hf channels

how do you get them programed in thanks mal b

Hi Mal,
In WA Barrett will program for you, they have a standard frequency pack which covers groups like VKS, RFDS, Radio stations, Radtel and no doubt will put in others which you require. Give them a ring, Anthony is a good contact. 08 9434 1700. I would suggest that a number of the Radio hire organisations would do programing for you for a price.

Cheers, Jerry

You won't get an argument from me - I'm really just smirking at all those "letter of the law" people but, technically, you should not use a Codan et al on 27MHz CB because it's not type approved.

While I'm on the subject; I hear very little traffic on any VKS737 frequency except 8022, is that just because of my location (southern Vic) and/or because I'm not listening at the right time of day or do the other frequencies not get much use?

Also worth checking (all in KHz):
5975
6195
7255
9740
9410
9510
11955
15310
17790
at various times of the day/night for the BBC World Service which produces some great programmes and excellent world news coverage.

Mike Harding

Your right Mike, but then again having the CB channels programmed is one thing, using or not using them is another.
I also have an Icom IC706 2G but prefer the Codan as non- radio people (XYL) find it easier to use & the auto mute is brilliant. A decent notch filter would be a bonus though.
I also listen to HF aircraft frequencies & Volmet for WX info.
As for VKS737, most traffic is on CH 2 - 8022 & CH 1- 5455 kHz.
Some traffic on CH 4 - 14977 kHz - mainly the Perth morning sked that can be heard from here but is quite weak. Like the amateur 20 meter band, propagation on this frequency has not been great.
Least used is CH 3 - 11612 & CH 5 - 3995 kHz, the former probably due to interference from commercial users & the latter due to user ignorance of low band propagation although antenna inefficiencies can be an issue!
On our recent trip through the Simpson, our main comms were on 40 metres back into Melbourne. The biggest benefit of monitoring the VKS737 network was for local up to date road & WX information.
Mike, I am usually monitoring 6 metres VK3RMS repeater plus 146.550 mHz when in the office / shack. Also listen out on 40M.
Cheers Tony

G'day Tony

>Your right Mike, but then again having the CB channels
>programmed is one thing, using or not using them is another.

It is, technically, illegal to be in possession of a radio _capable_ of transmitting on a frequency which one is not licenced for. So having widebanded my Yaesu FT-857D to Tx just about anywhere from 1.5MHz to 470MHz I think they'll shoot me! :) Excellent radio btw. But I hear lots of good things about the 706 too.

I'm not a member of VKS737, I keep on ummming and arrahing about whether to join but having an Amateur licence provides so many people I could call on for help it's hard to justify and I can listen to their frequencies anyway.

I don't have a 6m antenna but will give you a call on 2m at some point.

btw hearing lots of Foundation calls on air now - excellent stuff, this site has largely lost one particular poster to Amateur Radio, he's gone from an F call to a full call in about 3 months!

For people who may not know; Amateur Radio has recently introduced a new licence category (the Foundation Licence) which provides a much easier entry level into Amateur Radio - you no longer need to be an electronics expert to gain a licence :)

www.amateurradio.com.au/foundation/

Mike Harding

Well not exactly lost!!!! (grin) I read quite a lot but dont post quite so much....

Regards

John VK3ARK

Text directly from Radiocommunications Act 1992



47 Unlawful possession of radiocommunications devices

(1) Subject to section 49, a person must not have a

radiocommunications device in his or her possession for the

purpose of operating the device otherwise than as authorised by:

(a) a spectrum licence; or

(b) an apparatus licence; or

(c) a class licence.





49 Emergency operation etc. of radiocommunications devices

(1) A person does not contravene section 46 or 47 by operating a

radiocommunications device, or having a radiocommunications

device in his or her possession, in the reasonable belief that the

operation or possession was necessary for the purpose of:

(a) securing the safety of a vessel, aircraft or space object that

was in danger; or

(b) dealing with an emergency involving a serious threat to the

environment; or

(c) dealing with an emergency involving risk of death of, or

injury to, persons; or

(d) dealing with an emergency involving risk of substantial loss

of, or substantial damage to, property.

i am a member of vks and the hf radio club, how do you get extra channels programed in, is it better to go amatuer radio dont seem to get enough use out of my coden ngt thanks mal b

Very much depends on what radio you have. Most HF sets come set up only for the purpose they are bought (VKS 737 and RADTEL for example) and need unlocking with softwware. For some radios the S/W is available for others it is harder to get.

my radio is a coden ngt where would i look for s/w, can anybody reprogram them thanks mal b

Here is a starting point:

ozradio.wireless.org.au/codan.htm

I think there is also a Yahoo Group for the Codans. Might also be worth looking there. I am a Barrett HF 550 person myself so cant help much with the NGT apart from saying that I wished I had an NGT!!

