Good Morning All
When I was a child in Melbourne in the early 50’s , on Sunday evening after we three kids had our bath we would listen to “Daddy and Paddy” on 3DB on an AWA valve radio. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=9388beeaa5edb7f267e33140d29dd3f5fb88324a8e0a9bc22c2649ab86195bc6JmltdHM9MTc0MzIwNjQwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=2283eda7-7e60-6dd9-1032-fe387f8d6c38&psq=daddy+and+paddy&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1RWTcxdjZqYkYtbw&ntb=1
Sometimes dad would go to the shortwave bands and I was mystified by the CW and delighted to hear the overseas broadcasts and exotic music. Dad took a lot of chances wriggling valves until he saw the rosy glow inside them.
Many years later I had a 36′ sloop with an International SB 80 HF radio with backstay as an antenna It was fabulous being able to communicate with the OTC Coast Stations that were spread out around Australia. Unfortunately they are now long gone. It was good to be able to talk to a human and the operators were amazing.. From time to time I was able to assist with information about whale sightings (not so common in 1975) and also report on another vessel to give a last position report and reassurance when relatives were concerned about heavy weather. I could also give info to nearby vessels needing navigation advice. That started my love of HF. I always logged on with the OTC stations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9NzLcnL0L4
Around 1986 at the Redland Show in Qld, the Bayside Radio Club had an exhibit. One of their members the late Victor Stallan VK4WST became a good friend about 10 years later. . As part of their display they had a Yaesu FT- ONE and it was love at first sight. When I saw one for sale around 1991 I just had to have it. Although not licensed at the time and unable to transmit I developed a love for listening. I found it exciting to listen to the “Numbers stations” and other clandestine transmisions from the secret services of various unidentified nations. The most common transmission was preceded by the ‘Lincolnshire Poacher” which was probably Mi5.
Here is a link with audio of the Lincolnshire Poacher transmission which also includes a lot of content showing life in the 50’s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0-BJ3z_tIs
I liked to monitor the marine frequencies. The Hoyo Maru went to the aid of 5 including 2 children in a sinking vessel and that was successful. Another time I heard a panicking crew on a catamaran in distress. I never looked into the result of that. It gave me a feeling of helplessness. When the balloon piloted by Steve Fossett landed in the Coral Sea in 1998 I was listening and reported it to Reuters who were grateful. On her way home from work Hilary heard it had been reported by a radio operator and immediately knew it was me. In the year of the Sydney to Hobart disaster I made up a long wire oriented to listen to yacht HF comms. I had looked at the weather and phoned my mate to tell him to chuck some wire up as there were going to be casualties. My reception of the yacht traffic was equal to or better than that of the relay vessel. Longwires can be superb.
I bought a second hand Uniden UBC Bearcat desktop scanner and then listened regularly to the Ipswich and District 2m net at 8am. By the time I got my licence around 1995 via the Ipswich and District Radio Club course I was familiar with the hams on the net and from then on I joined in 24/7 and still do from here thanks to the knowledge and assistance of Rob Bryce VK4AB. Dear Ronnie VK4RG passed away late last year at the age of 96 after running the net for over 30 years. I run that net of a Sunday and used to run The Feather Duster net on 2m of a Tuesday night for some years
Listened to some exciting traffic with the scanner. Hilary noticed a RAAF Orion flying around in circles so we turned on the scanner. It was fully loaded with it’s complete kit of weapons and had a large crew on board. The nose wheel indicator was showing it had not locked in place. Pilot requested a fly-by of the Amberley tower and when that was not conclusive an American B1B that was in NSW flew up to have a closer inspection. Still inconclusive the Orion landed without incident apart from a fire in one of the brakes. On another ocassion we saw a glow of a large fire on the other side of the mountain. Turning on the scanner we could hear the SES communications. A petrol tanker and a car had collided at Minden with disastrous consequences with lives lost. What came to my attention was the cool, calm and precise way the SES person in charge was directing things. A year or so later I found out that person was Bob Pittman, now VK2ADF. We did the same course at Ipswich Club and got our licences at the same time.. We became the best of mates. There would be nobody on earth better than Bob for communications in an emergency.
I made myself useful to the Navy once by way of clarifing a poorly heard transmission and also re-directing police when they had an address wrong. I was also able to alert a large poulty production company of a plot by criminals to adulterate their feedstocks with banned substances. I won’t say how I heard that.
When I joined the Coral Coast net around 1995 it was on 7.060 and being run by Gordon Beswick shortly after Les Bell passed away. I loved it right from the start and made many good friendships. . My radio was the FT-ONE or Yeasu FT847 and a dipole or Hustler five band trap vertical. Being an early riser I would have good chats in the early hours with Gordon Gray VK4AGZ in Cairns and VK4AAU (Bob) in Mackay and Doug Smith VK4ASM as well as VK2Yi, Doug Pearson. All silent keys now.. I have fond memories of the group, Tom Davis VK2STD, Les Daniel VK2AXZ, Les Meier VK4EMI in Atherton and a host of others. After moving from Mt Stradbroke near Glamorganvale to Winfield in 2012 it took me some time to get back onto HF. Once back on the CC net there were lots of calls I was unfamiliar with and a few I knew quite well. Doug VK4KET being one of them and Ronnie VK3AHR. It is good to see the net going on strongly after all these years. Eilene, Steve and Doug, Harry and the others do a great job of keeping the group rolling along nicely. Keep on keeping on.. To all the silent keys…thanks for the memories and good times. It was great to know you.
73 VK4DA/VK4KPM
