Vehicle and Emergency Communication

HF RADIO - REMOTE AREA COMMUNICATIONS

    The following information is written from our experience in remote area communications. We are outlining the advantages HF Radio has over any other form of long distance communication.

    We are only concerned with HF Radio in this case. Satellite Phones will be dealt with separately at a later date.

    High Frequency Radio has been around since the 1920s. In the most basic sense it is a radio capable of communication over land & sea for great distances, up to 3000kms usually. HF does not require "repeater stations" or satellites. HF is genuine Radio-to-Radio contact without the aid of any other hardware.
    Again in simple terms, HF signals "bounce" off the atmosphere. This is how the signal can cover such vast distances.

Here are a few simple points about HF Radio. (At this stage think of a HF Radio as an overgrown CB or UHF. Most of the basic principals are very similar.)

• HF Radios & "Flying Doctor" Radios are the same thing. Both are High Frequency Radios.
• The Radio must be turned on to work. They do not have "message banks".
• Modern HF Radios constantly scan for incoming calls for you. It is best to leave the radio on the majority of the time because of this, particularly if you are expecting a call. (Very little power is drawn from your system.)
• There are a number of Frequencies in your HF Radio, generally about 5. These frequencies are of different strengths, so at different distances and times of the day you will have the correct frequency to receive & transmit.
• Learning to use the Frequencies in a HF radio is the major difficulty newcomers have. It is not that hard and can be easily overcome with practise, simple as that. In other words, if you have a HF Radio, turn it on and use it!
• The HF Radio system in Australia is still basically an emergency based network. There are protocols and procedures to be observed when speaking on-air. This includes a Callsign, which must always be used to identify yourself.
• To operate and use a HF Radio you will need to be part of a "Network". Simply, you need permission to use the frequencies in your radio. Joining a Network automatically gives you that permission.
• Don't worry about making a few mistakes while you are learning to use the Radio. Call one of the Network Bases for a chat. It is their job to help you with any problems.
• HF Frequencies are open to everyone with those frequencies. Think of it as a "Party Line" system. In an Emergency situation it is of vital importance that as many people hear you as possible, something Sat' Phones can never do.
• ABC National Radio broadcasts on HF frequencies, so wherever you are in Australia you can listen to News, current affairs, music & sport. A very handy feature.

We will go into more detail about some of these points later on.

HF RADIO FEATURES

    The most advanced HF Radios available today have all of the capabilities listed below. Some are Free to Air, meaning they cost nothing for the time on-air. Others cost a nominal fee, similar to a phone call.

The communication methods listed below are Free to Air.

• Voice Call - speak to someone on a HF Radio frequency
• Selective Call - speak to someone on another HF Radio
• Message - send a Text Message to another similar HF Radio
• GPS position - send & receive GPS positions

These communication methods attract fees.

• Phone Call - speak to someone on a Landline Phone or Mobile Phone
• Email/Fax - send emails & faxes as you would at home or in an office

A brief description of all of these methods follows.

• VOICE CALL

- Free to Air - This is when you arrange to speak to someone else at a prearranged time and the most likely frequency. Both parties have to be "On-Air" at the same time for this type of call to work. The older HF Radios will only have this facility.
             It is a scheduled call, or better known as a SKED.

• SELECTIVE CALL or SELCALL

- Free to Air - This is the most popular form of HF communication. A selcall is a direct call to another specific HF Radio. Think of it as the same as a phone call. Because the Radios are scanning for incoming calls, you can call at any time. With a Selcall, your number will be displayed on the other radio, with the time you called. So when your mate comes back to the vehicle he will see you have called and when. He can then Selcall you.

• MESSAGE CALL

- Free to Air - The same as a Selcall, only you send a text type message. This message will be displayed on the other radio along with your Selcall number and the time you called. It is a very handy feature, but is only available in late model Radios.

• GPS POSITION

- Free to Air - This requires a late model Radio and a GPS that can be plugged into it, (GPS has to be computer compatible). Basically the same as Selcall and Message Calling. You can send or receive a GPS position. Very handy for emergency situations. Some Base Stations also have the capability to "log" your position as well. These systems are great safety nets for workers and travellers in extremely remote areas.

• PHONE CALL

- Fees apply - This is a connection made from your HF Radio to the normal Telephone network, Landline & Mobiles. Your Radio calls a special facility called an Interconnect with a phone number. The Interconnect rings the number you sent and connects you when the phone is answered. This is a very good service and helps travellers contact friends & relatives direct from where ever they may be.

• EMAIL/FAX

- Fees apply - Send Emails and Faxes as you would from home or the office. These features are only available in a couple of HF Radios. A separate Modem is required as well. Emails can be sent and received through normal Email software such as Microsoft's OUTLOOK. This is very high-level communication, and works exceptionally well. All Emails and Faxes are encrypted for security reasons. Codan's Email system was developed for Bank Transactions originally.

