Hello and welcome back... I found this really interesting..
I love aviation, the aircraft, the communications side of things but, I'm chicken when it comes to flying.
After watching a few episodes of Air Crash Investigations, I'm probably more nervous now than i was before... Who knew that, that bit of sticky tape was just holding those wires together?
Spare a thought for these guys..
I stumble across this episode of the story behind 'Susi Air', based mostly in Indonesia. These pilots fly to some of the most remote places in the world with little iddy bitty airstrips carved out on the top of a mountain tops mostly around Papua.
If that wasn't bad enough, you have people walking across the runway, stray dogs, wind shear and low laying clouds to deal with....Oh, then there's the locals, some of whom used to eat people.
Its riveting viewing folks and I'm hooked... Enjoy.
SEASON 1 - EPISODE 1
SEASON 1 - EPISODE 2
SEASON 1 - EPISODE 3
SEASON 1 - EPISODE 4
That seems to be about it...
Keep an eye on the link below in case more come to air...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqf2ZEVf481N8_OfjTk_7fg/videos
Massive thanks to 'Lets Plane' for the videos.
If you like to know more about Susi Air then CLICK HERE
DON'T FORGET TO SHOUT ME A COFFEE (Click on the link on the top right corner) Pleeeeeze
Radio Communication frequencies inc Aircraft, Military, Amateur Radio, Shortwave and anything else that comes under the Radar in N.S.W.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Thursday, January 21, 2016
BUDDIPOLE ANTENNA - WHAT AN EXCELLENT IDEA
Hello and welcome back... Love the idea of the 'Buddipole', wish we had something like this in Australia...
HF RETURNS TO HAM RADIO SATELLITES
Hello and welcome back.... Found this on the web... Looked interesting.
STUNNING PIC OF WESTPAC RESCUE
Hello and welcome back... Stunning pic of Westpac Rescue (would make a excellent wallpaper)
Friday, January 15, 2016
BAOFENG GT3 II (Manual Programming)
Hello and welcome back.... I thought i would show how to program a Baofeng radio manually (for those who don't have a programming cable)
I did a review of this radio a few posts ago Click Here
MENU SYSTEM
The menu system is used to change how the radio works, output power, change language, vox, and many other things.
TO CHANGE A SETTING USING THE MENU SETTING
1. Press MENU, then press the number from the menu below
2. Press Menu again to access the selected setting
3. Use the arrow up or down (or number) to select desired setting
4. Press Menu again to lock in setting, press EXIT.
You have to do this sequence in about 5 sec or the radio reverts back to listening mode.
MENU
0 = SQL (Squelch level) 0-9 (mine is on 2)
1 = Step Frequency - 2.5/ 5/ 6.25/ 10/ 12.5/ 25 kHz
2 = TXP - Transmit Power - High (4w) or Low (1w)
3 = SAVE - Battery Save mode - off/ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4
4 = VOX - Voice operated transmission
5 = W/N - Wide or Narrowband
6 = ABR - Display light - 1-5 sec
7 = TDR - Duel Reception (used in Frequency Mode)
8 = BEEP - Keypad Beep - on/off
9 = TOT - Transmitting Timer
10 = R-DCS - Reception Digital Code Squelch
11 = R-CTCS - Receive Tone
12 = T-DCS -
13 = T-CTCS -
14 = Voice Prompt - english / chinese
15 = ANI-ID Code
16 = DTMFST - DT-ST, ANI-ST, DT+ANI, OFF
17 = S-CODE - 1-15
18 = SC-REV - TO, CO, SE
19 = PTT-ID - BOT, EOT, BOTH, OFF
20 = PTT-LT - 0-50
21 = MDF-A - FREQ, CH, NAME (Freq mode, Ch A) (only used if programmed by computer)
22 = MDF-B - FREQ, CH, NAME (Freq mode, Ch B) (only used if programmed by computer)
23 = BUSY CH LOCKOUT - On/ Off
24 = AUTOLOCK - Lock Keypad
25 = SFT-D - Freq Direction - +, -, off
26 = OFFSET (Offset Freq)
27 = MEM-CH - Ch Mode (used for entering frequency in Ch Mode)
28 = DEL-CH - Ch Mode (used for deleting frequency in Ch Mode)
29 = WT-LED - Back Light Selection
30 = RX-LED - Receive LED colour
31 = TX-LED - Transmit LED colour
32 = AL-MOD - Code, Site, Tone
33 = BAND - Band Selection - VHF, UHF
34 = TDR-AB - A, B, OFF
35 = STE - on, off
36 = RP-STE
37 = RPT-RL
38 = PONMSG - Msg, Full
39 = ROGER - Roger Beep
40 = RESET - Reset All
MODES
There are 2 modes for this radio = CH (Channel) Mode (VFO) & FREQUENCY Mode (MR)
CH Mode (VFO) is similar to a scanner, you can program frequencies into channels and scan them (very Sloowly), then transmit when stopped on a channel if you want.
