17/6/10 - Vandals Shut Down Another Repeater

MEL03 in Melbourne's east was shut down this week after vandals damaged it and approximately thirty other radio services, which included equipment owned and operated by Moorabbin & District Radio Club, Casey City Council and Local Community Radio Station 3SER

This is yet another blow to Melbourne operators, with MEL03 being the last repeater in the metropolitan area that regularly provided Melbourne with reliable coverage. The committee spokeswoman from the group responsible for MEL03 and other repeaters across Victoria said today "This is another sad day for our group and UHF CB users in Melbourne, It is unlikely we will spend the money to bring any repeaters back to service in the metropolitan area anytime soon" she went on to say "How long can the ACMA (Australian Communications & Media Authority) go on ignoring these issues, They were advised about the problems in Melbourne and opted to do nothing about it"

 

A spokesman from Moorabbin & District Radio Club said the club will be out of pocket approximately $3000, but the inconvenience of the their equipment being unavailable far outweighs the monetary loss, He went on to say that "He believes the poor funding the ACMA receives contributes to the lack of interest the ACMA has in policing 'in band' issues" 

 

Power games were responsible for shutting down MEL07 (Pentland Hills, Victoria) and VHC8 (Blackwood, Victoria) earlier this year

 

The ACMA were unavailable for comment when this article was published

 

 

 

29/5/10 - Mountain Radio Challenge 2010

The annual Mountain Radio Challenge (MRC) is now only 6 months away, and planning is well underway because we all know how time flies.

We have several keen groups already committed, as listed on the website at www.mrc.cat.net.au As this is our 20th Anniversary we are hoping to make it our best year ever, and we're w...orking hard on extending our path north from ACT.We have interested stations near Orange, Bathurst, Gulgong/Mudgee, & Barrington Tops, but are still interested in more groups in NSW, to further expand the event.Victoria and

Tasmania have key groups already committed, with a new alternative link from Vic to Tasmania via eQSO this year.There are also interested groups in Brisbane and SE Qld; it would be great to link up 5 states / territories.

The MRC provides a great opportunity to participate in, and encourage the activity of, CB Radio. Many people have said they find it a great opportunity for other related interests such as camping, 4wding and bush walking We have found interest from many people who haven't used a CB for many years, and see this as a great chance to get back on the air and remember the “old times”. The event provides a known time, with great chance of many contacts, for people who don't get to talk on CB very often. We also welcome people who cannot commit to the event but wish to make a call to the MRC stations throughout the day. We encourage casual participation in the hope they may be in a position for greater commitment in following years, or just to keep the interest of CB radio going.

The objective, as you may know, is to relay a message and answer from the first to last station, and back again.We appreciate the early commitment and involvement of previous participants, who realise that the relay chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and that the successful activities of each group are key to the success of the event. There have been other events in the past similar to the MRC, which are no longer continued, and there are similar events for amateur operators, but the MRC is one of a very few regular CB-centric events. It's great to see that the MRC is growing in strength as the years progress, and to see many people who have spoken on CB during previous years, or previous MRC events, catch up with each other.

The MRC website is the hub of all information, and is updated as new stations are added. I encourage people to use the Yahoo group or the facebook page to communicate with each other, and share ideas and suggestions about locations, equipment, times etc.There are regular chats between MRC participants on Skype, MSN/Windows Live, eQSO & PalTalk, and I encourage people to discuss the MRC on these mediums. Friday nights, around 8.30pm, seem to be a popular time for these activities. Feel free to discuss other contact methods between yourself and other MRC groups, especially stations near you in the chain of the MRC message. I'd be keen to hear of MRC people arranging chats on 27MHz/UHF either local or skip.

Please let me know if you’re interested in participating in the MRC this year, so I can plan the route, and advise others of group locations via the website. Please feel free to forward this email to other people or groups, that you think may be interested.

NB: If you're no longer interested in the MRC, or have a more appropriate email address, please advise.

