Tutorials · Amateur radio
Australia-focused guides to amateur radio, from getting licensed and the 2m and 70cm bands to repeaters, APRS, D-STAR and hotspots. Every guide is checked against ACMA, the legislation and the WIA band plan, with sources linked on each page.
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How the class licence works, the three qualification levels, sitting a free exam with an ACMA-accredited assessor and applying for a call sign.
02The legal band edges, power limits by qualification and how the WIA band plan divides 2m and 70cm into repeaters, simplex, satellites and data.
03What to check before you buy: Australian band coverage, power and your licence, CTCSS tones, narrow FM and whether you want a digital mode.
04Turn a repeater directory entry into a working memory channel: output frequency, offset direction, offset size and access tone, plus a sensible starter set.
05Find repeaters in the WIA directory, understand repeater call signs and licensing, make your first call and know the rules on linking and retransmission.
06Talk radio to radio without a repeater: the national calling channels, the simplex segments on 2m and 70cm and the frequencies to stay off.
07Why the antenna matters more than power, rough element lengths, polarisation, and the EME condition in the class licence.
08The national APRS frequencies, the paths the VK network recommends and why those paths are community conventions rather than rules.
09Choose an SSID and symbol, set your path, and get your station showing on the map, using the published APRS recommendations.
10What the class licence says about unattended and internet-connected stations, and why the legal position of RF digipeaters isn't settled.
11What D-STAR is, its voice and data modes, how repeaters and the internet gateway fit together, and where it sits in the Australian band plan.
12How D-STAR routing fields work (RPT1, RPT2 and the destination call), how to call through the internet gateway and what's still unclear for Australia.
13Low-power digital voice hotspots: which frequencies the band plan sets aside, what the class licence requires and what the legal position is.