I have been involved in Amateur Radio (Ham) for a few years now & have found that having good radio communication is invaluable while travelling the vast outback areas of Australia. With little or no mobile coverage other options for communication is needed. Satellite Phones are an option but can be expensive to operate. The VK - 737 HF network is also available but has limited capabilities, only having a few available frequencies.
Most of my trips into central Australia have been solo, so the need to be able to keep in touch was high on my list of priorities when setting up my Patrol. A friend had introduced me to Amateur Radio several years before & I thought this would be a good option as I would be able to keep in touch with him via HF when not in mobile phone coverage.
Getting an Amateur licence is a lot easier than it used to be, no more having to learn Morse Code & an entry level style licence has seen an increase in numbers to the hobby over the last ten years or so with around 15,000 licensed operators spread over the country.
With a little electronic & electrical knowledge the first licence level is very easy to achieve & will allow a wide range of activities & options for communications from UHF to HF, giving the ability to communicate with others a kilometre away or with someone on the other side of the world. The cost of obtaining a licence is around $300 dollars & $51 per year to renew.
After 4 weeks of casual study I sat my test & obtained my Foundation license without too much trouble. For around the same price of a Codan or Barret HF radio & mobile antenna system I purchased a good quality UHF/VHF/HF/LF transceiver (ICOM IC-7000) with AM, FM & SSB, tuner & antennas which would give me a wide range of options.
The UHF band would be good for car to car comms, similar to CB but with greater range. VHF would be used as well for comms with even more range & the ability to connect to the repeater network in most major towns & cities, some are linked together giving several hundred kilometres of range. With HF distances would be much greater depending on what band & time of day anywhere from 50 km to 1500 km during the day & worldwide at night.
There are several travellers “Nets” that operate around the country on the Amateur HF bands that you can check into while travelling. You can leave details of where you are headed or family can leave messages to be passed on if needed. Daily social nets also run that you can call into, several have been running for many years & are a great way to let someone know where you are or if you need help.
APRS ( Automated Packet Reporting System) which can be operated on the VHF & HF bands through the repeater network is a tracking & messaging service available to Amateur license holders. Vehicle position can be viewed on Google Maps in real time, giving family & friends the ability to see where you are.
There are also Amateur Radio Satellites passing overhead on a regular bases that have VHF repeaters that can be used to make an emergency contact if needed. A simple App on your phone will tell you when they are due for a pass & what frequencies to use.
Images can be broadcast over HF bands as well & decoded on a laptop, handy for getting the latest weather maps. Being up to date on the weather situation in the outback can make a huge difference to your trip.
I have had many interesting conversations on HF with other amateurs over the years, one memorable one was with a guy in Canada just on dark as I was driving into camp near Uluru. He was heading out on a Moose hunt at around 3 am. Another was a contact with a fellow in Hawaii in the middle of the afternoon while I was camping in the middle of nowhere & I have a regular contact with a guy in Tahiti from my Patrol.
Contact with AH6WX in Hawaii on 21.244 MHz SSB from the Patrol while in Tapin Tops National Park, NSW, Australia.
I have heard many times of people getting into trouble while travelling & the Amateur Radio community has come to the rescue. With around 15,000 operators in Australia there is always somebody on the air if you need help. Somebody will know somebody else nearby that might be able to help or to get in contact with emergency services if needed.
Although I only hold a Foundation license & am limited to a few bands & 10 watts of power, this has been ample to make contact anywhere in the world on the HF bands. The option to use Sideband on UHF & VHF increases the range as well. Echolink & IRLP (Internet Repeater Linking Program) via VHF can be used to link repeaters all over Australia & the world.
There are many aspects to Amateur Radio, far too many to get into here. If you are interested in getting your license the best place to start is the Wireless Institute of Australia which has links to a club near you.
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