Storm on Otago Harbour

The following clip from You-Tube shows one of the fastest moving fronts I remember. Thanks to Paul Le Comte for these scenes.

Click to View

FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Use of the Otago Maritime VHF network. We depend on membership and volunteers to continue operating our three linked repeaters (Ch 62, 64, 66) covering the Otago coast. You can join by phoning 0800 837 2346, or sending your subscription to OMVHF Assn, PO Box 2120, South Dunedin

2. Trip Reports. Our network is staffed by volunteers who may not always be available. Otago Harbour Control (Ch 14) will take TRs on our network if there is no response from our operators. If a TR cannot be taken on our network we advise calling ‘Chalmers Maritime Radio’ on Ch 16.

3. Call signs. Call signs are assigned to a vessel not a person and should alwaysbe used in an emergency situation. Vessels using VHF (or SSB) are legally required to have a call sign.

4. The scheduled times for Marine Forecasts & Shore Station Reports are –0700, 1200, 1900 hours.

5. Shore station weather reports. We suggest the following template for weather reports – clouds, conditions (atmospheric, sea), wind (strength, direction), barometric pressure, temperature, tide (if applicable).

6. Representation on the Committee. There is provision in our rules for group representation on the committee. At present the Otago Yacht Club, Tautuku Fishing Club and the Port Chalmers Yacht Club have representatives.  More would be welcome.

STORM photos

A couple of weeks ago a severe Sou West front hit Dunedin and environs. If anyone has spectacular photos of the approaching storm (or any other one for that matter) please e-mail the association for a possible feature.

Repeater Report - 2013

Annual repeater report 2012 – 2013
No major projects have been undertaken this year after the significant work at Hautai Hill last year. The next planned major project is the installation of a fourth repeater at the Emerson Street water tank, previously our linking site. We still have our secure equipment cupboard on the site and a current lease for the use of the site. Some of the infrastructure from the linking installation is able to be re-used for the new repeater. Work is progressing on assembling the technical equipment and preparing to manufacture the linking hardware. Fund raising applications and licensing are the first items to cover and then the work of the final assembly of the technical equipment can begin in earnest.
Weather Sked operators
Our numbers remain thin on the ground. Moeraki no longer has a permanent operator with John McLellan in the “Rendall on Reed” rest home. Martin Finnie helps out with local conditions most evenings during the year. Keith and I carry the duty shifts with Rowan Leck and Terry Thomas filling in on occasions.
Our repeater and linking sites.
Swampy summit linking site.
No work apart from routine checks by our landlord.
MM 66 on Cape Wanbrow.
No work but a suspicion this site is now working better with the analogue TV transmitters on the site switched off. It is known that other VHF operators on the site were suspicious they were also suffering similar de-sensing problems but no concise tests have been carried out to confirm our suspicions. On other sites where tests could be accomplished, the analogue switch-off has resulted in improvements to VHF communication operations.
MM62 on Hautai Hill
Apart from the apparently reduced coverage from our main aerial, everything continues to test fine and works satisfactorily.
MM 64 on Hinahina Hill
A routine visit unearthed no problems. The stays on the pole supporting our antenna were re-tensioned to straighten the pole. The site was inspected again this weekend with no problems in our department although another user’s aerial had fallen down and was repaired.
The repeater system continues to provide an excellent service but Dunedin area coverage will be much improved with the advent of the fill-in repeater at Emerson Street. The channel that will be used is yet to be allocated. I note again that with the exception of the Cape Wanbrow and Swampy Summit installations, most of our aerials, aerial infrastructure and repeaters radios are now fully or near fully depreciated and over 10 years old. There is no immediate need to replace any of the equipment and we hold adequate spares but within 4 to 5 years, we will need to be budgeting for some replacement/upgrades.

Martin Balch Repeater Trustee

Chairman's Report 2013

Chairman’s Report 2013

Otago Maritime VHF Association Incorporated

At the first committee meeting In August 2012 the following were re-elected to the committee: Michael Harkness (Chairman); Ian Milne (Secretary); John Armstrong (Treasurer) and Martin Balch (Repeater trustee). The committee were: Vern Hall, Ate Heineman, Ron Johnston, Les McBean, Gavin Palmer, Keith Simon and Terry Thomas. Vern also represents the Otago Yacht Club Inc; Ate the Port Chalmers Fishermen’s Cooperative, Les McBean the Port Chalmers Yacht Club Inc and Ron Johnston, theTautuku Fishing Club Inc. Ian is not seeking re-election and on behalf of the association I thank him for putting the association’s records in order and for the many hours he spent revising the rules. Barry Crane agreed to be our external reviewer, and it was decided to appoint an Honorary Solicitor as and when required.

We are a small association with a total membership of 214 individual and commercial members and 10 group members. The latter include groups with diverse interests from recreational fishing to search and rescue.  Use of the term ‘group’ to describe the latter has led to some confusion, which we hope the revised rules will clarify.  A copy of the proposed revisions is posted on our blogsite. During the year 20 new members joined the association and 2 individuals resigned. 

The association may be small in number, but our network covers one of the longest and most exposed coastlines in the country (see the attached map prepared by Terry Thomas). The hub of the network is the repeater on Swampy, a prominent hill to the north-west of Dunedin, which can reach from Cape Wanbrow (south of the Oamaru boat harbour) to Hinahina hill (south of Balclutha). The network allows calls to be monitored anywhere along the coast and sometimes one can hear Ted Gilbert in Oamaru or Keith Simon at Taieri Mouth responding to calls outside their immediate areas. The blue areas on the map indicate areas of poor coverage because of ‘shading’ from hills, which the proposed new channel 60 will address. The coast from Allan’s Beach (the south side of the Otago Peninsula) to south of Taieri Mouth is one of these. This year there have been about 30+ incidents requiring SAR callouts, many in the Taieri Mouth area.  Fortunately there have been no fatalities. External funding will be sought for this development. The proposal from last year’s AGM to install notices at boat launching sites is in hand.

The network has required some maintenance in the past year, but nothing on the scale of the power cable to Hautai Hill. Martin, Terry, and Greg Stoop carried out some long-overdue maintenance at Hinahina, which included uprighting the mast. In the next 12 months the mast at HHH autai Hill will need to be inspected, and our landlord at Cape Wanbrow (Downer Ltd) has asked us to upgrade our repeater to avoid interference between the other services at this site. This will require installation of isolators and cavity filters.

I would like to thank the committee for their support especially Ian, John, Martin and Terry and our regular volunteer operators: Martin Balch, Ted Gilbert, Kevin Hughes and Keith Simon. We are also grateful for help from Martin Finnie who continues to give the evening weather round-ups from Moeraki, and Rowan Leck and Terry who have provided relief cover. We are very short of volunteer operators. If you are prepared to help or know of someone who is able to help operate this important service please let one of the committee know.

Michael Harkness

Chairman