the Optus D1 Satellite which covers the whole of Australia So long as you have a clear view of the northern sky you can get a signal anywhere The ANT satellite inter-net system costs $3495 including all equipment instruments documentation DVD and the usersrsquo manual needed to locate the satellite as you move around
ANT have a range of plans starting from as low as $4900 per month and all plans are shaped so there are no surprise charges The ANT kit can also be used with suitable configuration to receive free-to-air TV via your satellite decoder box
Whatever your reasons for wanting access to the Internet if you are outside the range of mobile phone networks your only practical option is to access the Internet over satellite
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
27
There are three different methods available for doing this
1) The most cost effective way of receiving internet over satellite is via a technology known as VSAT VSAT systems use a satellite dish and decoder similar to a satellite TV system This provides you with access to the Internet for prices comparable to wireless Internet prices The downside of this system is that it can be bulky to carry and takes a bit of time to set up unless you want to spend money on getting automated dishes installed on your caravan roof
2) BGAN is fast easy to set up and small to transport However it comes with a higher oper-ating cost BGAN is best used if you are running a business and need to be able to quickly set up and respond to emails and send small files back home
3) Accessing the Internet via a Satellite phone It is possible to access the Internet by plug-ging a Satellite phone into your computer however the speeds are slow and the cost is high This method is best if you need to occasionally send small lsquotext onlyrsquo emails and is not really an effective method for browsing the Web
Satellite Internet technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
28
CarMarineHandheld Radio Communication
A two-way radio is a great way to keep in contact There are several different two-way radio sys-tems available
UHF CB Radio
The UHF CB provides free short range communications between users It is commonly used to provide communication between vehicles travelling in a group Truckies rely on it and roadwork traffic controllers are often heard long before you arrive at their location
If a passenger walks ahead to investigate a track they can use a portable UHF radio to communicate back to their vehicle
As of 2011 the Australian Government has allocated an additional 40 UHF CB channels giving a total of 80 channels When purchasing a new UHF CB you should try to get a set that supports all 80 channels 40 channel CBs will be able to talk to the new sets on the first 40 channels
Marine Radio
Most marine radio operates in the VHF frequency range allowing for communica-tion over longer distances than UHF radio Unlike UHF radio you are required to have an operatorrsquos certificate to use a marine radio
If you have a boat there are certain conditions where you must carry a Marine Radio on board and other times such as talking back to the shore
For further information I recommend that you check the legal requirements of your vessel and contact a Marine Radio Specialist
HF Radio
HF Radio is a long-range Two Way radio system that allows communication across hundreds of kilometres
Until recently HF radio has been the only form of communication in remote areas With advances in communication technology providing small light and affordable access to mobile and satellite networks the requirement to carry a HF radio has diminished
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
29
EPIRB and Personal Locator Devices
Personal locator beacons provide that extra peace of mind if something worrying occurs while you are out and about With them you have a method of alerting somebody that you have a problem along with letting them know your approximate location
There are a few different types of locator beacons available Depending on the system you choose there are different costs and levels of functionality available
Personal Locator Systems are small enough to carry with you if you leave your vehicle say for a walk
Nearly all personal locator beacons work by sending your message via Satellite This means that they will function outside mobile phone range however you do need to be able to see the sky for them to work If you are inside or under a cliff for example your locator beacon may have trouble getting a message out
Spot Messenger and Spot Connect
The spot system is a commercial service that requires an ongoing yearly subscrip-tion As well as being able to alert the authorities in the case of an emergency you can pre-define email or SMS messages that can be activated from your device While these are only one-way messages they can be pre programmed useful messages to let people know back home you are OK need urgent help or some assistance but it is not an emergency
The spot system can also be used to track your progress and update a map allowing friends and family to see your progress
This is a great way to share your journey however longer term trip tracking does require additional action on your part as these rsquoAuto-maticrsquo maps are limited
Spot connect uses a device connected to a Smartphone to supply the spot functionality with the additional benefit of being able to send short messages that are not pre-defined
The Spot Connect device communicates with the Smartphoneother device via Bluetooth so personalised specific messages may be sent from even the remotest of locations
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
30
NOTE All EPERBrsquos MUST be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Visit httpwwwamsagovau for more informationu
What About EPIRBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) are a type of personal locator beacon and widely used in marine situations
They are an easy to use device and unlike most other systems they have no ongoing costs after their initial purchase
An EPIRB device sits dormant until it is activated This means that you donrsquot have to worry about keeping batteries charged however you need to be able to reach and activate your EPIRB device before it can alert anybody to where you are and that you are in trouble
