Thread: Is HF radio dying?

I’ve got a spot-x with it’s own keyboard. Not super fast communication but does work quite well

We used a Garmin Inreach on a recent back country ski trip.We had it set so if would send our position at set intervals.
So with no intervention from us, our Ground Charley could see were we were.

Tony

We've had an HF since our earliest travels in the late 70's and joined VKS at it's inception when the RFDS stopped skeds and mainstream use.
In all those times we've used it in anger about a dozen times for us and mostly others for medical, mechanical, recovery and emergency assistance after everything from bites to vehicle accidents.
We have also always had an EPIRB and more recently a PLB as a last resort.
We used a first generation inReach and Spot in Canada and the US when on extended travel over a year as at the time (2012/13) their mobile phone system was even patchier than ours.
We've also had an Iridium Satphone from their early days until a couple of years ago, but found that when the chips were down the HF was the go when coupled with the VKS network.
When weather, atmospheric conditions and location are poor the satphone is found wanting even with a car kit and large antenna and if anyone has tried ringing a call centre with a satphone will clearly realise it's a near impossible exercise as the call centre invariably drops the call due to the delayed response.
A quick call on the HF to VKS with the problem outlined, pass on your membership details, within a short period you get a reply from the VKS operator to say help is on it's way!
Then you have the added advantage that a fellow VKS member relatively close by happens to hear of your predicament , is heading your way and and can drop parts off or render assistance or as has happened we have done the same for others in the past.
The huge problem with the satphone or in fact any phone as I see it is when in a remote area far from home having the phone number for local services where you are in trouble. Despite carrying long lists of numbers they are never the right ones.
Having a mob like VKS or a very cluey mate at home to organise stuff on your behalf is the best.

Originally Posted by Tins

Well, yes. My mistake, as EPIRB has become a little generic. EPIRB is more for marine applications. However I believe they work just fine for remote touring, have double the transmit time, but are far larger and heavier making them unsuitable for bush walking.

PLB would be the logical choice for our purposes though.

My boat (when I had it) and both 4x4s are registered on my EPIRB. It has, Make, Model and colour recorded.

My comment about starlink was just that; it is reasonably reliable but not dependable when the chips are down. I second the remark about sat phone vs HF audio. I have had to use a sat phone in anger in remote scandinavia, admittedly via an iridium go which installs an app on your satphone so that does not help but it dropped my call when I needed it and even with hours of patience when stationary with a clear view of the sky I could not for the life of me get anything done with the data side (internet generally) even if I take into account that it would be slow.*

You might have the same problem with a flaky HF connection but as I already mentioned I believe there will most likely always be some other person who will pick up your call if not the base or person you were looking for. I also find the argument that people around you can possibly help since it is a one to many connection a good one.

Regarding the P38 and electronics: I have had the HIQ 4-80 on the front bumper (near the battery) with around 1.2kw of power on it and nothing broke However, that positions causes so much interference from the engine into the HF receiver that it is unworkable when the engine is running.

The only thing keeping me from installing a HF radio is weight and the second reason is I will be traveling through countries where my license is not valid so it might be a bit problematic.

So, I guess HF is or should not be dying. Reading this thread in terms of communication (when it matters) HF is probably on top, as long as you car has not died or burned down, followed by a PLB, sat phone, phone, starlink, phone, smoke signals, telepathy? in that order I would reckon.

Cheers,
-P

* I have been in it and a ham radio operator for many decades, know about packet radio, propagation and network latency. I tried for 5 hours to get anything more than a ping running the battery of the go down but never got anything more through than a simple email through the builtin app.

Back in July I was out on some tracks in Qld, not far off the beaten track really, but isolated nonetheless. I had my Oka hung up on a rock. In the course of trying to recover it I fell and fractured a vertebrae. This was, and still is, quite debilitating. I was barely able to move, let alone recover the vehicle.. On this occasion I had Robmacca and V8Ian with me, and some passers by. But, if that wasn't the case, I could still be there. OK, not there exactly, but you get my drift.
I've always prided myself in my ability to get out of any situation that I got myself into. That day taught me a lesson I'm unlikely to forget.

Originally Posted by oka374

Having a mob like VKS or a very cluey mate at home to organise stuff on your behalf is the best.

Thanks Peter. It's on your previous advice that #74 still has the Codan. Still, it's not like I need the room it uses

Originally Posted by Tins

Back in July I was out on some tracks in Qld, not far off the beaten track really, but isolated nonetheless. I had my Oka hung up on a rock. In the course of trying to recover it I fell and fractured a vertebrae. This was, and still is, quite debilitating. I was barely able to move, let alone recover the vehicle.. On this occasion I had Robmacca and V8Ian with me, and some passers by. But, if that wasn't the case, I could still be there. OK, not there exactly, but you get my drift.
I've always prided myself in my ability to get out of any situation that I got myself into. That day taught me a lesson I'm unlikely to forget.

Even the mighty Td5 couldn't get enough traction to drag the besser block off the rock.