TJ Fest 2021 - Moab (April 24 – May 1, 2021)

Added to Calendar: 8 dates

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I’m not sure which way to go does anyone know if handheld gmsr is okay or does it have to be hard wired like a cb.
Several have indicated that the handheld GMRS (or even FRS) units would be fine and that was the way I was going to go but I started thinking about it and realized a few things that would be true...for me:
1 - I would almost certainly forget them when I headed out.
2 - I would always forget to charge them and I already have 146 devices competing for the limited charging options in my TJ.
3 - It would invariably end up being dropped into the passenger footwell, behind the seats, or (best yet) in the driver's footwell...under the brake pedal.
4 - It would end up face down in one of the aforementioned inconvenient locations so that, 97% of the time, I would only hear "wahwah wah wahwahwah"...followed by muffled laughter.

If you're better about remembering things / keeping track of things / holding onto things / hearing things than I am, a handheld unit would probably be just fine, but I would go with the higher powered GMRS units and stay away from the FRS (limited to .5 watts) ones. The Baofeng UV5R is inexpensive, highly rated, and does 4 - 5 watts. Other Baofeng handhelds such as the BF-F8HP will do the max (for a handheald) of 8 watts but are more expensive.
See this listing for a comparison of the Baofeng models (about 2/3 down the listing) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H4VT7A/?tag=wranglerorg-20
There are other brands such as Motorola and Midland but they are also Chinese. To buy other than Chinese, if you can afford it, the only option I know of is Yaesu (like the FT-4XR) which are Japanese and really nice stuff.

B.T.W. VOX functionality will likely be completely useless due to high background noise (ex. engine, wind, and suspension creak).

I have decided to go with a wired unit; the "30 watt" AnyTone AT778UV with a UT-72 SMA mag mount antenna and a 6" SMA male to PL-259 (male) adapter cable.
 
Several have indicated that the handheld GMRS (or even FRS) units would be fine and that was the way I was going to go but I started thinking about it and realized a few things that would be true...for me:
1 - I would almost certainly forget them when I headed out.
2 - I would always forget to charge them and I already have 146 devices competing for the limited charging options in my TJ.
3 - It would invariably end up being dropped into the passenger footwell, behind the seats, or (best yet) in the driver's footwell...under the brake pedal.
4 - It would end up face down in one of the aforementioned inconvenient locations so that, 97% of the time, I would only hear "wahwah wah wahwahwah"...followed by muffled laughter.

If you're better about remembering things / keeping track of things / holding onto things / hearing things than I am, a handheld unit would probably be just fine, but I would go with the higher powered GMRS units and stay away from the FRS (limited to .5 watts) ones. The Baofeng UV5R is inexpensive, highly rated, and does 4 - 5 watts. Other Baofeng handhelds such as the BF-F8HP will do the max (for a handheald) of 8 watts but are more expensive.
See this listing for a comparison of the Baofeng models (about 2/3 down the listing) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H4VT7A/?tag=wranglerorg-20
There are other brands such as Motorola and Midland but they are also Chinese. To buy other than Chinese, if you can afford it, the only option I know of is Yaesu (like the FT-4XR) which are Japanese and really nice stuff.

B.T.W. VOX functionality will likely be completely useless due to high background noise (ex. engine, wind, and suspension creak).

I have decided to go with a wired unit; the "30 watt" AnyTone AT778UV with a UT-72 SMA mag mount antenna and a 6" SMA male to PL-259 (male) adapter cable.
More or less the same thought process I went through. A handheld as a spare though would be nice in a spotting or winching situation so you could talk to a driver.
 
Team Colorado has added Rusty Nail to our list following Metal Masher on Sunday!


