billyboy wrote:The sending of light messages across Tasmania reminds me of the old ex WW2 British Bedford fire trucks that the Tas Fire Service (then the Rural Fires Board)got in the 1970s. They had a huge capacity PTO driven pump that could pump at a high pressure and volume. It was said that as an exercise, a series of these were set up and and pumped water across England from East to West!
I'm back in Victoria after 3 nice weeks back in Tasmania, I took a UHF CB and some $69 UHF hand helds (100mW?)
I find them handy in the bush especially when with other 4WDs or with a group of walkers.
I was able to chat on the hand held from Prospect Mt near the Cradle Link Rd, to one of the Shuttle buses on the Cradle Mt Rd, somewhere between the Cradle Mt Lodge and Snake Hill. Must have been 10+ km.
You are dead right, here in Melbourne the UHF channels are full of the most idiotic ranting imaginable, but the outer suburbs and country areas are ok.
In the city I only use UHF walkie talkies for short distance communication, mainly at work (Industrial electrical automation etc)
I passed my novice amateur exams many years ago but never got on air, I dont have much radio gear at the moment, I had a HF Barlow Wadley receiver, but maybe when the budget allows....!
Bill.
Hi Bill.
Interesting . Those Bedfords may have been RL's .. a very good 4X4 made in the early 1950's and production continued right into the 60's . Still in British army service in the first gulf war. In fact, I'm positive they would be RL's . The army here didn't buy them..but the Kiwi's did .
In the UK , during the cold war , they built hundreds of Bedford GREEN GODDESS pumper trucks ..in case of NUCLEAR war . These are still in storage , ready to go BTW ....fully maintained ..old 1950's vehicles ... the photos of them lined up in storage are amazing .... they look brand new still .
Yep ..I've got those cheap UHF hand helds too , they put out about 1/3rd of a watt ... they work very well .. if you could rig up a folding yagi antenna with some gain.. you could take it in your back pack on bushwalks .
The Barlow Wadley is a famous receiver , made in South Africa from memory .. they sold well here . I've played with one or two but never owned one . The Wadley loop design was taken up by RACAL in the UK .
Mike