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If insulators are used, the length is measured from the hole in the insulator through which the antenna wire goes. Therefore, the wire must be cut longer than the calculated length to allow for insulator wrap around. Obtain some copper wire (preferably plastic coated) and cut it longer than the length calculated for the frequency. Attach an insulator (nylon rope will do) to one end of the wire so that the distance between the hole and the end of the wire is the correct length. Attach a length of rope and a weight to the end of the rope with the insulator on, throw it over a tree and pull tight. Strip about three centimetres (one inch) of the plastic coating off the free end. Poke the exposed wire between the coils on the antenna spring base, REMOVE THE WHIP ANTENNA. In general the most effective wire is approximately 45 degrees to the ground and broadside to the base station. When there is no means of hoisting the wire up, it can be laid out in a straight line on the ground. In this case propagation occurs with maximum radiation in the direction in which the free end points. Election of Officers for 1998.In the August 1997 issue of Network News nominations were called for the election of three positions on the Committee. Since only three nominations were received (from the previous occupiers of the positions) no ballot was required and the following positions were declared elected until the 1999 AGM: Vice Chairman - John Wood, Treasurer - Mary Charles, Committee Member #3 - Dave Lomman. The remaining `elected' positions are due for election at the 1998 AGM, while the `appointed' positions remain unchanged for 1998. A list of committee positions can be found on the inside front cover of this newsletter. Adelaide Base.Basic Beacon 0699 Selcall 0601 (Duty Operator 1) Selcall 0602 (Duty Operator 2) Selcall 0698 SA Police Communications Centre (Emergency Calls Only) Selcall 0697 SA Police Switchboard. Selcall 0606 Australian Customs Service (Customs Watch- Canberra) Selcall 0694 Worldcare Assistance Services Selcall 0691 Network Coordinator Selcall 0692 Deputy Network Coordinator Important Note: The automatic equipment installed at the Adelaide Base Station will only connect users to the required destination if they are members of the Australian National 4WD Radio Network. Similar conditions also apply to the Beacon. Operators: Colin Brown, Harry ErdmannContact: +61 8 8356 9641 (Colin Brown), +61 8 8287 1061 (Steve Johnston)Beacon Calls: Available 24 hours a day.Voice Call Schedules: 1730 - 1800hrs Central Standard Time (UTC +9hrs 30mins April to October) 1830 - 1900hrs Daylight Saving Time (UTC +10hrs 30mins November to March) Skeds initially commence on 5455kHz then move to the other Network frequencies. During heavy traffic periods the sked may extend past the published time and/or may be assisted by Alice Springs Base. Other frequencies and sked times are available on request to the duty operator. Reports: Northern & Western South Australian Road Condition Report. These reports are upgraded when road conditions change.Selcall Operating Hours (SA Time): 0900 to 2000hrs (subject to operator availability).Alice Springs Base.Selcall 6104 with Selective Beacon. Selcall 0003 with Selective Beacon. Selcall 3939 with Selective Beacon & 3999 Basic Beacon (non scanning). Operators: Ken & Carmen MetcalfeContacts: +61 8 8952 3479. Telephone & FaxSelcall Operating Hours (NT Time UTC +9hrs 30mins):Voice Operating Hours (NT Time): Station Closures (NT Time): 1400 to 1800 hours. & 0000 to 0600 hours.Voice Call Schedules (NT Time): 0900 and 1800 hours.Skeds initially commence on 5455kHz then move to the other Network frequencies. During heavy traffic periods the sked may extend past the published time and/or may be assisted by the other bases. Reports: Broadcast at same times as weather report. These reports are upgraded when road conditions change.
