After reading the posts here I'm a bit confused. I am considering a trip over Bass Strait and around Tassie next year. What Starlink option would suit that trip?
thanks
Select to expand quotesailorsilas said..
After reading the posts here I'm a bit confused. I am considering a trip over Bass Strait and around Tassie next year. What Starlink option would suit that trip?
thanks
My understanding is that the Mobile Regional ("RV") version is adequate for coastal waters. It will cut out once you're too far offshore but I've heard that it is possible to upgrade to Mobile Priority with existing hardware.
Depends what functionality and coverage you are after.
As I understand it there are large sections of Tassie coast where you will not get mobile coverage, so if you need an Internet connection daily or continuously then you will need a satellite capability - starlink for a fast connection, iridium go for a much slower one.
I think it depends on what you want it for. The starlink regional roam package is only good for around 24nm offshore I believe. So if you need a fast connection beyond that you need to opt into a package with broader coverage, if it is broadband connectivity you are after. If you don't need broadband, and only want a slow connection which is global and good enough for grib files and text messages then iridium go may be more suited.
others have suggested the starlink gear for $360-500 is less reliable when the mounting point for the antenna is moving - such as a boat at sea or possibly even moored in a decent swell. I don't have experience to say whether or how much movement is problematic. The much more expensive ($3000) antenna for marine use is recommended by Starlink presumably as it has a wider angle of view to 'see' satellites (160 degrees vs 110 degrees I believe), and so is less disrupted by movement.
Costs for starlink are relatively easy to establish. Costs for iridium less so as they are sold as third party Sat phone plans, eg by Telstra. The modem seems to go for about $1500. If it is mainly weather you are after then I understand predictwind may bundle iridium go with its subscription but I don't have a predictwind subscription of this kind to be certain.
Thanks for the helpful answers. Will need some internet capability so looks like Starlink for offshore as I need to always have it.
I'm planning on getting Starlink before my next big trip. I was chatting with someone who just sailed across the Great Australian Bight with the Mobile Regional (RV) plan, and the trick is to opt into Mobile Priority (global) data before you go out of range, i.e., pay only for the extra coverage when you actually need it.
That said, I will almost certainly keep my Iridium Go as well. If you need to abandon ship, you can take your Iridium Go with you. Just keep a small mobile solar charger with USB output in your grab bag (like www.jaycar.com.au/10w-solar-mobile-charger-with-usb-output-with-1m-cable/p/MB3595).
It's been a useful discussion for me at least. But just to complicate things on the hardware side Starlink now sells a Starlink Mini that doesn't need an inverter to power it or the router, so likely better suited to boat use than the hardware they were running out the door at a discount up to 31 July. From what I've seen, the new hardware can be ordered now for ~$800, but won't be delivered until mid Sept. I'll be interested to hear from anyone who tries it out.
The Mini hardware looks like the way to go on a boat, for those of us that don't have big inverters or gensets (or who just prefer keeping everything running on 12V).
It is significantly more energy-efficient than the standard dish:
Mini: 25-40 W
Standard: 75-100 W
With the Standard you get "Snow Melt Capability", but I don't think we'll miss that in Australian waters.
Select to expand quotesailorsilas said..
After reading the posts here I'm a bit confused. I am considering a trip over Bass Strait and around Tassie next year. What Starlink option would suit that trip?
thanks
I've managed to log into the Ferry's wifi in the middle of Bass Strait as it whizzed by !
Starlink has just discounted the Starlink Mini from $599 to $299.
www.starlink.com/au/roam
Select to expand quotescruzin said..
Starlink has just discounted the Starlink Mini from $599 to $299.
www.starlink.com/au/roam
BTW, when using Starlink mostly in coastal waters and only occasionally offshore the normal "Roam - 50GB" subscription, currently $80/month, seems adequate. Before heading offshore (more than 12 nautical miles), change your subscription to "Mobile Priority - 50GB", which is currently $374/month. Then once back in coastal waters, simply revert your subscription to the "Roam - 50GB".
I'll be giving it a thorough testing cross the Great Australian Bight later this month.
Select to expand quotescruzin said..scruzin said..
Starlink has just discounted the Starlink Mini from $599 to $299.
www.starlink.com/au/roam
BTW, when using Starlink mostly in coastal waters and only occasionally offshore the normal "Roam - 50GB" subscription, currently $80/month, seems adequate. Before heading offshore (more than 12 nautical miles), change your subscription to "Mobile Priority - 50GB", which is currently $374/month. Then once back in coastal waters, simply revert your subscription to the "Roam - 50GB".
