 Travelling in out of the way areas? No cell phone coverage? No assistance if something goes wrong?
The New Zealand 4WD Radio Network is a group which uses HF SSB radio's as a reliable and effective way of communicating from areas where conventional communications - Cellular phones, Land Mobile RT's and CB's just don't work from.
HF SSB is a reliable means of communicating over vast distances and from in deep valley's or mountainous areas.
With a HF SSB transceiver fitted to your vehicle you can safely travel with the knowledge that if something goes wrong or your plans change, that with access to the various telephone interconnects spread around the country, there should always be someone "out there" who you can get a message thru to.
This is a growing group of 4WDer's and interested travellers who are concerned with not only their own safety but also the safety of those travelling with them. These radio's give them the added security of knowing that should something happen, or plans change with the people travelling with them, then assistance can rapidly be obtained.
Of course these radio’s have more applications than just 4WDing. During adverse weather conditions when power and telephone lines get cut, cell phone towers die and other communications methods “fall over” the HF radio will always work as long as it has a 12 volt supply (car battery) available. This ability to work over vast areas means that this type of communications can always be relied on.
References
The Long Distance Communications has proved a must for our safety and the safety of those travelling with us. It is peace of mind, knowing that communication is only a call away and not a long walk away.
Graham Hilton.
Hilty's Tours Ltd (G.D.
Hilton Ltd). 4WD Tours and Trainers .
We have had CB and UHF radios for a number of years and were well aware of their range limitations. Having just got our SSB radio's installed this winter, we never imagined that we would be involved in assisting at a local incident so soon where no other means of communications would work. A big success!! They now give us the security to back up our Safety Plan when away with our clients. (2003)
Mt Lyford 4WD Training
We travel into many hidden places of
the South Island where nothing else
works. For the safety of our
customers and our staff we use HF
radio as our primary means of
communications.
NZ Adventures |
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Preferred Equipment Suppliers
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We u se and recommend both Codan HF SSB mobile and base
station equipment.
The reliability of HF communications has now come a long way since the 4WD Radio Network was first started. With the replacement of base equipment, the addition of new frequencies and the ability to make calls to a landline now available, the system is becoming much more versatile.
With the access to later model equipment, which is now more readily available, has seen most of the members take the opportunity to upgrade their older sets to have easy access to all the
facilities and options now
available. These later model sets come complete with auto tuning antennas; this
saves the need to
 have
to carry different antennas for the
different frequencies.
Some later model sets allow, thru a Codan IPC-500C telephone
interconnect, the ability to directly dial telephone numbers to any landline
telephone in the world, while
others have the ability to access pre-programmed numbers stored in the
interconnects memory. The IPC-500 system logs the call information, date
and time along with the individual selcall address of the radio making the call,
allowing for charge back at a later date.
This, along with being able to tell
who has called you and when along with the ability to “test out” the frequencies
before you use them, makes communications with the rest of the world more
accurate, closer, clearer and reliable. |
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Interested in joining the NZ 4WD Radio
Network??
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Concerned about your personal communications
and safety issues and the safety of others travelling with you when you are in
out of the way places or want to know more?? Then send me an email at
NZ4WDRadioNetwork@xtra.co.nz
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What is required?
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The Radio.
To operate with this group you will require a HF SSB radio that is capable of
operating on upper sideband and transmitting at 100 watts. It must also have tone
calling facilities. Both Codan & Barrett manufacture land mobile radio's
especially designed for this purpose. They are available either new or
secondhand.
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Selcall (Tone calling)
It will also be required to be able to send and receive Codan standard, tone calling. These tone-calling facilities will allow you to be able to call another base or mobile without having to use your voice. When the radio intended receives its own, unique & individual signal it will respond to you in a series of recognition beeps and will also ring to tell the operator that another radio is calling them.
This facility has many advantages:
1) Allows you to "individually" contact another mobile.
2) No need to listen to "unwanted chatter" on the radio.
3) "Quiet" at night unless you are specifically needed.
4) Visual indication that you have "missed" a call.
5) Return "beep" from called radio indicates that your call "got thru".
6) Your radio "rings" like a phone to notify you that there is an incoming call for your radio.
Beacon & selective
beacon calling
This allows for the testing out of the frequencies before a call is made. Because frequency reliability changes throughout the day, different frequencies can be used at different times. The later model sets (Codan 8528 and later) allow the user to not only check out the signal from the base but also the signal to another individual
members, late model radio. This allows for much more reliable communications at any time of the day.
Telcall making a call to and from a
landline
With a late model set (Codan 8528 or later) the telephone interconnect will gain access to the telephone network, allowing for calls to be made anywhere in the world. This is achieved by direct access from the buttons on the front of the radio.
With the older sets, which only have access to 3 digit selcall, the interconnect can be programmed to pre determined numbers so that by "dialing" up a 3 digit number on the selcall unit, a call can be made to that
pre-arranged telephone number.
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Mobile equipment. New. |
We can
now quote on new equipment.