Activating an EPIRB device will trigger a search therefore you must ONLY acti-vate an EPIRB device in cases of emergency if somebodyrsquos life is in danger or they risk serious injury if help is not received If purchasing an EPIRB online ensure it is 406 MHz and complies with Australian standards as some sold on a popular online auction site have NOT been complient
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
31
VAST technical advice byNichol Hill Touring Technology Phone 02 8094 1213 Email salestouringtechnologycomau Web wwwTouringTechnologycomau
u
VAST Satellite TV Using traditional television services can be frustrating on the road Even if you do have a local TV tower you still need to find the correct direction to point your antenna (not always in the direction of the town you are near) You then need to scan for the correct frequencies on your television and if you are lucky you will get all the channels but not always clearly
The Solution ndash SatelliteAs well as being broadcast via television towers you can receive TV from satellite A new ser-vice (called VAST) provides digital free to air television across satellite There is no registration or ongoing costs to access this service
How does it workRather than being sent from a local tower TV signals are sent up to a satellite and then back down to earth One single satellite provides television to all of Australia This means that as long as you have a clear view of the sky where the satellite is located you will receive crystal clear television reception with no more tuning for channels
So what do you need
A satellite dishYou can either use a portable dish that you set up and align yourself (donrsquot worry it is not hard and instructions are included) or you can have an auto-mated dish installed on the roof of your Caravan or Motor home If you use the ANT satellite internet product you can even use the same dish removing the need for you to carry an extra dish
A satellite decoder set top box and activated Smart CardThis box receive the signal from the satellite dish and converts it so you can view it on your TV
A smart card is required They are free to activate as long as you are travelling into areas where adequate standard television reception is unlikely Your supplier can provide instructions and can help you activate your service
Putting it all TogetherTouring Technology Australia provides complete kits with all you need to start watching satellite TV They also install setups into your van or motor home of both cabling and auto seeking satellite dishes
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
32
Solar Power On The Road by Collyn Rivers
Within limits any of todayrsquos communications gear lap top computers modems compact LED TVs eBook iPods and eBook readers can be powered indefinitely by solar power
Some will work on either 12 volts dc or 230 volts ac and have a lsquocigarette lighterrsquo type of plug (for the for the former) accordingly Much however relies on 230 volts ac that is then converted within that appliance or by a small converter built into the 230 volt power plug
To drive the latter you need a small inverter These are made in various sizes but for the most probable uses covered in this guide a unit of 250-350 watts will be adequate for all but not lasers printers Inverters are made in a wide range of quality but the only one to buy is a lsquotrue sine-waversquo unit
Do not use anything described as lsquomodified sine-waversquo lsquomodified square-wave etcrsquo as these are fine with some basic loads but are likely to damage or totally wreck anything more complex (par-ticularly printers) Expect to pay about 75 -100 cents per watt All inverters are a bit like donkeys in that they have some overload capacity and will simply shut down for a while to cool off if grossly overloaded The electrical output from a good inverter is cleaner than grid power
The type of inverter you need is a simple self-contained box that has power outlets on its front face Appliances that you wish to run are plugged directly into it There will be a 12 volt power cord usually with two alligator clips (one red the other back) The red lead is clipped onto a 12 volt car batteryrsquos positive terminal - often also marked + The black lead is clipped onto the batteryrsquos nega-tive terminal - often marked -
What you absolutely must not do is to connect the 230 volt inverter output into any fixed (ie per-manently installed) 230 volt wiring in a house or RV That presents a major safety risk - and is ille-gal because it requires a different type of inverter and may only be done by a licensed electrician
That battery can be charged by a mains battery charger - or by solar If you use a mains charger buy one that is described as having lsquomulti-stagersquo charging and can be programmed for various types of battery (such as conventional lead acid AGM gel cell etc) Avoid all chain store cheapies - as they can wreck batteries
The amount of solar capacity depends on where you live time of year and obviously the size of the load Here it is best to work on the worst probable situation and design it to match the energy required by the inverter on full load
Inverters are not 100 efficient so 10 needs to be added for losses A 250 watt inverter thus needs about 275 watts of solar to run it continuously on full load
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
33
Written byCollyn Rivers Caravan amp Motorhome BooksWeb wwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscomu
In practice only a few professionals need to do this so if used say for threefour hours a day in most of Australia that can be done by four 100 watt solar modules that charge a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery You will also need a solar regulator to control that charge That set up will work almost anywhere except Tasmania in mid-winter and will provide up to eight hours running on full load across much of Australia during the six or so non-winter months
The system will also run far longer as the above allows for all connected devices to be running at the same time If money is tight by all means start with only two modules and add more if nec-essary but you do need enough such that the battery mostly acts as a smoothing device and to provide energy to supplement solar input during rainy periods etc
More solar is needed than a quick calculation will show This is because solar module output is specified in a curious (but legal) manner than results in only 70 or so of that seemingly claimed being actually available To know just how and why refer to my books or my website wwwcarava-nandmotorhomebookscom
