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BajaMama
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Ham Radio license
My husband is going to get his ham radio general license (USA). Question is, can he legally use it in Mexico? If a USA general license is not legal
for Mexico, do people use their ham radios anyway?
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K7BVT
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In the past Mexico required a permit for US amateurs to operate legally. It was about USD$60 good for couple of years. Apparently this has changed
and the Mexican government is investigating increasing fees significantly. Operating without a legal license has risks. Modern amateur radio
equipment can be operated via the Internet. One of my friends operates his station in Oregon while he is staying in Baja using an Internet connection
which I believe is legal. The US has a reciprocal agreement with several counties such as Canada which allows US operators to operate there. Chuck,
K7BVT
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Hook
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With all the things that are illegal in Mexico and basically aren't being enforced, I think monitoring or arrests for operating a ham radio without a
ham license is probably non-existent. That's just an opinion, not a recommendation.
From what I have read, there is no reciprocal agreement and no procedure for getting a MX license.
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BajaMama
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Quote: Originally posted by K7BVT  | | In the past Mexico required a permit for US amateurs to operate legally. It was about USD$60 good for couple of years. Apparently this has changed
and the Mexican government is investigating increasing fees significantly. Operating without a legal license has risks. Modern amateur radio
equipment can be operated via the Internet. One of my friends operates his station in Oregon while he is staying in Baja using an Internet connection
which I believe is legal. The US has a reciprocal agreement with several counties such as Canada which allows US operators to operate there. Chuck,
K7BVT |
For only $60, we certainly would feel better doing things legal. That is interesting being able to use via the internet, we will have to look into
that.
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Bob and Susan
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you do know...you can telephone anyone in the world
the internet is also available
no one uses radios anymore
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JZ
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What Hook said, just do it.
We have a Yaesu 80 watt radio in the truck. And a couple BaoFeng 8 watt radios for the bikes.
Programmed them to use mostly VHF channels. So I take them out on boats as well.
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del mar
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radio hobbyist do.
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Paulina
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I'm a Hamster too.
KK6-WMX
>*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Don Pisto
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--- .-.. .-
there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........
John Hiatt
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Paulina
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Hola back at you. When I was a kid I remember there being a Morse code alphabet chart on the front of my walkie talkie, drove my parents crazy with
it. It wasn’t required when I tested for my license so I never got it down. I still need the cheat chart.
P >*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Jack Swords
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The cruising community uses ham radio on their boats. There are Sea of Cortez weather nets, sea (local) conditions, rescue situations, phone patches
back home, etc. World-wide capability of HF ham radio means cruisers anywhere can have reliable communications that is not available with marine VHF.
Cell phones are simply not reliable in many places. Ham radio is integrated with the internet with a PACTOR modem and the multitude of gateways to
the internet throughout the world. With ham radio an important part of the cruising world community, hams provide volunteer ham exams to obtain the
FCC license. That is true in La Paz. We used it when off roading in days-long trips in remote areas of Baja, and in the California deserts. Talking
to our daughter via a phone patch to a fellow ham in CA while under full sail coming down the Sea was invaluable. Commercial communication sources
can, and will, fail. But, ham radio is a proven back-up.
Jack N1IY
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BajaMama
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| Quote: Originally posted by lencho |
Not true, but certainly less than previously.
Radio is cheaper than a sat phone if you're out of cell tower reach. And if push comes to shove politically, it may be the only communications medium
left functioning when them there evil furin hackers take out our national communications backbone. (That was one of the original purposes of the
amateur radio service.)
That said, I finally let my 40-year license lapse after a number of years not using it.
BajaMama, why does your husband want a ham license? |
He has some type of license now,, just not the general license. Our jeep club uses Ham Radios, as do many wheeling clubs in California. It is how we
communicate while wheeling and rock crawling. Some rigs only have CB, which we also have. So I guess the reason he wants to keep it is to be able to
communicate with the outside world should be be in the middle of nowhere. I would rather have a sat phone myself.
We do plan on wandering around Baja when the time comes, explore and so lots of off roading. Just got a Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison and getting it
ready. Will be a few years to his retirement but in the meantime I'll do some exploring....
