The lesson learned from N2TTA's experience is to check the rules (contest
and licensing) before you go on a contest DXpedition.
Most people might not know this but a US General class license, which has HF
privileges, doesn't always give you the same privileges in a CEPT country.
(see excerpt of the CEPT recommendation below)
Many of the countries in the Caribbean are CEPT countries. Say for example
you went to PJ2 to operate ARRL DX Contest. If you operate on HF and you
have a General class license, you are breaking the reciprocal licensing
rules.
We found this out a few years ago when the CEPT rules changed. K4BAI, who
had a General class license at the time, applied for our PJ4A contest call
as he usually does every year. We were puzzled we got back a license that
had only VHF privileges. Not good since we were operating the CQWW DX CW
contest. We found out the CEPT had changed that year. We had to scramble at
the last minute to get this changed to one of us that had an Extra class
license. The licensing officials in Curacao only allowed him to operate HF
outside the contest only if he paid a fee. Normally there wouldn't be a fee
for signing PJ4/Your Call.
I can feel Yuri's pain but ignorance of the rules isn't an excuse..
Jeff KU8E
When the privileges authorized by the FCC license grant are Advanced or
Amateur Extra Class
operator privileges, the U.S. citizen is granted CEPT Radio Amateur License
privileges, in accordance
with CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01 (as amended). When the privileges
authorized by the FCC
license grant are General Class operator privileges, the U.S. citizen is
granted CEPT Novice Radio
Amateur License privileges, in accordance with ECC Recommendation (05)06 (as
amended). Both
recommendations are available on the internet at http://www.ero.dk/.
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