Outback Communications
Any traveller who requires reliable, full power, long distance communications equipment at an affordable price should seriously consider an HF radio package. To ensure they get the maximum benefit from their HF radio they should also take advantage of the services offered by a 4WD radio network. A call for assistance by the owner of an HF radio over a radio network frequency can be heard by hundreds of people, many of whom would be in a position to assist.
Australia's most popular HF radio pack is the Barrett Outback Traveller Pack. Consisting of the Barrett 2050 radio with remote head and an automatic tuning mobile antenna, this package also comes with a voucher for 12 months membership to the Australian National 4WD Radio Network (VKS-737).
Produced by Perth's Barrett Communications Pty Ltd, the Barrett 2050 offers all of the features that today's users of HF radios have come to expect, plus a number of practical innovations.
This transceiver operates over a frequency range of 1.6 to 30MHz for transmit and 0.5 to 30MHz for receive. There are 500 channels available and the radio comes pre-programmed with a number of useful frequencies. For day to day use you can utilise the Australian National 4WD Radio Network (VKS-737). The VKS-737 Network provides a number of services including weather and road condition reports, direct access to selected police and RFDS facilities and ten base stations which act as contact points for position reporting and safety logging, as well as passing messages to and from home or other network members.
To assist in an emergency you have all the Royal Flying Doctor frequencies. To help combat boredom on those long journeys you can listen to Radio Australia, BBC World, or Voice of America. Telcall is included which allows telephone access utilising direct dial telephone services to place telephone calls without the requirement to go through an operator (call charges may apply). For more information have a look at the Radtel HF Radio Network and HF Radio club websites from the links below.
While HF remains the only cost effective means of long distance communications, conditions at times can be somewhat less than ideal. So when conditions are difficult and it is vital that your message gets through, you will appreciate it has the full legal power output of 100 Watts.
Other features which will impress both first time and experienced HF users are the short text message capability, emergency selcall, digital signal processing, internal address books and GPS interface software, all of which are standard in the Outback Traveller Pack.
These packages are available through Barrett's worldwide network of sales and service agents. For further details contact Barrett Communications Pty Ltd, Bibra Lake, WA on 08 9434 1700 or toll free 1800 999 580.
Feedback from HF radio customers
SIR -My husband and I are both members of the Barossa Valley 4WD Club and along with five other club vehicles recently attempted a trip along the Anne Beadell Highway. Unfortunately an uninvited guest by the name of Murphy joined our convoy.
After several incidents along the way, we had to abandon our trip near Serpentine Lakes when a Nissan GU Patrol in our group suffered major damage to its rear suspension trailing arm. The driver of the vehicle had Nissan Assist but how do we avail ourselves to this service?
Fortunately four of our group are members of the VKS-737 Radio Network. We were able to contact a base in Alice Springs which was able to contact Nissan on our behalf and plans were put in placed for the retrieval of the Nissan. This meant our group travelling to Cook where it would be met by a tow truck. This manoeuvre took place over several days as we were unable to travel faster than 30km/h. All the time we were in contact with the VKS- 737 bases and other members of the network. When we were about 80km north of Cook, Murphy struck again, this time our vehicle, a Toyota Troopy. We had broken both rear springs. Again we sought the resources of the radio network to help us out.
I don't know if many Overlander readers know about the existence of the AN4WD VKS-737 Radio Network. The network was established in 1993 to provide information on weather and road conditions and give assistance to people travelling in remote areas. It is a charitable organisation run by volunteers, mainly 4WD enthusiasts.
There are bases in Adelaide (SA), Alice Springs and Darwin (NT), St Mary's (TAS) and Perth and Sandstone (WA).
I urge fellow 4WD owners who have a HF radio to join this network. The small fee involved is nothing compared to the efforts extended by the base operators and fellow travelling members to help in a time of need.
I don't know how we would have gotten out of the mess we were in without the help of the network. We were in a remote area and did not see another vehicle for five days.
