Radio News

11 December 1998: The Australian National 4WD Radio Network Inc. is just about to expand its Network of Base stations around Australia. A licence application was submitted to the Australian Communications Authority on Monday the 7th of December 1998 for the new base station in Darwin, N.T.. The base will consist of a fully automated / remote controlled transceiver and telephone interconnect unit similar to those presently installed at Adelaide (South Australia), Alice Springs (Northern Territory), Perth (Western Australia) and St Marys (Tasmania).

The transceiver will be under the joint control of the Northern Territory Department of Correctional Services, and CREST (NT), the base controller will be Ian Birbeck the Director of CREST in the Northern Territory. The service will provide automatic incoming connections to services such as the NT Police, St John Ambulance, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Australian Customs Service etc. The base can also be remotely controlled from any of the existing VKS-737 bases around Australia as well as by any of the Emergency Service organisations (ie Police, RFDS etc) that are affiliated with the Australian National 4WD Radio Network. The base will monitor all VKS-737 frequencies ie Ch.1 5455kHz, Ch.2 8022kHz, Ch.3 11612kHz, Ch.4 14977kHz & Ch.5 3995kHz.

As soon as we get the licence from ACA we will let you all know so that you can start monitoring the site.

Plans are also under way for a new base at Derby in Western Australia, it is hoped that a licence application will be lodged with ACA early in 1998.

Bushfire & Cyclone Reports: Its that time of year when Australia suffers from Bushfires and Cyclones so once again our bases are now regularly transmitting warnings to members, other travellers, fishermen etc.

The bushfire warnings are transmitted on our regular daily voice call schedules (see our Web Site at http://4wdclubs.sofcom.com/au/an4wdrn/ for schedule times). The Australian National 4WD Radio Network has also recently been contracted by the Northern Territory Bushfire Council to provide their bushfire warning information service out of the Alice Springs Base. This has involved the installation of additional transmitters both on HF and also VHF at the base station.

Cyclone warnings are transmitted as they are received from the Bureau of Meteorology - this is usually at around 3 or 4 hour intervals, however the frequency of warnings may increase in cases of extreme danger.

For further details on the operation of the Australian National 4WD Radio Network please check our [website]

73

Steve Johnston, VKS-737 mobile Sierra 1, Chairman.

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. (Applicable to Australia & its Territories only)

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