VKS-737

No reports from me on HF Radios , Most people for VKS use Codan or Barrett I think maybe an Icom IC-F7000 HF Transceiver
would be a good radio too, mine is an old Codan 8525 , I swapped an old GPS for it about 2.6 years ago , it works fine, maybe one day I get rich or stop buying GPS units and will be able to afford a Barrett, I just spent $269 on a new 5 Tapped antenna specially for VKS frequencies

I have an ICOM and think it is dang marvelous :-) - havent used the Barett or Codan so my comments are noy meant as a comparison or any sort of 'mines better than your's stuff'

Its just that I love my ICOM :-) :-)

I am a member of VKS network and know people who have both Codan and Barrett and others..... all are good however I might suggest the important thing to be aware of is that of correct "fit up" in vehicle. Position of aerial either at back of vehicle or front; I prefer "aerial" at back, takes some doing and have had to have brackets etc. made and running wires to front of vehicle. Further hit, power supply wires should be minimum 8 mm, always run "negative" wire back to negative post on the battery. Don"t run any other accessories off the power supply cable have it exclusively for the radio. If you do, say run a fridge off same wire, you well get nothing but "electricial" interference when using and listening on H.F. Radio.
Regards Harro......

We use a Icom with a Codan 9350 antenna.

Regards Richard

mines a codan x2 with a manual tap antenae.

cheers, sparra

About to install an Icom IC-F7000 and moonraker autotune. Just sent my application in to VKS-737 so hoping all will be ready to go when we head off o the Cape in 3 weeks.

Regards
David

I use a Codan 9323 with a Codan 9350 antenna on the bullbar. I have another 9323/9350 combo under the house as a spare, and a couple of 6924s' as emergency backup.

Quebec 5050

Mines a Barrett 250RC with multi tap aerial no probs so far
Mike

G'Day Transient, Run a Codan NGT AR with auto tune antenna. Radio is under the front passenger seat of 80 series, control unit under the centre console and remote speaker on side of console, areial on rear bracket above the drivers side taillight assembly using existing bolts. The bracket was supplied by Ivan Smith in Melbourne (ivan@ivansmith.com.au), think Lakecomm (Newcastle) has them also. There are some legalities with an aerial on the front bullbar I believe. Radio is easy to use with programmed frequencies, and the handset hangs on the dash using an existing spare slot. Codan handset is easier to use than the Barrett remote head I reckon. Went off the current Barrett as advice told me the remote head is always "flopping about the place" because the swivel mount will not hold tension. From memory the Barrett is a touch cheaper as well. Both hold their value on the second hand market by what I see.
VKS people are extremely helpful and obliging also, great network with a heap of HF users on the road. Will give mine a good workout starting next week with 3 months on the WA and NT tracks. There are a heap of past threads in the forum archive, if you do a HF search.

Very new to the HF scene and I bought an old Wagner radio from a friend of mine, seems to work fine after doing my first test call from Perth.Got contact with Coral Bay,Canning stock route and Laverton.Hope to learn the right HF procedures and keep in touch when I go on my trip to Cape York leaving next month.Maybe they don't make Wagners anymore.

Recently traded my Codan 8528 in on a Codan NGT AR because it was becoming unreliable. New one is brilliant. Works with the exisiting 9350 autotune aerial and the clarity is far superior. Have much greater range and the radio check reports from the VKS operators around the country have restored my confidence that I now have a reliable and capable system.

cheers
alastair

Alot of people seen to use old radios with no sel call function fitted, very usless on the VKS network as you can only use the radio dueing scheds.

So many people get confussed with HF....you here comments like yeah its an old radio but it has the RFDS channels fitted......BIG DEAL.

The bases are only monitored during business hour Monday to Friday so ulot of those time you can call to you hearts content unless you have sel call.

I supose its abit like having a telephone with no numbers (keypad) on it!

It is also illegal to use the RFDS channels with out an "out post license" and with the VKS network it is illegal to transmit on their channels if the radio is not mounted into a vehicle and if not a member, but if you are not a member they can not refuse a emergancy call.

Regards Richard

If you want to take that chance great, but not that many people listern 24hrs a day.

You have to hope and pray that someone is there, with sel call you know you will get someone 24 hrs a day.

can you tell me how you would get hold of someone at 3am.

Regards Richard

We don' have aproblem beacon calling a VKS base at night, most of the time we can get 2 to 4 bases strongly.

Is you sel call a base anytime they will answer, they do it through a telephone in there house or there mobile phone.

We called a base accidently on night about 11.30pm one Sunday and they answered in a couple of minutes, we should of used the beacon call but we hit the wrong button,they were still very freindly and made sure nothing was wrong.

You can work grounds wave instead of skip if you have to get through enabling shorter comms.

If we have to we can set our radio to call all the bases on all the 5 channels, the radio will then tell us what is the best base and channel to use.

Regards Richard