Tony 355
MRC 2010 27th November
www.mrc.cat.net.au

 

 

30/4/10 - UHF CB Changes Announced

 

The Australian Communications and Media Authority today announced important changes to the allocation of frequencies available for use by UHF CB Radio operators

Changes from a 40 channel system to a new 80 channel system are expected to occur in two stages over a five year period

Stage one effective from January 1^st 2011 will see

• The frequency allocation extended upwards by 6.25 kHz to accommodate an additional 12.5 kHz channel

•  All simplex voice channels will transition to 12.5 kHz bandwidth

• Repeater channels will transition to 12.5 kHz bandwidth, to create space for additional repeater channels to be added in stage two of the changes

• Telemetry channels 22 & 23 remain unchanged

• Licensing rules regarding repeaters will be relaxed

The changes will give UHF CB Radio operators access to 38 simplex channels

It is expected that by January 1^st 2016 all repeater owners would have updated their repeaters to 12.5 kHz capable equipment, then stage two will take place and an allocation of an additional 8 repeater channels increasing the total number of channels for repeaters to 16

UHF CB Australia applauds the changes made by the ACMA but some tweaking is still needed in our opinion to eliminate any confusion with the changeover process

 

 

 

11/4/10 - Melbourne Repeaters Remain In Limbo 

 

Committee members were unable to reach consensus at today's meeting, leaving Melbourne's remaining repeater network online for now

 

A committee spokeswoman said "A majority vote was not reached today, However members will monitor repeater activities over the next few weeks, before meeting again to vote on the future of the network"

 

 

10/4/10 - Melbourne Committee Meets

 

Members of the committee behind the operation of a large number of Melbourne's repeaters will meet today to decide the fate of their network.

 

A spokesperson said yesterday that "Two repeaters had already been taken off the air due to vandalism and abuse" and that the committee "We have to make a difficult choice tomorrow (Sunday) whether or not to remove more repeaters from service until the issues are resolved. This is not a decision we will take lightly however we have almost used our entire budget trying to repair the damage to our equipment"

 

The biggest blow came to UHF CB Operators in Victoria, when it was revealed that funding from donations, that was allocated to 6 new repeaters across Victoria that were to be commissioned in 2010, has now been used to repair deliberate damage to the existing network, putting those projects on hold until money can be raised again, this setback may delay these services from becoming a reality for a number of years.  

 

 

6/4/10 - MEL07 Shutdown  

 

The troubled MEL07 repeater located at the Pentland Hills in Melbourne's west has been shut down possibly never to return and the committee that oversees MEL07 and other repeaters across Melbourne have not ruled out turning off more services under their control if trouble continues.

 

A committee spokesperson told UHF CB Australia that 'It was a very tough decision to make, but one that could not be postponed any longer" She went on to say that "It is sad that a handful of CB'ers are ruining a hobby that so many find so enjoyable" 

 

Melbourne over the last few years has seen the return of a record number of repeaters to the metropolitan area but unless things improve we may see a return of empty airwaves, Something that looked like it was going to be a thing of that past.

 

 

22/3/10 - UHF CB Australia "How To" Updates  

 

The team at UHF CB Australia is currently working on updating our How to Guides, But we need your help.

 

We are looking for your input into what you believe we need to add to these guides.

 

What was the last thing that made you think, How do I do that?

or tips and tricks that you have picked up over the years.

 

Submit you suggestions and ideas by sending an email to howto@uhfcb.com.au

 

 

25/2/10 - Repeater Trial in Place  

 

The troubled channel 7 repeater located in the Pentland Hills (MEL07) returned to service today on a temporary trial. A committee spokesperson said "We don't want to turn these services off, But if the abuse of the equipment that has taken place over the last 12 months continues we will have no choice" the spokesperson also said "The money we have used to keep MEL07 on the air recently has prevented other repeaters from being funded, meaning there are now fewer repeaters available to Melbourne UHF CB users than planned" 

 

It didn't take long for users to break the silence once MEL07 was turned back on late this morning and hopefully it is here to stay. 