I'll be giving it a thorough testing cross the Great Australian Bight later this month.
Don't quote me on this but I'm pretty sure a few weeks ago I lost mobile reception and was 40nm offshore and starlink gave me limited internet to get into my account and toggle onto the Mobile priority -50gb. I think this change has come onboard since the price hike.
Select to expand quotescruzin said..
Starlink has just discounted the Starlink Mini from $599 to $299.
www.starlink.com/au/roam
I was looking at the mini on a roam package yesterday, tempting at that $299 hardware cost and $80 (50gb) monthly plan, but I'm not spending enough time one the boat for it to work for me at the moment. The mini dish is pretty compact, about the size of a medium sized laptop, wifi router is built into the dish unit, it natively runs on 12-48 volt input and draws 2.1-3.3 amps (average usage). I like that you can toggle off the account anytime, so if you know you won't be using it for the next month, you can toggle off the roam account, then reinstate it again when you need it.
I splurged and had a stainless steel mount made for my Starlink Mini that let's me adjust it in three axes.
In practice, once the tilt (altitude angle) is set, it is really just a matter of adjusting the azimuth (which for me is generally pointing to the S/SW).
So far I've had excellent results, even while sailing in bumpy Gulf St Vincent waters. We'll see how it does in Southern Ocean swell in a couple of weeks.
At least few Hobart boats all lost there starlink unit about the first good wave
broke at mounting points so maybe not strong enough for marine use
Select to expand quotelydia said..
At least few Hobart boats all lost there starlink unit about the first good wave
broke at mounting points so maybe not strong enough for marine use
The imoca's are using istarlink in the vendee globe.
I just bought a mini fortune at anchor on the roam plan, so far used it once and was good, at $299 is was a small risk to try it out.
The Starlink Mini is working very well so far for me. Approximately 12 nautical miles offshore, approaching Flinders Island (SA), we were presented with the "Restricted" warning. I was able to upgrade to the Mobile Priority plan from the app and service continued.
Onwards across the Bight - with internet!
Select to expand quotescruzin said..
I splurged and had a stainless steel mount made for my Starlink Mini that let's me adjust it in three axes.
In practice, once the tilt (altitude angle) is set, it is really just a matter of adjusting the azimuth (which for me is generally pointing to the S/SW).
So far I've had excellent results, even while sailing in bumpy Gulf St Vincent waters. We'll see how it does in Southern Ocean swell in a couple of weeks.
Where or how did you have this made? I just ordered a Starlink mini
HF SSB and HF weatherfax is consistently reliable and almost fail free. HF Weatherfax broadcasts is 100% reliable the weather charts just keep rolling off non stop depending on the station you select. In fact all the Meteye data can be obtained on HF weatherfax with a cheap receiver and a PC program.
www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-sat/radio-fax-schedule.shtml
I still have a old Radio Direction finder and use it regularly and I can get consistent fixes from the aircraft NDB services. King Island and Hobart NDB''s are like beacons and even in a total GPS failure you can reliably get fixes from aircraft NDB in all Tasmanian coastal waters. I also fly and still use aircraft NDB's and its still a great service. Amazing how simple this technology is by taking 2 or 3 fixes in thick fog and in no time have confidence in your position assumed.
HF radio will be around for decades despite it not being mandatory on the last Sydney to Hobart race. A HF is no longer required in the race.
The basic unreliability of HF and interference was just poor planning and poor channel selection by race control who appeared not to fully understand the vagaries of HF propagation. The 6mhz frequency was good day time frequency with no interference however was a lousy night time frequency.
If they used better frequencies selection and understood how to use HF radio to minimise the skip distance then they would have gotten better results. Regardless its history now.
When I fly its just amazing how well Aircraft HF works on 5 mhz where I can hear anything and every station in the Pacific right all the way to Los Angeles with no issues. The Aircraft industry use HF professionally and understand how to use the best frequencies, the yachting practices of frequency selection is amateurish at best.
The HF 4WD networks do a better job with proper frequency selection and appropriate antennas for the job. The HF marine services use the correct and appropiate frequencies for the high seas SSB and HF fax its reliability around all coastal waters is 100% reliable if you care to change to the appropriate channels.