[Edited on 8-12-2020 by BajaMama]
[Edited on 8-12-2020 by BajaMama]
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PaulW
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Recommend doing the mod to the radio so he can communicate with all the folks that use the commercial band. Yes I am KEOVZC and all my radios are
modified to use the commercial band, family radio bands and the weather channels.
My use of the Ham freqs is very infrequent in Baja because I do not speak the language.
Baja repeaters are mostly near the big cities and out of reach where I live and drive.
In Baja power is important. Best is around 75 watts or more, tempered with the cost. Even then a temporary tall tower is recommended.
I do not have Mx permit.
I still have my CB in the Jeep the same as most off road people for use in the states where CB still popular.
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by PaulW | Recommend doing the mod to the radio so he can communicate with all the folks that use the commercial band. Yes I am KEOVZC and all my radios are
modified to use the commercial band, family radio bands and the weather channels.
My use of the Ham freqs is very infrequent in Baja because I do not speak the language.
Baja repeaters are mostly near the big cities and out of reach where I live and drive.
In Baja power is important. Best is around 75 watts or more, tempered with the cost. Even then a temporary tall tower is recommended.
I do not have Mx permit.
I still have my CB in the Jeep the same as most off road people for use in the states where CB still popular. |
I bought mine on Amazon 2 years ago. It came with the MARS/CAP mod.
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dravnx
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I you want emergency communications, either a sat phone or one of the sat communicators like the Garmin InReach or a Spot.
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by JZ | What Hook said, just do it.
We have a Yaesu 80 watt radio in the truck. And a couple BaoFeng 8 watt radios for the bikes.
Programmed them to use mostly VHF channels. So I take them out on boats as well.
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Jizz:
You got a license? I think both of those radios require ham lic.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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Bajazly
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | | Quote: Originally posted by JZ | What Hook said, just do it.
We have a Yaesu 80 watt radio in the truck. And a couple BaoFeng 8 watt radios for the bikes.
Programmed them to use mostly VHF channels. So I take them out on boats as well.
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Jizz:
You got a license? I think both of those radios require ham lic. |
If you're using the commercial frequencies you are supposed to buy the frequency and it's yours. Not sure how that works out of the area or the
country.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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Jack Swords
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The use of VHF frequencies (marine VHF, commercial freqs, etc.) are very limited and are essentially "line if sight". Additional power does not
overcome that limitation. The use of repeaters, beam antennas, power, etc. helps, but that limitation still applies. Additional power on a mobile
station (car, boat) has consequences on the battery and electrical system. The use of HF radio (3 - 30 MHz) allows consistent communication up to
2000 miles. That is not "line of sight". From my boat in La Paz, I connected with an Internet gateway in Oregon and did my e-mail daily,
consistently.
In the US, the FCC requires a General class ham license or above to use the HF bands (due to potential interference issues). A Technician license
authorizes mainly only the use of the VHF (UHF) bands.
You cannot beat having a ham license for enhanced communications and you can seek out volunteer examiners (VE's) in your area to assist you in getting
your license. In the old days you had to travel to a large city and take an exam before men in suits with the FCC. Now it is simpler with friendly
fellow hams.
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PaulW
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Thanks Jack for details
Each region of the US has licensed commercial frequencies A Google search will identify the business and their approved frequencies (in the US). Yes,
there is common usages of the same freqs in different distant regions.
Using the commercial freqs in the US without a license is not legal. In Mexico whatever laws they have are not enforced and the use of commercial
freqs is common and we all use them. Examples are the race team and promoter freqs as well as local business places.
Just owning a radio that has the capability of transmitting on commercial or HAM freqs is not illegal. Transmitting on those freqs is illegal in the
US. Listening is legal everywhere
There are other bands that are free to use that are perfectly legal that these radios can use once modified. Legal in the US and Mexico. These
include Marine, Family, and MMARS, etc.
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Jack Swords
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Thanks Paul...even though I have my amateur extra-class license, I still use Baofeng handhelds on the FRS when traveling with others and skiing with
the family. Quick, fast, and simple to use. Baofengs were also programmed on the marine VHF freqs for use in the kayak in our local waters. We are
certainly lucky to have so many alternatives available to us.
Larry, don't know about com'l freqs, but you are probably right about reusing freqs near borders. Com'l radio freqs are determined by the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the intention is to avoid interference between users. There is a plan.
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