Gidday all;

I have being meaning to write up some simple 'plain-language' guides for radio communications and and computers. I've started the radio part, and will get it posted as soon as I have made some good headway.

Is there any specific items of interest people would like to know re computers?
Either respond to this post, or just send me a message via the messaging system on the board, open to any suggestions in respects to radio and computers.

While I am at this, and I know it has being suggested by others previously, and didn't receive a roaring response, would anyone be interested in a 'real-time' chat room? There would be no need for installation of chat programs or the like, just simply use of your existing web-browser, no downloads, no software needed. All you would need is Adobe Flash, which you would most likely already have installed anyway. If there is enough interest in such a thing I can tack it only site, since I am co-owner of the server, there is plenty of space for me to do such things.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts.

Hi
Just wondering what the  VK3FEMT
What organization is it, I am with VKS737 network
cheers
blaze

.. It represents a Ham Radio Callsign .. VK3 indicates the Aussie State and the "F" indicates a Foundation Licence Holder ..

Jon  (currently in Quilpie, Qld)

i think chat room would be good

Jon got it in one, maybe a fellow amateur out there?
Sadly I should have went for my Standard, the day I went they were only holding Foundation tests, so that was what I did.

Although I am going to get Ronnies CD's and upgrade in due course.

Cute photo Lilly, what is it? Tassie Devil?
1 vote for a chatroom, all noted.

yep is a devils ... they r so cute ...

Hi ..

Good idea & great subject.   My suggestions for inclusion (off the top of the head)

Methods of connection to the internet - Brief description of each incl strenghts & weaknesses
-ADSL
-Co-axial CABLE
-Wireless

Detailed exploration of the wireless option...
eg Thru Telcos direct .. Via 3rd party 'hubs?'
How each works .. strengths weaknesses

Include hardware & software needed plus security

I use the 'Dummies' series of publications  to help me on various subjects especially computing & find those authored by Andy Rathbone very easy to use.  His style is not experts talking to experts.   Compare Windows7 for Dummies by Rathbone & the same publication by Woody Leonhard  to see what I mean.  The former is extremely easy to read & use by the novice but the latter contains far more data but is maybe less user friendly for the novice.  IMO. 
They may well have one on wireless communications.

Maybe a section on wireless (routers?) in the home & with traveling laptops might be worthwhile  .. once again strengths weaknesses & technical stuff.


Hope this helps .. good luck  .. 


ps.. Dunno if you are going to write on 'How it Works' or 'How to set it up & use it' or both or something else.

pps. In my limited experience what starts out as a small enjoyable project can grow & grow and then become out of date quickly unless you keep at it. 
I once wrote yet another Grey Nomads Notebook outlining my Caravanning experience & ideas that I came across.  It was not intended for general publication.  It gave me great pleasure & I have given copies to many friends who were just starting out.  But it soon became dated & there are lots of others out there that are much better written than mine.  Future proofing it to some extet is a challenge.
Having said that, what you are doing is an excellent idea and undoubtedly of great benefit to a very large number of people.  I wish you well & look forward to seeing the results of your efforts.

ppps. The much referd to Colyn Rivers might be well worth reading as background research into style et al.

Think the Chat Room would be great ---- along with the radio & computor ---- mainly arials and setups --- on road printers etc


cheers
Coyotte

Hi Stew, Held a full call for 25years, let it go some time back.. Used to work osca10 and other sats that where there, skylab when it was flying and the one from russia.. that was before internet, they called it packet radio, on a commodore 64. I just smile now when i think about it .Now with the internet .dont get time. All the time is taken up traveling ..The old call was vk3dep. dont know if its been released again..I used to take HF with me and 2mts 70cm ect.. Now its fishing and prospecting in the west..yer a chat room would be a good idea.. BobnBev

Bring o the chat room I say........

Seems to be reasonable support for a chatroom, so I will get that under way in due course, takes a little setting up on my end to do, as there are certain features which I will disable, such as file transfer - sorry but this costs me as all the transfers are done via the server, eg. you send the file to the server, the program then sends it to the intended recipient, which works much faster then peer-to-peer (directly).

I will also disable the option of users creating their own rooms, as I don't feel this is in anyones benefit that a group get on with there (password protected) room and only those knowing the password can access it. To me that would kill the idea of the chatroom if we had say 5 people yabbering away in their own little cave and others not being able to access it. I can ceetainly create "interest' rooms, for example communications where people interested in such can chat away to their hearts content, but not exclusively.

Re computers. Ok, as this will primarily be for nomads, such things as ADSL, Cable, Fibre and so forth will not come into play. Similarly wireless routers are also more of a home or permanant base type use, I don't think to many people in busses and caravans would be using routers, but then they may if they have more then one lappy or desktop.

Obviously I will be tackling radio first, its more my field of expertise as such, for those interested in the 'F Call' assignment, it turned out the day I went to get my licence they were only holding F call tests, and not standard or advanced (the old full call), so thats what I ended up with, my mate wanted me to go for full-call, and others have suggested same as well, although I think I will upgrade to standard in the coming months, full-call, or advanced as it is correctly known now would be nice, but unfortunately it would also give me cause to spend yet more money on radio gear with having access to more rf real-estate. Honestly I have to many radios already sitting in the bus, and in standard gives me access to pretty much all of the bands spare a few, I just don't see the need for it at this point in time.

If anyone is interested in getting their foundation licence, it is very easy to obtain, contact the local amateur radio club in your area.

Bob, you may be able to get that renewed (different call though) if interested, contact the ACMA, this would depend on how long ago it lapsed etc, although there have been full calls off air for sometime who have just renewed it and went on.

Hi Stew,
As a newbie I was wondering if there is a particular channel we should have our UHF radio on when travelling the Highways.I have noticed quiet a few travellers advertise on the back of there vans the channel they can be contacted on,is this a good idea.
Thanks

Hi Stew, Not just now to much on my plate, Goldcoaster, I think most people sit on ch.18 , we sit on the trucky ch.40 ..and mont.ch 18. as well.. ????

Hey Goldcoaster,

As a rule I have found that most Van's I have seen have on the back 18/40 UHF as their monitored channels, thats been in Queensland anyway.

Personally I usually monitor 18 & 40 as well as the emergency calling channel on both UHF and the old fashioned 27MHz CB frequencies.

Hoo Roo Happy Days
Grumps

Depends on which way the wind is blowing.

40 - Official road use channel.
18/20 Unofficial Caravan and 4WD I think channel, think there is also another channel such as 10 used by some esoteric mob.

Personally I find it rather annoying having to play musical channels to contact someone, so I just leave mine on 40 and talk to the truckies, least that way you know if there is anything happening up ahead that may cause you grief or delay.

If you are travelling on the Pacific Motorway from Tweed Heads to Newcastle - the truckies use channel 29.  We found this our two weeks ago when there was a terrible accident at Valla Beach - Channel 40 was quiet and a truckie in front of us told us about channel 29. Everywhere else in Aus they use channel 40.
Barb

Thanks for that BarbNDaz, I didn't know about that either and have been travelling the highways n byways between sydney and Towsnville for nye on 20 years now... I have a Uniden UHF which has a scan funtion that I have programmed for the main freqs, makes life easier. Hoo Roo Happy Days Grumps