And that is another option for welfare checks that is available for sailors. Get a HF 4WD network subscription. They have a great range of frequencies, phone calls are available and numerous channels that clear and monitored all the time across Australia. The 8mhz and 5mhz channels are particularly good as an emergency backup.
The market is awash with cheap SSB radios from Codan and Barret and lot cheaper than buying the latest Icom. There is no performance difference and all can be made to work with HF Weatherfax, Pactor, 4WD channels etc etc. You will also find it a lot easier getting them checked out and having all the correct channels programmed in by local dealers. I have used Codans for decades and its very impressive and reliable equipment.
Select to expand quotep3p4p5 said..
HF SSB and HF weatherfax is consistently reliable and almost fail free. HF Weatherfax broadcasts is 100% reliable the weather charts just keep rolling off non stop depending on the station you select. In fact all the Meteye data can be obtained on HF weatherfax with a cheap receiver and a PC program.
www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-sat/radio-fax-schedule.shtml
I still have a old Radio Direction finder and use it regularly and I can get consistent fixes from the aircraft NDB services. King Island and Hobart NDB''s are like beacons and even in a total GPS failure you can reliably get fixes from aircraft NDB in all Tasmanian coastal waters. I also fly and still use aircraft NDB's and its still a great service. Amazing how simple this technology is by taking 2 or 3 fixes in thick fog and in no time have confidence in your position assumed.
HF radio will be around for decades despite it not being mandatory on the last Sydney to Hobart race. A HF is no longer required in the race.
The basic unreliability of HF and interference was just poor planning and poor channel selection by race control who appeared not to fully understand the vagaries of HF propagation. The 6mhz frequency was good day time frequency with no interference however was a lousy night time frequency.
If they used better frequencies selection and understood how to use HF radio to minimise the skip distance then they would have gotten better results. Regardless its history now.
When I fly its just amazing how well Aircraft HF works on 5 mhz where I can hear anything and every station in the Pacific right all the way to Los Angeles with no issues. The Aircraft industry use HF professionally and understand how to use the best frequencies, the yachting practices of frequency selection is amateurish at best.
The HF 4WD networks do a better job with proper frequency selection and appropriate antennas for the job. The HF marine services use the correct and appropiate frequencies for the high seas SSB and HF fax its reliability around all coastal waters is 100% reliable if you care to change to the appropriate channels.
And that is another option for welfare checks that is available for sailors. Get a HF 4WD network subscription. They have a great range of frequencies, phone calls are available and numerous channels that clear and monitored all the time across Australia. The 8mhz and 5mhz channels are particularly good as an emergency backup.
The market is awash with cheap SSB radios from Codan and Barret and lot cheaper than buying the latest Icom. There is no performance difference and all can be made to work with HF Weatherfax, Pactor, 4WD channels etc etc. You will also find it a lot easier getting them checked out and having all the correct channels programmed in by local dealers. I have used Codans for decades and it's very impressive and reliable equipment.
Like the man said.
i just re did the AMC radio exam as my ticket was issued in 1983 and does exist anymore.
Two of three guys teaching the HF part of the course had never used a HF.
No wonder people don't get it.
In a east coast passage race a few yeasts ago the Race director( complete dickhead) specified a radio sked on 2 mhz at midday in August to Charleville Radio.
When a few experienced people said no chance he wanted to fight about it.
Or as one owner put it 'We would do better if we stood on the back of the boat and yelled at them"
Oh, and give me an old Codan over a new ICOM any day.
Select to expand quotelydia said..p3p4p5 said..
HF SSB and HF weatherfax is consistently reliable and almost fail free. HF Weatherfax broadcasts is 100% reliable the weather charts just keep rolling off non stop depending on the station you select. In fact all the Meteye data can be obtained on HF weatherfax with a cheap receiver and a PC program.
www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-sat/radio-fax-schedule.shtml
I still have a old Radio Direction finder and use it regularly and I can get consistent fixes from the aircraft NDB services. King Island and Hobart NDB''s are like beacons and even in a total GPS failure you can reliably get fixes from aircraft NDB in all Tasmanian coastal waters. I also fly and still use aircraft NDB's and its still a great service. Amazing how simple this technology is by taking 2 or 3 fixes in thick fog and in no time have confidence in your position assumed.
