I read the post about Japan dumping the morse and noticed a comment about possible changes to reciprocal licensing.
For an overseas ham to enter Australia with a radio and start operating for 90 days seems to be quite easy. They bring their handheld (or whatever) and their license and away they go - I think. They use their own callsign with a VK suffix. If anyone knows different it would be interesting to know. This includes a whole pile of countries on the ACMA website.
But check out what we have to do to operate in some of those countries. We have reciprocal arrangements with both Japan and the Philippines but there is no agreement between those two. It is no surprise when you see what you have to do to operate in the Phil. You need a letter from a reverend to say you are of good character, an original receipt from the radio supplier (too bad if you bought it from VKClass I suppose), an information sheet with all your family details (brothers and sisters, mother, father etc. and their addresses), the exact location where you will operate (as if you know with a handheld), certified copies of your license, more forms and money and information about how many pidgeons flew over your house in the last month counted daily. Even the ACMA didn't want to know a tenth of what they do. I don't think they trust us much.
Has anyone ever actually obtained a reciprocal license in the Philippines, Vietnam or any other SE Asia country? I was thinking of taking a radio next time I go there but don't think its worth the trouble. I would also be interested to know about other countries and experiences anyone has had operating overseas. What do I do about Germany for instance or USA?
Reciprocal licensing
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VK2VKT
Re: Reciprocal licensing
USA is quite easy to operate in as an Australian amateur. Foundation licence is not recognised though.
ARRL recomended packing the radio in carry on luggage to prevent damage and to present to customs/homeland security if asked, and you may be asked to demonstrate compliant operation. Original licince documents must be carried with your passport.
Callsign used is "Australian callsign" / "Area suffix" portable "town located". Eg VK2VKT/W6 portable San Fransisco.
Last year I travelled to Nevada and California and took along my handheld. I had no problems in and out of both countries, (unlike my encounter with security at Darwin wondering what the long skinny spear like antenna was).
I had some good QSO's with some freindly folk in Vegas and San Fransisco who were only too happy to reply to a CQ from a strange callsign. I only operated 2m/70cm repeaters and the VX-8R with its broadband receive come in handy to listen to the multitude of emegency services/security transmissions when jet-lag induced insomnia set in.
A trap to watch out for is a lot of repeaters are closed to all but financial members of the repeater groups who own the equipment, and there are a few set aside only for emergency use. A lot of the IRLP and all echolink repeaters I come across could not be accessed using standard DTMF tones, a call had to be given to an "operator" to connect a node for you. Google was invaluable to locate available repeaters and their rules, although the ARRL produced handbook would be much easier. The USA have different repeater frequencies than us and from memory a 20 kHz channel step, which was easily accomodated in the VX-8R.
All in all there was no problems and it was good fun. The only problem was they found it very hard to understand me because Australians don't speak english
Lee
VK2VKT
ARRL recomended packing the radio in carry on luggage to prevent damage and to present to customs/homeland security if asked, and you may be asked to demonstrate compliant operation. Original licince documents must be carried with your passport.
Callsign used is "Australian callsign" / "Area suffix" portable "town located". Eg VK2VKT/W6 portable San Fransisco.
Last year I travelled to Nevada and California and took along my handheld. I had no problems in and out of both countries, (unlike my encounter with security at Darwin wondering what the long skinny spear like antenna was).
I had some good QSO's with some freindly folk in Vegas and San Fransisco who were only too happy to reply to a CQ from a strange callsign. I only operated 2m/70cm repeaters and the VX-8R with its broadband receive come in handy to listen to the multitude of emegency services/security transmissions when jet-lag induced insomnia set in.
A trap to watch out for is a lot of repeaters are closed to all but financial members of the repeater groups who own the equipment, and there are a few set aside only for emergency use. A lot of the IRLP and all echolink repeaters I come across could not be accessed using standard DTMF tones, a call had to be given to an "operator" to connect a node for you. Google was invaluable to locate available repeaters and their rules, although the ARRL produced handbook would be much easier. The USA have different repeater frequencies than us and from memory a 20 kHz channel step, which was easily accomodated in the VX-8R.
All in all there was no problems and it was good fun. The only problem was they found it very hard to understand me because Australians don't speak english
Lee
VK2VKT
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VK2XQ
Re: Reciprocal licensing
Malaysia is pretty straight forward to obtain a local call, passport and original Australian radio related paperwork and you are well on your way. Best to get everything done in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, if you plan to operate from Borneo 9M6JH and 9M8JH as I did. However, I don't know what gives now as a lot of Malaysia telecom has been privatised. Also it helps if you have a amateur radio mate in Kuala Lumpur to help smooth things over and provide valuable advice.
Burma is very tricky, little can be done from here, a lot of leg work has to be done in Rangoon and like Malaysia, all relative original documentation must be with you (inlcluding airline tickets and where you are staying in Burma), no copies. I was lucky as I have a friend in the Burmese military to smooth things over for me, without his help I would have been stuffed and ended up paying endless bribes to government "officials" to get results. Burmese public offices work very slow and still rely on paper rather than computer, it's nothing tio see a clerk with a two feet hihgh pile of files on his desk! In just under a week with assitance I obtained XY1JH and later XY1J on my second visit, 50MHz has a lot of restrictions but HF is fairly straight forward. You must not talk about the government nor country in a negative manner on air (you will be monitored) so by sticking to the brief "name, callsign, signal report, location, equipment and weather report" formula you will do OK. Oh, you are also prohibited from selling your radio gear whilst in Burma too, what you bring in at import time must leave with you at departure time, and they stick to this with great detail.