Ideally locate the solar modules facing true North and titled at the same angle as your latitude (eg for Sydney at about 26 degrees) Donrsquot worry about that being exact - errors of plusminus 5 degrees makes next to no difference
Use at least 60 sq mm cable to connect the modules to the regulator and battery and ideally using no more than 12-14 metres of cable (the shorter the better) If possible shorten the leads from the battery to the inverter
For a truly full explanation and descriptions of systems from tiny to small property size I suggest the only just available 3rd Edition of my book Solar That Really Works This book is readily understood without knowing much about electrics - but is also used by auto electricians needing to install and repair solar in RVs
It costs $4250 and is available from all of Jaycar Electronics (68 stores) in Australia and New Zealand Altronics Irving Electrics etc or directly from Caravan amp Motorhome Books (for $4250 plus $5 postage) at PO Box 356 Church Point NSW 2105 - or via our website
httpwwwcaravanandmotorhomebookscom
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
34
Part 3 Applications Programs and Websites
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
35
Skype has the following advantages
bull Reasonable cost for calls to national and international landlines and mobilesbull SMS messagingbull Allows you instant message and video chat at the same timebull Allows you to send filesbull Videoconference
CAUTION Emergency lsquo000rsquo calls ndash WILL NOT WORK on non Australian VOIP providers u
Using Skype and Other Services
Skype httpwwwSkypecom
The most well known VOIP service provider is Skype Skype is a free program that allows users to make voice video calls and chat (Instant Messaging) over the Internet Calls to other users who also have Skype downloaded on their PC or Smartphone are free while calls to both landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a discounted fee using their debit-based account system Skype has become popular as
it also allows you send files share you computer screen and conduct video conferencing
You donrsquot even need a computer to be able to video chat to others simply download the Skype application to your iPhone or Android Smartphone and chat locally or internationally to others on Skype absolutely free
Skype provides the following free services when communicating with other friends who are also Skype users
bull Voice Calls bull Video Calls bull Online chats
Skype has therefore become the worldrsquos leading real-time VOIP communi-cations service for PCs Smartphones Tablets and for other devices such as Internet-enabled TV sets
With a good Internet connection and a built-in or external webcam face-to-face chats become a great way to stay in contact with the family
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
36
In addition Skype supports low cost voice calls to conventional landline and mobile phones world-wide as well as sending SMS messages For a small per-minute charge plus a connection fee you can call landlines and mobile in over 170 countries
All you need to connect to Skype is a broadband Internet connection and one of the following a PC (Windows Mac or Linux) Skype phone or a mobile device such as a Smartphone or a tablet that is configured to provide Skype access
Itrsquos a great way to keep in touch with other people that use Skype while also allowing you to make phone calls if you need
Google Voicehttpwwwgooglecomgooglevoiceabouthtml
Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google which provides free PC-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plug-in (which is available for Windows Intel-based Mac OS X and Linux systems)
Google Voice offers a range of features such as voicemail free text messaging video and conference calling and voice transcription to users
After registering for an account you can use this service from your PC Tablet or Google Android Smartphone
Google Hangoutshttpwwwgooglecom+learnmorehangouts
Google Hangouts is Googlersquos endeavor in their Google+ Social Networking stream Google Hangouts is a free Google voice and video plug-in which lets you video chat with high quality audio and video via a range of Google apps such as Gmail iGoogle or Orkut All you need is a webcam to get started The beauty of this plug-in is that you are able to chat to up to nine other people at the same time so it is
perfect for catching up with friends colleagues or employees whilst on holiday
Facetimehttpwwwapplecomaumacfacetime
Apple users can now even make video calls to Apple devices other than computers or iPhones Calls can now be also be made to an lsquointernet connectedrsquo iPad iPhone 45 and the late model iPod touch
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
37
Other than the above mentioned Software connection there are two other ways you can set up VoIP
1 Using an integrated modem This is a device that you plug a USB internet stick into and it not only provides access to
the internet via Wi-Fi but also has a telephone port on it
2 Using a Dedicated VoIP box This solution requires you to have some form of Internet available via Ethernet cable for
example the Telstra gateway devices which you then plug the VoIP box into
Australian VOIP ProvidersEngin httpwwwengincomauMaxotel httpmaxocomau
There are a whole host of other VOIP providers available such as Engin and Maxotel These providers differ to Skype in that while it is possible to use soft-ware on your computer to connect to them they are primarily designed to work with a physical phone emulating a land line This basically means that you have a standard phone that has a local number that people can call you on and you
can call out on irrespective of if your computer is switched on or not This can be a cost effective option if you use the phone a lot
Fax to Email
Some VoIP services also offer a fax to email service where you can have a fax number that has the ability to email you any faxes it receives and vice versa You can also email a document and it will be sent as a fax
VoIP Hardware Requirements
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
38
Facebook and Other Social Media
Less than 10 years ago the food court at the local shopping centre was the lsquomust gorsquo social destination for young people Certainly they are still going there but now they are never without their mobile phone and are far more connected to ALL their friends through their Facebook page
