TMR Control Rooms

(1976 - present)

These are the various control rooms we have used from 1976 until the present day.

Margate Base (1976 - 1985)

Margate Base Control Room — Margate Base with operator Len Bonnitcha circa 1985
Photo: Barry McCann

The 27MHz base station was set up at the late Doug Bonnitcha's home on the Esplanade at Margate in July 1976 and was operated for the next nine years by his son, Len. A VHF service also commenced during this time.

The equipment this base included (from top down):

Codan 6801 Transceiver
Two AWA AC5112 AM/SSB 27 mHz Transceivers
Daiwa RF440 Speech Processor

Tasmar Radio South Arm (1976 - 1987)

Tasmar Radio South Arm Base with operator Rex Griffiths circa 1987
Photo: Barry McCann

The South Arm Base was the last local base prior to the establishment of the remote base at Snug Tiers. The base was operated by Rex Griffiths.

The equipment this base included (from top down):

AWA AC5112 AM/SSB 27 mHz Transceiver
Sawtron 555 AM 27mHz Transceiver
President Sea Eagle VHF Transceiver
Daiwa RF 440 RF Speech Processor
President 27mHz AM/SSB Transceiver

Snug Tiers Remote Base (1987 - present)

Tasmar Radio Snug Tiers Base
Photo: Barry McCann

The remotely-controlled base station at Snug Tiers was established in 1987 and was controlled remotely by home operators during this period.

This site remains in service today housing HF transmitters and the VHF Channel 1 Southeastern Inland Waters Weather Forecast service which runs every half hour 24/7.

Tasmar Stokman 2 — Equipment at Elaine Stokman's Penna home
Photo: Barry McCann

Tasmar Stokman 1 — Equipment at Elaine Stokman's Kingston home
Photo: Barry McCann

During this time two more control consoles were constructed so that operators could remotely control the network from their homes. Operators during this period included Elaine Stokman, Bill Lush, Ted Thorne, Stu Braunholz and Mike Hooper.

Coast Radio Hobart at Queens Domain (2004 - 2014)

Old Radio Hobart Building (1912)
Photo: Mark Watson

In 2004 Coast Radio Hobart started operating from the old VIH Hobart Radio building which was built in 1912 to support the Mawson Antarctic Expedition.

In 2014 our name changed to Tas Maritime Radio to reflect our now statewide VHF coverage.

CRH Ops Room — Operations Room in Old Building
Photo: Barry McCann

The control console was located in a small room which made maintenance rather difficult as well as when two people worked together in a training environment.

Tas Maritime Radio at Queens Domain (2014 - present)

TMR Ops Centre — Tas Maritime Radio Operations Centre
Photo: Mike Jenner

In 2018, after 2 years of construction, Tas Maritime Radio moved into its own purpose-built Operations Centre which is co-located on the same site as the old Hobart Radio building.

New Ops Room — Operating Room in New Operations Building
Photo: Barry McCann

This console offers more room which assists the training process and the equipment racks provide easy access for maintenance. The room is larger and lighter and the windows make it an altogether more pleasant environment.

Home Operators have consoles in their homes which are similar to this portable "roadies box" which was used most recently at several Wooden Boats Festivals at which Tas Maritime Radio operated from a tent at the watefront throughout the weekend.