HF radio will be around for decades despite it not being mandatory on the last Sydney to Hobart race. A HF is no longer required in the race.
The basic unreliability of HF and interference was just poor planning and poor channel selection by race control who appeared not to fully understand the vagaries of HF propagation. The 6mhz frequency was good day time frequency with no interference however was a lousy night time frequency.
If they used better frequencies selection and understood how to use HF radio to minimise the skip distance then they would have gotten better results. Regardless its history now.
When I fly its just amazing how well Aircraft HF works on 5 mhz where I can hear anything and every station in the Pacific right all the way to Los Angeles with no issues. The Aircraft industry use HF professionally and understand how to use the best frequencies, the yachting practices of frequency selection is amateurish at best.
The HF 4WD networks do a better job with proper frequency selection and appropriate antennas for the job. The HF marine services use the correct and appropiate frequencies for the high seas SSB and HF fax its reliability around all coastal waters is 100% reliable if you care to change to the appropriate channels.
And that is another option for welfare checks that is available for sailors. Get a HF 4WD network subscription. They have a great range of frequencies, phone calls are available and numerous channels that clear and monitored all the time across Australia. The 8mhz and 5mhz channels are particularly good as an emergency backup.
The market is awash with cheap SSB radios from Codan and Barret and lot cheaper than buying the latest Icom. There is no performance difference and all can be made to work with HF Weatherfax, Pactor, 4WD channels etc etc. You will also find it a lot easier getting them checked out and having all the correct channels programmed in by local dealers. I have used Codans for decades and it's very impressive and reliable equipment.
Like the man said.
i just re did the AMC radio exam as my ticket was issued in 1983 and does exist anymore.
Two of three guys teaching the HF part of the course had never used a HF.
No wonder people don't get it.
My girlfriend had a similar experience, she recently completed her long range radio ticket, the instructor started off the course by telling her HF is a waste of time and not worth doing.
Select to expand quotep3p4p5 said..
HF SSB and HF weatherfax is consistently reliable and almost fail free. HF Weatherfax broadcasts is 100% reliable the weather charts just keep rolling off non stop depending on the station you select. In fact all the Meteye data can be obtained on HF weatherfax with a cheap receiver and a PC program.
www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-sat/radio-fax-schedule.shtml
I still have a old Radio Direction finder and use it regularly and I can get consistent fixes from the aircraft NDB services. King Island and Hobart NDB''s are like beacons and even in a total GPS failure you can reliably get fixes from aircraft NDB in all Tasmanian coastal waters. I also fly and still use aircraft NDB's and its still a great service. Amazing how simple this technology is by taking 2 or 3 fixes in thick fog and in no time have confidence in your position assumed.
HF radio will be around for decades despite it not being mandatory on the last Sydney to Hobart race. A HF is no longer required in the race.
The basic unreliability of HF and interference was just poor planning and poor channel selection by race control who appeared not to fully understand the vagaries of HF propagation. The 6mhz frequency was good day time frequency with no interference however was a lousy night time frequency.
If they used better frequencies selection and understood how to use HF radio to minimise the skip distance then they would have gotten better results. Regardless its history now.
When I fly its just amazing how well Aircraft HF works on 5 mhz where I can hear anything and every station in the Pacific right all the way to Los Angeles with no issues. The Aircraft industry use HF professionally and understand how to use the best frequencies, the yachting practices of frequency selection is amateurish at best.
The HF 4WD networks do a better job with proper frequency selection and appropriate antennas for the job. The HF marine services use the correct and appropiate frequencies for the high seas SSB and HF fax its reliability around all coastal waters is 100% reliable if you care to change to the appropriate channels.
And that is another option for welfare checks that is available for sailors. Get a HF 4WD network subscription. They have a great range of frequencies, phone calls are available and numerous channels that clear and monitored all the time across Australia. The 8mhz and 5mhz channels are particularly good as an emergency backup.
The market is awash with cheap SSB radios from Codan and Barret and lot cheaper than buying the latest Icom. There is no performance difference and all can be made to work with HF Weatherfax, Pactor, 4WD channels etc etc. You will also find it a lot easier getting them checked out and having all the correct channels programmed in by local dealers. I have used Codans for decades and its very impressive and reliable equipment.
Any recommendations for obtaining leads for a Pactor in Australia, I picked up an older pactor2 off gumtree a while ago but its missing some leads or it has the wrong leads for my Icom.