 

 

17/2/10 - Another Blow for Melbourne users  

 

It seems that the final nail may be in the coffin for popular Melbourne repeater MEL07. Equipment located at the Pentland Hills is being removed today for another series of repairs due to the relentless abuse of a handful of users, A committee spokesperson told UHF CB Australia today he was "Unsure if the service will ever return to the air" 

 

This popular repeater  which has extensive coverage of the Melbourne CBD has been the target of abuse by users for over 12 months and the group responsible for MEL07 as well as other repeater across Victoria say "We are tired of having to spend our time and money to keep repeaters like MEL07 on the air for people to abuse, The lack of respect and understanding on what is involved with providing repeaters, We believe is a contributing factor"
 

The ever increasing costs of repairs to MEL07 far outweighs the costs involved with all other repeaters that the group are responsible for put together, Which leaves one question to be answered.

 

Why is this repeater so different?

 

We all hope that MEL07 can return to the air again soon but with no incentives, and continuing abuse of the equipment by a handful of operators, We can see no immediate future for this repeater while theses actions continue.

   

 

10/2/10 - Forum Outages  

 

Our forum partner AURFScan is currently offline due to hosting issues.

 

Please check back regularly for updates.

 

 

2/2/10 - Channel 3 Returns  

 

Channel 3(MEL03) Returned to the air this week receiving new repeater equipment. The donation made it possible to return the popular service to air quicker than expected after a massive failure took the repeater off air late 2009. The upgrade of MEL03 is the first of many planned for 2010.

 

 

8/11/09 - Channel 6 Maintenance  

 

Channel 6 (VHC8) at Blackwood Victoria is currently off the air for maintenance

 

The service is expected to return to service shortly

 

   

29/10/09 - UHF CB Australia Offers Free Web Hosting 

 

With the growing success of UHF CB Australia, We are celebrating over One Million hits for 2009....

 

To celebrate UHF CB Australia is giving UHF CB related clubs and organizations across the country free web hosting and email addresses for their group.

 

All registered organizations are eligible to apply.

 

Email onemillionhits@uhfcb.com.au for more info

 

 

14/10/09 - 2009 Mountain Radio Challenge Approaching 

 

Planning for the Mountain Radio Challenge, Saturday Nov 29th, is well and truly underway.

Now with a station registered in the Blue Mountains, we believe will allow us to relay our message northwards from Mt Ginini in ACT.  We have several groups in Victoria, and three in Tasmania.

The overall objective of the MRC has always been to relay a message and reply.  This is more fun over longer distances, and with more stations, and results in some interesting transformations of the message.  This years event also coincides with Spring WIA VHF/UHF field day, and some of these
groups will be participating in both events.

We have two stations in NE NSW, in the Barrington Ranges, however there is another mountain range between them and the Blue Mountains.  We may be able to relay towards the coast, perhaps by UHF repeater.  We also have interested groups in Dubbo, Mudgee & Bathurst. 

The MRC is still looking for people to expand our activity, especially in NSW to help strengthen our link northwards, but also west Victoria, as we'd like to be able to also link in to South Australia.

Its looking like the best MRC to date, and is good preparation for our 20th year anniversary in 2010. There have been many discussions between members via Skype, MSN & eQSO, and also via the Yahoo group.

The website at www.mrc.cat.net.au is updated regularly and is the best source of information for this years event including station locations and Google Maps, and also includes the details of times and channels, to be used on the day.  

For further questions or information e-mail tony@cat.net.au .

 

 

10/09/09 - New Channel 5 Emergency Repeater License Issued    

 

A New UHF CB repeater license has been issued for channel 5 in the NSW rural town of Bungonia 20 km East of Goulburn.

 

Fundraising is currently under way to purchase suitable equipment to provide this important service to this isolated community 

 

Donations can be made via the community website www.bungonia.net

  

 

5/08/09 - Broadcast Network Program Partnership    

 

UHF CB Australia is proud to announce it's new partnership with The Early Warning Network (EWN) combining the UHF CB Broadcast network with EWN's Local Emergency Network (LEN).