The Alice Springs Base also monitors the Bushfire Council of NT frequencies and provides support, including after-hours and weekends, for that organisation. Gosford Base.Selcall 0090 with Selective Beacon, Basic Beacon 0099 Operators: Derek & Jeanine Barnard of Penta Comstat.Contacts: Telephone +61 2 4365 1966 Fax +61 2 4365 1494Selcall Operating Hours (NSW time UTC +10hrs normal, UTC +11hrs daylight saving): 0700 to 2200 hours for general and emergency traffic.Beacon Calls: Available 24 hours a day.Emergency Selcall Service: Available 24 hours a day.Tone Call (RFDS Emergency Call): 0700 to 2200hrs NSW Time. 5455, 8022 & 11612kHz only.GPS/Page Call: For members with Barrett 550 or Codan 9323, the base can accept GPS position calls and "Page Call" messages.Perth Base.Selcall 0501 with Selective Beacon, Basic Beacon 0599 Operators: Terry, Linda & Tamar Clinch.Contacts: Telephone +61 8 9455 4288. Fax +61 8 9455 4289.Voice Operating Hours (WA Time): The base operates in limited voice scanning mode between 0800 & 1700 Monday to Friday, if you do not get through please try again a little later.Voice Call Schedules (WA Time): 0810 to 0840 and 1700 to 1730hours Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).Selcall Operating Hours (WA Time): 0800 to 1700 hours. After hours, and weekends, it is planned to divert Selcall calls to a duty volunteer operator.Beacon Calls: Available 24 hours a day.St Marys (Tasmania) Base.Selcall 0701 with Basic Beacon 0799 Selcall 0043 with Selective Beacon Operators: Michael, Gerald & Wendy AulichContact: Telephone +61 3 6372 2283 Fax +61 3 6372 2777Beacon Calls: Available 24 hours a day.Voice Call Schedules: (Tasmanian Time UTC +10hrs standard, UTC +11hrs daylight saving) 1930 to 2000 hours.Skeds initially commence on 5455kHz then move to the other Network frequencies. During heavy traffic periods the sked may extend past the published time and/or may be assisted by the other bases. E-mail over HF RadioE-mail over HF radio is now available to members through the Gosford Base. Connection with any e-mail address on the Internet is now possible. All you need is a HF data modem connected to your existing HF radio, and a PC. The service is supplied to our members by Penta Comstat who provide a continuous automatic HF radio Gateway to the Internet. A member linking with the system for the first time will automatically receive a registration form which can be completed and returned by fax or e-mail. The member is registered immediately as a temporary member and can link again to receive a HELP file and send or receive e-mail messages. The e-mail service is directed at small craft & land mobiles wishing to maintain contact with family, friends or work while travelling. Members are charged on time connected to send and receive messages ($1.30 per 2 min) and a monthly service charge of $20 for every month that the service is used. The records over several months indicate an average transfer rate of 500 - 1500 bytes per dollar depending on propagation conditions. Further details on the service can be obtained from Derek & Jeanine at Gosford by telephone on +61 2 4365 1966, fax on +61 2 4365 1494, or [email] or visit the web page at: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pentacom. The Ten Commandments of Four Wheel Driving
4WD and Outdoor Shows 1998.Are you looking for: a new 4WD, wheels and tyres, accessories for your vehicle, camping equipment, caravans and camper trailers, GPS and communication equipment, any outdoor adventure activity product, boats and fishing equipment. If so you should visit the 1998 4WD and Outdoor Shows when they come to your area:Brisbane. July 17,18, 19. Sydney. August 14, 15, 16. Adelaide. October 23, 24, 25. Perth. November 20, 21, 22. For further details about the 4WD and Outdoor Shows contact Chris Osborne or Bob Schrader on + 61 1800 50 4445 or fax +61 8 9401 5935. Chlorine: Keep it for your swimming pool, not your car battery.Members should be aware of the possibility of failure that can occur in vehicle batteries should the acid become contaminated with chlorine. The failure occurs as corrosion of the positive plate of the battery and its associated connections. The problem has a serious safety aspect, in that a cell may explode violently should a spark occur within it at the time when the plate or connections fail. The explosion is caused by the spark igniting the hydrogen and oxygen gas that is given off from the battery when it is charging (particularly if the battery is fully charged after a long run and is gassing freely at the time). Chlorine contamination of the battery acid results in the formation of Perchlorates in the battery which causes the corrosion mentioned above. The maximum permissible level of the perchlorate ion is below 300 parts per million, this means that the maximum allowable contamination level is very small indeed. Perchlorate poisoning causes the positive plate to be very dark in colour and mushy in texture. The perchlorate ion is not consumed in the reaction and continues until the battery fails, even draining the battery, and replacing the acid will not stop the problem. The problem can be caused through various reasons such as:
