Hi

My newly acquired boat has a HF/SSB set installed, it has no aerial attached(top two boxes). I personally have no idea about this sort of radio system although I know a lot of people swear by them. I will be going the Satfone route and am wondering if there is any market for a used radio such as this. Anyone know where I could possibly sell something like this?

Thanks
>Vernon

Vernon,

Your back-stay will be the aerial, have a look and see if there appears to be an insulator [about 10 cm to 15 cm long] top and bottom.

You of course will not sell your back-stay with the radio!!

P.S. Ham radio licence is needed to operate the HF/SSB.

Jeez Vernon!!! You have a Wagner with a manual Ariel tuner. Ring up the Greenwich Maritime Museum. They might be interested in displaying it or you could donate it to the Swiss Ski Patrol and Rescue Service.

Seriously, it is older technology. Not a lot of people using it or still listening to it anymore. It is still useful but could be hard to sell on ebay etc to yacht owners but could be of great interest to an enthusiast radio operator.

Cheers Cisco.

I have the same set up. Only turn it on occasionally to see if it still works. I would suggest keeping it. Mate of mine picked up one out of the dumpster at a well known Sydney yacht club that hosts the Sydney Hobart race. I would say its worth more to you than what it worth on eBay for example. Still the only radio that works on the whole Eastern seaboard of Australia though lots of stations have closed.

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Ramona said..
I have the same set up. Only turn it on occasionally to see if it still works. I would suggest keeping it. Mate of mine picked up one out of the dumpster at a well known Sydney yacht club that hosts the Sydney Hobart race. I would say its worth more to you than what it worth on eBay for example. Still the only radio that works on the whole Eastern seaboard of Australia though lots of stations have closed.

Hi Ramona

I get what you are saying and I'm sure the system still has its uses. I am already on a step learning curve with the boat and going through learning about ssb etc and going through all the licensing is just a bit much for me. There's no point leaving it in my boat if I'm unable to use it.
Thanks

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cisco said..
Jeez Vernon!!! You have a Wagner with a manual Ariel tuner. Ring up the Greenwich Maritime Museum. They might be interested in displaying it or you could donate it to the Swiss Ski Patrol and Rescue Service.

Seriously, it is older technology. Not a lot of people using it or still listening to it anymore. It is still useful but could be hard to sell on ebay etc to yacht owners but could be of great interest to an enthusiast radio operator.

Cheers Cisco.

Hi Cisco
Thanks for this info. I guess the set-up is as old as the boat. Boat has kept its usefulness a bit better though.
I'll through it up in Ebay and see what happens. I'm getting the boat re-wired and just want it as simple and effective as possible.
Thanks

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nswsailor said..
Vernon,

Your back-stay will be the aerial, have a look and see if there appears to be an insulator [about 10 cm to 15 cm long] top and bottom.

You of course will not sell your back-stay with the radio!!

P.S. Ham radio licence is needed to operate the HF/SSB.

It's not a ham radio so no ham licence is needed, marine HF is covered by a MROCP, but the radio needs to be licenced in order to be given a call sign.

Check out the For Sale Section here. SantanaSaga wants to buy one.

Hi There,

A member on another forum (Swanson Sailors) is looking for a manual for the Wagner set you have.

Do you have the manual?

Steve

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Sweetchariot said..
Hi There,

A member on another forum (Swanson Sailors) is looking for a manual for the Wagner set you have.

Do you have the manual?

Steve

Hi
I haven't seen it yet but theres a whole cupboard full of logs, manuals etc so I'm sure its there. If I'm going to sell the radio though I'll include the manual with it.

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Yara said..
Check out the For Sale Section here. SantanaSaga wants to buy one.

I can't seem to find it, which category was it in?

Loosechange said:

It's not a ham radio so no ham licence is needed, marine HF is covered by a MROCP, but the radio needs to be licenced in order to be given a call sign.


Sorry Loosechange but you are WRONG. A MROCP is required to operate a VHF radio but does not licence you to operate an SSB [or Ham radio] in the HF frequencies. If you have been using a HF radio without the appropriate licence all I can say is good luck as they do monitor who is operating.

Oh, and the call sign is owned by the operator, not the radio.

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nswsailor said..
Loosechange said:

It's not a ham radio so no ham licence is needed, marine HF is covered by a MROCP, but the radio needs to be licenced in order to be given a call sign.


Sorry Loosechange but you are WRONG. A MROCP is required to operate a VHF radio but does not licence you to operate an SSB [or Ham radio] in the HF frequencies. If you have been using a HF radio without the appropriate licence all I can say is good luck as they do monitor who is operating.

Oh, and the call sign is owned by the operator, not the radio.

Not wanting to get into an argument or slanging match but MROCP will cover you for HF and VHF, plus it it also covers you for Pactor Modem email transmissions.

A MROVCP will cover you for VHF ONLY.

If you are thinking of buying a VHF with DSC then ACMA will require a copy of your MROVCP before they will issue you a MMSI.

This from one of many web pages, that basically all state the same requirement......

