so, what Ham radio bands do you guys use most in Australia?

[e9999]

I have seen some reference to UHF in some Aussie threads, but what are the most popular bands down your way?
Here in the US, it seems like it's the 2m and 70cm bands that are most popular with the "utility" entry level hams. Of course, more serious hobbyists will use HF for greater range but you need a higher level license for that. Probably not too many wheelers carry a HF radio in their trucks here, I'm guessing, especially since ham radio for your average wheeler is still a relatively new thing around these parts it seems.
So, what bands do you guys use most commonly when you go way out there in the Outback?

 

[e9999]

mmm.... evidently, nobody is hearing this down under...

 

[brownbear]

I have seen some reference to UHF in some Aussie threads, but what are the most popular bands down your way?

Not sure on OZ regulations... but UHF if generally above the privileges of ham guys. HF is low in MH. VHF is outside Ham/amateur privilege's. so UHF which is higher might be in some handhelds.

I have UHF equipment I maintain on an aircraft. The are DME(distance measuring equipement) and transponder.

Both are not meant for range.

VHF is line of sight range. So good for 30 kms at average or less.

HF is funny, it is not good for short distance communications. I have worked on plenty of HF installs on planes. Generally they can talk at altitude thousands of KMs.


any hey I could be very wrong with my info in regards to licencing. Most of my radio knowledge is aeronautical

 

[brownbear]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/70_centimeters

more info.

Funny is in BC on the logging roads it is typical to be in the 150 mhz range. Or so. Which is outside those bands.

I run a vertex VHF radio in my truck. It is 136-174 mhz range. Not sure if it can do the 400 ish mhz stuff. I have about 300 channels programmed for all our provinces roads.

 

[e9999]

well, to answer my own question, after reading some of Mick's links, seems like at least one of the big Outback radio organizations uses frequencies around 5 - 10 Mhz...


BB, in the US, the main VHF ham band is 144-148MHz. With an entry level license you can do that, plus 440MHz and also 6m and 220MHz (IIRC), but the latter 2 don't seem to be used much by beginners. You could not go legally in the 150 range just with a Ham license, it would have to be some sort of business or race com license or possibly use MURS which is some sort of free frequency deal, but then again you'd have to find a radio to transmit in there too (a regular ham one would not but they can be modified). Here in the US the 150 and some range is mostly commercial with some public stuff too I think.

 

[brownbear]

well, to answer my own question, after reading some of Mick's links, seems like at least one of the big Outback radio organizations uses frequencies around 5 - 10 Mhz...


BB, in the US, the main VHF ham band is 144-148MHz. With an entry level license you can do that, plus 440MHz and also 6m and 220MHz (IIRC), but the latter 2 don't seem to be used much by beginners. You could not go legally in the 150 range just with a Ham license, it would have to be some sort of business or race com license or possibly use MURS which is some sort of free frequency deal, but then again you'd have to find a radio to transmit in there too (a regular ham one would not but they can be modified). Here in the US the 150 and some range is mostly commercial with some public stuff too I think.

Hey e9999,

In Canada most of the commercial radios(such as forestry roads) use the 150's. My radio I own is a 136-174 mhz range.

The local radio shop programmed it for me in categories. Mainly my unit lists roads in the area(actually all of BC). Since many of the dirt roads are radio controlled up here. Cause the logging or ore trucks have full right of way. So to travel on those roads I need to transmit my position. I do not have a amateur licence. Typically in this commercial band we need our vehicles registered.

I cannot legally go in the 136-174 range on my own, meaning I cannot freely program in that range. As you could be on private frequencies, such as police. My radio had to be programmed on the right channels for the roads, and locked so that I cannot farse with it.



5-10 mhz would be a HF radio. Those are the ones that carry signals around the world. The signals bouce off the stratosphere(?)....

I also have a 118-136 mhz radio in my tool box for checking out aviation radios.... That I can freely program.

 

[Mickldo]

I'm not into the ham scene here in OZ but over here we mainly use UHF (477MHz) for vehicle to vehicle communications. There are a heap of UHF Repeater Towers spread around the country to help with the range.

Some guys still use the old AM CB (27MHz) but they are becoming increasingly rare.

As I posted in my other thread HF Radio is undergoing a bit of a shake up at the moment. The traditional main users of the HF, being the Royal Flying Doctor Service and The School of the Air, are converting over to satphones and the internet for their remote area communications. A lot of outback travellers like the HF so there are a few groups monitoring the airwaves for the travellers like VKS737.

The emergency services use VHF radios (not sure what freq).

http://www.vks737.on.net/

http://www.radtelnetwork.com.au/

http://www.tropinet.com/uhf-repeaters/

http://www.flyingdoctor.net/

 

[1990 LJ78]

Nothing like 2m or 70 cm when your on the road or trail.

73's
VE3UOD