Just recently I attended a party for a friendrsquos teenage daughter and one of the guests was posting instant party photos on Facebook from her phone
That in itself may not be too not surprisinghellip however she was the young girlrsquos Grandmother and she is part of one of Facebookrsquos fastest growing users groupshellip women age 54 to 64
She uses Facebook daily posting pictures chatting with her friends reading her friends posts following her lsquoInterestsrsquo even playing a Facebook game and keeping up to date with whatrsquos happening in her world
During the January 2013 Queensland floods I found Facebook was my best option for fast reli-able updates
The top four social media networks worldwide are Facebook Linked-In MySpace or Twitter but without doubt Facebook is the dominant social media network
Getting Started With Facebookhttpwwwfacebookcom
Once the domain of young tech savvy users the social media revolution has seen it rapidly becoming part of most peoples liveshellip regardless of age or experience They are now extremely quick and easy to learn very intuitive and a great way to stay connected with your family and friends
Click here to learn more about
bull Understanding Facebook bull Discover Games and Appsbull Manage Your Account bull Use Mobile (Devices)bull Explore Popular Features bull Get Help and Give Feedback
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
39
Playing It Safe And Protecting Your Privacy
Facebook and indeed all other social media networks go to great lengths to assure us our privacy is protected However lsquoprivacyrsquo is pretty subjective and means different things to differ-ent people so itrsquos wise to take the time to understand and then set your account privacy settings
Facebook also provide a lsquoSafety Centerrsquo with comprehensive easy to follow tutorials at
httpwwwfacebookcomsafetytools and cover topics such as
bull Update Your Account Information bull Blocking Someone bull Protect Your Account bull Report Abusive or Offensive Contentbull Control Who Sees Your Information bull Social Reporting (Report Others Conduct)bull Unfriending Someone bull Advanced Security Features
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
40
Easy Video On The Road
As we travel many of us record lots of holiday videos but rarely do we share the best of our journey and highlights with family and friends simply because it seems too complicated and time consuming
The truth is that this technology is blazing forward more than likely you already have everything you need to capture edit and publish your great videos with your laptop Smartphone or tablet Naturally you can also use any existing footage you have stored on your computer and upload it to sites like You-Tube for free
Now YOU can easily create high-quality content from wherever you are and quickly share it whilst you are still on the road
Just imagine being able to instantly send a personalised ldquoHappy Birthdayrsquo or lsquoWish You Were Herersquo video message or quickly and easily share your recent travel adventures with all your family and friendshellip without having to be a video production expert
Simply shoot video on your
bull iPhone bull Computer Screen with Free Screenbull iPad Capture Appsbull Android Devices (Smartphones amp Tablets) bull Skype Video Callsbull Webcam bull Even your lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera
Now easily edit to create yourhellip
bull Holiday Videosbull Family Messagesbull Skype Video Recordingsbull And much morehellip
Then quickly and easily email your short video or upload them up onhellip
bull YouTubebull Facebookbull Your website or blog
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
41
Naturally you can include still photos in your video master-piece or even create a video slideshow of your selected photos
Itrsquos so easy to dohellip
A friend Sandra filmed her daughter Charlottersquos 2011 fish-ing exploits on her lsquovideo enabledrsquo still camera then easily edited it with Windows Movie Maker and published it on YouTube
Itrsquos a great example of what can be quickly and easily cre-ated using your existing video footage Charlottersquos Fishing Adventures can be viewed at httpbitlyotr-fishing
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
42
Making A lsquoGreat Videorsquo - Tips By The Expert
Matthew Peters is an American Filmmaker Best-Selling Author Radio Host and is known the world-over as the ldquoSmartphone Video Expertrdquo He regularly trains entrepreneurs authors and small business owners world wide to use simple fast amp easy techniques with video tools they already own and get pro-quality results
His company Expert Video Empire is acknowledged as the leading pro-ducer of simple yet powerful Smartphone video training programs such as Smartphone Video Producer and his latest program Mobile Video Igni-tion focusing on creating high quality videos using Android smartphones iPhones iPads web cams or even free screen capture software and below he shares his lsquoSecretsrsquo about creating great videos on the road
So Where Do I Begin
First things firsthellip
When yoursquore shooting video you need to keep two things in mind
bull Your video imagebull Your sound
Once yoursquove captured your video yoursquoll want to get it off your camera and online to share it At the end Irsquoll show you the best way to share your videos on Facebook Twitter in Emails and even pub-lically with the world
So how do I easily get great quality video captured
You start by being sure that you are recording in ldquolandscape moderdquo All this means is that your camera should NOT be capturing the video so the video is tall Tall videos are considered ldquoportrait moderdquo and they will play back that way too We want to capture it wide 99 of the time
Recording a tallportrait video is great only for playback on another mobile device that people can turn sideways to watch it Portrait videos uploaded to YouTube or websites will more than likely play back smaller and have a black area on both sides of your video So record in landscape mode
Next you want to make sure your subject is lit well That can be as simple as making sure that the light falls on your subject on the front of them and not behind them If the light is behind them the camera will naturally adjust and make your subject darker than the background This is called ldquobacklightrdquo
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
43
How Much Light Is Enough