Codan NGT AR Voice
(Venturer pack)
The NGT is Codan's latest mobile
equipment. This kit includes the
9350 auto tune antenna.
Download info brochure here
Click Here
Please ask and we can quote on this great package. It will come fully
programmed to the NZ 4WD Radio Network's
or your own requirements.
Codan 9350 auto tune antenna.
Download info brochure here
Click Here
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Mobile equipment. Second-hand. |
We can quote on secondhand equipment
as listed below.
Second-hand radio package.
Codan 9323 mobile package with 9350 auto tune antenna
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 Second-hand radio package.
Codan 8528
remote head HF SSB
Radio comes with 9350 auto tune antenna.
Probably the easiest, most functional radio to operate, but
can also the hardest to get second-hand.
Want to talk to me about any of these radios and discuss outback communications options that work? Send me an email at NZ4WDRadioNetwork@xtra.co.nz
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Mobile autotune antenna's
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The Codan 9350 autotune antenna mounted on the rear of vehicle.
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Hourly HF HAP Charts
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Hourly HAP charts (High Altitude
Propagation)
Get an idea what’s going on with the ionosphere hourly. The ionosphere is what your HF signal bounces off to give you the long distance communications.
Hourly HAP Chart
Select from drop down menu (Auckland) then click on "Display" Coloured bands refer to the frequency legend above. Coloured bands give idea which frequency works best from area to area.
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Links to related sites below (click on pic's)
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Join the Yahoo Groups NZ 4WD Radio Network chat group. Forum for people to talk and discuss about radio communications in outback areas of New Zealand while 4WDing. Promoting safety while 4WDing and the use of responsible radio practices. Joining this group does not
infer membership to the NZ 4WD Radio Network.
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Jim's 4WD
Accessories Hire
Gold Coast Australia
(HF Radio & Safety equipment hire)
Jim was a friend of mine who sadly passed away on the
30th July 2009 after a short illness. He enjoyed his 4WDing and he had a wealth
of experience as far as Codan HF radio's go. He always had a sense of humour and
wrote the following guide about radio speak. (click link)
No speaka da radio
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Going 4WDing in Australia??? Communications are an important aspect to "Outback" travel. The Australian National 4WD Radio Network - VKS737 provide monitored HF SSB radio communications from bases all over Australia.
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Bushcomm. HF ANTENNA
MANUFACTURER.
We use a SWC-100 antenna on our base
Web site Bushcomm
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NZ 4WD Magazine Article May 2003
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HF, SSB Radio
With the limitations of CB, UHF PRS radio's and cell phones etc it can often be difficult to get radio communications with the outside world while 4WDing, especially in an emergency situation. All of the above are limited to a "line of sight" connection with each other or thru a repeater on a high hill. If neither of these is available then you might as well throw the radio in a nearby stream.
For many years, long before cell phones came along, long haul trucking companies, government agencies like DoC and TVNZ used to keep in touch with their vehicles when out of their local RT coverage areas by HF SSB radios. As the years have gone by, with the advances in communications, many of these organisations have changed to "newer types" of communications. Some businesses and organisations like NZ Land SAR, Mountain Radio, DoC, On- Track 4WD and the Marine and Aviation industries still use these radios in mountainous or long distance areas where communications can be difficult.
In Australia, most commercial and government operators, to keep in touch with their people while away from civilization, use this type of communications in the "outback" areas. It is also used by the Australian National 4WD Radio Network (VKS737) to keep in touch with 4WDers where no other type of communications is available to them.
HF (High Frequency) is the radio spectrum with frequencies between 1.6 and 30MHz. Within this radio spectrum an efficient form of transmitter modulation, SSB (Single Side Band), is used. This, combined with the use of the ionosphere (a layer of ionization gases that resides between 100 and 700km above the earth's surface) provides efficient, cost effective communications over short, medium and long distances. It does this without the need for expensive re-transmission devices, such as the VHF or UHF repeaters or satellites.
When HF/SSB radio waves are generated by the transceiver there are usually two components:-
- The ground- wave, which travels directly from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna following the contours of the earth.
- The sky- wave, which travels upward and at an angle from the antenna, until is reaches the ionosphere (an ionized layer high above the earth's surface) and is refracted back down to earth, to the receiving antenna. (Often called "skip" by AM CB users.)
Generally speaking, ground- wave is used to communicate over shorter distances usually less than 50km. Because ground- wave follows the contours of the earth, therefore it is affected by the type of terrain it passes over. Ground wave is rapidly reduced in level when it passes over heavily forested areas or mountainous terrain.
Sky- wave can be used to communicate reliably over medium to long distances up to 3,000km. Whilst the nature of sky-wave propagation means it is not affected by the type of terrain, as are ground waves, it can be affected by other factors involving the ionosphere. Such as the time of day, weather Conditions and man-made electrical interference. For these reasons it can often be easier to talk to someone who is 800km away rather than another who may only be 30km away.
Article written by Malcolm Langley (www.on-track4wd.co.nz)
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