 

The combination of both programs not only increases the ability of LEN Controllers to issues warnings to there local area, but allows increased observational input from sources in the area via UHF CB in times when normal communications may be unavailable

 

This partnership is one step forward in helping communities stay informed about events that affect them.

 

More details will be published shortly

   

 

15/07/09 - Abuse of repeaters   

 

MEL07 has been switched off due to the repeated abuse and disrespect of not only the equipment, but other users of the repeater

 

Those in Melbourne will most likely know about the incidents that are taking place on MEL07 to make this drastic action nessasary and will not return to service until the all issues are resolved

 

 

1/07/09 - First Round Draw Closes   

 

The 1st Round of the community repeater project has closed, submissions that make it to the next stage will be contacted over the next few weeks.

 

 

21/06/09 - First Round Draws To A Close   

 

The 1st of June will signify the end of the first stage of applications for UHF CB repeaters in the Community Repeater Project, launched earlier this year by UHFCB.com.au

 

The Community Repeater project is for communities that have limited communications means to apply for a free UHF CB repeater to be provided to the area, Increasing the ability for the local community to communicate with each other for free using readily available UHF CB. There are set criteria that applications will need to for fill to be successful.

 

To apply for a repeater from the Community Repeater Project send an email tocbproject@uhfcb.com.au

 

June 1st also means the end of round 1 of the Win an Ipod competition to be in the for a new Ipod Shuffle just link your website or post a link in a public forum and register your details.

 

For more information on how to register visit the Win an Ipod page.

 

 

8/06/09 - VHC8 Repairs Underway  

 

Channel 6 Blackwood (VIC) is currently off the air to catch up on maintenance and battery charging at the solar only site and is expected to return to full service on Wednesday the 17th of June. Due to consistant interference that made it nessasary to activate tone, brought forward the need for this for these works. A reminder that the tone for this repeater is 123.0 or number 18 on most Uniden and GME radios

 

 

29/05/09 - Submissions Close for the 403-520 MHz Spectrum Changes  

 

Submissions closed this afternoon for public submissions to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for changes to the UHF band.

 

These long overdue changes include an expansion of the UHF CB allocation from the current 40 channels to a proposed 80 channels. With the increase of channels will also come a increase in specific allocations and channel uses.

 

In a submission put forward by UHFCB.com.au we suggested the following allocations for the new 80 channel network

• 16 Repeater Channels
• 16 Repeater Input Channels with no Simplex Access
• 8 Commercial Channels
• 4 Telemetry Channels
• 1 Call Channel
• 1 Road Channel

Our proposal was one designed to give every user of UHF CB radio a designated area to operate including our new commercial allocation giving business 8 channels to operate on without interference.

 

Disabling the ability to transmit simplex on repeater input channels on all new radios sold will significantly reduce deliberate and unintentional interference as well as equipment damage on repeater channels.

 

Doubling the number of available repeater channels with a reduction of minimum repeater spacings from 20 km to 10 km will allow for more flexibility in providing repeaters around the country especially in remote or isolated communities.

 

Details of when changes are expected to take place are not yet known

 

 

29/05/09 - Coverage Boost to the Peninsula 

 

Last night an antenna swap was the final piece of the puzzle on Melbourne's latest repeater VHC8.

 

Issues that reduced the repeaters range have almost been eliminated when the owners replaced the antenna on the receive side of the equipment.

 

Although there are still some problems with a small numbers of communities east of the repeater site not being able to access the service the vast majority of the area now has reliable access to this valuable communications tool.

 

 

23/05/09 - Arthurs Seat All Systems Go.........

 

Channel 8 VHC9 has commenced live equipment and coverage tests today after its long awaited launch.

 

Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula is the biggest winner, but once additional works are completed the repeaters coverage will be expanded further.

 

 

17/05/09 - Two Melbourne Repeaters Return to Service

 

Two of Melbourne's most popular repeaters were turned back on this week MEL07 Channel 7 & VHC8 Channel 6.

 

Both repeaters were removed from service recently due to abuse and interference problems.