Frequency Mode (MR) is listening (or transmitting) on one channel at a time.
Frequency Mode, you can listen to two frequencies at a time if have Duel Mode activated. The little arrow indicator will show you what frequency is active.
PROGRAMMING
Frequency mode is fairly simple, select Frequency mode by pressing the VFO/MR button until you hear 'Frequency Mode', then just enter the frequency and that's it. Using the menu function, you can change output power, step sizes, ect....
CHannel Mode is programmed by staying on Frequency Mode and must be set on using upper frequency (use the A/B button to change).
Delete the channel you plan to use since the radio comes with frequencies already programmed into the radio. To delete, Press MENU - 28 - MENU - Ch No (eg Ch1) - MENU (to confirm) - EXIT
Enter Freqency = MENU - 27 - MENU - Ch No (eg Ch1) - MENU - EXIT
If you have a different transmit and receive frequency, just redo the same Ch No and you will hear 'Transmit Frequency' when you enter the second frequency.
Now press the VFO/MR button to change to 'CHannel Mode' and the set frequencies should be now locked into a channel that you programmed in.
Press and hold the SCAN button (about 3 sec) and the programmed channels will now start to scan, if you want to listen to something, press the EXIT button to stop scanning or to hold on a channel.
If i find anything else, i will add to this post....
Hope this has helped....
I did a review of this radio a few posts ago Click Here
MENU SYSTEM
The menu system is used to change how the radio works, output power, change language, vox, and many other things.
TO CHANGE A SETTING USING THE MENU SETTING
1. Press MENU, then press the number from the menu below
2. Press Menu again to access the selected setting
3. Use the arrow up or down (or number) to select desired setting
4. Press Menu again to lock in setting, press EXIT.
You have to do this sequence in about 5 sec or the radio reverts back to listening mode.
MENU
0 = SQL (Squelch level) 0-9 (mine is on 2)
1 = Step Frequency - 2.5/ 5/ 6.25/ 10/ 12.5/ 25 kHz
2 = TXP - Transmit Power - High (4w) or Low (1w)
3 = SAVE - Battery Save mode - off/ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4
4 = VOX - Voice operated transmission
5 = W/N - Wide or Narrowband
6 = ABR - Display light - 1-5 sec
7 = TDR - Duel Reception (used in Frequency Mode)
8 = BEEP - Keypad Beep - on/off
9 = TOT - Transmitting Timer
10 = R-DCS - Reception Digital Code Squelch
11 = R-CTCS - Receive Tone
12 = T-DCS -
13 = T-CTCS -
14 = Voice Prompt - english / chinese
15 = ANI-ID Code
16 = DTMFST - DT-ST, ANI-ST, DT+ANI, OFF
17 = S-CODE - 1-15
18 = SC-REV - TO, CO, SE
19 = PTT-ID - BOT, EOT, BOTH, OFF
20 = PTT-LT - 0-50
21 = MDF-A - FREQ, CH, NAME (Freq mode, Ch A) (only used if programmed by computer)
22 = MDF-B - FREQ, CH, NAME (Freq mode, Ch B) (only used if programmed by computer)
23 = BUSY CH LOCKOUT - On/ Off
24 = AUTOLOCK - Lock Keypad
25 = SFT-D - Freq Direction - +, -, off
26 = OFFSET (Offset Freq)
27 = MEM-CH - Ch Mode (used for entering frequency in Ch Mode)
28 = DEL-CH - Ch Mode (used for deleting frequency in Ch Mode)
29 = WT-LED - Back Light Selection
30 = RX-LED - Receive LED colour
31 = TX-LED - Transmit LED colour
32 = AL-MOD - Code, Site, Tone
33 = BAND - Band Selection - VHF, UHF
34 = TDR-AB - A, B, OFF
35 = STE - on, off
36 = RP-STE
37 = RPT-RL
38 = PONMSG - Msg, Full
39 = ROGER - Roger Beep
40 = RESET - Reset All
MODES
There are 2 modes for this radio = CH (Channel) Mode (VFO) & FREQUENCY Mode (MR)
CH Mode (VFO) is similar to a scanner, you can program frequencies into channels and scan them (very Sloowly), then transmit when stopped on a channel if you want.