Bahrain was very easy and direct when I was A92JH many years ago, if you have a work permit (as I did at the time) it can be done over the counter in about 20 mins as long as you show your passport with work permit/visa and original Australian radio documentation and airline tickets as well as proof of residential address in Bahrain.
Pakistan, forget this one, I spent three weeks in Islamabad (out of three months in the country) and despite having some government "connections" and local radio amateur friends got know where. Even greasing some palms financially did not help one IOTA.
India, very much like Pakistan with a lot of backhanders required to get paperwork to "move" in you know what I mean.
Plenty of foreign ops seem to appear from Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia over the last 10 years suggesting things cannot be too bad in getting a callsign there...good luck. Jack VK2XQ.
Burma is very tricky, little can be done from here, a lot of leg work has to be done in Rangoon and like Malaysia, all relative original documentation must be with you (inlcluding airline tickets and where you are staying in Burma), no copies. I was lucky as I have a friend in the Burmese military to smooth things over for me, without his help I would have been stuffed and ended up paying endless bribes to government "officials" to get results. Burmese public offices work very slow and still rely on paper rather than computer, it's nothing tio see a clerk with a two feet hihgh pile of files on his desk! In just under a week with assitance I obtained XY1JH and later XY1J on my second visit, 50MHz has a lot of restrictions but HF is fairly straight forward. You must not talk about the government nor country in a negative manner on air (you will be monitored) so by sticking to the brief "name, callsign, signal report, location, equipment and weather report" formula you will do OK. Oh, you are also prohibited from selling your radio gear whilst in Burma too, what you bring in at import time must leave with you at departure time, and they stick to this with great detail.
Bahrain was very easy and direct when I was A92JH many years ago, if you have a work permit (as I did at the time) it can be done over the counter in about 20 mins as long as you show your passport with work permit/visa and original Australian radio documentation and airline tickets as well as proof of residential address in Bahrain.
Pakistan, forget this one, I spent three weeks in Islamabad (out of three months in the country) and despite having some government "connections" and local radio amateur friends got know where. Even greasing some palms financially did not help one IOTA.
India, very much like Pakistan with a lot of backhanders required to get paperwork to "move" in you know what I mean.
Plenty of foreign ops seem to appear from Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia over the last 10 years suggesting things cannot be too bad in getting a callsign there...good luck. Jack VK2XQ.
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VK5AJL
Re: Reciprocal licensing
Thank you all very much so far. Very interesting stuff. I will not be in Europe for a couple of years but still worth knowing.
The countries I am most interested in are the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. I have contacts there (especially Phil and Indonesia) for accomodation (non-AR) and I was thinking of taking an old HF radio (icom 720) this August and leaving it there for next time. Impossible I guess.
To take a handheld into Indonesia or Vietnem doesn't look too hard. Vietnam, with whom we have no official reciprocal agreement, actually looks the easiest.
Phil, on the other hand, want more information than both getting a passport here and what the ACMA wanted for my AR license combined. My sister's address (in Australia) is really relevant to operating a radio where it seems there are more pirates than at the movies.
Matt, thanks also for the good ideas. I might be an orphan too. I wonder what radio company has gone broke recently so I can fake a receipt they can't check? I wonder if they would ring George Pell to see if it was really him who signed my good character form.
The countries I am most interested in are the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. I have contacts there (especially Phil and Indonesia) for accomodation (non-AR) and I was thinking of taking an old HF radio (icom 720) this August and leaving it there for next time. Impossible I guess.
To take a handheld into Indonesia or Vietnem doesn't look too hard. Vietnam, with whom we have no official reciprocal agreement, actually looks the easiest.
Phil, on the other hand, want more information than both getting a passport here and what the ACMA wanted for my AR license combined. My sister's address (in Australia) is really relevant to operating a radio where it seems there are more pirates than at the movies.
Matt, thanks also for the good ideas. I might be an orphan too. I wonder what radio company has gone broke recently so I can fake a receipt they can't check? I wonder if they would ring George Pell to see if it was really him who signed my good character form.
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VK2VEL
Re: Reciprocal licensing
Despite a virtually identical licensing system, only advanced licenses are reciprocal in the UK via HAREC. There doesn't seem to be any incentive for anything to be done about it either, which is strange given the number of people that travel between the two countries.
France is reciprocal for standard licenses, Belgium is good for all VK licenses (from memory, they have the same licensing system). Bring your license.
Singapore was a surprising bother. You need to apply with documentation and also register the equipment that you are going to use there, and it must meet local legislative requirements. eg if you have a European Yaesu HT, instead of a US version (9V band plan), you can't use it. The authority is very helpful and efficient.
China is a pain. You need to get a Visitor's Operating Certificate which only allows you to operate a registered BY station. This is easy enough and is done through the CRSA and can be done by post before you go. All VK classes are good and you can sign VK-call/BY-call. Basically, you need to organise ahead with a BY ham or club to operate there, but that's quite easy in a big city.
France is reciprocal for standard licenses, Belgium is good for all VK licenses (from memory, they have the same licensing system). Bring your license.
Singapore was a surprising bother. You need to apply with documentation and also register the equipment that you are going to use there, and it must meet local legislative requirements. eg if you have a European Yaesu HT, instead of a US version (9V band plan), you can't use it. The authority is very helpful and efficient.
China is a pain. You need to get a Visitor's Operating Certificate which only allows you to operate a registered BY station. This is easy enough and is done through the CRSA and can be done by post before you go. All VK classes are good and you can sign VK-call/BY-call. Basically, you need to organise ahead with a BY ham or club to operate there, but that's quite easy in a big city.