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Thread: ABC To Close All Radio Australia HF Broadcasts On 31 Jan 2017

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    Default ABC To Close All Radio Australia HF Broadcasts On 31 Jan 2017

    This will be a sad day for many.

    Not just listeners, but also for current and former staff.

    Radio Australia has been operating from Shepparton Victoria for 73 years.

    It has seven 100 kw transmitters and the latest was only installed about 2010 so at that time it was believed that Radio Australia would be here for a long time to come.

    The ABC is the parent body of Radio Australia and the ABC decided to close all HF broadcasting even that in the Northern Territory as they say that people now have internet access and if not they have access to FM broadcasting stations on VHF.

    One of the reasons given for the changes is that AM and HF broadcasting are old obsolete communications mediums. If this is so why is China increasing the number of transmitters to do what Radio Australia is going to stop doing?

    It's not just the Shepparton transmitting complex that's closing... it's ALL HF stations in Australia that will cease broadcasting.


    An Indigenous ranger group in the Northern Territory says the ABC's decision to end its shortwave radio service could be life threatening.

    The ABC announced this week its three HF shortwave radio transmitters at Katherine, Tennant Creek and Roe Creek (Alice Springs), would be switched off on January 31, 2017.

    ABC Radio will continue to broadcast on FM and AM bands, via the viewer access satellite television (VAST) service, streaming online and via the mobile phone application.

    Mark Crocombe from the Thamarrurr Rangers, in the remote community of Wadeye, said the rangers spent days and sometimes weeks at a time away in the bush and out on sea patrols.

    He said the group relied on the ABC's shortwave radio for weather reports and emergency information.

    "Otherwise you have to call back to the base on the HF radio to ask people [there], but then you can't listen to the report yourself, you are relying on someone else's second-hand report," Mr Crocombe said.

    Mr Crocombe said on previous bush trips he had received warnings of cyclones via the ABC's shortwave service, without which he would not have had any notice.

    "Sure, it is expensive to keep the shortwave radio service going, but during cyclones, for the bush camps and people on boats, that is their only way of getting the weather reports," he said.

    "It could be life threatening, if you are out and you don't know a cyclone is coming."

    Mr Crocombe said the VAST service did not work during cloudy weather, especially during monsoons and cyclones.

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    Typically dumb....fair weather emergency broadcasts....

    Didn't I read somewhere that they are revamping the news department as well?
    The fact that there's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic flow.

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    Of course everything can be streamed over the 'net, which may be more "reliable" than radio, however, radio is still a more reliable medium, especially when disaster or warfare strikes. The 'net can be shut down, witness the filtering that occurs in China and other countries.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    Yep... and just try receiving the net in remote areas without satellite comms... which is why HF broadcasts were introduced to begin with.

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    Our last family holiday in September last year was 30km outside Pemberton in south west WA. Not what i would call remote, and shortwave was the only communication we received.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    Yep... and just try receiving the net in remote areas without satellite comms... which is why HF broadcasts were introduced to begin with.
    I would have thought the exact opposite was the case with Satellite communication being more reliable even with certain atmospheric conditions compared to the propagation variations that affects HF transmissions.
    I had a lot of fun with Shortwave first using a Kreisler brand portable radio with access to part of the HF band, then to a Tandy Realistic DX160 followed by a Yeasu FRG7 that allowed me to listen to the World.
    I still have the QSL cards received from those stations who replied to my reception reports.
    Both Radio Peking (now Beijing) and Radio Moscow were great to listen to as they both extolled the wonders and promises of their Communist Governments compared to those 'Running Dogs' of the 'Criminal Imperialistic American Gangsters' (Australia was a 'Running Dog') until Gough Whitlam restored Diplomatic Relations with China before the USA did.

    I wonder if this decision has anything to do with the second SKYMUSTER Satellite coming ON LINE which it must due if it hasnt already?
    Last edited by gordon_s1942; 21-01-17 at 03:56 PM.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    might have to put a bid in on one of those 100kw big boys.......

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    Quote Originally Posted by hoe View Post
    might have to put a bid in on one of those 100kw big boys.......
    CQDX CQDX CQDX Hoe here, can anybody HEAR me !!!!!

    Bugger, there goes the Town Transformer AGAIN !!!
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    Quote Originally Posted by hoe View Post
    might have to put a bid in on one of those 100kw big boys.......
    Would love a tower or two (or more).