"If you plan to use a marine transceiver, you need to hold a Marine Radio Operator's Certificate of Proficiency. There are two certificate options here in Australia, the MROCP and the MROVCP. The main difference between both is that MROCP covers VHF and MF/HF while the MROVCP covers only VHF. It's important to highlight that a Marine MF/HF transceiver equipment does need an individual apparatus licence."

And another ......

Does the MF/HF marine radio require a license? Yes, the apparatus needs to be licensed and the operator requires a Certificate of Proficiency. When the apparatus is licensed a call sign will be issues by the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority).

I know it is a requirement to be licensed for VHF, but I cant for the life of me understand why, and why not for 27mHz. In my opinion all radio types should at least have a course if for nothing else but radio etiquette.

It is also my understanding that it is ok to monitor a radio of which a licence is required. You just cannot transmit on it. But you get bet my nuts, that in an emergency, if it came to it, I would be grabbing that mic.

Let mi put my 2 cents in
Loose Change is 100% correct! ,
to operate VHF and HF transmitters requires licence.
typically both unit have preset frequencies, can't wander of channels

Don't get mix up with radio amateur licence / VK prefix of the call sign /
also transceivers are always fine tune across the ham bands.

Sure you can use HF as a receiver to obtain current weather forecast,
without licence and use it emergency only.

HF under favourable conditions can propagate thousands of miles
Last 6 month, in central Qld was no communication recorded on HF except w. forecast.

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Toph said..
I know it is a requirement to be licensed for VHF, but I cant for the life of me understand why, and why not for 27mHz. In my opinion all radio types should at least have a course if for nothing else but radio etiquette.

It is also my understanding that it is ok to monitor a radio of which a licence is required. You just cannot transmit on it. But you get bet my nuts, that in an emergency, if it came to it, I would be grabbing that mic.

There is a regulation that allows unlicenced personnel to make transmissions in the event of an emergency.

And now this ..... possible removal of the need for a recreational VHF licence ...
http://www.acma.gov.au/Citizen/Consumer-info/All-about-spectrum/Marine-and-Amateur-Radio/vhf-marine-radio-operator-qualifications-backgrounder.

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Charriot said..
Let mi put my 2 cents in
Loose Change is 100% correct! ,
to operate VHF and HF transmitters requires licence.
typically both unit have preset frequencies, can't wander of channels

Don't get mix up with radio amateur licence / VK prefix of the call sign /
also transceivers are always fine tune across the ham bands.

Sure you can use HF as a receiver to obtain current weather forecast,
without licence and use it emergency only.

HF under favourable conditions can propagate thousands of miles
Last 6 month, in central Qld was no communication recorded on HF except w. forecast.

I agree. The only trouble with HF as I mentioned previously is the lack of stations left. Afloat magazine over several months had plenty of letters to the editor about lack of HF stations on the coast. Only the occasional coastal rescue association have HF now. The aerial farm takes up a lot of valuable real estate and this is what has caused the closures.
In my opinion if your vessel has HF installed I would keep it.

Previously we had to have licenses for 27 mhz radios. This was dropped because the revenue was less than the cost of collecting fees. I have never heard of anyone been hassled over VHF radio licenses and I certainly never had one [VHF] in my time as a fisherman. Why is there no license for Epirbs?

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Ramona said..

Charriot said..
Let mi put my 2 cents in
Loose Change is 100% correct! ,
to operate VHF and HF transmitters requires licence.
typically both unit have preset frequencies, can't wander of channels

Don't get mix up with radio amateur licence / VK prefix of the call sign /
also transceivers are always fine tune across the ham bands.

Sure you can use HF as a receiver to obtain current weather forecast,
without licence and use it emergency only.

HF under favourable conditions can propagate thousands of miles
Last 6 month, in central Qld was no communication recorded on HF except w. forecast.

I agree. The only trouble with HF as I mentioned previously is the lack of stations left. Afloat magazine over several months had plenty of letters to the editor about lack of HF stations on the coast. Only the occasional coastal rescue association have HF now. The aerial farm takes up a lot of valuable real estate and this is what has caused the closures.
In my opinion if your vessel has HF installed I would keep it.

Previously we had to have licenses for 27 mhz radios. This was dropped because the revenue was less than the cost of collecting fees. I have never heard of anyone been hassled over VHF radio licenses and I certainly never had one [VHF] in my time as a fisherman. Why is there no license for Epirbs?

Hi Ramona

You pretty much sum up here what I've been thinking. HF is on doubt useful. BUT, as I am at the beginning of all this, rather than get the gear sorted, learn how to use it and get licensed to use a system that is obviously on the decline I'd rather get a Satfone system that is obviously only going to get better and cheaper.

I see no point keeping the 27meg if the majority of people use VHF.

Thanks

Ad for James looking to buy HF radio:
www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Boating-Sail-Boats/~taoth/Hf-Radio-Wanted-Icom-Or-Similar.aspx?search=DzWVP$SP$8wlXTxthAj!4A==

HF band is widely used for heaps of more communications
HF frequencies allocation from 2MHz to 30MHz refers as a short wave bands
AM
SSB
SSTV
FSK radioteletype transfer of digital information over shortwave bands
/weather charts, pictures, mails atc./

Any of those require, specialised units, modem, software.