Frequency Mode (MR) is listening (or transmitting) on one channel at a time.
Frequency Mode, you can listen to two frequencies at a time if have Duel Mode activated. The little arrow indicator will show you what frequency is active.
PROGRAMMING
Frequency mode is fairly simple, select Frequency mode by pressing the VFO/MR button until you hear 'Frequency Mode', then just enter the frequency and that's it. Using the menu function, you can change output power, step sizes, ect....
CHannel Mode is programmed by staying on Frequency Mode and must be set on using upper frequency (use the A/B button to change).
Delete the channel you plan to use since the radio comes with frequencies already programmed into the radio. To delete, Press MENU - 28 - MENU - Ch No (eg Ch1) - MENU (to confirm) - EXIT
Enter Freqency = MENU - 27 - MENU - Ch No (eg Ch1) - MENU - EXIT
If you have a different transmit and receive frequency, just redo the same Ch No and you will hear 'Transmit Frequency' when you enter the second frequency.
Now press the VFO/MR button to change to 'CHannel Mode' and the set frequencies should be now locked into a channel that you programmed in.
Press and hold the SCAN button (about 3 sec) and the programmed channels will now start to scan, if you want to listen to something, press the EXIT button to stop scanning or to hold on a channel.
If i find anything else, i will add to this post....
Hope this has helped....
Thursday, January 7, 2016
DICK SMITH ELECTRONICS
Aaaand, So Starts Another Year...
Hello and welcome back.... Going to start the year with a bit of a rant, OK, not a rant, more of a opinion.
I used to love Dick Smith Electronics, It was my go-to place whenever i had spare time / money.
I brought one of my most fav radios from Dick Smith Electronics... The AOR1000, cost me a small fortune but WOW, what a radio.
I also used to buy from Dick Smith Electronics, things like, Frequency Registers (Home & Holiday), Antennas, Plugs, Shortwave Radios, UHF CB Radios, Hobby Kits, Headphones, Audio Cassettes, anything basically Electronic / Hobby orientated.
And then I stopped going there...
Why?
Over time, less and less stock was coming to shelves, instead of rows of products (that nobody else sold) they ended up with just one or two of things.
Dick Smith had sold out to Woolworths... and then the downward spiral began.
Great another bloody JB Hi-Fi or Big W (I was thinking), not that there's anything wrong with those stores but Dick Smith was different... It was for the Hobbyist or the Enthusiast.
(rant begins)
Blind Freddy could see that was a huge mistake, iv been saying it for years... sure Dick Smith probably made a few million from the deal, but seriously, if i started a company with my name attached to it, i'm dammed if i would sell it to make a few quick dollars... Its like a boat, if the boat starts sinking, look at ways to keep it afloat... If i fails then go down with your boat knowing that you tried and failed...
Am i pissed off??
Yes, i am... Prob because that's how i would do things, but that's just me.
Like Tandy Electronics, Dick Smith Electronics yearly catalog was more than just a Catalog, it was a place where dreams were made, new Technology was at your fingertips and budgets were stretched to afford that special something.
This week i read in the news that Dick Smith Electronics has gone into receivership, no crystal ball needed to see that coming.
I feel sorry for the staff that works at Dick Smith Electronics, retail is no easy meal ticket... Hours are long, customers are trying at times & the pay is shit.
The whole thing just upsets me, it stinks, They had everything you could want, all in one place. and now, soon, It Will Be Gone
So, whats next?
