Friday, Jun 24, 2016 at 08:48
Hi Rob
I asked myself this very question a few years ago. Back in my early days, which I believe were the best, the licence was cheap before any of the four wheel drive networks and you had to register your call sign with every RFDS Base around Australia and log into what ever base you could contact. For over 25 years I have been using my trusty Codan
HF radio and was one of the founding members of the VKS Network when it was solely a Network for members in South Australia only and to members of four wheel drive clubs.
Over the years, the network grew in numbers and strength and was made available to every Tom, Dick and Harry that had a
HF Radio Australia wide, and so did the cost of
membership, which I believe is now $130.
To be totally 100% honest, the only time that I every made any radio contact, was when we went bush for those few weeks every year, and after that, the radio sat idle in the car and never turned on. Every year the cost of
membership would rise, stating ever increasing running costs, yet all the base stations are run by volunteers from there homes across Australia, yet with ever increasing numbers of new members.
Around 5 years ago, I purchased a satellite phone to makes calls back
home when needed and from that point I never used the HF anymore, but might have only turned it on at night to hear what was going on in the outside world. I still kept my
membership going, but was a service that I now never uses, so after 20 years of continuous
membership and yearly cost increases in
membership, I gave the network the flick.
The radio is still in my Prado and now just sits there for looks, knowing that in the event of any serious issue, I have my sat phone, PLB and my
HF radio, even if I do not have it Licenced any more.
They claim that is an offence to use the radio without a licence, but in a real life emergency, the case would never get to court, purely as a "Duty of Care" issue.
If on the other hand the cost of
membership was at a reasonable cost, I may consider joining, with as fees alway go up and never down, my chances of rejoins are now "0"
It's your call, but like me and nearly ever other user, how often do you use it?
Food for thought.
Cheers
Stephen
AnswerID:
601770