VHF Phone call

[Volvo]

Can one still do this ??, once upon a time ago i used to be able to call up on VHF and get dialled up to my house number etc .
Can one still do this if out of mobile phone range ??.
Offcourse there was a cost attatched.

[ranmar850]

Jeez, that's going back a long way. I used it a few times when i was commercially fishing. in the late 80's, early 90"s ? It was called Seatalk, IIRC. I think it may have gone the way of the dodo with improved mobile phone coverage.

[Volvo]

Looks that way too lol.

[GBC]

Can one still do this ??, once upon a time ago i used to be able to call up on VHF and get dialled up to my house number etc .
Can one still do this if out of mobile phone range ??.
Offcourse there was a cost attatched.

That was HF - radphone and selcall? Been a while. There are still a few bases doing it I believe but the ABC Radio Australia sites we used to book the calls through (Townsville base) are all shut now. Yes, not cheap. Last call I made would have been early 1990's.

edit - Looks like it still exists too. SWLD - Shortwave Listeners Delight - Australian Remote Area (4WD) HF Radio Network Frequencies (VKs-737, VKE-237, VMS-469)

[ranmar850]

I e remember thinking it was wonderful--phoning up from out at sea. Then the "Mobile Phone" came along--original was the Motorola bagphone, which was just a Motorola car phone in a vinyl bag with a battery . We were all over that, you could mount an aerial and plug it in. HF radio traffic on 4620 dropped right away very quickly .

[Volvo]

Thanks all , Yes i remember keepingin touch with better halfe years back when staying overnight and was a good service even if a little costly just for peace of mind ey .
Mobile is good so long as your not out of line of sight or too far out but where we go most times cant get through even if ts a Telstra Service .
Hence my query .

[chris69]

That was HF - radphone and selcall? Been a while. There are still a few bases doing it I believe but the ABC Radio Australia sites we used to book the calls through (Townsville base) are all shut now. Yes, not cheap. Last call I made would have been early 1990's.

edit - Looks like it still exists too. SWLD - Shortwave Listeners Delight - Australian Remote Area (4WD) HF Radio Network Frequencies (VKs-737, VKE-237, VMS-469)

Thats a shame there used to be a Scottish guy on Townsville radio he was excellent to communicate with and listen too.