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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Mexico cracking down on unlicensed Radio operators in B.C.S area
I was talking to some men today from the equivalent of the USAs FCC and they are here with special equipment to try and catch some Illegal radio
transmitting activity in this area. they will be working in B.C.S. for the next year. make sure you have your Mexican license in order or don't use
it. they did not or would not say what they were looking for but I don't think it has anything to do with vhf marine radios probably HF or 2 meter I
don't know.
73
[Edited on 12-1-2006 by Bruce R Leech]
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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djh
Senior Nomad
Posts: 936
Registered: 1-2-2005
Location: Earth mostly. Loreto, N. ID, Big Island
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow fellow, plays a yellow cello...
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Hey Bruce,
Bruce, are you licensed / a ham... (We all know you're a "HAM"  , but are you
also a ham radio operator?) If so, what is your call sign?
I'm not licensed, but I have my father's last (very nice) set. He was WW2 Navy Radioman ~ Pacific fleet (on two ships that were sunk... couldn't
swim, managed to survive ~ he was a tough old cookie)... continued right up until the day he died (almost). His life call sign was W7MAY and I am in
the process of getting licensed with his sign :-) ~ a little tribute, I suppose.
I currently cannot transmit, but I often listen in.... Reminds me of being a little kid in the late 50's laying awake late listening to all the
sounds in my dad's radio room next to my bedroom.
David.
Its all just stuff and some numbers.
A day spent sailing isn\'t deducted from one\'s life.
Peace, Love, and Music
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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No David I don't xmit. but I am an avid DXer it is one of my favorite things to do is listen to the world on good radios DXing is very good down here.
there is not much interference. even in the day time I can pick up every Continent in 10 minuets. I have been waiting for my Spanish to get good
enough for the exams here and my code is not up to snuff ether, I need to be at 10 wpm for Mexico. so maybe some day we will chat on the radio. but
for now I am happy just listening.
73
[Edited on 12-1-2006 by Bruce R Leech]
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9006
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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They're probably looking for people in remote areas assisting the drug cartels. There have been many cases of remote pangero operations assisting them
with fuel supplies, offloading, etc.
I would bet they ARE monitoring the VHF frequencies.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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They ought to crack down on murdering SOB's. Much easier to jump on some poor granny with a CB.
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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here is a neat sit in English that shows every thing you newed to know about transmitting in mexico
73
http://www.geocities.com/wd9ewk/xe-permit.html
http://www.geocities.com/wd9ewk/xe-permit.html
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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villadelfin
Nomad
Posts: 273
Registered: 4-8-2006
Location: La Paz
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Mood: toasted and buttered
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Thank you Bruce
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Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
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Mood: Baja Time
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djh, David...
...got something in common - my dad was a life-long ham, W6DDU - got his license in the 1930's. He too, served in the Pacific during WWII as a
communications office in the Merchant Marine. He spent many months out there among some of those remote Pacific Isles!
He kept his original 'numbers' all his life, and was still active till about 4 years ago - sadly, he passed on this last summer. I used to marvel at
his files of 'QSL' cards from the 40's and 50's!
I've always been interested in Amateur Radio, but just never seemed to have the time to get involved enough to get my licsence...
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Mexray
they call that a silant kea when a ham passes. I am sure he is tapping out code where he is now god bless him.
lencho
I have several Radios that I use. At home I use a trio 9R-59d it is an old tube set , one of the last ones they made in about 1960. also a Yaesu
FRG-100 with all kinds of antennas. For travel or camping I like my Zenith Trans Oceanic 7000 when I am traveling heavy or a Kaite 1103 when traveling
light with an active loop ant. It is fun to listen and I also like to fix up Old radios and sell them or give them away.
73
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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| Quote: | Originally posted by lencho
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
lencho
I have several Radios that I use. At home I use a trio 9R-59d it is an old tube set , one of the last ones they made in about 1960. also a Yaesu
FRG-100 with all kinds of antennas. |
I got my General Class back when code was still required, but haven't been at all active since arriving in Mexico-- too much else going on to listen
to a bunch of old farts yammer on about what equipment they're running.
I think the Internet has filled a certain gap and made HF radio less interesting for a lot of folks including myself. A shame, since ham radio and
particularly CW, is still a very viable long-range emergency medium when not much else can get through...
--Larry |
Larry it is very easy for you to get a Mexican ticket sense you already have one .it is 900 pesos for five years and only need to fill out an
application. I think that is the way I might go is to get my licenses in the USA and then get the permit here in Mexico.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Larry check this web site it will tell you all you need to know about Radio in Mexico and it is all in English.
http://www.geocities.com/wd9ewk/xe-permit.html
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Bruce-----
I have two Zenith Trans Oceanic 3000 Royals that are fun to listen to.
I never go camping without one.
I also have the Radio Shack DX 398 (made by Sangean) that is one heck of a receiver. With the single-sideband function and extra antennae I can
listen to all the yachties talk every morning up and down the Gulf coast.
Fun, fun.