Be sure that your subject is clearly defined The less light you have the more the camera will adjust artificially thus making your video murky and grainy The fastest way to improve your video quality is to be sure you have enough light So the after sunset videos or in dark indoor video will not turn out that well If yoursquore indoors and videoing yourself be sure that you sit near a window with the window to your side or in front of you if possible ndash not to your back If you can turn on lights be sure to get as many on as you can
When shooting outside just make sure yoursquore not in direct sunlight many times yoursquoll record harsh shadows on someonersquos face or they will be squinting in the blinding sun The best thing to do is record on an overcast day or just step into a little shade When in the shade just watch for backlight
How do I hold my camera steady
There are a couple ways to do it First is with a tripod Tripods can be purchased from your local camera shop in a variety of heights and prices For mobility I like the Gorilla Pod They can easily hold your camera upright and steady and can be wrapped around a tree branch or set on a tabletop Gorilla Pods now have a model with magnetic feet so you can easily attach it to anything metal
If you donrsquot have access to a tripod you can hold the camera steady for several minutes by simply doing the following
1 Hold the camera with both hands out in front of you grip-ping the camera with your hands each in a ldquoCrdquo shape
2 Relax your shoulders and arms and rest your elbows on your torso
If yoursquod like to be on camera more you should check out the iPole It is a telescoping aluminum pole that allows you to extend the camera out in front of you about 1 meter and record yourself on camera very easily
So now yoursquore capturing video with better light and yoursquove made it steady Lastly yoursquoll want to frame yourself to be more interesting
The best way to do that is to break up the screen into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal rectangles Put your eyes as close to the top line as possible For more interesting look capture yourself a little to the right or left of the middle of the screen and think about what yoursquore capturing in the background Remember the background tells a part of your story too Refrain from putting your head in the center of the screen with a cluttered or uninteresting background
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
44
Written byMatthew Peters Mobile Video IgnitionWebsite httpmobilevideoignitioncom
u
How do I get better sound for my videos
The short answer is speak loudly and clearly and get closer when possible If yoursquore shooting outdoors watch for wind noise A couple ways to stop wind noise is to use your body to block the wind or put your fingers next to the mic on the camera and shield the wind from blowing across or into it
The best scenario for recording audio on the road is choosing a time when it is very quiet and low wind noise Indoors is much better for audio since you have a better chance controlling the noises
With all of that said when in doubt hit record Donrsquot wait for conditions to be perfect The best kept secret with world-famous photographers and filmmakers is that they shoot A LOT of video ndash 99 never is seen ndash and their best shots are carefully edited and improved before they let the public see them
Now go out and start capturing more video Yoursquoll never regret taking a shot ndash even if it didnrsquot turn out perfect
Great I captured some video how do I share it
Once you capture your video upload it to YouTube and share it with friends family or put it on your blog for the world to see Itrsquos free and itrsquos easy to do Instead of sending a video as an attachment it is easier to share a link and let YouTube take care of the big file Plus a lot of large video attachments get rejected from email servers Linking to videos is the best way ndash you can link to videos that are over an hour long and it doesnrsquot take any time to lsquosendrsquo it in your email
Yoursquoll need to first go to YouTubecom and set up your free account Once you have the account you can begin to upload your videos to YouTube from your laptop or from your mobile device in a Wi-Fi area
Once your video is uploaded online you can choose to make it ldquopublicrdquo for the world to see or ldquounlistedrdquo for the few that you want to share the link with
Below your video on your videorsquos page you will see the sharing options Easily share your video on Facebook Twitter Email it or even copy a few lines of code and paste it into your blog
There you have it Now you know how to capture better video better audio and get your videos online and sharable with friends family and even the entire world for free
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
45
Managing And Sharing Your Photos
The rise of digital photography has meant we can now to take hundreds if not thousands of holi-day photographs for no cost and this has changed our attitude to taking photos
Even our lsquocamera of choicersquo is changinghellip sales of dedicated still cameras are declining by 10 year on year as consumers now embrace their mobile phone camera
Over the last two years wersquove all seen the dramatic improvement in phone photo quality and cer-tainly this has made our humble phone into a very powerful camera (and video camera) optionhellip when you consider over 85 of us keep our mobile phone within one metre of us during the day 75 acknowledge taking it to the bathroom and by late 2010 the most lsquosoldrsquo camera in the world was a Nokia mobile phone itrsquos little wonder we are taking more photos than ever
So how do we manage all these photos
Managing Your Photos
There are generally two simple methods of storing all your photos on the road
USB Download To Your Computer
Transferring your photos to your computer is the most common photo image management technique Once your camera is connected with your USB cable your photo management program usually automatically opens and allows a simple file transfer
All newer computer operating systems (Windows and Mac) come with easy to use quality photo management programs pre installed and ready to use
Downloading is generally the best option however using additional SD memory cards is also a very practical travel and storage option and in fact preferred by some users as the price of these cards continues to fall
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
46
SD Card Storage
