Vehicle and Emergency Communication

Vehicle, Koni and Communications

HF RADIOS FOR SALE at  Reids Radiodata

HF RADIO & NETWORKS - REMOTE AREA COMMUNICATIONS

(Updated April 2017)

    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 3,000 kms usually. HF does not require "repeater stations", phone towers 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. 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 an HF radio is the major difficulty newcomers have. It is not that hard and can be easily overcome with practice, 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 an 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, for example Reids Radiodata.
• 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 an 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 short text type message (up to 64 characters). 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 and via some Networks. Some Networks also offer message calls to mobile phones and email addresses (via base stations and with higher plans).

• 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 (this usually attracts extra fees over and above basic network plans; some networks also allow logins by family members to check the positions). These systems are great safety nets for workers and travellers in extremely remote areas but are only available via some Networks.

• 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 or Selcall number. The Interconnect rings the number you sent (or the number programmed in for the Selcall #) 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

• CHANNEL - The frequencies that you use to call each other. For example, the VMS-469 Bush Telegraph network has 5 Voice channels & Bush Telephone has 9 Phone channels available for users.
• 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 Alice Springs 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 (up to 64 characters).
• MOBILE STATION - A radio installed in a vehicle.
• NETWORK - Any number of radios that use the same channels to communicate. VMS-469 Bush Telegraph (Reids Radiodata) is our network.
• PHONE CALL - A call that connects you via an Interconnect 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. ** see RFDS contact updates below **
• 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.
• 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. NOTE -: there is now an app available for newer mobile phones that generate selcall signals that allow non-selcall capable radios to make selcalls (does not require mobile reception) - see Black Cat Systems for more information.
• 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 - An 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.

RFDS EMERGENCY CONTACT UPDATE

    Recent changes to the way HF users can contact the RFDS have created some confusion in regard to emergency calls via HF. For example, as far as we know, the emergency "Red Button" on some HF radios is only applicable for RFDS frequencies at the Port Augusta base (4010, 6890 & 8165 kHz). We haven't been able to find out to date whether they have a selcall number to contact them directly with an HF radio but we'll keep trying. According to the Broken Hill base, they have been experiencing "fatal" problems with their aging HF equipment for a few years now and are in the process of trying to sort it out. Watch this space.......

    Please see the RFDS website for contact details for all RFDS bases around Australia  RFDS bases.   Regardless of the network you choose, if you have HF phone call capability and need medical help in the sticks you can call an RFDS base (see below). All HF users also have the choice of selcalling one of the joint RFDS / VKS-737 bases in WA & QLD only - see How to contact the RFDS via HF Radio in the case of an emergency. For Victoria & Tasmania the only listed phone number is "000" and it is still obviously is the best one to use if in mobile phone range anywhere.

    Other than "000", you really only need to know these 24 hour numbers (or just keep the Jandakot number handy as they will pass you on to the relevant base) -:

    Other than that, HF networks usually have their own arrangements in regard to contacting the RFDS (see the table below).

   Simple!!

HF RADIO NETWORKS - RECREATIONAL / 4WD

    This is an outline of the major HF Radio networks available for recreational use and 4wd travellers, information taken from their websites (November 2015/16). See the table below for comparative costs & services (please be aware that not all radios have all capabilities). By the way, it is a good idea to check out several things before choosing your network; how many members there are for you to communicate with, what services they provide relative to your needs & budget and how flexible they are to deal with.

    Please note too that both Reids Radiodata & VKS share 4 of their Voice frequencies. Reids Radiodata & HFRC members have reciprocal arrangements to use each others frequencies (conditions apply). Radtel & HFoZ have joined forces. See table below for details. We must also reiterate here that Beadell Tours use & recommend Reids RadioData, for every type of HF based communication.

REIDS RADIODATA : VMS-469    

    In short, we feel that Reids Radiodata is better suited to those who use HF Radios for serious personal and economical communication. Whether it is work or leisure VMS-469 offers many levels of friendly, reliable & economical facilities for all HF users, without the fanfare and complicated red tape. Currently Wayne is in the process of adding Selcall capability for RFDS contact (for Voice & Phone users). Click here to email  , visit the website  Reids Radiodata  or phone Wayne Reid : (02) 6341 1544.

HF RADIO CLUB

    For radio & camping enthusiasts, founded in 1998 and recommended by the Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia. Have twice daily skeds -  HFRC website 

AUST. NATIONAL 4WD NETWORK : VKS-737

    VKS-737 was founded in 1993 and is also more suited to the more social Radio user with daily scheduled call-in times for all members. There are restrictions on the use of certain functions of modern HF radios (for example, no data transmission allowed). They now have bases located at 7 QLD & WA RFDS bases -  VKS-737 website 

RADTEL (Phone) & HFoZ (Voice)

    These two Networks are fairly new in this format and have combined but plans are available for each or a combination of both. Emergency Assist is an optional feature available to all plans -  Radtel website  and  HFoZ website 

AUSTRAVEL SAFETYNET

    Around since 2010 for outback travellers & Grey Nomads with twice daily skeds. Bases in NSW, QLD & WA -  Austravel Safetynet 

For printer-friendly version of this table -:   HF Networks  (need pdf reader)

Please let us know of any errors in the table below - correct to 7 November 2016.
Austravel SafetyNet updated January 2021.
Thanks to all for their assistance.

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 (many thanks to Kim Rhodes, President of Austravel SafetyNet for the Jan 2021 update).
    New model Radios available are in black.

MICK HUTTON & CONNIE BEADELL
COPYRIGHT November 2015

BEADELL TOURS

Mobile : 0408 841 447
Email : Beadell Tours

ABN : 40 947 959 130

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