SIMPLE HF TERMS & ABREVIATIONS

• SELCALL NUMBER - The HF radio equivalent of a telephone number. This number is usually a four digit ID for your radio. It will be used to call your radio, and it will also be sent by your radio to identify you as the caller.
• CHANNEL - The frequencies that you use to call each other. The VMS-469 Bush Telegraph network has 5 channels.
• CHANNEL TEST/BEACON CALL - A type of call that tests the channel you have selected for strength and clarity. A Beacon call has a different revertive to a Selcall.
• BASE STATION - A radio in a fixed location, such as Woomera Base.
• "EASITALK" - A feature of Codan's NGT HF radios. This feature reduces the amount of background noise or static.
• EMERGENCY CALL - A call that triggers an emergency alarm at a specific station.
• HF - High Frequency.
• MESSAGE CALL - A type of call that will send short messages to another radio.
• MOBILE STATION - A radio installed in a vehicle.
• NETWORK - Any number of radios that use the same channels to communicate. VMS-469 Bush Telegraph is our network.
• PHONE CALL - A call that connects you to a public telephone network.
• PTT BUTTON - Located on the left hand side of your handset. The "PRESS TO TALK" button you hold in when speaking. Similar to a UHF or CB radio.
• REVERTIVE - This is a signal or tone sent back to you from the radio you called. You must listen for the revertive as it will tell you how strong and clear the channel you selected will be. If you do not hear a response, try another channel or maybe their radio is not switched on! If you do hear a revertive, then the radio you called will display your selcall number to that operator.
• R.F.D.S. - Royal Flying Doctor Service.
• R.F.D.S. EMERGENCY - A call that enables you to contact the Royal Flying Doctor Service. (RFDS). An RFDS callout is specifically for very serious medical emergencies. Voice contact with the RFDS base will find out if that is necessary. Speak clearly and don't panic, they are there to help.
• SELECTIVE CALL (SELCALL) - This type of call is the most common call most people make. You are simply calling another radio, but only that radio. You will use their selcall address to do that.
• SWR - This stands for Standing Wave Ratio. It is measure of how well your antennae is working. The lower the SWR the better. (Some of the HF radio models can display their own antennae SWR).
• STATION - Commonly known as a radio. It is the proper name for your transceiver, antennae, cables and power supply. Officially that is you!
• TRANSCEIVER - A HF radio, UHF or CB are also known as transceivers. Simply because the unit can both transmit and receive transmissions, for example - a Codan 9323 Transceiver.

HF RADIO NETWORKS - RECREATIONAL / 4WD

    This is a brief outline of the two major HF Radio networks available for recreational use and 4wd travellers. Costs are covered further on in this chapter.
    It should be noted that both of the major networks share 4 of the 5 voice frequencies.

    We must state here that Beadell Tours use & recommend Reids RadioData, for every type of HF based communication.

REIDS RADIODATA : VMS-469    

    In short Reids Radiodata is better suited to those who use HF Radios for serious personal communication. Whether it is work or leisure VMS-469 offers many levels of reliable economical facilities for all HF users, without the fanfare and red tape. Click here to email  , visit the website  Reids Radiodata  or phone : (02) 6341 1544.

• No restriction on who you can talk to
• Selcall Base Stations any time
• No time consuming "Skeds"
• Friendly staff & Base operators
• Voice Network - 5 frequencies
• Two Phone systems - 9 frequencies
• Email network - 6 frequencies
• Each service has it's own frequencies
• Emergency assistance
• Message service
• GPS logging
• Sensible economical rates

AUST. NATIONAL 4WD NETWORK : VKS-737

    VKS-737 is more suited to the more social Radio user. There are daily scheduled call-in times for all members. Road information is also a part of this service. VKS-737 have some restrictions on the use of your radio, which detracts from the versatility of the later model units. ( VKS-737 website )

• Regular Base Station "Sked" times
• (Sked times are Voice Call only - no Selcalls allowed)
• Road and Weather information
• Voice Network - 5 frequencies
• Phone system supplied by RADTEL
• Friendly staff & Base operators
• Emergency assistance
• Message service
• GPS logging

HF RADIO NETWORK COSTS

This information was correct at 1st December 2007.

REIDS RADIODATA : VMS-469

Bush Phone subscribers receive FREE Bush Telegraph membership.   Email  , visit the website  Reids Radiodata  or phone : (02) 6341 1544.

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL 4WD RADIO NETWORK : VKS-737

RADTEL Phone plans - starting at "Standard" @ $120 up to FlexiRAD-4 at $545. Only available to financial members of VKS-737.

WHICH RADIOS HAVE WHAT FEATURES?

    For anyone looking at buying a HF Radio either new or second-hand this may help with your decision. Listed are the most common Radios in use in Australia currently.
    New model Radios available are in black.

MICK HUTTON COPYRIGHT 2006

BEADELL TOURS

37 Montebello Drive
SALISBURY
South Australia, 5108
Phone : (08) 8250 2718
Mobile : 0408841447
Email : Beadell Tours

ABN : 40 947 959 130

Beadell Tours Home           Site map