Your digital camera will have a small SD (Secure Digital) Card Slot SD cards can be removed from the camera allowing you to store photos from individual trips on different SD Cards without ever having to rely on a computer
Sharing Your PhotosEmailing Photos
One of easiest and most direct ways to share photographs is by emailing them directly to another person This is done by adding the photograph (or photographs) as an attachment to your email
However there are better options to more broadly share your travel photos without eating up your internet monthly plan allowance
Online Sharing and Storing Photos
Online sharing sites allow you to upload your photos or videos organise them and then just share that link to display the image to anyone you wish Itrsquos far easier quicker and is far more gentle on your monthly internet allowance
Using Photobucket
Photobucket is my pickhellip Itrsquos a great place to store edit and share photos (even videos) of your travel Upload all your best pictures and videos then share them by email or easily link them to appear in your favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter
You can personalise your photos using Photobucketrsquos photo editor or make slideshows to share with friends or even join in their large community by entering competitions or searching their huge photo and video library of other members lsquoSharedrsquo content
Photobucket also provides free Apps for iPhone iPad and Android Smartphone and Tablets so itrsquos a great all round photo management tool
Itrsquos Photobucketrsquos ease of use flexibility power and seamless integration with all devices that makes it my personal pick of online storage and photo editing programs
Photobucket offers two versionshellip their free one with less features but still very useful or Photobucket Pro with everything you could possibly need for around $25 per year
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
47
Blogging Itrsquos Free Fun And Easy
If your enjoy keeping a personal diary of your travels then Blogging is likely for you After a few easy set up steps posting to your Blog is as simple as writing up your diary and a lot more fun to share with everyone
Just like your paper diary you can write your daily travels and inter-esting events however you can share much more on your Blog like your photo videos and much more Your readers can even leave com-ments Your blog is an interactive chronological lsquoDiaryrsquo of your adven-tures that is shared with all of your family and friends
Donrsquot be concerned about sending out blogs full of mistakes and errors when you first start Simply start creating fix those few mistakes satisfy yourself and only then lsquoPublishrsquo it for your friends and family to read Yoursquore in full control
Blogging is the most simple instant and economic way to share all your travel adventures with everyone (or only those you wish to share it with)
Getting Started With Your New Blog
Creating and using your Blog site can be totally free or a very minimal annual fee for a more feature packed version Even the lsquoPaidrsquo Blogging site providers are economical and offer a huge range of features for a one-off or monthly fee
WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular platforms in blogging There are many others but worldwide most bloggers use either of these Both are free however Wordpress does offer some very economical feature upgrade options
Setting Up Your Blog
Firstly you need to choose your Blog service provider and Irsquod recommend either Blogger or Wordpress
BloggerhttpwwwbloggercomBlogger is owned by Google and as you would expect itrsquos a free simple easy to use blogging site
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
48
Wordpresscom
Pros Itrsquos free and super easy to set up All of the technical maintenance work is
taken care of mdash Setup upgrades spam backups security etc
Your blog is automatically stored on hun-dreds of servers so itrsquoll always remain available even under high traffic
Your content is backed up automatically
Cons Currently only offer 190+ themes and you
cannot upload a custom theme You canrsquot modify the PHP code behind your
blog You canrsquot upload plugins
For a novice these lsquoConsrsquo a offer more ben-efits than any real disadvantages
NOTE The differing features of Wordpresscom and Wordpressorg are explained at httpensupportwordpresscomcom-vs-orgu
Wordpresshttpwwwwordpresscom
Perhaps lacking in some features you may want in the future but still a great starting point for your simple blogging site
The Wordpress team offer two different blogging site options (com and org) with Wordpresscom being the better entry level blogging site
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
49
Learning Advanced Blogging Skills
Creating a basic blog is simple however if you wish to have a more professional or even a lsquomoney makingrsquo Blog it is best to get your setup right from the start Whilst setting up a more professional site can appear easy at first itrsquos critical to know the right steps to follow from Day 1
The following section is contributed by Australiarsquoa top professional blogging trainer Sean Rasmussen and outlines his lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo membership site For those wishing to learn more about Blog-ging or even creating an income producing Blog I would recommend visiting his web site for additional information
Learn Everything You Need To Become A Successful Bloggerhttpbitlylearnhowtoblog
Sometimes the biggest hurdle for anyone who wants to get a website online is simply lsquoGetting StartedrsquoAnother hurdle can be lsquoLack Of Directionrsquo or having lsquoNobody To Help Yoursquo The list can go on That is why I have created the Learn How To Blog Program (LHTB) with my friend Arren
Learn How to Blog is made up of Many Components to provide you with a Complete Program for learning how to become a Successful Blogger I have listed some of the key program components below so be sure to go through each aspect to help you fully understand what you are getting
and why IT WILL HELP YOU succeed
Key Components Of lsquoLearn How To Blogrsquo
bull The Learn How To Blog Membership Areabull 12 Month Internet Marketing amp Blogging course 12 Modules to make the learning process easybull Dedicated Learn How to Blog Supportbull Step By Step Video Tutorialsbull Live and Recorded Webinarsbull Downloadable Learn How to Blog Manual
Included with the Program