The only safe way to guard against poisoning of the battery is to top up with Pure Distilled Water stored in polyethylene containers. Remember, the few cents you save filling the battery from the tap instead of buying some distilled water may be very expensive if the engine bay gets sprayed with acid if the battery should explode. ACBRO 20 Year AwardsRecently ACBRO has honored a few people who have been active in the CB scene during the 20 years since CB radio became legal in this country. The following report is reprinted from the Nov/Dec 1997 ACBRO Action. "Here's a report on another old-time CBer who ACBRO has honoured with a 20-year award for having been operational on the bands for that period and having provided a service to users of the CBRS. The first of these is Ken Metcalfe, currently residing at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, and his nomination came from the monitoring network in that area, CARES. Ken has been helpful in providing information to verify the authenticity of the nomination made on his behalf and, in perusing it, it can be seen that a book has been written on him and his children relating to his work as a park ranger. In spending more time to analyse the notes, clippings and QSL cards dating back into the sixties, it can be seen that it would be a simple task to sit down and write a book on his CB escapades. In fact, there is enough information to make one wonder whether Ken is the original Mr. CBer himself; no doubt others may wish to lay claim to this title, but where are they when ACBRO is issuing awards? Well with space here being insufficient to write a book on Ken, let us just look at some of the items which make up the dossier of material on hand. Ken's letter (in part) which supports the nomination made on his behalf, is as follows, and is a mini-story of its own… "I have been reading in your most recent great little newsletter about the early days of CB. Maybe I should head this letter 'The Early Days of CB'… You mention the early '70s, well I was on air in the early '60s. Around 1962 I was a Ranger in the Sutherland Shire south of Sydney, NSW. I used walkie talkies to assist me with my duties between home and the Heathcote Primitive Area where I worked. "These units ran only one watt of power, and were called Land Master. They were made in Australia, and at times I would work stations in New Guinea and Melbourne. It was not until I erected a Dipole on top of a mountain that I started to hear stations in America. USA callsigns like Skid Row Pete, Mini Skirt Control, Leather Britches etc, and at times worked these stations on a one-watt handheld. "In 1963 I was transferred to the Hallstrom Nature Reserve north of Sydney, and the elevation at the Rangers Headquarters was much higher than my previous location - and, as you can guess, in no time I was working stations from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide etc. "At Christmas 1964 CBers from Melbourne and Sydney visited my 10-20 for a get together. There were approximately 20 people, all CBers, and we formed the country's first unofficial CB Club. We called our club the Bush Bandits after the name of a children's story book, written by Betty Roland. Her book was based on fiction, but it turned out to be a pretty accurate story based on my children and myself as a park ranger! "For many years I worked the world and many countries as a pirate operator, also a member of Australia's first SSB club, called the DW - Delta Whisky - based in Sydney and Melbourne. "For your records, I am now retired, and am living in Alice Springs with my wife. We are still very active, being members of CREST for years and still operating CREST 21 in Alice Springs. I am also the Base for the Australian National 4WD Radio Network, and as you can see I am still a very keen radio operator. Well! Yes, Ken is certainly a keen radio operator, and in his early days his enthusiasm with radio did get him into some trouble with the authorities, or "Red Indians"" as they were then known. In his memoirs is a copy of a 1969 press cutting with the headline Radio use leads to $50 fine which goes on to say … "A park ranger who had used a radio for law enforcement and police rescue was fined $50 yesterday for unlawfully using the radio." Ken's admission that he did not have a licence was his undoing, and the matter was not helped by a search revealing, as the paper reports "…a card discovered at the site indicated Metcalfe was communicating with people in NSW, America and New Zealand…". The papers of the day also reported that his assistance to the police in rescue work, and also quotes "… He is proud he has continued to keep the area free of bushfire with the aid of radio…". This obviously carried little weight with the 'beak', and the $50 fine in those days represented a bigger sting than what would be the case in these days of the nineties. Not to mention, of course, the confiscation of the radios which then was par for the course. Hence, when CB licensing became legal, guess who was first in line for a licence? Naturally stock-standard Ken, who was issued with the first licence for his area, being SEM-001. Actually, Ken did have a license back in 1968 for operating and owning radios, and these form part of his archives. In examining the terms of the licence, it could have been said in those days that it was as useful as a Holden handbrake. The form claims the purpose of licence