Thread: Restored Old Hut - Private Land

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Re: radio, maybe a portable shortwave/multiband radio would be of value. I have a little pocket multi band radio that I'll take along in the backcountry and you can always pick up something, there's a few of the bigger NZ stations broadcast on VHF and you can pick them up damn near anywhere, shortwave is interesting too, you never know what you're going to pick up, so far I've had stations from France, Argentina, Mexico, China, Kenya, Vanuatu, USA, Palestine, and probably several other countries I haven't listened long enough to figure out where it was coming from. Its entertainment in itself

There's something about sitting in the bush at night listening to the news on a radio. Often the national station is all you can get. And it sounds like it is being broadcast down a pipe. Makes me yearn for the old days.
Spent many a evening is outback shearers quarters in Australia playing cards and listening to the ABC. Mainly because that was all we could get.

At night in the outback on the am band we could often listen to NZ stations. Remember listening into a AB game one night.

Rain on the roof when youre warm and dry is a pretty good noise as well

Originally Posted by Dicko

At night in the outback on the am band we could often listen to NZ stations. Remember listening into a AB game one night.

I was shearing in WA so might be to far to pick them up. But then we are talking about shearers so our skills might not be up to tuning radios. Also back in those days it was best not to push to many kiwi ways on the locals. Some of them were a bit touchy about kiwi shearers.

Originally Posted by Dicko

At night in the outback on the am band we could often listen to NZ stations. Remember listening into a AB game one night.

Greetings Dicko
A long time ago I got myself up at some ungodly hour to go hunting, about 5:00AM from memory. I turned the radio on (AM) and was getting some breakfast and the announcer said it was 3:15. A frantic check of clocks revealed it was really 5:15. It was a Sydney station on the same frequency as our local one. Got me awake anyway.
Regards Grandpamac.

At night it was not uncommon to pick up NZ stations on the am band from inland on the east coast side of the country. I cannot remember what we used to listen to on SW1 and SW2 bands now..

So latest update with a few pics.
Finally finished the lounge extension; got it all painted up inside and just a slap of paint outside to go. Built the woodshed and started to get an outside table area ready for summer barbys
Quite a few animals fell over in the process, but heres a couple

Originally Posted by Bos

So latest update with a few pics.
Finally finished the lounge extension; got it all painted up inside and just a slap of paint outside to go. Built the woodshed and started to get an outside table area ready for summer barbys
Quite a few animals fell over in the process, but heres a couple

Attachment 178587

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Get it that good & you'll just be heading out for a grocery shop

Fantastic @Bos. Did you just buy the solar panels only or a whole kit and kaboodle of batteries, regulator etc? What does it run?

Cheers

Well done Boss,bloody priceless.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Fantastic @Bos. Did you just buy the solar panels only or a whole kit and kaboodle of batteries, regulator etc? What does it run?

Cheers

Gday mate
Me old mate MADMAX "acquired" the solar panel and regulator. This charges the 12v deep cycle battery. This in turn powers 4 12v LED downlights in the lounge, a floodlight which shines out of the lean-to and is just turned on and off as required when heading out for a piss, another 12v downlight in the lean-to which will light up the shower eventually and will also be used just as required, and last of all the 12v car radio/cd player. This last item is absolutely necessary because a night in the hut is simply not complete without Johnny, Waylon, and Willie
The downlights I just bought on TM at around $20 each and they are otherwise known as a vehicle interior light.
Fair bit of kiwi ingenuity going on with a bit of No 8 thrown in, but it all seems to work ok. Oh yea and the smaller 2 solar panels in the pic are what came as a kit from Jaycar.
In the kit you get the solar panel, a 6 v Battery, and 3 led lights. This is what we used in the hut before the extension. I think each kit was about $100 and we bought 2

Well done so envious.
We have a portacom we got as a spare room when all the kids were home.
They are in their 30s now.
Have often thought about sticking it some where.
Maybe the back of the family farm.