bull Your very own installed blog with your own domainbull Fully installed website with WordPressbull Self Hosting with cPanel accessbull Professional amp Premium WordPress Themesbull Generous disk space and bandwidth required to run a professional websitebull New monthly content to constantly keep you up to date with the latest and greatest
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
50
Learn How To Blog AdviceBy Sean Rasmussen Web httpbitlylearnhowtoblogu
A Website Just For You
We provide you with a full website setup system meaning Every One of the steps involved in getting online is Looked After for you There is no need to go and get hosting separately register a domain name setup domain name servers with a hosting account install WordPress find and install themes etc Yes we do it all for you in an instant so you get full access to your website much quicker and easier
Step By Step Video Tutorials
What better way to learn than with step by step video tutorials Your Learn How to Blog membership includes a vast range of video tutorials that will help you get familiar with all of the aspects of your new website
Training Webinars Live amp Recorded Sessions
Premium Webinars are held monthly for you to attend live They are also recorded and placed in your LHTB Members Area so you can view them anytime you like
As an example you may already have sampled these below webinars in the free live webinar recordings area Now imagine EXPANDING on these topics into fine detail and you have yourself ONE VERY FINE RECIPE for online success
bull Blogging For Business And Funbull Getting Started DRABCbull Creating Contentbull Marketingbull Productsbull Building a Blog From Scratch
Note 28th March 2013 - This membership site currently has a $1 Offer for the first month so itrsquos a good opportunity to join and take advantage of the $1 offer to confirm it offers what you are look-ing for As with any membership site you can cancel your subscription at any time
Visit httpbitlylearnhowtoblog
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
51
Nomad Notes Travel Diary and Blog
Travel Diary
Keeping track of your travel adventures important information and expenses is always a challenge on the road
Nomads Notes travel diary is an Australian developed software program that allows you to easily record all aspect of your trip You can record a journal with photos your campsites how far you have travelled by day comprehensive information for each vehicle you take on your trip and all in a simple easy to lsquouse and recallrsquo format
Nomads Notes is the only practical complete travel diary Irsquove found that provides organisation without effort makes the trip easier and provides the information in a concise format to share with family and friends that will be used as a reference for years to come
The major Diary features include
bull Trip diary bull Photo albumsbull Daily Journal with photos bull Expense trackingbull Fuel economy bull Vehicle Maintenancebull Campsite data bull Contact informationbull Campsite costs by type (free camp bull TV and Radio station tracking
caravan park national park etc) bull Reports
The cost for Nomads Notes of $4995
Nomads Notes - Blog
Nomads Notes also has a great blogging feature called Nomads Blog within Nomads Notes
Itrsquos a new simple way for all travellers to upload their daily ldquoNomads Notesrdquo journals or diaries to a blog with no webpage building experience what-so-ever
Once you have Nomads Notes setup itrsquos just a few mouse clicks to pub-lish your Journal entries along with your Journal photos to your blog Your family and friend can also receive an automatic email to let you know you have updated your blog if you wish
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
52
The major Blog features include
bull Easy to usebull No blog or web building experience requiredbull Upload blog with only 3-4 clicks of the mousebull Home pagebull Search functionsbull Photo Gallerybull Interactive mapsbull Notify contacts automatically if requiredbull Password protected if required
The addition of latitude and longitude data in the Journal entry or Campsite data will allow a Google map to be included in the blog This will show where you were at the time of the entry or where you camped that night The map is interactive and you can zoom in and out or look at satellite or hybrid views
A photo Gallery in the blog pages will allow you to view all the photos from the blog and scroll through them easily
Your blog can be available to anyone on the World Wide Web or be password protected so only those you choose to have access will be able to view your blog The choice is yours and you set a password to suit yourself If you choose to password protect your blog your fam-ily and friends will automatically be sent your password so they can view the blog when you notify them of an update
You can change the look and feel of your blog as often as you like In your Nomads Blog Admin page you can change the theme of your background what photos you show on the front page of your blog and what date format you use There are 6 background themes to choose from a desktop nature old world summer or choose an Australian theme or a USA themed background The magic does not stop there though Each theme is dynamic - that is there are subtle changes every day just to keep it interesting Each theme has 10 different sub themes which rotate every 24 hours so you never get bored of your theme
Nomads Blog is a subscription service so there is a cost involved for this service The cost is cur-rently on a yearly basis
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
53
Nomads Notes technical advice byGail Bennett Nomads Notes Email gailmotorhominglifestylecomWeb httpwwwnomadsnotescom
u
Irsquove included a few comments I found as it is alway a good guide to how other users find the product
bull The easy way you can produce a web page to keep all your friends amp lsquorelosrsquo up to date with whatrsquos happening
bull So easy to use and user friendly After an hour I love it allbull The good point is you just transfer your trip entries to the Blog I am about to do a tour up the
centre amp west coast and it will enable us to keep our family amp friends informed I was going to use another Blog site but now will use Nomads
You can get your copy of Nomads Notes travel diary software from the Nomads Notes website Impress the kids with your new professional looking blog that you can have up and going with just a few clicks
