HF Radio

Hi Michael,
I went through this very question a few years ago. I hired both at various times and eventually bought a HF. The reasoning is simple...... if you're in strife, there just may be someone over the next dune who can help. With a Sat phone, that "someone" won't know he/she is needed.

Cheers
Brian

Except you cant talk to the person over the next dune with an HF It generally has to be relayed back to them as an HF is a long range radio.

A UHF would be better in that situation

Yes... correct. But I was speaking more hypothetically. The next sand dune might be quite a distance away. The inference is that there is a wider audience, rather than just someone on the end of the phone line who "might" answer "if" you have signal.

This has been my experience with both HF and Sat phone.... when we hired Sat phones, we NEVER saw signal on one! Not once! That was as of 3 years ago, I believe things have gotten better of late, but I noted that whenever I call VKS on my HF, someone always answers..... even if it's someone who has to "relay" to a base for me.

It works for us, that's all I require of it. If it's not anybody else's cuppa tea, that's OK too!!

Cheers

Brian

You probably hired a Globalsat phone and thats why it didnt work.

Absolute rubbish.


In contrast I have NEVER Failed to get a signal on my Iridium phone over the last 2 1/2 years.

Also helps if the aerial is pointed in the correct position.

Had an HF and never needed it so sold it in WA.

Horses for courses I guess.

Good call Graham, they were Globalstar! All 3 of 'em! And also, you're right about the horses for courses thing, I used HF out in the Simpson mostly for weather and road conditions more than anything else. I am one of the HF "fans"... LOL...

Cheers

Brian

Actually guys that isn't correct.

A H.F. Radio will have more range than a UHF over short distances but it misses out on the 50km to several hundred km section as the mode of propagation
changes to sky wave.

Its quite reasonable to expect solid HF radio performance out to some 50km and for these reasons another potentially useful feature of HF is to reach out to 27mhz AM truckies on nearby roads , so keep this as a channel.

Roughly how many truckies would have an AM 27meg radio these days.

Have found you just about have to give them away to get rid of them except for boaties

Don't know Graham - but plenty of people use 27mhz ssb hear in melbourne, right now there are several active channels with nothing on VKS-737 , I think it must have had a minor re-surgence.

Maybe its all the junk on UHF - but I have re-instated a couple of my ssb CB's for comms around town , and the 125w from my Barret 950 really lays down a solid local signal into them.

Hi Robin
Not surprised at all that you answered that.
I have thought about bringing my set up back home in between trips there.
Would propagation work over that distance?
There is a very small club here in N.Z. it would be good to be able to communicate with them as well & VKS 737, instead of only using it for 2-3 months a year.
I have some DVD's working now, coming soon.
Cheers

"but it misses out on the 50km to several hundred km section as the mode of propagation changes to sky wave."

That'll come as a major surprise to many people who operate in the 3MHz to 8MHz region.

I'll second those comments, and add that David is a real gentleman of the old school.

He does have a website here with lots of good information and stuff for sale.

HTH

Hi Ted.
I can endorse VKS 737
I travel own my own a lot and when away from the cities contact VKS737 at least once every 24 hrs...
I think the system and the operators are fantastic.
The reassurance that your location and destination is logged on the computer along with the ability to research weather and road conditions, also the fact if family need to contact me all they need to do is leave a message on the system. Then I can turn the sat.phone on, get to where there is reception (ie turn it on, put the antenna up and be in view of the sky) and give them a call. I can listen to and use the HF from my bed if I want to!.
The sub is the best value for money of all.

I just wish we had a similar sytem here in N.Z.