 

Channel 7 (MEL07) damaged equipment has been partially repaired but will need to undergo additional repairs to fix the problem completely cause by power wars on the channel over the last few months. Hopefully the problems have been resolved and the power games will stop, to prevent any additional damage to the equipment.

 

Channel 6 (VHC8) located near the country town of Blackwood in Melbourne's West has equipment upgrades and also CTCSS enabled due to the ongoing interference from nearby trucking companies.

 

Anyone wishing to use this repeater will now require a CTCSS capable radio and set the tone to 123.0, If you are having difficulties with the CTCSS tones or would like to purchuse a CTCSS capable radio please email sales@uhfcb.com.au

 

 

3/05/09 - MEL07 Off the Air

 

Channel 7 repeater MEL07 located in Melbourne's West, Has been damaged by excessive misuse of the equipment.

 

UHFCB.com.au Techs are investigating the exact cause of the equipment failure which is unknown at this time, but is believed to be due to a handful of base stations running illegal power and constantly transmitting in power games.

 

Unfortunately everyone loses when these games take place, not only are repeaters damaged but they can remain out of service for extended periods of time leaving communities without any viable free communications 

 

To report CB radio misuse submit a report HERE Remember a Valid email address must be provided

 

 

 

1/05/09 - UHFCB.com.au Launches the Win an Ipod Competition

 

Link your website to UHFCB.com.au or mention our site in an online forum and submit your details below for your chance to win one of six New 4 Gig Ipod shuffles

 

The highest number of unique referrals to www.uhfcb.com.au for each quarter starting May 1st 2009 will win a 4 gig Ipod shuffle as well as one random winner drawn from all entries submitted by Dec 1st 2009

 

A special draw will take place for users who posts links in forum posts and achieve  the highest number of unique referrals by Dec 1st 2009 will win.

 

Submit your entry at http://www.uhfcb.com.au/Win-an-Ipod.php

 

 

21/04/09 - Channel 8 testing begins in Melbourne

 

The first stage of testing of VHC9 commenced today with limited success after only just 48 hours, testing had to be halted due to excessive interference from nearby equipment, testing will recommence once the last of the required equipment arrives.

 

 

19/03/09 - A New Home For MEL07   

 

MEL07 was relocated to its new home today at the Pentland Hills located in Melbourne's West from its original location at Melton. The new site is approximately 200m higher giving Channel 7 increased range and reliability, coverage tests will commence shortly. However early tests have confirmed the elimination of some previously known blackspots.

 

Channel 7 is the next repeater in the UHFCB.com.au network to recive an equipment upgrade which is expected to be undertaken later this year.

12/03/09 - Channel 6 (VHC8) Blackwood VIC Coverage Tests Completed   

 

Coverage tests for channel 6 Blackwood were completed today by UHFCB.com.au technicians. The extensive testing took over a week to complete due to the outstanding reception the repeaters new location provides.

 

Clear contacts have been made with techs in locations as far as Bendigo, Dunolly, Geelong, Phillip Island and Traralgon. Given the wide spread area the repeater covers an accurate footprint will take some time to be documented fully.

 

2/03/09 - Channel 6 (VHC8) Blackwood VIC Works Completed   

 

UHFCB.com.au technicians completed major works on the Blackwood site yesterday, returning VHC8 Channel 6 to active service.

 

The repeater has been offline after being damage by extreme weather conditions early February this year, repairs were further delayed for safety reasons.

 

Power issues that have plagued the Blackwood site have been rectified and the repeater was relocated to a new higher location. Shortly after being switched on for preliminary testing contact was made with a numbers of users more than 180 Km away in areas that include Frankston.

 

Local residents commented on how much this increased UHF CB Radio Repeater coverage means to their local community and the surrounding district as mobile phone reception is Non Existent in most of the area and went on to thank EMCOMM Australia and Site Access for providing the service.

 

When asked how many projects like this one were being planned a spokesperson for EMCOMM Australia said "A number of similar projects are being planned across Victoria and when funding becomes available they will commence" Then went on to say that "These projects are funded from radio sales on UHFCB.com.au and if people were interested in supporting future projects they can, send an email to staff at UHFCB.com.au."

