Talk me out of selling my HF Radio

I sold mine when I changed vehicles. Worst thing I ever done. All the things you mention is a good reason to keep it.

Hi Boobook,

I wont talk you out of it, I love having mine with me on trips for the reasons you stated.
It is getting harder and harder to find space to put a HF radio in the modern motor vehicle.
Plus mounting the autotune is a bit of a pain.

What vehicle did you get?

William

In my view, it makes no sense to quit a long distance communications option that you already have (a little different possibly if you had to buy one at good $$....and the cost of membership and/or service plans is peanuts per week, compared to the $$ we spend on travel and hardware). If required, the HF can be installed without any mods to the car at all, leaving no trace if you decide later to take it out. I usually just envisage the potential worst case scenario (remote, with a total mechanical failure of some sort...or worse...serious illness for an expeditioner....having too many communications options doesn't enter the equation).
And IF you strike drama way outback, an HF Network volunteer can gets heaps of information off the web and do your ringing around for you to arrange service and/or recovery...the time and calls is free for paid up members (but in a dead set emergency, free to anyone). Numerous Satphone calls can add way up in the $$....and you have to have the phone numbers too, or work through an intermediary.
Legendary though the 9323 is (deserved of course) it now has a modest resale value anyway, seeing that the market now offers heaps of the latest hi-tech wizardry to attract new users.
For peace of mind (mainly on the health front) I choose to take the lot...my aging, yet first class Barrett 950 HF, an in-car UHF (plus 2W handhelds for trekking) the Satphone (good for treks too) and the mobile phone.
One hopes one has talked you out of it !
Cheers...Darian...VKS-737 mobile 0090.

I am keeping my HF for all of the above... however, I am going to switch to a multi tap antenna as the auto tune is always in the road, too bulky, or about to get busted by a tree or something else... lol. It also minimises the installation process.
regards

Crikey, for me, going bush without mine would be like forgetting to put your pants on before heading out the front door in the morning...

HF for me went back to my flying days in remote areas, could never give up having a HF Radio nearby.

Nah. keep it, for all the reasons highlighted.

Cheers, Baz

Acid test: is there a spark of joy every time you see it?

Boobook,
I happen to have the same radio as you. My wife and I generally travel alone and although the "brain-box" and associated wiring are all permanently mounted in the car, we only put on the antenna (and therefore use the radio) when we are in seriously isolated areas. It is a great companion around the late afternoon campfire, listening to fellow travellers and mentally ticking off the places they have been to etc., checking the weather or (if so inclined) listening to news bulletins from the ABC, BBC, Radio NZ and the like.
It is also a very handy bit of gear to have should an emergency arise, however unlikely that may be.
I can't think of one compelling reason why you would sell it, and the 3rd paragraph of your OP gives plenty of reasons why you should keep it!
It costs next to nothing to keep, and as Darian pointed out, you would get very little for it. Why not keep it in the shed until you have done a couple of trips without it, then make a decision? My bet is that you will put it in the new vehicle!
RLK

I am different to the rest. I have mine installed and have had it for ever. But for the last 5 years I have not used it. In fact I need to check it works every now and then, only to find a connection problem, fuse blown, antenna issue or something else that needs servicing. I will not transfer mine and sometimes wonder why it is still installed but guess it looks cool to others. A sat phone/epirb/spot completely negates the need.

It is really up to you but as far as i am concerned you can have mine for free and I will not miss it.

David

Keep it!
On a recent trip I ended up having a argument with my partner after trying to show her how to use the radio and check in at a sched, she just tuned out, its to technical!

A couple of evenings later we sat and listened to VKS giving assistance to the wife of another traveler that sounded like her husband had had a heart at after parking their caravan for the night.

She knew enough to attach the mutli tap antenna and to push the button on the mike and that was about all, luckily the channel the radio was on was working.

VKS737 apart from providing medical assistance to her were going to help her try to reach an airstrip where medical help could get to but the danger was she might loose radio contact. VKS737 managed to contact a station near her station from memory and someone from a station travelled out to her and gave assistance.

Don't know how it all turned out as the channel they were on dropped out for us but it did convince my partner to learn how to use the radio:)

Boobook, consider mounting antenna on van. Only thing up front would be control head and mike. Main box could be in back of vehicle or in van. Bob

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I started out with HF via VKS737 membership then later added a Satphone and a PLB.
It can be interesting listening to the Skeds but they are usually transmitted at inconvenient times for me. I also found that reception was often less than satisfactory and wondered if it would be adequate at the time of an emergency, hence the addition of the satphone and PLB. In technical terms I consider the HF radio to be superseded technology but a replacing Satphone needs to be carefully selected both by appliance and service provider to be fully reliable. Saving dollars on a life-saving service is not an acceptable option for my needs.
It is interesting to observe that the RFDS, Police and other emergency services are making increased use of satphones in preference to HF radio.

The HF radio has now been removed from my vehicle as part of my weight reduction agenda. However, VKS offers membership to satphone users and I have adopted that. Annual membership for Satphone is $100 with HF membership at $140. I appreciate that the 'broadcast' HF service has some benefits over Satphone but then so does the Satphone have some benefits over HF. Having both with VKS is the ultimate benefit but then that would currently require two memberships of $100 + $140.

The VKS website offers very little information about their satphone operating procedures but I gleaned some insight from an article in their newsletter a while back. In essence you are provided with a phone number to call their operator and the services are much as with HF except that they will not call you back when negotiating a service such as spares supply because of the call cost to them. Instead, you have to negotiate a time to re-call VKS to continue the conversation...... a little clumsy but not too bad maybe.

I do think that VKS should publish more web information regarding the use and procedures of their satphone service and I intend to approach them re this.
The following is the only information that they provide:

"VKS-737 Services for Satellite Telephone Users
The VKS-737 Radio Network can provide satellite telephone users with services similar to those provided to subscribers with HF radios – this is provided via a dedicated subscriber’s contact telephone number which connects their calls to the Network’s duty operators.
Subscribers to this service should be aware that all calls made to the VKS-737 Radio Network are charged by their service provider at normal call rates.
For further information on this service contact VKS-737 Head Office on (08) 7325 2600 during South Australian business hours."

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Boobook, have you made a decision?