Reciprocal Ham license?

...in Central America (and, Mexico), transceptor is a colloquial term used by "the authorities" to describe transmisor and/or receptor (ie. trans__ceptor)

Mexicowanderer es absolutamente correcto.

S-

Not much difference from the US "Transceiver". Anyone that has served in any of the Armed Services should recognize that.

The military being the military took two words,

1 transmisor (transmitter)

and

2 receptor (receiver)

and made it into one word

TRANSCEPTOR

That makes sense, living in San Diego for many years I was always trying to figure out what all those strange names where on the military installations meant.

Some of them are still an enigma, others I was able to figure out.

navegator

Regardless of what -you- folks call it, and regardless of spanish dictionaries when the ejercito o marinas o policia see a communications radio they label it transceptor. They call it that, when an unregistered radio is confiscated transceptor is the word they type on the paperwork. I used quotes on the word for a reason. Sometimes reality interferes with how we think things should be.

If an RV hatch is opened, and someone at a reten or puesto de control should spot gear, hearing the word "transceptor" is reason enough to become very cautious.

The reality down here cannot be monitored nor pontificated from without.

When they spotted my ICOM "transceptor" on the floor of my car at a puesto de control just north of Zihuatanejo, they were going to seize it. A handheld VHF radio. The marinas demanded to see my permiso para importacion de yate. OOf course I do not have a Yate or even a rubber raft. If it were not for my son in law and his licensia de pesca hanging around his neck I would have not only lost the radio but faced a fat fine. Not at the reten, but back in Zihuatanejo at the Ayutamiento, de municipio.

BTW the radio was under the seat, wrapped in a cloth and inside a stuff bag in my toad. They would have found it in the trunk. They would have found it under the hood. I called for friends on a ketch on the hook in the bay.

It should be transmisor and the receiver is receptor, and the whole unit is aparato de radio

navegator

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Just some notes:

The agency you seek is monikored SCT Secretaria de Comunicaciones Y Transportes

Things have tightened up in the last 5 years. Dramatically. The narcos are using everything from amateur radio to microwave links and the federal police and military know damned well what a "transceptor" does and what it looks like. They normally let tourists slide at retenes and puesto de control roadside checkpoints. But not always. Compartments are sometimes opened and a brief look taken.

My suggestion is to keep the unit and the antenna well hidden, well packed away while on the road.

What in the world is a "transceptor"?

Just some notes:

The agency you seek is monikored SCT Secretaria de Comunicaciones Y Transportes

Things have tightened up in the last 5 years. Dramatically. The narcos are using everything from amateur radio to microwave links and the federal police and military know damned well what a "transceptor" does and what it looks like. They normally let tourists slide at retenes and puesto de control roadside checkpoints. But not always. Compartments are sometimes opened and a brief look taken.

My suggestion is to keep the unit and the antenna well hidden, well packed away while on the road.

I have tried but didn't have any luck so I just operate as usual.

I have tried many times in the last 35 years and never been able to make it happen.
Good Luck
My experience is that no one really cares.

Canadian Rainbirds wrote:
Hi Steve. Yes the process is a challenge. At least is was 12 years ago and I don't believe it is any better. At that time you had to take the paperwork to the Feds in the State Capital. You also needed written permission of the property owner and a station inspection was required. We were travelling in a motorhome.

After being refused a permit in Chihuahua because I was going to be in Cuernavaca, Morelos for the first 6 weeks they said I needed to apply there. Fortunately in Zacatecas I met a taxi drive who was a ham. That evening he brought his good friend and fellow ham to the rig to visit. He was also head of the Federal Communications dept (FCC equivalent)! After consuming several cans of Canadian Beer he said that they weren't worried about mobile, Just Do It! He said that the police knew nothing about radios in the first place and didn't have the authority to do anything about it in the second place!

He gave me his business card with home and office phone numbers in case I had any hassle anywhere along the way. Unfortunately I have since lost the card.

We have travelled and operated mobile in Mexico every year since with no trouble. I'm not on a lot, usually APRS via the ISS or a bit of 20 or 80 meter SSB or CW. I use XE1 (or 2 or where ever I happen to be) /mycall for ident.

Since the radios are installed in the rig I have not had a problem with customs. Bring a rig down on a plane or in a box in a car could be a problem.

Unfortunately we won't be down this year because the Vet advised against it--one of our dogs is seriously ill and needs close vet supervision.

Art, VE7FED and VA7RV/M
APRS VA7RV-12 (only when travelling)

Hey Art,

Thanks for the reply.

Best wishes for your pup. We had a scare with ours a few months ago and wondered if we would be traveling this year.

Tell me if I understand properly:

1- You have to apply in person at the appropriate location depending on where you will be operation. If you are traveling you have a problem.

2- You have to wait 8 weeks (for processing?) before you can legally operate.

3- If I am traveling from Seattle to Puerto Vallarta stopping for 1-5 days in various locations along the way and not spending extended time in 1 location I should probably leave my HF rig at home and only use my 2m rig if I am willing to be a "faux XE1"?

73's

Stephen