 

Users of the Blackwood repeater and other UHF CB Channels are reminded to keep the channel clear if an Emergency Situation arises to insure that  the appropriate information can be transmitted to the appropriate persons.

 

 

18/02/09 - UHF CB Radio and the Victorian Bushfires  

 

As the intensity of the Victorian Bushfires dies down more stories are coming to light of how vital communications and messages were sent and received via UHF CB Radio and UHF CB Radio Repeaters.

 

UHF CB Radio has proven to be a reliable communication medium with people in the fire affected areas. Not only were people in these areas able to communicate with friends and neighbours, but entire communities were kept informed with information relayed via UHF CB Radio and the Victorian Repeater Network. Some reports say that the only warning they got about the fires coming towards their properties was from their UHF CB Radios, and with that information made the decision to evacuate their homes.

 

Stories like these make UHFCB.com.au and other repeater owners are proud to have been able to provide these services free of charge to these communities and others like them around the country.

 

UHFCB.com.au in conjunction with EMCOMM Australia and Site Access are looking for more communities around Victoria to that need reliable wireless communications.

 

UHFCB.com.au will provide UHF CB Repeaters free of charge to regional communities where other forms of communications are limited or nonexistent*, To apply email cbproject@emcomm.com.au

 

*Subject to funding availability and licencing approvial

 

 

17/02/09 - JRL02 Coverage Increase 

 

JRL02 Channel 2 was moved to its new location at Jeeralang in Victoria recently, with final coverage tests almost complete. Results were very surprising with test results showing the repeaters coverage has almost doubled reaching as far as Berwick, in Melbourne's East and expected to improve even more when additional antenna works are completed.

 

Everyone involved with the project has been pleasantly surprised with the outcome. One person said "This is a big win for the community, we are now able to provide this service to a lot more people"

 

 

 

16/02/09 - Channel 4 Testing to commence 

 

Equipment tests on Melbourne's Channel 4 Repeater (ANA04) will commence later this week prior to being turned on full time. Located on Arthurs Seat in the Mornington Peninsula will provide superior coverage to Melbourne's metropolitan area and will prove to be a valuable asset to the community.

 

Channel 4 will join other Melbourne repeaters to return to service this year, which include Channels 3 and 7, and will surely be as successful as they have been.

 

 

12/02/09 - Healesville Repeater HLV06 A vital link to the community 

 

Healesville a town surrounded by bush fires has been lucky to have a vital communications link (Channel 6 Repeater HLV06) remain operational. 

 

Community members have been able to remain in contact and give important updates to each other using CB radio, in a time where mobile phone coverage is not guaranteed or networks a overloaded.

 

At this time HLV06 has escaped and serious damage and will remain on air during this time of need.

 

 

10/02/09 - Channel 6 Blackwood repair delays

 

Repairs to VHC8 Blackwood is expected to be completed this weekend, Subject to weather conditions, works will include, repairs to the Repeaters power supply, and relocating the repeater and antennas to a higher location, this will solve reception issues in some of the surrounding areas of Blackwood.

 

The recent hot weather and fire emergency have delayed the necessary repairs and upgrade.

 

 

07/02/09 - Channel 6 Blackwood repair delays

VHC8 Blackwood has been off the air since the 4th of January due to damage received during the prolonged heatwave earlier in the month.

 

Unfortunately due to the hot weather and high winds repairs have been delayed for safety reasons due to the limited accessibility to the equipment.

 

It is hoped work will be able to commence mid next week with an upgrade of some of the vital components before the repeater is returned to service.

 

More details about when works will commence will be announced here soon

 

 

07/02/09 - MEL07 Returns in time for next heatwave

Repairs were expedited on the Channel 7 repeater to allow testing it the 40 plus temperatures expected for today. 

 

UHFCB.com.au radio technicians were able to repair the damage to the repeater in time for it to be re installed early this morning, however the systems power supply was beyond repair. A replacement power supply has also been purchased and installed at this time.