I've a working HF. An ICOM M700 AUS. I've used it when out of range of VHF, to report in to Tas Maritime Radio when between mainland and Tas.- see tasmaritime.au/ Excellent service staffed by volunteers form 0700 to 1900 and also monitored overnight. Anyone cruising Tas or crossing to/from the mainland should become a member - $35 per year plus an onetime $10 joining fee the first year. HF frequencies used by TMR are 4146, 6227. 3 skeds a day including weather.
I haven't used weather fax, yet, although the VMC frequencies are programmed into my HF radio.
p3p4p5 - How does one interface between a PC program and the HF radio?
Select to expand quoteQuixotic said..
I've a working HF. An ICOM M700 AUS. I've used it when out of range of VHF, to report in to Tas Maritime Radio when between mainland and Tas.- see tasmaritime.au/ Excellent service staffed by volunteers form 0700 to 1900 and also monitored overnight. Anyone cruising Tas or crossing to/from the mainland should become a member - $35 per year plus an onetime $10 joining fee the first year. HF frequencies used by TMR are 4146, 6227. 3 skeds a day including weather.
I haven't used weather fax, yet, although the VMC frequencies are programmed into my HF radio.
p3p4p5 - How does one interface between a PC program and the HF radio?
Audio out is either your speaker audio or the data "audio out" jack directly into the sound card input mic or line in. In fact if you lazy and just want to experiment you can just turn your speaker up loud enough and enable the microphone on your laptop and in it will do a satisfactory weather fax decode. The speaker output on the M700 was the "data out fax out" or audio out for Weatherfax. So just a ordinary audio cable.
Select to expand quotecammd said..p3p4p5 said..
HF SSB and HF weatherfax is consistently reliable and almost fail free. HF Weatherfax broadcasts is 100% reliable the weather charts just keep rolling off non stop depending on the station you select. In fact all the Meteye data can be obtained on HF weatherfax with a cheap receiver and a PC program.
www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-sat/radio-fax-schedule.shtml
I still have a old Radio Direction finder and use it regularly and I can get consistent fixes from the aircraft NDB services. King Island and Hobart NDB''s are like beacons and even in a total GPS failure you can reliably get fixes from aircraft NDB in all Tasmanian coastal waters. I also fly and still use aircraft NDB's and its still a great service. Amazing how simple this technology is by taking 2 or 3 fixes in thick fog and in no time have confidence in your position assumed.
HF radio will be around for decades despite it not being mandatory on the last Sydney to Hobart race. A HF is no longer required in the race.
The basic unreliability of HF and interference was just poor planning and poor channel selection by race control who appeared not to fully understand the vagaries of HF propagation. The 6mhz frequency was good day time frequency with no interference however was a lousy night time frequency.
If they used better frequencies selection and understood how to use HF radio to minimise the skip distance then they would have gotten better results. Regardless its history now.
When I fly its just amazing how well Aircraft HF works on 5 mhz where I can hear anything and every station in the Pacific right all the way to Los Angeles with no issues. The Aircraft industry use HF professionally and understand how to use the best frequencies, the yachting practices of frequency selection is amateurish at best.
The HF 4WD networks do a better job with proper frequency selection and appropriate antennas for the job. The HF marine services use the correct and appropiate frequencies for the high seas SSB and HF fax its reliability around all coastal waters is 100% reliable if you care to change to the appropriate channels.
And that is another option for welfare checks that is available for sailors. Get a HF 4WD network subscription. They have a great range of frequencies, phone calls are available and numerous channels that clear and monitored all the time across Australia. The 8mhz and 5mhz channels are particularly good as an emergency backup.
The market is awash with cheap SSB radios from Codan and Barret and lot cheaper than buying the latest Icom. There is no performance difference and all can be made to work with HF Weatherfax, Pactor, 4WD channels etc etc. You will also find it a lot easier getting them checked out and having all the correct channels programmed in by local dealers. I have used Codans for decades and its very impressive and reliable equipment.
Any recommendations for obtaining leads for a Pactor in Australia, I picked up an older pactor2 off gumtree a while ago but its missing some leads or it has the wrong leads for my Icom.
