Hello Peter I have a Sangean ATS 505. It has now travelled to some places not well served by other media for weather reports. I think an SSB shortwave radio is the best weather report tool for Australian kayaking trips. AM radio, especially ABC at certain times, Mersey Radio, VHF on Port Phillip and Westernport, and CDMA mobile can also be useful. It is essential to use the ANT 60 portable shortwave reel antenna, or some other antenna extension, with the Sangean radio. I have all frequencies broadcast from Charleville (VMC) and Wiluna (VMW) pre-set in the radio. I have spare batteries ready to go. I use the earphones to prevent fellow paddlers talking over the top of the unrepeated weather broadcast, and I write it down while I listen. Other paddlers have used a pre-printed sheet to fill in. The written forecasts are a useful addition to the trip diary. Broadcast schedules and frequencies are available at the Bureau of Meteorology website: www.bom.gov.au. You can request a small "mini-guide" to various area marine weather services from the BoM, which takes up next to no room packed in with the set. The radio is carried in a padded zipped soft container, inside a roll top dry bag. It is well worthwhile checking the morning forecast, and not just relying on the previous evening sched before launching. Cheers. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Peter wrote: - >I have a Sangean ATS 505. G'Day Peter, Excellent summary. Regarding radio's I've zero'd in on the Grundig Yacht Boy 400, the Sangean 505 or 909 and the Sony 7600GR as a sensible range of radios for Australian kayakers to choose from. The article is written but you've raised a couple of points I hadn't thought of: use of earphones and the emphasis on getting an early morning report and the availability of the small "mini-guide" from the BoM, (also the correct way to abbreviate Bureau of Meteorology!). I must confess that I tend to be a bit of a wake up call to my fellow kayakers when listening to early morning reports so the earphone comment is particularly relevant. Regarding other media. I do make the point that satellite phones are probably the most effective way of receiving the weather, as well as being useful in emergencies, albeit very expensive. Is there a case for HF radios having adavantages over satellite phones? If you don't get the NSWSKC magazine I could send you an electronic copy of the article. Also I think someone else from Paddlewise sent me an email on this subject but it accidentally got deleted while I tried to cope with spam. Whoever sent the email I would greatly appreciate a second copy. Thanks and all the best, Peter *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Check out the following WEB site. It has reviews of lots of radios. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/rx_index.html DON -----Original Message----- From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net]On Behalf Of Peter Treby Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 2:47 AM To: Peter Osman Cc: Paddlewise Subject: [Paddlewise] Radio Question *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Don wrote: >Check out the following WEB site. >It has reviews of lots of radios. >http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/rx_index.html G'Day Don, Thanks for the link. Its a great web site, one of the few remaining sites that give decent reviews of short wave radios. Another good one is Ham Net http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8. I didnt bother with any of the commercial Internet based reviews, which seem to have taken over most of the search function lists. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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