"If I have a VKS737 licence then I can own a radio with the 5 channels in it. If the radio has additional channels it, I still hold a licence for the radio, just not all channels in it."

As you woldn't be licensed for the transimeet by any form of license for all of the channels then an excitable ACMA RI could take issue with you. But it would have to be a slow day for this to cathch his attention and form him to take it further.

"Older style Ham HF radios covered 500kHz segments - no-one was ever charged for unlicenced possession of a radio capable of transmitting on 14.49 MHz !"

An ametuer license allows you to possess the radio. You are then restriced by the licence conditions in how you operate it.

"If I have an Amateur Licence, will my wife be charged under the act if only she is in the car and in "possession" of the radio, when I am not in the car "

Same as on the other thread wher ithis is being discussed. You woudl need an excitable RI with nothing to do to get caught here. Try a keyed lock on the power line as you have to secure your ameteur station as a condition of your ham license anyway. Unless of course you woudl like the wife to go to jail....

"When was the last time someone was charged for illegal possession of a radio they were not licenced for (other than it being a radio on Police etc frequency) ? "

Recently. Check the ACMA WWW site and you will see that there was a confiscation and penalty applied I believe to a person in Sydney.

Frankly Mike I think it's highly unlikely anyone would be charged unless they were doing you on some other offences and just threw this in for good measure.

I looked into this at some length about 3 years ago and this was a post I made, at the time, to another list - I don't know if the links still work:

-------------------------
RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1992 - SECT 47
Unlawful possession of radiocommunications devices

see
Sect 47
Site Link
Sect 49
Site Link
All the act
Site Link

(To save you the trouble - I'll quote Sects 47 & 49)
(1) Subject to section 49, a person must not have a
radiocommunications device in his or her possession
for the purpose of operating the device otherwise
than as authorised by:
(a) a spectrum licence; or
(b) an apparatus licence; or
(c) a class licence.
snip

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the person has
a reasonable excuse.

Now Sect 49
(1)A person does not contravene section 46 or 47
by operating a radiocommunications device, or
having a radiocommunications device in his or her
possession, in the reasonable belief that the
operation
or possession was necessary for the purpose of:
[emergencies]
snip

So I read the above to say that providing you can
show you had a "reasonable belief" to consider
possession was necessary you're in the clear.
-------------------------

It's a "guilty until proven innocent" situation, in other words you would need to prove to the satisfaction of the court that you had no intention of operating the radio on those frequencies which begs the question why did you have them programmed?

Mike Harding

To Mike & Mike. From my time as a WIA examminations invigilator (sounds evil) & education coordinator with the MDRC I recall that in a real emergency situation (ie life & death stuff & not running out of beer - although that could be quite dire!!) that any frequency irrespective of licence conditions etc could be used. The regulations exam covered it in this way. - note not verbatim from the regs exam but close enough.
Question. If you were to hear a distress call on a frequency that is not covered by your licence conditions what would you be required to do?

Correct answer. Monitor the call & if no more qualified operator answers the distress call then you are required to attempt to contact the distress station & offer assistance.
This is just cause to have installed more transmit frequencies installed than what you are licenced for.
Cheers Tony

>This is just cause to have installed more transmit
>frequencies installed than what you are licenced for

I don't think you’d have a snowballs chance of getting that past a magistrate Tony otherwise it would be a reason for every man and his dog to own radio able to Tx on aircraft bands etc and would mean any laws on the subject were pointless.

Frankly it's all a bit of an academic argument - no one is going to check my 857 to see where it can Tx and even if they did I doubt they would prosecute a licenced ham who can reasonably state he goes remote bush and wants a safety net. I wonder how many readers of this thread are using Amateur radios on VKS737? :)
(I know of a couple).

Mike Harding