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9 articles
Not all emergency radio groups are created equal. We take a practical look at the organisations across Australia that genuinely activate during disasters, what they actually need from volunteers, and how to make sure you're an asset rather than extra noise on a busy net.
Power line harmonics are one of the sneakiest killers of HF performance in Australian suburbs and rural areas alike. Learn how to pinpoint the source, measure it on a shoestring, and build a paper trail that actually gets results with ACMA.
When terrestrial repeaters are hundreds of kilometres away and HF propagation is being uncooperative, some Australian hams are looking straight up. From OSCAR satellites to emerging Low Earth Orbit constellations, satellite-based amateur radio is becoming a serious option for remote and outback stations.
Australian amateur radio operators are quietly building something remarkable: resilient, community-owned mesh networks that can carry data and voice when commercial infrastructure fails. From LoRa nodes on water tanks in outback Queensland to AREDN deployments linking volunteer emergency services in regional Victoria, the mesh revolution is well underway. Here's what's happening, how it works, and how you can get involved.
Something's shifting in the Australian amateur radio community — more and more operators are swapping the comfort of the shack for a backpack, a portable antenna, and a hilltop with a view. From SOTA activations in the Snowy Mountains to remote coastal ops on the Nullarbor fringe, portable radio is booming. We look at why, how, and what you actually need to get started.
Across regional Australia, a quiet movement of amateur radio operators is tracking down old, silent repeaters and getting them back on air. It's part technical challenge, part community project — and in some areas, it's rebuilding a communications lifeline that locals didn't realise they'd lost.
The regulatory ground beneath Australian amateur radio is shifting, and not all of it is moving in operators' favour. From spectrum pressure in the crowded UHF bands to new opportunities opening up on the horizon, ACMA's evolving approach to frequency management is forcing local clubs and individual operators to rethink how they plan, coordinate, and advocate. We dig into what's actually changing, which communities are feeling the squeeze hardest, and what the broader VK amateur population can d
Across Australia, more and more amateur radio operators are quietly shelving their SSB rigs in favour of digital voice modes like DMR, D-STAR, and Yaesu System Fusion. It's not just a tech trend — there are real, practical reasons the shift is happening, and some equally real trade-offs worth understanding before you take the plunge.
When the power goes out and mobile towers burn, amateur radio operators in rural Australia become some of the most valuable people in their communities. Here's how to get your station ready before the smoke starts rolling in. From portable HF rigs to battery backups and registering with your local emergency management agency, this guide covers the essentials.