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08-12-2017, 14:55
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sydney (AUS)
Boat: Hanse 370
Posts: 132
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HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
I am planning a cruise to Lizard Is next year. I don't have an HF Tx/Rx rig on board but I do have a good quality Sony multi-band receiver which I intend to use for Aus BoM HF weather from Charleville when I am out of mobile phone range.
Is there an HF radio cruiser's net which is active up the East coast of Australia, particularly Nth Queensland? Can anyone advise frequencies and times?
I won't be able to contribute but it could be a useful source of information to listen in to.
Tks
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08-12-2017, 19:27
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Boat: Island Packet 40
Posts: 6,432
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
About the only one left is that run by the Shag Island Yacht Club. I don't know their frequencies and schedule but they have a website and it's cheap to join.
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08-12-2017, 20:08
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Perth Western Australia
Boat: Mustang 3200 LE
Posts: 16
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
I was able to get coverage on Lizzard earlier this year. Only when on the island though and not very well. But enough to get a weather update.
If you go over to the research station, they have their own phone tower and you get really good phone reception.
I wasn't aware of any HF nets though.
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08-12-2017, 22:06
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,151
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Well, I'm not sure what you are looking for, but the Comedy Net is alive and well, as it has been for over 20 years. It is a ham/maritime mobile net run on the 40 meter ham band 365 days a year. Most of the year we start at 2040 GMT (just after the BOM broadcast of the MSL chart) and always on 7.087 MHz LSB to start, moving off if too much interference is on that frequency.
We take emergency traffic, then position reports, then general check ins, with maritime mobiles taking precedence over land based stations. Typically these days we get 8-15 check ins each day, with about equal numbers of m/ms and land based... all licensed amateurs are welcome, and of course anyone can listen. We do not do any formal weather info, but pass along our observations and complaints. Typically we get coverage from Tasmania to Queensland and out to New Caledonia and Vanuatu, sometimes NZ. The range varies with the vagaries of the ionosphere and is suffering abit right now due to the low sunspot count, but a well developed relay system passes traffic pretty well.
The net was started by ZL1BTQ, Ron, a lighthouse keeper at Cape Brett at the time. Ron's been a silent key for some years now,but others have kept the net going. It was his idea that it should be light hearted, informal and welcoming and we've tried to keep it that way.
Jim
N9GFT/VK4GFT
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
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09-12-2017, 01:14
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 9,398
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
You can get the BOM 3 day forecasts on VHF pretty much all the way from Sydney to Lizard.
And if you're with Telstra, you will have mobile reception for the vast majority of the trip too. There's a blank area between about Port Clinton to Keswick/St Bees, then from about Port Douglas north, but otherwise.....
__________________
"You CANNOT be serious!"
John McEnroe
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09-12-2017, 02:53
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sydney (AUS)
Boat: Hanse 370
Posts: 132
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate
Well, I'm not sure what you are looking for, but the Comedy Net is alive and well, as it has been for over 20 years. It is a ham/maritime mobile net run on the 40 meter ham band 365 days a year. Most of the year we start at 2040 GMT (just after the BOM broadcast of the MSL chart) and always on 7.087 MHz LSB to start, moving off if too much interference is on that frequency.
We take emergency traffic, then position reports, then general check ins, with maritime mobiles taking precedence over land based stations. Typically these days we get 8-15 check ins each day, with about equal numbers of m/ms and land based... all licensed amateurs are welcome, and of course anyone can listen. We do not do any formal weather info, but pass along our observations and complaints. Typically we get coverage from Tasmania to Queensland and out to New Caledonia and Vanuatu, sometimes NZ. The range varies with the vagaries of the ionosphere and is suffering abit right now due to the low sunspot count, but a well developed relay system passes traffic pretty well.
The net was started by ZL1BTQ, Ron, a lighthouse keeper at Cape Brett at the time. Ron's been a silent key for some years now,but others have kept the net going. It was his idea that it should be light hearted, informal and welcoming and we've tried to keep it that way.
Jim
N9GFT/VK4GFT
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That's the sort of thing I was looking for Jim. Thanks. I'll tune in before I cast off to see how dark/light the comedy is.
Tks to the others about mobile and VHF coverage. I'll have a Telstra phone and I saw their coverage was expected to be OK so good to have confirmation from a practical point of view.
Cheers
Ray
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09-12-2017, 15:37
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Boat: Roberts 45
Posts: 1,034
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate
It is a ham/maritime mobile net run on the 40 meter ham band 365 days a year. Most of the year we start at 2040 GMT (just after the BOM broadcast of the MSL chart) and always on 7.087 MHz LSB to start, moving off if too much interference is on that frequency.
Jim
N9GFT/VK4GFT
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Thanks for that info, Jim. I'll be calling in, too, once I get my loop antenna sorted.
heinz, VK2STM
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09-12-2017, 17:13
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2016
Location: mackay, queensland. australia
Boat: e.a jack (builder), g.l watson (designer), 6.2 mtr wll sailboat
Posts: 532
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
sheilir net 8161
ship-ship hf 2284
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09-12-2017, 18:33
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,151
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Quote:
Originally Posted by knockabout
sheilir net 8161
ship-ship hf 2284
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To make that info actually useful, you need to post the time(s) they meet.
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
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10-12-2017, 01:49
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Boat: Roberts 45
Posts: 1,034
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate
To make that info actually useful, you need to post the time(s) they meet.
Jim
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Yep, not even google has ever heard of the "sheilir net". Maybe be a typo for "shelter net"?
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10-12-2017, 02:36
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 9,398
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
I've heard of "Sheila net".
__________________
"You CANNOT be serious!"
John McEnroe
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10-12-2017, 02:38
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Moreton Bay
Boat: US$4,550 of lead under a GRP hull with cutter rig
Posts: 2,135
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Quote:
Originally Posted by hzcruiser
Yep, not even google has ever heard of the "sheilir net". Maybe be a typo for "shelter net"?
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Sheila net. Used to be 8.161 MHz at 2200 UTC. I've not tried it for years.
__________________
“Fools say that you can only gain experience at your own expense, but I have always contrived to gain my experience at the expense of others.” - Otto von Bismarck
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10-12-2017, 02:51
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Boat: Roberts 45
Posts: 1,034
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Mighty
Sheila net. Used to be 8.161 MHz at 2200 UTC. I've not tried it for years.
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Well, that would be off limits for a bloke anyway...?
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10-12-2017, 11:18
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#14
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,151
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Sure are a lot of women named "Sheil1a" in Australia... us Yanks are surprised by that, and now they have their own net. How odd
Jim
Actually, I've not heard of that net for some years now,but it may revive in the cruising season in Qld.
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
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10-12-2017, 12:33
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Boat: Island Packet 40
Posts: 6,432
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Re: HF Radio Nets in Nth Queensland
Sheila Net died when most of the people who initiated it's startup at the beginning of the Qld coast cruising season in March or April decided to go off and cruise Indonesia. There have been a couple of attempts to start it back up but without the hard core of regulars they were unsuccessful.
When it was running it tended to taper off in December as people returned south and ceased cruising for the Christmas holidays.
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