Dumn HF vks question

A good observation. However if you look carefully you'll find huge spaces that aren't taken up, especially with your time difference.
There are few skeds on the 5, 11 and 14 meg frequencies.
There are ways around your problem. If local then use a lower frequency and bend your aerial back so as to produce radiation that doesnt go as far as the bases. Thats one trick, I'm sure others will have other ideas.

G'day Davoe

Don't know sh1t from dates about your question, but couldn't help noticing your profile piccie .... LOL!!

"Guilty your Honour" but I'm trying to be good .... honest.

Cheers cobber

Hi Davoe

Welcome to VKS737

You will be fine, there are plenty of free time:

WA Time
Channel one
between 6.30 pm to 6.30 am
between 8.00am to 4.00pm

Channel two
between 6.30 pm to 6.00 am
between 8.00 am to 11.30 am
between 1.00pm and 2.00 pm

Channel 3
Anytime but stations need to 1000klms plus

Channel 4
Anytime except 7.45 am to 8.00am
Stations that are 1500klms apart, great Perth to Darwin or East Coast for Lunch time chat

Channel 5
Anytime
Local Contact within 100klms daytime, further at night

Note, the higher the sun the higher the frequency

Ray Victor 2010 Sunday Night Adelaide Base

Dave - I'm a base operator for VKS737 ... the following may be of use.1. Staff and members in general will appreciate your attempting personal calls only outside of published sked times (its a rule in fact), on the particular frequencies involved. As others have commented, if you'd like regular personal contact with other members, the trick is to pick a frequency and a free time to do that, before you go bush. By that method, you have a lot of opportunity to contact people.2. It is also true that if you fire up in sked time on what seems a clear frequency you may well cut into important traffic that you can't here - certainly not a good idea.3.
During the summer months, when our skeds are very quiet, ops are happy to put out a call and relay brief info to a required contact who may be on channel. That method employs the base as a relayer; one with a bigger antenna and a better reach (most times) than your mobile setup. This issue would be a burden though in the busy, winter months.Performance of frequencies cannot be set in stone either - even though the same power output is employed on all, they vary in reach and performance, due to a variety of conditions. Overall, experienced users employ the best frequency for the prevailing conditions where possible. In general, 8022khz is good early and late in the day - 5455khz may be better for your particular location under certain conditions. 14977khz has a better reach generally in the middle of the day.There is guide material tucked away in places on our website - have a squizz (documents page too) - please get in touch if we can assist further.

Theres another option for personal calls if say you're talking car to car, but out of UHF range - turn the power down.

Some sets have the ability to switch between 100 watts and 10 watts. That won't interfere too much with anyone else.

Regards
Max P

I wish you luck. I have just cancelled my VKS membership, as, although I am still travelling around, I am fed up with all the inconsderate D---heads with flash radios with selcalls just hitting the button and going over everyone else, including the Bases. It seems that all the boneheads from 27Meg have found their way onto VKS.
Itried from Outback NSW, all the way through Nth Qld this year, just to contact a Base, and I know my Radio was working, but every time I tried, some inconsiderate Moron would press his selcall, effectively cutting me off. It happened too many times to be a coincidence. So Good luck with Hf
Ringa