The parts are readily available from Jaycar, DIN connectors, RCA connectors and 3.5mm. If you can solder the leads up yourself that would it an easy task. There is not many people who do this stuff for a living. I would suggest you contact a ham radio dealer or ham radio club if you require assistance they will generally help you and someone will do it for free once they figure out the diagrams. There used to be a Pactor Dealer installer somewhere in Sydney I am not sure if they are around anymore. Maybe you can email SCS directly and ask them who their dealer is.
If you are going to make your own cable buy quality connectors rather than the crap from China along with the poor cable from china.
Clarke and Severn Electronic Solutions
www.csesolutions.com.au/
In Sydney they sell the best connectors from the US manufacturers as well as properly shielded quality cable. They are very price competitive at very reasonable prices compared to the Auction site shipping charges. The cheap connectors from china turn green after few plug ins and the copper cable is poorly shielded picking up noise.
Select to expand quotep3p4p5 said..Quixotic said..
p3p4p5 - How does one interface between a PC program and the HF radio?
Audio out is either your speaker audio or the data "audio out" jack directly into the sound card input mic or line in. In fact if you lazy and just want to experiment you can just turn your speaker up loud enough and enable the microphone on your laptop and in it will do a satisfactory weather fax decode. The speaker output on the M700 was the "data out fax out" or audio out for Weatherfax. So just a ordinary audio cable.
Thanks.
Select to expand quotecammd said..lydia said..p3p4p5 said..
HF SSB and HF weatherfax is consistently reliable and almost fail free. HF Weatherfax broadcasts is 100% reliable the weather charts just keep rolling off non stop depending on the station you select. In fact all the Meteye data can be obtained on HF weatherfax with a cheap receiver and a PC program.
www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-sat/radio-fax-schedule.shtml
I still have a old Radio Direction finder and use it regularly and I can get consistent fixes from the aircraft NDB services. King Island and Hobart NDB''s are like beacons and even in a total GPS failure you can reliably get fixes from aircraft NDB in all Tasmanian coastal waters. I also fly and still use aircraft NDB's and its still a great service. Amazing how simple this technology is by taking 2 or 3 fixes in thick fog and in no time have confidence in your position assumed.
HF radio will be around for decades despite it not being mandatory on the last Sydney to Hobart race. A HF is no longer required in the race.
The basic unreliability of HF and interference was just poor planning and poor channel selection by race control who appeared not to fully understand the vagaries of HF propagation. The 6mhz frequency was good day time frequency with no interference however was a lousy night time frequency.
If they used better frequencies selection and understood how to use HF radio to minimise the skip distance then they would have gotten better results. Regardless its history now.
When I fly its just amazing how well Aircraft HF works on 5 mhz where I can hear anything and every station in the Pacific right all the way to Los Angeles with no issues. The Aircraft industry use HF professionally and understand how to use the best frequencies, the yachting practices of frequency selection is amateurish at best.
The HF 4WD networks do a better job with proper frequency selection and appropriate antennas for the job. The HF marine services use the correct and appropiate frequencies for the high seas SSB and HF fax its reliability around all coastal waters is 100% reliable if you care to change to the appropriate channels.
And that is another option for welfare checks that is available for sailors. Get a HF 4WD network subscription. They have a great range of frequencies, phone calls are available and numerous channels that clear and monitored all the time across Australia. The 8mhz and 5mhz channels are particularly good as an emergency backup.
The market is awash with cheap SSB radios from Codan and Barret and lot cheaper than buying the latest Icom. There is no performance difference and all can be made to work with HF Weatherfax, Pactor, 4WD channels etc etc. You will also find it a lot easier getting them checked out and having all the correct channels programmed in by local dealers. I have used Codans for decades and it's very impressive and reliable equipment.
Like the man said.
i just re did the AMC radio exam as my ticket was issued in 1983 and does exist anymore.
Two of three guys teaching the HF part of the course had never used a HF.
No wonder people don't get it.
My girlfriend had a similar experience, she recently completed her long range radio ticket, the instructor started off the course by telling her HF is a waste of time and not worth doing.
Yeah the ignorance of HF radio usage, grounding practices and antenna performance is rather widespread. I always like to point out to people that the backbone of the modern HF aircraft global aviation industry the no1 network is the HF radio network that ensures 100% reliability, they dont rely on Starlink or other satellites systems for communications for good reasons.
