WICEN about us
Who / What is WICEN
WICEN Bundaberg began in the 1970's when members of the Bundaberg
Amateur Radio Club took over the communications role after Civil
Defence was disbanded.
When an emergency occurs communications can be lost and our
Radios, powered by 12volt batteries, remain the only form of
communication.
Response in Emergencies
WICEN Amateur Radio operators are activated all around the country. They are autonomous groups who forge partnerships with emergency agencies in each State. Regular training ensures our accredited operators can be relied on in an emergency.
We are Volunteers
Our members volunteer their time to serve our local community.
The Bundaberg Amateur Radio Club funds WICEN and we currently have
12 club members actively serving as WICEN volunteers.
Our Aims
Our aim is to be prepared. We are part of the Bundaberg Regional
Council Disaster Management Plan to provide Radio Communications
between emergency and welfare services.
WICEN operators sit behind the highly trained SES & EMQ personnel,
allowing them to do the life-saving work.
Equipment
With a mix of ICOM and YAESU radios we maintain a Base station
plus 4 Portable Emergency Radio kits with field antennas.
Our radios have tri-band capabilities, that's HF, VHF and UFH so
we're versatile.
Training Exercises
Exercises and Training are a vital part of our preparedness and we
have a full calendar of training in radio operations and message
handling.
Field exercises test our skills regularly so that we know the
coverage area of our equipment around this large and
geographically diverse region.
WICEN at Work
We're staying relevant and keeping up with fast moving technologies but... when technology fails who ya gonna call? WICEN! Because we run on 12-volt batteries and we're here to help.
VK4BRG(sk) & VK4UO
Training Exercise, testing the Club's portable station at a remote evacuation hall for Bundaberg Council's Disaster Plan.
VK4JRO & VK4FHAM Bundy - Gayndah Exercise
Coordinated by the Police responsible for Disaster Management, we
had a team in Gayndah using HF to pass messages to Bundaberg, to
prove our capability.
We set up in Council premises at each location and local emergency
and response organisations sent their teams to gain an
appreciation of what we can achieve using 12-volt battery and a
homemade wire antenna.
VK4FHAM, VK4ION & VK4FCCW On display
We regularly attend expos to ensure the public is aware of our capabilities and hopefully to inspire some locals to join us.
Gallery and information
Here are some images and stories detailing what we do and how we train.
Portable Station
WICEN Emergency Cases
We have 3 Portable Emergency Amateur Radio Station timber cases
which are coated with marine varnish, and suitable for floodboat
or rain operations.
The shelf is removable and everything the operator needs is stored
underneath.
Carrying a portable station, antenna pack and their own personal
supplies, an operator and can be deployed with a minimum of fuss.
At the intended site we simply need a 12volt battery which can be
taken from a vehicle or even ride-on mower and we can be set up
and ready to transmit in about 20 minutes.
Providing Comms at a Motorbike Trail Ride Exercise
These are our Volunteers
We provide comms in the Bush... for the Curtis Coast
Trail Riders annual bush event held at a property near Ubobo.
The motorcycle club's UHF radios don't provide coverage in the
mountainous area so our operators sit at critical points around
the course to provide radio coverage.
We assist the sweep riders and competitors by calling for support
vehicles when a breakdown occurs in the rugged terrain.
We camp for the weekend, it's not glamorous but it is fun!
Emergency HF Antenna
E.N.V.I.S. - The workhorse for HF emergency comms
It's a Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) antenna with
radiation at a high angle so the major lobe is between 75 and 90
degrees to the earth's surface, in an omni-directional pattern.
It's NOT a long-distance antenna a distance, we aim for 100-400km,
which is the distance you would want your emergency call to go,
however we've had signal reports back from 1600km away.
We find it to be very reliable as it is engineered for 3.5Mhz
(80m) and 7.3Mhz (40m) transmission frequencies which WICEN uses.
With acknowledgement to Bob Hejl W2IK for his initial research
into this antenna & dedication to emergency comms.
Testing Equipment in remote locations
A 5-Net exercise
As part of our Disaster planning for the Bundaberg Regional
Council we set up stations in designated remote Evacuations
Centres to test our equipment.
WICEN Members operated the base station as well as the four remote
stations in a hook-up to prove our communication links.
Teams were at Boolboonda Hall, Goodnight Scrub Hall, Gin Gin
Showgrounds and at Pacific Haven.
The Base station controlling the net was the Club's shack at SES
HQ in Bundaberg.
Demonstrations and Presentations
Emergency EXPO at Wartburg
We regularly attend expos to show the public what WICEN is all
about.
Most people people who stop by our display are amazed at where we
can send our transmissions, using small 12-volt batteries.
We showcase our equipment to remote communities and show them ways
to build their resiliance for times of natural disaster.
It's also an encouragement for people to improve their mental
health by undertaking study for a Radio Licence.
Learning new skills will keep your brain active!
Winfield WICEN Station
VK4FCCW
We set up a WICEN Station at Winfield, with the help of Lorraine,
VK4FCCW and David VK4KPM
The floods in 2013 cut off all communication for this small
seaside community, but now they are part of the WICEN network they
will have a reliable link back to Bundaberg if future events
threaten.
We regularly test our network to be sure we're able to reach each
other and the Bundaberg Amateur Radio Club repeaters.
The callsign CCW - is short for Colonial Cove Winfield and
reflects the community group's committment.
Have a question
Getin touch
WICEN Bundaberg PO Box 129 Bundaberg QLD 4670
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