was "… the exchange of messages relating to safety whilst trout fishing, on camping expeditions etc…". Obviously, this did not include making a 'trip"to the United States or New Zealand on the one-watt hand-held from the top of a high hill! In fact, Ken's licence then had several special conditions which in general terms claimed the radios must be hand-held (not base), used on camping trips only, and not employed whilst on official duty as a ranger! Amongst other treasures in Ken's library is his membership card for the Earth DX International Group, where he was the 43E-107-NT - a life member. To query the fact that this card carries the name of 'Brian', Ken would respond "…yes, I had a lot of names in those days…!". Another name, or callsign, under which Ken operated was 'Bandicoot'. How many readers can lay claim to a contact with that name back in the pirate days? Another of his press cuttings dated September 4, 1968, relates to a radio contact in WA under the headline Fluke Link and tells the story about a surveyor and mining draftsman with walkie-talkies that normally operate over a 10 mile range, establishing a 30 minute contact between Western Australia and Mt Newman in NSW. The paper referred to the operator as "…code-named Bandicoot…". It can only be assumed that the time taken for this surveyor was in his lunch hour! Well, as indicated initially, this story could go on, with the many notes of evidence that support the claim that ACBRO should recognise this CBer from way back, who has continued over the years in his hobby and also has served the community, and is currently doing so, with handling emergency calls on the radio and being a good friend to the many who know him. ACBRO's response in recognising Ken was favorable and he is a recipient of an award and the salute from those who know him. Adelaide 4WD & Outdoor Show.As mentioned at the start of the Newsletter we have been kept busy with displays at the Adelaide & Perth 4WD & Outdoor Shows. The show in Adelaide was the first of its kind to be held in that city and it was a very pleasant surprise to see the very high quality of the displays and also the high level of attendance:
Giving a total attendance of 17183 paying customers. We were quite taken by surprise at the amount of interest in our display, on the Friday morning we had 600 back copies of National 4 Wheeler magazine which we thought would last the whole three days of the show - the magazines only lasted until 2 pm. During the show we also handed out over 300 "Joining a 4WD Club" brochures, over 600 VKS-737 Radio Network brochures, over 400 customs watch brochures and large quantities of brochures for our affiliated associations and organizations. Thanks to the following people for the time they spent either setting up or manning the display over the three days:
Perth 4WD & Outdoor Show.Following on from the success of the Adelaide 4WD & Outdoor Show in October we were even more surprised with the results at the Perth Show held in November. This year the attendance figures were up by 30% on last year:
Giving a total attendance of 24236 paying visitors. As with the Adelaide Show there was a tremendous amount of interest in our display, over the three days we handed out over 1100 Australian National 4WD Radio Network Inc. Information Kits, a record for any show that we have ever attended in any state. Thanks to the following people for the time they spent either setting up or manning the display:
Thanks also to the following organisations who had Australian National 4WD Radio Network displays on their stands:
Finally a big thank you to Chris Osborne, Bob Schrader & Monty Moy from 4WD and Outdoor Show Pty Ltd. for their assistance in providing the site and looking after us during the Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth shows. Don't forget to put the dates for the 1998 4WD and Outdoors Shows in your diary - details appear on Page 4 of this newsletter. [See also 4WD Events] Melbourne 4WD Show.While we did not have our own display at the Melbourne Show in October we were represented on three stands at the show:
The feedback that I have received back from the show would indicate that there was quite a large amount of interest in the VKS-737 Network, and this has been supported over the past few weeks with several inquiries, and new membership applications. I would like to thank the following people for the time and effort that they put into promoting the Network at the Show.
Book ReviewThe Penta Marine Radio Communications Manual - Second Edition. The second edition of the Penta Marine Radio Communications Manual is a bound book of 200 pages covering everything you need to know about marine radio for Australia and the South Pacific. The manual was first published (in loose leaf format) in March 1987 and has been reprinted with corrections in 1988, 1989 and 1990, and two updates have been published each year covering changes and additions to the end of 1994. More than 3000 copies of the 1st edition manual have been sold. The manual has now been completely revised and published in a bound book format, a correction service will be available to cover the inevitable changes that will occur and the page layout of the manual has more than generous space available to allow corrections and notes to be made when required. The manual includes the latest information on:
