Thread: Which HF Radio?

so im guessing id need an advanced licence

Originally Posted by paul09

so im guessing id need an advanced licence

No Paul you need to be a member of VKS737, that membership entitles you to use the VKS737 channels at 100 W PEP.

In fact the "user agreement" with VKS737 states "(HF equipment – Land Mobile Services) Standard 2003 (as amended) made under subsection 162 (1) of the Radiocommunications Act No. 174 of 1992 and Australian / New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4770:2000 (The use of Amateur Radio Equipment is prohibited)"

Diana

Originally Posted by paul09

so im guessing id need an advanced licence

That will give you access to more amateur bands and allow you to use higher power, but it won't give you access to the 4WD networks - these are licensed seperately and can only be used (Except in emergencies) by their members.

As I said, have a search using terms like "VKS" and "VMS" in this section - there have been several threads on amateur vs. 4WD HF, and others on network choice within the 4WD networks.

so all i need is a vks 737 licence and i can get a hf

then what is the use of a outpost licence

Originally Posted by paul09

so all i need is a vks 737 licence and i can get a hf

If VKS is the chosen club/organisation you go with, yes. You need annual membership to them, and an approved HF radio (Codan, Barrett, etc.) setup. This will give you access and rights to use their frequencies when mobile, to talk to their bases and (I think) other VKS users at certain times. As they own the license to the frequencies, they set the rules about how and when they are to be used - I'm not with VKS, so can't help further with them specifically. However, with most HF 4WD clubs, membership grants you the rights to use frequencies they have licensed, subject to their usage conditions.

This is different to amateur where you are personally licensed and can then use any allowable frequencies within the bands determined by your license class and the operating procedures.

The big difference is amateur HF has no scheduled transmissions, no guarantee there is someone listening on any given frequency (Like you get with the VKS or VMS base operators, for example) and it's not a network for 4WD operators in remote areas, and hence is not setup to help them out specifically when the need arises.

Originally Posted by paul09

then what is the use of a outpost licence

I think this is what's needed to run a base station, and costs are significantly higher.

Originally Posted by paul09

so all i need is a vks 737 licence and i can get a hf

then what is the use of a outpost licence

An outpost mobile license is what allows you to operate on the RFDS frequencies, a VKS license doesn't give you (legal) access to RFDS and vice versa.



Martyn

Originally Posted by paul09

so all i need is a vks 737 licence and i can get a hf

then what is the use of a outpost licence

Paul
Many years ago there were no HF/4WD Clubs that provided base station access. There were organisations like the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and the School of the Air, Australian Inland Mission etc. The RFDS monitored their HF base stations for operational purposes on a 24hr schedule which was expensive.

If you wanted to travel in remote locations and have HF as a lifeline, you had to apply for a Land Mobile Outpost licence from the Department of Telecommunications. That entitled you to access the the common chat 2.020 MHz chat channel and also the base stations like RFDS.

The HF services of people like RFDS have been extensively reduced and are basically automatic, activated by the emergency call button on most Australian commercial HF equipment like Codan and Barrett.

The HF/4wd Clubs now provide essentially what RFDS used to do. They have done this through a commercial licence for specific frequencies across the entire continent and Tasmania, the same as a mining company like BHP may do. The members of the HF/4WD Club are considered the same as employees of a mining company and can communicate between the base station and mobile to mobile with other financial members of the HF/4WD club.

If you want to contact a RDFS base station or use the chat channel you still need a Land Mobile Outpost Station Licence, this or course is not required in the case of an emergency to life, limb or property.

Hope this helps.
Diana
VKS737 - Mobile 2540
formerly: Land Mobile Outpost Station 9NLA