Jaycar Electronics is the only one left standing...
I was reading Jaycar's yearly catalog recently and was stunned by the amount of goodness they have for sale. I'm talking about 548 pages of goodness... That's 7060 products at your fingertips (620 new products).
How cool is that?
So i am asking readers of this site, don't forget Jaycar Electronics... Next time you want a plug or a fuse or a radio or speakers or... you get the idea, flick through the Jaycar Electronics Catalog and help keep this special establishment alive because once its gone, its gone.
Rant Over.
LINKS
http://www.jaycar.com.au/catalogue
http://www.jaycar.com.au/
https://twitter.com/jaycarau
Opinions made in this post are my own, they are whats in my head at this particular time. This is not a paid thing from Jaycar Electronics, its just my beliefs.
Thanks for reading
Hello and welcome back.... Going to start the year with a bit of a rant, OK, not a rant, more of a opinion.
I used to love Dick Smith Electronics, It was my go-to place whenever i had spare time / money.
I brought one of my most fav radios from Dick Smith Electronics... The AOR1000, cost me a small fortune but WOW, what a radio.
I also used to buy from Dick Smith Electronics, things like, Frequency Registers (Home & Holiday), Antennas, Plugs, Shortwave Radios, UHF CB Radios, Hobby Kits, Headphones, Audio Cassettes, anything basically Electronic / Hobby orientated.
And then I stopped going there...
Why?
Over time, less and less stock was coming to shelves, instead of rows of products (that nobody else sold) they ended up with just one or two of things.
Dick Smith had sold out to Woolworths... and then the downward spiral began.
Great another bloody JB Hi-Fi or Big W (I was thinking), not that there's anything wrong with those stores but Dick Smith was different... It was for the Hobbyist or the Enthusiast.
(rant begins)
Blind Freddy could see that was a huge mistake, iv been saying it for years... sure Dick Smith probably made a few million from the deal, but seriously, if i started a company with my name attached to it, i'm dammed if i would sell it to make a few quick dollars... Its like a boat, if the boat starts sinking, look at ways to keep it afloat... If i fails then go down with your boat knowing that you tried and failed...
Am i pissed off??
Yes, i am... Prob because that's how i would do things, but that's just me.
Like Tandy Electronics, Dick Smith Electronics yearly catalog was more than just a Catalog, it was a place where dreams were made, new Technology was at your fingertips and budgets were stretched to afford that special something.
This week i read in the news that Dick Smith Electronics has gone into receivership, no crystal ball needed to see that coming.
I feel sorry for the staff that works at Dick Smith Electronics, retail is no easy meal ticket... Hours are long, customers are trying at times & the pay is shit.
The whole thing just upsets me, it stinks, They had everything you could want, all in one place. and now, soon, It Will Be Gone
So, whats next?
Jaycar Electronics is the only one left standing...
I was reading Jaycar's yearly catalog recently and was stunned by the amount of goodness they have for sale. I'm talking about 548 pages of goodness... That's 7060 products at your fingertips (620 new products).
How cool is that?
So i am asking readers of this site, don't forget Jaycar Electronics... Next time you want a plug or a fuse or a radio or speakers or... you get the idea, flick through the Jaycar Electronics Catalog and help keep this special establishment alive because once its gone, its gone.
Rant Over.
LINKS
http://www.jaycar.com.au/catalogue
http://www.jaycar.com.au/
https://twitter.com/jaycarau
Opinions made in this post are my own, they are whats in my head at this particular time. This is not a paid thing from Jaycar Electronics, its just my beliefs.
Thanks for reading
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
BAOFENG GT3 II - A REVIEW
Hello and welcome back.... I've been looking on eBay for a while now for a radio that will perform well but not cost the earth.
There seems to be a huge market of Chinese radios available with names like Baofeng, Puxing, Crystal, Wouxun, Kydera, Tokmate and a string of others.
Some look like toys and some look pretty good.
One company that seems to be making some half decent radios is a company called 'Baofeng'
One radio that didn't look like a toy was the the Baofeng GT3 II (Or Mark 2)
Seriously some of the claims are too good to be true
FM Radio Receives = 65Mhz to 108Mhz.. Wait 65Mhz??... (yep, almost like a scanner).
Receive and Transmit VHF = 136mhz - 174mhz (Amateur radio, Marine radio)
Receive and Transmit UHF = 400mhz to 519mhz (Amateur radio, UHF CB, Railroad)
That's right, you can Transmit on any frequency on UHF with your choice of 1w or 4w... Obviously, you would have to be a dickhead to think that you can dial in a police ch and start transmitting over the top... Yes.. you can do it, and YES.. you will get caught by the ACMA and then ruin it for other radio hobbyists.
If you do get the urge to transmit, tune into UHF CB and go nuts... Its a very clear transmission by the way.
You can also store in frequency's like a scanner and when finished press and hold the Scan button and away it goes (slowly).
CHECK THIS OUT....
Radio Frequency IC has been updated from the GT3 (original)
As has the Frequency-Modulated Chip Receiver .... See Below
The RDA5802N has a powerful low-IF digital audio processor, this make it have optimum sound quality with varying reception conditions
So I Got One....
First thing i must say, I'm Impressed.
For around $68 Delivered from China (took about 2 weeks), this amazing little radio not only looks good but works above what i expected.
The battery life is pretty impressive, i have already programmed (manually) 70chs, transmitted on UHF CB for a few hours and its only moved 1 spot (still on it factory charge)
Programming was fairly easy, once you get to know the radio.... It involves pressing the Menu button (alot) - You can also program via computer (needs a link cable (some online deals come with this cable))...
I will do a post shortly on how to program :)
What i don't like?, not much..
To be picky, prob the chrome power button (looks cheap and tacky)
The belt clip (that's one tight spring, pretty hard to clip on something)
Power pack is Chinese (adapter from $2 cheapy shop fixes this, Power rating is 110 / 240v), Instruction Manual (needs a bit of work)
Apart from these minor things, it real value for money
For me its a 9/10
SO WHERE DO YOU GET ONE?
Ebay has a slather of Baofeng radios... for me, I used a buyer called 'tool_nerd'... I found the service to be excellent, pricing was brilliant and they answering my questions quickly with very fast delivery.
I would highly recommend this seller.
I have no connection with this company, just a happy customer.
LINKS
http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/tool_nerd?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Baofeng-GT-3-Mark-II-USB-Cable-Kit-V-U-136-174-4-00-520MHz-Ham-Two-way-Radio-/310969090188?hash=item486733c08c:g:wpoAAOxy9dVTkZMg
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AU-Baofeng-GT-3-Mark-II-Speaker-USB-Cable-VHF-UHF-2M-70CM-Ham-Two-Way-Radio-/311357515813?hash=item487e5aa825:g:sQ0AAOSwBahVUED3
BAOFENG GT3 REVIEW & COMPARISON (Thanks to HamRadioConcepts for the video)
BAOFENG GT3 - UNBOXING AND FIELD TEST (Thanks to knoxieman)
#Baofeng
#Baofeng GT3
#NSW Radio & Communications
There seems to be a huge market of Chinese radios available with names like Baofeng, Puxing, Crystal, Wouxun, Kydera, Tokmate and a string of others.
Some look like toys and some look pretty good.
One company that seems to be making some half decent radios is a company called 'Baofeng'
One radio that didn't look like a toy was the the Baofeng GT3 II (Or Mark 2)
Seriously some of the claims are too good to be true
FM Radio Receives = 65Mhz to 108Mhz.. Wait 65Mhz??... (yep, almost like a scanner).
Receive and Transmit VHF = 136mhz - 174mhz (Amateur radio, Marine radio)
Receive and Transmit UHF = 400mhz to 519mhz (Amateur radio, UHF CB, Railroad)
That's right, you can Transmit on any frequency on UHF with your choice of 1w or 4w... Obviously, you would have to be a dickhead to think that you can dial in a police ch and start transmitting over the top... Yes.. you can do it, and YES.. you will get caught by the ACMA and then ruin it for other radio hobbyists.
If you do get the urge to transmit, tune into UHF CB and go nuts... Its a very clear transmission by the way.
You can also store in frequency's like a scanner and when finished press and hold the Scan button and away it goes (slowly).
CHECK THIS OUT....
