Help! Urgently need Barrett communication specialist in Melbourne

Submitted: Monday, Jun 13, 2016 at 17:34

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KSV

Hi Everyone!

For mysterious reason my Barrett 950 transceiver puff some smoke when I tried to reconnect it. Funny enough there was no power supply - I removed fuse before starting. So only possibility that it catches parasitic ground current. I opened it and found that signal cable (that one that goes to headunit) fried inside transceiver itself, inside head unit and inside cable. So I urgently need some help (both technical and parts-wise) in Melbourne - I am heading to Simpson this Saturday! In the past I used John in Brunswick and he was nothing but great, but he sell his business a while ago to some Indian fellow - I seen him once and he was only happy to sell me new mobile and he was completely and utterly useless from technical prospective of view.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Serg

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Reply By: blue one - Monday, Jun 13, 2016 at 18:00

Monday, Jun 13, 2016 at 18:00

Peter James.

Lara Electronics.

Great bloke who knows his business.

Cheers

AnswerID: 601290

Follow Up By: KSV - Monday, Jun 13, 2016 at 18:08

Monday, Jun 13, 2016 at 18:08

Thanks, I knew that someone exists close to Geelong, but could not find him in Google.

Thanks a lot.
Cheers
Serg

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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Monday, Jun 13, 2016 at 23:32

Monday, Jun 13, 2016 at 23:32

Yeah Peter James is your man.

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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 09:09

Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 09:09

Peter James is very good alright.

But I may be wrong, I didn't think he had sold or serviced Barrett of many many years. He travels a lot too.

Your best bet is Barrett themselves or David of HF-Radio.com.au. He is in Qld but a very helpful guy.

I think Phil below is right. Even if you get it fixed, you may need to reprogram it, and if you take a stock program it will be different to what you are used to.It sounds to me like there was power getting to the unit somehow ( the head) and it sounds nasty.

Hire a sat phone at one end and drop it off at the other.

Bugger....

Tony

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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 12:19

Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 12:19

Peter is also a Barrett dealer.

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Follow Up By: KSV - Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 13:41

Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 13:41

Thanks everyone. I opened it yesterday and found that because of current found way through ground of the radio it fried two internal and one external wires and it looks like no damage to radio itself. Today I was at Peter's place and he plug it in and confirm that radio is fine. So he going to replace burnt wires and said that I should have it back by Thursday.

Boobook, I hate satphones and decline idea to hire one - I have smaller back-up radio just in case that main get broken. Though it does not do sellcall and as result cannot call phones, so indeed I like to have main radio fixed for the trip.

Fingers cross it looking very promising.

Cheers
Serg

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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Wednesday, Jun 15, 2016 at 07:30

Wednesday, Jun 15, 2016 at 07:30

Serg

That is great news about your radio. You'll never know unless you give it a go..

This may be also of interest.

There is an android app called Selective Calling Generator.
It has a Codan Selcall mode ( which Barrett also use). I tested it on the VKS network and it works well. In addition to being a good plan B for your trip, it is a great thing to have ongoing. No Telcall though.

I don't think there is an apple version though. If you have an iphone, the apps are limited to finding trendy italian coffee shops around Brunswick. :-)

Tony

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Follow Up By: KSV - Wednesday, Jun 15, 2016 at 07:53

Wednesday, Jun 15, 2016 at 07:53

Thanks Boobook for pointing me to great little app - I never knew that such stuff exists. Though very little interest for me without TellCall.

Cheers
Serg

BTW I cannot see your embedded picture :-(

FollowupID: 870769

Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Wednesday, Jun 15, 2016 at 08:24

Wednesday, Jun 15, 2016 at 08:24

Hmm don't know why you cant see it. It is on my browser. Anyway go to the link and it is one of the pics if you scroll across.

Read their text carefully, It may do Telcall now. Its a few years since I tried it and I did request it as a feature then.Maybe...

Have a great trip

Tony

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Reply By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 07:58

Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 07:58

I think that you may be pushing it uphill mate, to get it repaired in time. Sounds like you could have fried the finals section. Just maybe. It could be a lot of things.

Why not hire a satellite phone for the actual crossing. I believe that you can get them either side, Mt Dare or Birdsville servo.

Worry about it when you come home and have more time to talk to them first and not have to make a rushed decision.

Phil

AnswerID: 601300

Follow Up By: toffytrailertrash - Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 11:01

Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 11:01

Just Communications in Mitcham use to supply and fit all the HF radios in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, I don't know if they are still operating their number is 98733710.

Give them a call

Cheers

Merv

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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 11:30

Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 11:30

I don't think you'll get a HF fixed there anymore, but you can have some noodles and Laksa soup at that shop while you figure out what to do next....

I think they have long gone...

Tony

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Follow Up By: KSV - Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 13:47

Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 at 13:47

"I think that you may be pushing it uphill mate, to get it repaired in time"

It is always worth to ask and sometimes if you push hard enough you may be more lucky than Sisyphus. Have a look at my post above.

Cheers.

FollowupID: 870733