The new manual is available through direct mail order from the publisher for $39.95 postage paid within Australia. The manual can also be purchased through larger marine and electronics stores around Australia - contact Derek & Jeanine at Gosford Base for further details. Witjira National ParkIt has just been announced that Steve Charles, (the Secretary of the Australian National 4WD Radio Network Inc.) has been appointed to the Witjira Board of Management. The board, responsible for the administration of the Witjira National Park in South Australia, comprises representatives from various organisations such as Department of Natural Resources and Aboriginal Management groups etc. As well has his newly appointed position Steve is also a member of the Northern Consultative Committee in South Australia so one can imagine he his going to be very busy in future. 1998 Membership Card / Licence AuthorityFollowing suggestions from many members it has been decided this year to go away from the A4 size paper licence authority to a new Credit Card sized plastic membership card. The new card contains membership details such as your name, address, callsign and membership category. The card can be used to show that you are a member of the VKS-737 Australian National 4WD Radio Network when you wish to make purchases at those dealers who are offering discounts or benefits to members. Frequency Prediction Service.Members travelling in the Outback can obtain Hourly Area Prediction (HAP) Charts for the areas that they are travelling in. The HAP’s consist of 27 contour charts (3 pages per set) containing contoured frequency prediction charts superimposed over land maps of Australia. The charts show numbers representing the frequencies in use by VKS-737, and allow members to chose the best typical frequency for the time of day and the location that they are trying to contact. The copies of the charts are received one month in advance and are available from the Network Coordinator for $2 per set including postage. We have charts based on the following locations:- Adelaide, Alice Springs, Cairns, Darwin, Derby, Gosford & Perth. Steve Johnston Committee:Chairman/Network Coordinator: Steve Johnston. [08] 8287 1061 Fax [08] 8287 1255 Vice Chairman: John Wood. [08] 8265 5190 Fax [08] 8395 1718 Secretary / Public Officer: Steve Charles. [08] 8325 0383 Fax [08] 8325 0383 Treasurer: Mary Charles. [08] 8325 0383 Fax [08] 8325 0383 Committee Member: Ro Franceschini. [08] 8270 1073 Committee Member: Kryn Buitendyk. [08] 8258 2005 Fax [08] 8250 2365 Committee Member: Dave Lomman. [08] 8566 2387 Auditor: Paul Finlay. [08] 8264 5001 Fax [08] 8300 8475 Patron: Anne Beadell [08] 8524 6594 Representatives/Delegates: ACBRO: Lloyd Rover. [08] 8293 4258 Fax [08] 8373 4239 ACRM: Phil Richards. [08] 8522 6081 Fax [08] 8523 0921 ANFWDC: Lee Smith. [08] 8264 7980 Fax [08] 8395 3136 Australian Customs Service: Alex Kelsall. [08] 8447 9263 Fax [08] 8447 9270 CARES: Bruce Chesterfield. [08] 9344 1786 Northern Territory: Ken Metcalfe. [08] 8952 3479 Fax [08] 8952 3479 NSW / ACT: Peter James. [02] 9482 2198 Fax [02] 9476 2302 NSW / ACT 4WD Association: Mervyn Vessey. [02] 9484 6861 Fax [02] 9484 6861 Queensland: Lauren Ward. [07] 3279 5577 Fax [07] 3279 5181 SA Police: Peter Collise. [08] 8207 4499 Fax [08] 8207 4525 Tasmania: Michael Aulich. [03] 6372 2283 Fax [03] 6372 2777 The 4WD Owners Card: Rod Schipp. [07] 3219 9577 Fax [07] 3841 3966 Tread Lightly Australia: Jan Scudamore. [07] 3379 9129 Fax [07] 3379 1679 Victoria: Peter Greenham. [03] 9873 4142 Fax [03] 9872 4229 Western Australia: Terry Clinch. [08] 9455 4288 Fax [08] 9455 4289 Western SA: Bronte Gillard. [08] 8625 2796 Fax [08] 8625 2440 Worldcare Assistance Services: Paul McGregor. [07] 3371 0144 Fax [07] 3870 0541 Adelaide Base: Colin & Jean Brown. [08] 8356 9641 Harry & Jenny Erdmann. Alice Springs Base: Ken & Carmen Metcalfe. [08] 8952 3479 Fax [08] 8952 3479 Gosford Base: Derek & Jeanine Barnard. [02] 4365 1966 Fax [02] 4365 1494 Perth Base: Terry, Linda & Tamar Clinch. [08] 9455 4288 Fax [08] 9455 4289 St. Mary’s Base: Michael, Gerald & Wendy Aulich. [03] 6372 2283 Fax [08] 6372 2777 The Australian National 4WD Radio Network Inc. is operated in conjunction with: Australian National Four Wheel Drive Council Inc. and affiliated State 4WD AssociationsAlice Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigade Australian Association of Citizen and Band Radio Operators Inc. Australian Citizen Radio Monitors Inc. Australian Customs Service Bureau of Meteorology (Northern Territory Regional Office) Bush Fires Council NT – Alice Springs West Region Central Australia Radio Emergency Service Inc. Citizens Radio Emergency Service Teams (NT) Inc. Department of Environment & Natural Resources (SA) IPS Radio & Space Services Penta Radio Communications S.A. Police The 4WD Owners Card Tread Lightly Australia Worldcare Assistance Services 30th November 1997 The Australian National 4WD Radio Network Inc. is a public benevolent institution. All Gifts of $2.00 or more to the Network are allowable tax deductions to the donor under Section 78(4) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936. Go to the AN4WDRN cross-reference page
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