 

 

05/02/09 - Channel 7 MEL07 Update

Damage caused by high temperatures to the Channel 7 (MEL07) repeater in Victoria is significantly worse than first thought.

 

The extended heatwave not only damaged the repeaters power supply, but also the repeater itself.

 

UHFCB.com.au's technicians today have removed the damaged equipment and are undertaking the necessary repairs and hope to have the repeater repaired in two weeks.

 

A temporary repeater has been setup in place of the damaged gear to allow people to still be able to use the service. 

 

 

04/02/09 - Extreme Weather takes its toll

The extreme weather that struck Melbourne over the last week has also taken its toll on UHFCB.com.au's Channel 6 (VHC8) & 7 (MEL07) repeaters in Victoria.

 

Both repeaters are currently offline due to power supply issues, caused by the unusually long period of hot weather.

 

The combination of 40 degree plus temperatures and high winds damaged some of the vital equipment supplying power to both repeaters 

 

UHFCB.com.au's technicians are currently working on the two repeaters to return them to service as soon as possible

 

 

24/01/09 - CRJ04 Channel 4 Upgrade (VIC)

CRJ04 Traralgon will be undergoing antenna upgrades in the beginning of February, Users should expect the service to be unavailable for approximately 10 hours as works and other upgrades are undertaken.

More details will be provided closer to the works date

 

 

24/01/09 - ANA04 Channel 4 Works Completed (VIC)

 

Vital works were completed today for the installation of the new Channel 4 repeater at Arthurs Seat, on the Mornington Penninsula in Melbourne's South. 

UHFCB.com.au and its partners Site Access & EMCOMM Australia plan to have Channel 4 commissioned and operating by the end of February 2009.

A company spokesperson said "This is a very exciting time for us and the UHF CB Radio community, Never has there been a time where UHF CB Radio users have had so many repeaters available for use in the metropolitan area."

Over the next month technicians will assemble and test the Phillips radio gear before the final installation on the tower to ensure it is working efficiently to ensure maximum reliability for users.

 

 

20/01/09 - MEL03 Repeater Returns To Service

 

The long awaited return of Melbourne's popular channel 3 repeater is finally here. The repeater located at Berwick in the Melbourne's South Eastern Suburbs was recommissioned today after installing a new power supply and having the transmitter realigned.

 

Chatter quickly erupted soon after the repeater was switched on, breaking the long silence that has hung over the city for so long on the channel.

 

UHFCB.com.au spokesperson said "We are proud to reintroduce this service to the community with the help of our partners Site Access & EMCOMM Australia, and plan to install more repeaters across the state as soon as funding becomes available."

 

Channel 3 as the latest addition to UHF CB Radio Repeaters owned and operated by UHFCB.com.au

 

 

10/01/09 - Channel 6 Repeater Launch (VIC)

 

The small community of Blackwood in Victoria's Nth West, has received a UHF CB Radio Repeater for use by the local community and surrounding towns.

The Country Fire Authority, State Emergency Service, Ambulance and Police are the big winners being able to liaise with each other and the community on the equipment provided free of charge by Site Access & Emcomm Australia. 

Mobile phone coverage is almost non existent in the region and this new service allows
everyone to communicate with each other using low cost and readily available UHF CB Radio
Equipment

Local emergency personal have commented on how much easier it will be for the community and passers by to report life threatening situations via UHF CB Radio when mobile phone coverage is unavailable, as well as making it easier for hikers who come in to difficulty in the local forests to raise the alarm for help should the need arise. This equipment Will Save Lives.

 

A spokesperson speaking on behalf of Site Access and Emcomm Australia said 'The companies were happy to help the local community with this equipment, and hope to help more communities around the state, but with the

high setup and ongoing licensing and site costs, we are unable to provide as many repeaters as we would like"

UHFCB.com.au with Site Access and Emcomm Australia already provide a number of UHF CB Radio Repeaters across Victoria including Melbourne and intend to expand their repeater network when funds become available