The Nomad Notes Diary software costs $4995 and the blog subscription is $15 for six months or $25 for 12 months Given what it offers to us I consider it well worth having
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
54
Shopping Online
Inexplicably ordering online now seems far easier than going to a store and is usually your smartest option by far if yoursquore on the road Virtually every industry type now has well know Aus-tralian suppliers offering comprehensive online stores Naturally you can still place your order by phone directly with the store but once again inexplicably the online store experience is likely going to be the easier option
Groceries
Woolworth Coles and others now sell a wide range of groceries online but when you enter your post code it may appear that you are unable to order however there is a work around
I order frozen cold and dry goods from Woolworths Online using the address of a Darwin freight company Woolworths delivers to them then my freight company for-wards all three food types in perfect condition The additional freight cost is easily recouped by the dollars saved and the wider range of products Naturally not all freight companies provide this total service but most can still be used for dry goods For extended more remote stays this can be a very cost effective option
Click to visit Woolworths Online - httpwww2woolworthson-linecomau
Click to visit Coles Online - httpwwwcolescomauShop-Onlineaspx
The Grocery Run website It is well worth visiting They offer daily specials of up to 500+ items at VERY good prices cap their Australia wide delivery price to around $10 and ship by Australia Post
Grocery Run is part of Australiarsquos largest online shopping group launching regular offers on food clothing household and electrical goods wine chil-derns and baby items coupons and even takeaway food offerings
Click to visit
Grocery Run - httpwwwgroceryruncomau
Catch Of The Day - httpwwwcatchofthedaycomau
Vinomofo (Wines) - httpwwwvinomofocomau
Mumgo (Children) - httpwwwmumgocomau
and others
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
55
Ordering Stationery Personalised Gifts Online
Vistaprint is becoming widely accepted by those of us on the road as great solution to our printed needs but it also offers a wide range of other fun items Our personal business cards photo prints photobooks coffee mug t-Shirt and right through to that
lsquopersonalisedrsquo gift for family or friends
Itrsquos surprisingly easy to useSimply select your design upload your photos (if required) add the personalised information then pay
and itrsquos usually in the mail in a few days they will even post it directly to any address you nominate itrsquos a great way to solve the special gift problem or order anything you need
Overall I consider Vistaprint offer the best quality pricing economical shipping and fast delivery times however there are many others websites offering similar services but the just donrsquot seem to get the popular support that Vistaprint is getting
They even offer free products to showcase their service and quality
Itrsquos worth giving them a go if only for the FREE prod-ucts they offer like
bull Business Cards bull Pensbull Car Door Magnets bull Bumper Stickersbull Rubber Stamps and other FREE items
OK you may have to pay a postage fee and it does carry their small logo but as I said Itrsquos Free and always great value so why not give it a go The Free business cards and pen are a great place to start Their free offers do rotate from time to time so be sure to check back
Vistaprint also offer an extensive range of other products all personalised
Mugs MagnetsLetterheads Invitations and AnnouncementsT-Shirts Name Tags Caps Pen Gift BoxEmbroidered Clothing Labels and Stickers
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
56
From my experience Vistaprintrsquos ordering and personalising process is very easy to follow they offer high quality items surprisingly quick delivery times and are very ecomomical (all things considered) when you are on the road
Their business cards and other stationery are handy But itrsquos their ability to create that personalised special gift that wins me over Lets face it finding that special gift at a remote Post Office rarely hap-pens
Vistaprint - httpwwwvistaprintcomau
Camping LED Electronics And Other Items Online
Australian Sites
Many Australian companies have comprehensive websites where much of our camping and on the road needs can be purchased online
BCF - httpwwwbcfcomau
Snows - httpwwwsnowyscomau
Anaconda - httpwwwanacondacomau
Kathmandu - httpwwwkathmanducomau
International Sites
A number of international sites are becoming extremely popular with many Australian campers Deal Extreme is becoming increas-ingly recommended on Australian Camping forums Deal Extreme - httpwwwdxcom Aliexpress - httpwwwaliexpresscomAmazon - httpwwwamazoncom
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook
57
The author and publisher of this ebook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this ebook The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy applicability fitness or completeness of the contents of this ebook The information con-tained in this ebook is strictly for informational purposes Therefore if you apply the ideas contained in this ebook you accept full responsibility for your actions
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THIS PRODUCT AND ITrsquoS POTENTIAL THIS INDUSTRY IS ONE WHERE NO ONE CAN PREDICT EVERY SINGLE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OR OUTCOME OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A 100 PERFECT RESULTS USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN THESE MATERIALS EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT TO BE INTER-PRETED AS A PROMISE OR GUARANTEE OF A 100 PERFECT RESULT
The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct indirect punitive special incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material which is provided ldquoas isrdquo and without warranties
As always the advice of a competent legal tax accounting or other professional should be sought
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook or any accompanying materials
All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content accuracy or any other implied or explicit purpose
This ebook is copy copyrighted by Grant Nielsen No part of this ebook may be copied altered changed into any format repackaged sold or used in any way other than what is expressly outlined within the ebook