diff --git a/content/blog/planning-proceeds/featured-msc-seashore.jpg b/content/blog/planning-proceeds/featured-msc-seashore.jpg new file mode 100755 index 0000000..8f5bb67 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/blog/planning-proceeds/featured-msc-seashore.jpg differ diff --git a/content/blog/planning-proceeds/index.md b/content/blog/planning-proceeds/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fd4af4f --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/planning-proceeds/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,137 @@ +--- +title: "The Planning Proceeds" +date: 2024-02-24T08:52:15-05:00 +draft: false +description: +noindex: false +featured: true +pinned: true +# comments: false +series: + - Cruising +categories: + - Travel +tags: + - ARRL + - POTA + - CEPT + - MSC + - cruising + - operating + - overseas +# - +# menu: +# main: +# weight: 100 +# params: +# icon: +# vendor: bs +# name: book +# color: '#e24d0e' +authors: + - jbouse +--- + +Steps are proceeding in preparation of our cruise later this summer. Visitor +license applications have been filed and already have one back. + + + +As I discussed in my [previous]({{< ref "/blog/two-favorite-things" >}}) post, the wife and I will +be taking our next cruise later this summer and I'm looking to finally combine my two favorite +things, cruising and radios. We are booked on the [MSC] Seashore to embark out of Port Canaveral on +a seven night Caribbean Cruise with ports of call in Nassau, Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Cayman Islands; and Cozumel, Mexico. All but Mexico have reciprocity with amateur radio but +they are not part of [CEPT] or [IARP], so that requires filing for a visitor or temporary amateur +radio license. Just as with the FCC, there is a small fee the agencies in charge of granting the +license charge but it's not a big detriment. + +I started the process by taking a deep dive into the [MSC] website and published documents available +carefully looking for anything that would prohibit my bringing my radio equipment with me. Many of +the other cruise lines do mention it either favorably or not, but [MSC] had nothing. So to cover my +bases I started by sending an email addressed to the Master of the Ship and copied it to customer +service, the Director of Customer Service, the Vice President of Contact Center and the President of +[MSC]. After a month where all I got was the bounce back to the incorrect email address for the +Captian and an automated response from customer service stating that mailbox wasn't monitored, so I +began trying to reach out by phone to the other executives I'd included in the email. None of which +answered my call or returned the messages I left. + +Feeling I had done all I could do at this point and embarkation day drawing closer, based on the +time frames I'd been given by [OfReg][OFREG] in the Cayman Islands and [URCA] in the Bahamas that +I had already been in contact with I knew I needed to get my applications in to be sure I had the +license back in time for the trip. Of those two, the [OfReg][OFREG] was the most expedient and I +probably could have waited until later to file as I got my license back within a day. I was issued +ZF2JE as my call sign to use while in the Cayman Islands. While I'm only planning to be there for a +day during this trip, the license is good for a year and I do have the option to renew it so I can +use it again in the future when traveling to the Cayman Islands. As this is not our first cruise to +the Cayman Islands I can see using it again as a definite possibility. Not to mention there will be +a bunch more [POTA] parks that I won't be able to get to activate this trip, so I have to go back! + +I did get an email back from [URCA] that my application is being processed and I'd previously been +informed it could take 3-4 weeks so I'm patiently awaiting that license still. I have not yet heard +back from my application submission to [SMA] of Jamaica but I intend to follow up on it next week. +From what I've been able to find it seems that I won't be issued a new call sign like in the Cayman +Islands but authorized to operate using the country prefix added to my existing FCC call sign. I +will be able to confirm this once I get official authorization back, so I'll have to add that to a +follow-up post. + +I've been in touch with [ZF1PB] from [CARS], who was wonderful in helping with my planning prep and +I'm looking forward to actually getting to meet up with while on the island. I have also reached out +to [JARA] to try and see if I can't make contact with some hams in Jamaica that might want to get +together as well. + +When I initially started planning for this I did only have my General class license, but while +volunteering as Security Assistant Chairman for Orlando HamCation I was able to sit and pass my +Amateur Extra class license. With my Extra license I now can fully make use of [CEPT] as not