Radio Frequency IC has been updated from the GT3 (original)
- Upgrade SQ to enhance the anti-interference ability
- RDA1846S add an new tail tone elimination function,when transmit and receive signal between 50Hz with 55H
- Improve the receiver AGV switching noise when signal strength changes severe
As has the Frequency-Modulated Chip Receiver .... See Below
The RDA5802N has a powerful low-IF digital audio processor, this make it have optimum sound quality with varying reception conditions
| 1. Frequency Range: |
| 136-174 / 400-519.995 MHz |
| 2. Dual-Band Display, Dual Freq. Display, |
| Dual-Standby |
| 3. Output Power: 4 /1Watts |
| 4. 128 Channels 50 CTCSS and 104 DCS |
| 5. Built-in VOX Function |
| 6. Burst Tones Press PTT+ A/B to generate 1750Hz Press PTT + Band to generate 2100Hz |
| 7. FM Radio (65.0MHz-108.0MHz) |
| 8. LED Flashlight |
| 9. Large LCD Display |
| 10. Hight /Low RF Power Switchable |
| 11. 25KHz/12.5KHz Switchable |
| 12. Emergency Alert |
| 13. Low Battery Alert |
| 14. Battery Saver |
| 15. Time-out Timer |
| 16. Keypad Lock |
| 17. Monitor Channel |
| 18. Channel Step: |
| 2.5/5/6.25/10/12.5/25KHz |
| 19.Roger Beep Add to this, its also Dustproof, Waterproof, Anti-Interference and Cold-Proof (up to -10 deg) and with a transmit range between 3 - 8kms ALL THIS FOR JUST $50 - $70-80.... Seriously?? MY THOUGHTS ---------------------- I was a bit hesitant at first, i mean , if something looks too good to be true then it often is. I did some research on this unit, The Baofeng GT3 II, Firstly its better than the first model (GT3), The new Antenna is a Sain Sonic 2.5db (23cm) whip type and looks to be flexible, in fact when i saw it, i thought it looked like a kids toy... But looks can be deceiving. I was able to pick up Sydney Buses on 471.000 clear as day, if fact, it put my Uniden UBC396XLT to shame. Using a UHF 1/4 antenna, the Uniden scratched in and out of receiving while the Baofeng was clear. |
First thing i must say, I'm Impressed.
For around $68 Delivered from China (took about 2 weeks), this amazing little radio not only looks good but works above what i expected.
The battery life is pretty impressive, i have already programmed (manually) 70chs, transmitted on UHF CB for a few hours and its only moved 1 spot (still on it factory charge)
Programming was fairly easy, once you get to know the radio.... It involves pressing the Menu button (alot) - You can also program via computer (needs a link cable (some online deals come with this cable))...
I will do a post shortly on how to program :)
What i don't like?, not much..
To be picky, prob the chrome power button (looks cheap and tacky)
The belt clip (that's one tight spring, pretty hard to clip on something)
Power pack is Chinese (adapter from $2 cheapy shop fixes this, Power rating is 110 / 240v), Instruction Manual (needs a bit of work)
Apart from these minor things, it real value for money
For me its a 9/10
SO WHERE DO YOU GET ONE?
Ebay has a slather of Baofeng radios... for me, I used a buyer called 'tool_nerd'... I found the service to be excellent, pricing was brilliant and they answering my questions quickly with very fast delivery.
I would highly recommend this seller.
I have no connection with this company, just a happy customer.
LINKS
http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/tool_nerd?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Baofeng-GT-3-Mark-II-USB-Cable-Kit-V-U-136-174-4-00-520MHz-Ham-Two-way-Radio-/310969090188?hash=item486733c08c:g:wpoAAOxy9dVTkZMg
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AU-Baofeng-GT-3-Mark-II-Speaker-USB-Cable-VHF-UHF-2M-70CM-Ham-Two-Way-Radio-/311357515813?hash=item487e5aa825:g:sQ0AAOSwBahVUED3
BAOFENG GT3 REVIEW & COMPARISON (Thanks to HamRadioConcepts for the video)
BAOFENG GT3 - UNBOXING AND FIELD TEST (Thanks to knoxieman)
#Baofeng
#Baofeng GT3
#NSW Radio & Communications
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)