So to all the VKS-737 base operators and members who came to our aid and all the members who inquired after our safety, a big thank you.
We have all arrived home safely and in time will probably laugh about our trip. Although at the time it didn't seem like fun. And Murphy?
He is probably looking to hitch a ride somewhere north of Cook.
Ros Lomman
After getting my HF radio and joining VKS-737 last year, I had no idea I was going to need it so soon. I had been listening to the regular scheds, but made no contact. Travelling on my own, I don't go looking for challenging tracks, but in the Victorian High Country I did end up in a situation where assistance was required. When I got no response on my mobile phone, 27MHz and UHF, I dug out the HF manual and did some quick learning. I found "emergency selcall" (press selcall then hold alarm for two seconds) and the result was immediate, at least 4 or 5 people responded (my apologies to those who thought it was another hoax - it took me a while to work out how to lock in the frequency).
Eventually I was talking to Mike at St Mary's Base, with input from others, Mike was on the phone to the RACV in Heyfield and relayed information between them and me. Thanks Mike for being so efficient and supportive in organising the recovery. The Heyfield RACV (Ariel Motors) did an excellent professional job.
I also wish to thank those who called that day and the next, I haven't got your callsigns but I did appreciate your concern. By the way in response to one caller, I do know how to change a wheel on my vehicle.
This incident showed me the value of our network and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Mark MacKerral - Sierra 508
The year 2000 started with a bang in some parts of Australia. Sydney may have had the fireworks, but Newman WA had it's own surprise. On the night of 1 January the heavens opened, and for 2 hours, what can only be described as torrential rain fell - a disaster for anyone camping peacefully beside Kalgan's Pool.
At 11.00pm we awoke to the sound of rain. By 11.30pm we realised this was not the usual light shower of rain, as our campsite on the highest bank of the pool was flooding. Time to leave - fast! We headed to the track out, with the going slow due to the heavy rain, poor visibility and muddy track. Unfortunately, we hit a very soft patch, and the left side of our Nissan Patrol bogged down. So out with the shovel and torch. Whilst attempting to dig out of the mud we heard a roaring sound, and turned to see a ˝ meter wall of water coming towards us down the track. The force of it picked up the vehicle and pushed it forward, and so we tried to steer to higher ground, but got caught up on rocks. As we attempted to move the water rose at an alarming rate, until it was up to the headlights. At this point we decided that the best thing was to secure the vehicle to a tree, and climb up the rocky hill to wait it out.
The water peaked at the level of the bonnet, but by daylight it had subsided to leave us on a high spot, with the vehicle bogged to the under carriage, surrounded by puddles, with the engine bay full of leaves and debris and branches lodged under and around. What a sorry sight.
With no way to start the vehicle, and cut off by the flood waters, we turned to our new Barrett 950 HF radio, only to find the speakers and transceiver full of water. So we removed the cover and mopped out the water, then left it to dry. With a lot of patience we managed to get it working but “low battery” on the display. Another recent addition to our vehicle had been a solar panel and deep cycle battery to power our fridge. We connected these to the HF radio, but could not raise any of our WA bases. In desperation we tried Alice Springs base, and heard the sweet voice of Ken Metcalfe crackle through.
Ken worked tirelessly, contacting Newman Police, coordinating an emergency airdrop via Karratha SES and arranging for Polair to airlift us out. He also contacted our families, keeping them up to date as to what was happening. All this as well as keeping in regular contact with us. We are very grateful to Ken and all the other base station operators who keep the 4WD radio network on air.
After 2 days we were winched to safety by Polair 61 (based in Perth) and taken to Newman. Without our HF radio we would have been stranded for much longer. (It was 2 weeks before the water subsided enough to retrieve the vehicle). We all travel throughout Australia thinking "it will never happen to me." This is usually the case, but be prepared, you just never know when you may need the assistance.
Narelle & Michael Jangen - Whisky 1974