Friday travel from Colorado via I-70
-Hotel Green River


Saturday April 24
Meet 9am at Little Lion's Back neaLJr Sand Creek Entrance. Pay entrance fee.
Fins and Things
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/539-fins-and-things


Hells Revenge
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/549-hells-revenge


-Camp Sand Flats Recreational Area


Sunday April 25
Metal Masher
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/570-metal-masher

Rusty Nail
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1831-rusty-nail
-Camp


Monday April 26
Entrada Bluffs Rd
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1302-entrada-bluffs-road


Top of the World
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/607-top-of-the-world-utah


Rose Garden Hill
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/591-rose-garden-hill


Onion Creek
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/579-onion-creek


Gateway/Castleton
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1305-gateway-castleton-route
-Camp on trail


Tuesday April 27
Gateway-Castleton


21 Road
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/196-21-road


Travel East on I-70
 
Several have indicated that the handheld GMRS (or even FRS) units would be fine and that was the way I was going to go but I started thinking about it and realized a few things that would be true...for me:
1 - I would almost certainly forget them when I headed out.
2 - I would always forget to charge them and I already have 146 devices competing for the limited charging options in my TJ.
3 - It would invariably end up being dropped into the passenger footwell, behind the seats, or (best yet) in the driver's footwell...under the brake pedal.
4 - It would end up face down in one of the aforementioned inconvenient locations so that, 97% of the time, I would only hear "wahwah wah wahwahwah"...followed by muffled laughter.

If you're better about remembering things / keeping track of things / holding onto things / hearing things than I am, a handheld unit would probably be just fine, but I would go with the higher powered GMRS units and stay away from the FRS (limited to .5 watts) ones. The Baofeng UV5R is inexpensive, highly rated, and does 4 - 5 watts. Other Baofeng handhelds such as the BF-F8HP will do the max (for a handheald) of 8 watts but are more expensive.
See this listing for a comparison of the Baofeng models (about 2/3 down the listing) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H4VT7A/?tag=wranglerorg-20
There are other brands such as Motorola and Midland but they are also Chinese. To buy other than Chinese, if you can afford it, the only option I know of is Yaesu (like the FT-4XR) which are Japanese and really nice stuff.

B.T.W. VOX functionality will likely be completely useless due to high background noise (ex. engine, wind, and suspension creak).

I have decided to go with a wired unit; the "30 watt" AnyTone AT778UV with a UT-72 SMA mag mount antenna and a 6" SMA male to PL-259cies? (male) adapter cable.
Will you have to do the MARS mod to tx the GMRS frequencies?
 
Absolutely not! In fact we are now to be known as Team Colorado-Red-Shift-on-35s-Everyone-Except-Wisconsin-is-Invited-to-Come-Along-with-Us-But-No-Pickles-Allowed!
Colorado-Red-Shift-on-35s-Everyone-Except-Wisconsin-is-Invited-to-Come-Along-with-Us--No-Pickles-But-Pretzles-Are-Allowed!
 
I still need to figure out if I am going to have time between end of tax season and finals week to go to TJ fest but if I do end up having time, I'll likely be trying to join up with y'all.
Sounds good! Being from Alamosa, and I’m in Pueblo we may need to have “Team Colorado “ meet somewhere in the middle, as everyone will head west from both the north and south ends of the state.
 
Sounds good! Being from Alamosa, and I’m in Pueblo we may need to have “Team Colorado “ meet somewhere in the middle, as everyone will head west from both the north and south ends of the state.
What route do you plan to take? Looks like about the same time going i25-i70 or hwy50-i70. Vail or Monarch pass? What’s your pleasure? Fingers crossed for no snow storms...
 
What route do you plan to take? Looks like about the same time going i25-i70 or hwy50-i70. Vail or Monarch pass? What’s your pleasure? Fingers crossed for no snow storms...
Like you said, about the same mileage either way. As of now my thought was to take Hwy 50 West over Monarch and then up through Grand Junction.

I also thought maybe GJ would be a good place for all of “Team Colorado” who want to convoy in together to meet.

In the event of Snow from the NW or SW we will have options either way. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that we’ll be in a mild season by then!
 
Like you said, about the same mileage either way. As of now my thought was to take Hwy 50 West over Monarch and then up through Grand Junction.

I also thought maybe GJ would be a good place for all of “Team Colorado-Red-Shift-on-35s-Everyone-Except-Wisconsin-is-Invited-to-Come-Along-with-Us--No-Pickles-But-Pretzles-Are-Allowed!” who want to convoy in together to meet.

In the event of Snow from the NW or SW we will have options either way. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that we’ll be in a mild season by then!
Fixed it for you.

Three of us are leaving after work that Friday--that would put us in GC at a pretty late hour (10 pm +/-). We are also headed to Green River, which is about an hour NW of Moab.
 
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Like you said, about the same mileage either way. As of now my thought was to take Hwy 50 West over Monarch and then up through Grand Junction.

I also thought maybe GJ would be a good place for all of “Team Colorado” who want to convoy in together to meet.

In the event of Snow from the NW or SW we will have options either way. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that we’ll be in a mild season by then!
Grand junction is a good place to meet for a final approach. My route is 4 hours to GJ and another 2 from there to Moab. So, depending on the meeting time in the morning we could do an afternoon time to meet GJ. I suppose we need specific times to coordinate...
anyone have special needs that plans to join the group in Denver? Like a trailer or 4 cyl?
 
Will you have to do the MARS mod to tx the GMRS frequencies?
No, the AnyTone AT778UV is a full GMRS send/receive radio. Getting mine from Wally World (Walmart.com) for about $5 more than Amazon...well worth it to not support a company who thinks that their opinion on politics is more important than Americans' right to free speech...oops, better stop.
I should mention that this is the same unit as the Retevis RT95. There are lots of videos on these on the tube of U.
 
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Fixed it for you.

Three of us are leaving after work that Friday--that would put us in GC at a pretty late hour (10 pm +/-). We are also headed to Green River, which is about an hour NW of Moab.
My goal is to be loaded up the day before and leave directly from work no later than 3pm Friday. That would place me in Vail by 5pm, Grand Junction around 7pm and the hotel in Green River around 9pm.
 
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My goal is to be loaded up the day before and leave directly from work no later than 3pm Friday. That would place me in Vail by 5pm, Grand Junction around 7pm and the hotel in Green River around 9pm.
Ill be loaded up too.. I could maybe make that schedule work (3pm)
 
Team Colorado has added Rusty Nail to our list following Metal Masher on Sunday!


Friday travel from Colorado via I-70
-Hotel Green River


Saturday April 24
Meet 9am at Little Lion's Back neaLJr Sand Creek Entrance. Pay entrance fee.
Fins and Things
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/539-fins-and-things


Hells Revenge
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/549-hells-revenge


-Camp Sand Flats Recreational Area


Sunday April 25
Metal Masher
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/570-metal-masher

Rusty Nail
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1831-rusty-nail
-Camp


Monday April 26
Entrada Bluffs Rd
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1302-entrada-bluffs-road


Top of the World
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/607-top-of-the-world-utah


Rose Garden Hill
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/591-rose-garden-hill


Onion Creek
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/579-onion-creek


Gateway/Castleton
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/1305-gateway-castleton-route
-Camp on trail


Tuesday April 27
Gateway-Castleton


21 Road
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/trails/196-21-road


Travel East on I-70
Count me in for Saturday and Monday if you don't have too many yet. I'll be getting there Friday evening and will be ready to wheel Saturday, and I'd like to get Fins and Hell's done early in the week to get a feel for Moab, so that would work nicely for me. Obviously I won't be going back to Colorado, so I'd probably split off back to Moab after Onion Creek on Saturday.
 
Count me in for Saturday and Monday if you don't have too many yet. I'll be getting there Friday evening and will be ready to wheel Saturday, and I'd like to get Fins and Hell's done early in the week to get a feel for Moab, so that would work nicely for me. Obviously I won't be going back to Colorado, so I'd probably split off back to Moab after Onion Creek on Saturday.

Sounds good! You'll be #4.
 
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