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
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Barry - i have that same radio for my palapa - so i went and ran a long length of copper to get good reception, wrapped it around the upper cols on
the bldg so figure i got about 150' linear, attached the end to a 1/8" mini plug to put into the ext antennae jack, but frankly i am not getting
stellar reception - any ideas, pointers?
also i am trying to pick up the various marine nets up and down the baja which go on at diff times. perhaps i can't get them during daylight??
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Mick the ground is very important with a wire antenna. you might try a Loop or better yet a active loop antenna.
[Edited on 12-2-2006 by Bruce R Leech]
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Cap.t Mike---
Unfortunately the Zenith Trans Oceanic radios do not have the single-side-band capabilities so it is hard to pick up the ham operators and their
weather broadcasts.
For really good listening I use the RADIO SHACK DX-398 receiver with their production wire antennae, which does have single side band capability and
is digital. The DX-398 is out of production now, but you can pick them up on E-bay for a reasonable price----I paid $150-----they are stellar radios.
The SANGEAN ATS-909 is the same radio, and is still in production, I believe. From Sangean they run about $300 tho, but they too are sometimes
available on E-bay for much less.
The CHUBASCO NET opens in the morning at 7:30 AM, on 7.294 Mhz (lower side band). Good talk on weather in the Gulf-----lots of Yachty talk, too. This
one is my favorite.
The SONRISA NET operates on 3.968 Mhz beginning at 7:00 AM winter and summer.
The US Coast Guard has weather forecasts from San Francisco every day at 9:30 PM (PDT) on 4426 Khz, 8764 Khz, and 13089 Khz and you can receive them
on the better digital radios (DX-398).
(all this info from an excellent article on Baja by Ed Gillet in SUNSET MAGAZINE June 1999 )
I cannot add anything to what Bruce says here about a better antennae for the Trans Oceanic-----I use the built-in whip, but you are right the
reception is not that great, especially as compared with the DX-398.
I am really pretty much a novice at this, so I may have already told you more than I really know. 
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Jack Swords
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
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Just a note on obtaining the ham license...the exams are now given by volunteer examiners and are very user friendly. We give exams here in La Paz
every month and that is true in other parts of Mexico. The Loreto Fest in the Spring always has testing by volunteers. The code requirement (5 wpm
now) for the General Class is due to be dropped soon as approval has been made. However the requirement does currently still stand. Get a Gordon
West book and CD and it will prepare you on your computer for both the code and theory tests. Once you pass the tests the FCC lists your new call on
the Internet (test results are sent to the FCC by volunteer examiners). To use your USA license in Mexico is, as Bruce indicated, a matter of getting
a Mexican Provisional Reciprocal license from an SCT office by filling out a form and paying a fee. You then add an XE2 or XE1 Mexican prefix to your
USA call and you are legal. Now you can operate on all HF bands with very high power in any legal mode.
Resonant antennas work best for HF operation. There are many for sale and they can be made cheaply, but a long wire is not usually the best without a
coupler. Resonant antennas are peaked for a given frequency(s) and resist noise. Those of us on boats use an antenna coupler to make the antenna
appear resonant to the tranceiver. We can regularly make contact with Internet gateways in the US to do e-mail from our boat with 10 to 20 watts
(saves boat batteries). With the new digital modes like PACTOR or even ham TV, the ham bands offer lots of opportunity for communications and
experimentation. Jack Swords, N1IY, s/v La Paloma
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9006
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Mood: Inquisitive
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Jack, my New Years resolution is to get my license in '07. As I live in a tract with a pretty strict HOA, I doubt I will get approval for an antenna
on my roof. Can you recommend some mobile units that I could install in my truck/camper and would also be a good unit to move to my boat? Would like
it to cover SSB and anything else needed for L-O-N-G distance communications.
I'm really not into doing much chattering at home anyway, although I love to listen to stations on my Sony ICF-2010. Unfortunately, it doesnt have the
frequencies of the various Baja nets.
Thanks for the tip on the Gordon West book and CD.
BTW, would this HAM equivalent license in Mexico make me legal for VHF use as well? Aren't we all supposed to have a VHF license for Mexico, even
though it has been dropped in the US?
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
BTW, would this HAM equivalent license in Mexico make me legal for VHF use as well? Aren't we all supposed to have a VHF license for Mexico, even
though it has been dropped in the US? |
Ham license only covers ham frequencies
http://www.eham.net/exams/
http://www.aa9pw.com/radio/
A couple of sites where you can practice taking the exams.
The exam for Tech is very easy - I scored just under passing and had read the books (partly) over 5 years ago. Practiced taking it and now pass each
time I try. So easy my wife is going to get a license too. (and she's not technical at all)
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9006
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Mood: Inquisitive
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"Ham license only covers ham frequencies"
Well, I knew that was the case in the US, which is what those links describe. But Mexico may have more liberal policies.
Do we need to have another license in Mexico for VHF, Lou?
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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My VHF, I'm supposing you mean Marine VHF and yes there is supposed to be a different license.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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