If the instructors have never used HF radio and cant understand how skip distance and MUF changes the reliability and range then you just will never understand HF radio. Then to understand how it really should work tune onto 5643mhz USB or 8867mhz in the aircraft bands and listen how trans oceanic HF communications is done with 100% reliability and clarity when people are trained properly. The air traffic controllers knowledge of HF and how they quickly change frequency when there is a issue shows their deep understanding of HF radio usage.
Select to expand quotep3p4p5 said..cammd said..lydia said..p3p4p5 said..
HF SSB and HF weatherfax is consistently reliable and almost fail free. HF Weatherfax broadcasts is 100% reliable the weather charts just keep rolling off non stop depending on the station you select. In fact all the Meteye data can be obtained on HF weatherfax with a cheap receiver and a PC program.
www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-sat/radio-fax-schedule.shtml
I still have a old Radio Direction finder and use it regularly and I can get consistent fixes from the aircraft NDB services. King Island and Hobart NDB''s are like beacons and even in a total GPS failure you can reliably get fixes from aircraft NDB in all Tasmanian coastal waters. I also fly and still use aircraft NDB's and its still a great service. Amazing how simple this technology is by taking 2 or 3 fixes in thick fog and in no time have confidence in your position assumed.
HF radio will be around for decades despite it not being mandatory on the last Sydney to Hobart race. A HF is no longer required in the race.
The basic unreliability of HF and interference was just poor planning and poor channel selection by race control who appeared not to fully understand the vagaries of HF propagation. The 6mhz frequency was good day time frequency with no interference however was a lousy night time frequency.
If they used better frequencies selection and understood how to use HF radio to minimise the skip distance then they would have gotten better results. Regardless its history now.
When I fly its just amazing how well Aircraft HF works on 5 mhz where I can hear anything and every station in the Pacific right all the way to Los Angeles with no issues. The Aircraft industry use HF professionally and understand how to use the best frequencies, the yachting practices of frequency selection is amateurish at best.
The HF 4WD networks do a better job with proper frequency selection and appropriate antennas for the job. The HF marine services use the correct and appropiate frequencies for the high seas SSB and HF fax its reliability around all coastal waters is 100% reliable if you care to change to the appropriate channels.
And that is another option for welfare checks that is available for sailors. Get a HF 4WD network subscription. They have a great range of frequencies, phone calls are available and numerous channels that clear and monitored all the time across Australia. The 8mhz and 5mhz channels are particularly good as an emergency backup.
The market is awash with cheap SSB radios from Codan and Barret and lot cheaper than buying the latest Icom. There is no performance difference and all can be made to work with HF Weatherfax, Pactor, 4WD channels etc etc. You will also find it a lot easier getting them checked out and having all the correct channels programmed in by local dealers. I have used Codans for decades and it's very impressive and reliable equipment.
Like the man said.
i just re did the AMC radio exam as my ticket was issued in 1983 and does exist anymore.
Two of three guys teaching the HF part of the course had never used a HF.
No wonder people don't get it.
My girlfriend had a similar experience, she recently completed her long range radio ticket, the instructor started off the course by telling her HF is a waste of time and not worth doing.
Yeah the ignorance of HF radio usage, grounding practices and antenna performance is rather widespread. I always like to point out to people that the backbone of the modern HF aircraft global aviation industry the no1 network is the HF radio network that ensures 100% reliability, they dont rely on Starlink or other satellites systems for communications for good reasons.
If the instructors have never used HF radio and cant understand how skip distance and MUF changes the reliability and range then you just will never understand HF radio. Then to understand how it really should work tune onto 5643mhz USB or 8867mhz in the aircraft bands and listen how trans oceanic HF communications is done with 100% reliability and clarity when people are trained properly. The air traffic controllers knowledge of HF and how they quickly change frequency when there is a issue shows their deep understanding of HF radio usage.
Thank you
Update:
The Starlink Mini has been bullet-proof on our crossing from Adelaide to Perth. In fact, there were times when the Starlink was connected and the Iridium Go was not. From time to time it re-optimizes its satellite connections, during which times there is sufficient bandwidth for messaging or email, but not for voice or video calls. These drop-outs are more pronounced in rough seas. Regardless, it usually only takes a minute or so to restore full connectivity.
Also, most of the time is only draws about 20W, so I leave it on all of the time. I now use it, rather than Iridium, for my PredictWind vessel tracking:
forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Arriba/
One caveat: I can't comment on how the heeling of a mono might affect its performance as Arriba is a cat.
PS Currently en route from Albany to Augusta.