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    Had the privilege to work in one of the last big HF radio stations in Australia, up until it was mothballed in 2010. The two smallest transmitters were Continental 100kW, that were dwarfed by an old Collins 250kW, two Thomson 250kW, and an impressively large Thomson 400kW that had a HV section that you could walk around in. (powered-down and earthed, of course)

    It's technology we will probably never see again, unless something really bad happens to global wired data comms.

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    Shortwave stations like Radio Australia are like a greeting card to the world.
    They also encourage tourism, which is an important part of our GDP !


    ...and what a load of B.S. about everybody having internet access.
    Geographically, full Internet coverage is not practical in AU and would be way more expensive than the comparatively minute cost of keeping a handful of old Shortwave transmitters alive. Shortwave radio is often a portable thing so forget internet over satellite apart of the hideous cost.
    Those government bureaucratic dimwits think everybody has to live in a city now anyhow, so fvck the rest.
    They will probably decide to kill ABC middle wave AM next year and get an award for that too.


    Not every Australian expat, tourist or overseas worker has internet available where they are either but would still like to know what is going on at home.


    This is shameful but also another typical example of our current government to save on pennies, while 10's maybe 100 Billion dollars of revenue is lost by allowing loopholes for the rich 1% to avoid tax.


    For me, ABC is the only local radio service worth listening to.
    Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
    Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
    Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...

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    Just out of curiosity Onefella, did you work at Cox Pen? If so, When?
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    A few years ago went on 4WD trips across the Simpson Desert, Hay River Track and as well spent time well out of Leonora in W.A.

    VHF FM was non existent, AM radio very hard to get hear with a lot of fades and atmospherics. Those of us with H.F outpost radios or shortwave radios could listen to Radio Australia with ease.

    Get the news in the evening and some commentary which kept us up to date.

    I wrote a letter to the Minister of Communications and the Arts and got the glob story about how everyone would get free access to T.V and radio via the VAST satellite network.

    As well how wonderful the ABC was extending its digital radio network in Darwin.

    Great. What about the people in the outback, guess they will have to fork out for satellite dishes which are fixed installations, not really suitable for those running about the outback.



    As well raised the issue of the Pacific Islands whom listen to Radio Australia.

    Same glab story about VAST satellite receivers and VHF FM repeaters put up everywhere.

    Considering the Chinese whom have three (not sure on that) shortwave broadcasting stations which are so powerful they can be listened to with a crystal set and length of wire I'm willing to bet that is whom the P. Islanders will tune into when R. Australia goes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by lsemmens View Post
    Just out of curiosity Onefella, did you work at Cox Pen? If so, When?
    Yes, when it was being run by Christian Voice/Voice International. 2007-2010.

    What gave me away? The transmitter description?

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    Mmm...seems I'm going to have to invent my special satellite antenna after all.

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    You might say that, Onefella, I never worked there but did have dealings with it when working for Telstra in Darwin in the 80s.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    Xenophon to fight for ABC shortwave radio



    I don't like his chances, but good on him for trying.

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    He has more pull then most in Canberra so fingers crossed, good news that someone is in for the fight.

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    Well Radio Australia is gone, disappeared.

    So for those travelling in the Simpson Desert or thousands of other remote places in 4wd's what do you listen to.

    It's not possible to put a VAST satellite dish on the roof of a 4WD let alone the cost.

    So guess the only option is to take the best sensitive AM radio you can get and experiment with various long wire aerials.

    With a bit of luck there may be a fading, crackling signal from somewhere.

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    One of the reasons I lost interest in SW listening in the late 80's~ early 90's was that many Countries were either reducing or closing their National Radio service and selling the frequencies to Religious Groups who seemed to me at the time more interested in getting donations than anything else.
    Price increases for both the International Reply Coupons (IRC's) had increased along with postage costs certainly didnt help.
    Some Stations were demanding between 2 and 4 IRC's at least for a reply.
    Here at least TV aggregation had given us an extra 3 channels along with an FM Radio station and PayTV added extra channels to further reduce your listening time.

    I have to partly disagree with Landytrack not being able to install a dish on a 4WD as I have seen dishes on campers, caravans and various 4WD's and these were not the up market folding self aligning types either.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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