all +countries have implemented the [CEPT] Novice class license which General falls under, sorry to those +with only Technician class as [CEPT] only covers General and above. The [MSC] Seashore, along with +most [MSC] cruise ships, is flagged under Malta which is a country that has implemented [CEPT] +license but not the [CEPT] Novice class. So now I'm technically able to operate from the ship while +in international waters provided I had permission from the Ship's Master. That is however not part +of my plan so I'm not even trying to pursue that avenue. + +The plan is to take my radio equipment with me and go perform [POTA] activations while ashore in port +on the islands I've gotten permission to operate. If successfully I'll be able to add three more [POTA] DXCC entities and at least three more new parks themselves. I have found parks that are not +too far from the cruise terminal that I should be able to get to, set up, activate and get back +aboard during the port of call hours. At least two of the parks appear to be about a 10-20 minute +walk from the terminal, while another will likely mean needing to grab a taxi or other local +transportation. + +I plan to take my typical [POTA] kit which includes my hard-shell case that holds my [FT-991A] and [BLF-1220A] along with my laptop bag to carry my [Yoga 11e], [AA-35 Zoom], [GRA-7350T], [GRA-ULT01], +and my coil of coax. This has been field tested during Winter Field Day and several local [POTA] +activations so far and is easily enough to transport. While I'd like to have my additional bag of +tools and supplies I have to consider I have to get it all in and out in one trip. While the saying +"two is one and one is none" with regards to antenna preparedness, I only have the one that is +portable enough for this trip. I would love to take my PREDator antenna but the fiberglass rods to +elevate the radials would definitely be a potential issue getting aboard the cruise ship. Possibly +there may be a trip to the islands while not aboard a cruise to stay for a few days and then I would +bring it along or even have it shipped over ahead of my arrival. + +So for now, I've done what I can and the wait is on. After getting my license from [OfReg][OFREG], I +did go and get it setup on [QRZ] and [LotW] with a call sign certificate and setup the station in +TQSL so I'll be ready to upload my logs once I'm back online. My logs will likely not be uploaded +until we're back home as I don't typically get the WiFi aboard the cruise as the point is to actually +disconnect from work and the internet while on vacation. The wife tolerated the wedding trip +including me fixing a server remotely from the hotel business center all those years ago, I'm not +going to press my luck! I will also be trying to take a nice photo from each park location to make +a custom electronic QSL card that I'll email out when logs are uploaded. + +Still yet more to come as the trip approaches, so stay tuned. + +[MSC]: https://www.msccruisesusa.com/ "MSC Cruises" +[POTA]: https://pota.app/ "Parks on the Air" +[ZF1PB]: https://www.qrz.com/db/ZF1PB "ZF1PB: Phil Bodden" +[CARS]: https://caymanhams.org/ "Cayman Amateur Radio Society" +[JARA]: https://www.jamaicaham.org/ "The Jamaica Amateur Radio Association" +[OFREG]: https://www.ofreg.ky/ "Utility Regulation and Competition Office of the Cayman Islands" +[URCA]: https://www.urcabahamas.bs/ "Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority" +[SMA]: https://www.sma.gov.jm/ "Spectrum Management Authority" +[CEPT]: https://www.arrl.org/cept "European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations" +[IARP]: https://www.arrl.org/iarp "International Amateur Radio Permit" +[FT-991A]: https://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=102&encProdID=490C4A71118AD0F4E825E89D821B73BB "Yaesu FT-991A" +[AA-35 Zoom]: https://rigexpert.com/products/antenna-analyzers/aa-35-zoom/ "RigExpert AA-35 Zoom Antenna Analyzer" +[LotW]: https://lotw.arrl.org/lotwuser/default "ARRL's Logbook of the World" +[QRZ]: https://logbook.qrz.com/ "Logbook by QRZ.com" +[GRA-7350T]: https://www.gabilradio.com/gra-7350t "GRA-7350T telescopic car antenna" +[GRA-ULT01]: https://www.gabilradio.com/gra-ult01-mk3eng "GRA-ULT01 MK3 Lightweight Portable Antenna Mast Mount Tripod Tower" +[Yoga 11e]: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad11e/thinkpad-yoga-11e-(5th-gen)/20lms09v00 "Lenova Thinkpad Yoga 11e (5th Gen)" +[BLF-1220A]: https://www.bioennopower.com/products/12v-20ah-lfp-battery-pvc-blf-1220a "Bioenno Power 12V 20Ah LFP Battery" diff --git a/content/blog/two-favorite-things/index.md b/content/blog/two-favorite-things/index.md index 1b8d75d..1686c95 100644 --- a/content/blog/two-favorite-things/index.md +++ b/content/blog/two-favorite-things/index.md @@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ featured: true pinned: false # comments: false series: - - Cruising + - Cruising categories: - Travel tags: