Cruiser replied:

Not sure about the course but for a HF radio, try www.desertaccess.com.au/ then click on 'Equipment for sale'. Based in Adelaide, they frequently sell ex-hire units. Bought one last year for $750, complete and ready to install. Easy to install yourself - they provide information about installation and use, plus help if necessary. Noticed they had a later model Codan there earlier this week for $1400. There's a phone number so you could give them a call. Either Codan or Barrett are recommended and widely used. Make sure it has both VKS-737 and Flying Doctor frequencies, then join the VKS-737 network.
Regards, Cruiser.

Darian replied:

Michelle.....I, and others I work with, have bought the old fashioned type HF radios - Tracker - Scout - Codan etc. 8 channel crystal locked HF radios - design is old fashioned , but experts say they still perform as good as anything new. Only loss is you have several channels at best, no sellcall, no beacon and GPS etc. Here in Adelaide, we have picked up these units for $200 complete, then paid a technician about $200 - $250 to change crystals (channels) for VKS737 network use.
For this outlay, you have a very reliable radio that can get out to anywhere the new ones do. I would not be inclined to invest much more in this mode, because you are starting to get closer to the second hand price of the new type radios. Have seen a Codan 9323 for sale here at $2200 (lot of features etc). Barretts might be down there too. New ones of current design start at about $3300 I'm told. With several VKS737 network channels and some RFDS channels, you have all the "HF radio security" you could need. Cheerz.

Darian replied:

True Nigel....I did mail them awhile back, but they were not confident that their product would work on my Tracker Scout - probably works well on other breeds of older style radios though - at $500, I think the Jenal cost added to my scout outlay is too close to a second hand, new generation HF. Cheerz anyway.

Darian replied:

Nigel - autotune ? interconnect ? - interested in this stuff - can you enlighten this way please.
(darian@picknowl.com.au - if you'd rather go email).
dp