Proper QTH while travelling & Maritime Mobile

**w7pea** · Fri 30th Dec 2011, 08:11

I am living on my boat and currently travelling\exploring the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Coast of Mexico. After using my HAM License exclusively for winlink and Maritime Mobile Nets, i'm getting into making other digital contacts and exploring other voice work too. My question is about about how to report my QTH both if I'm at anchor, in a marina or actually under way. I know for some my location could be of value to them for different awards, etc and I want to do it correctly.

When underway I should use the \MM on my callsign in the digital apps, correct?
It would seem to me when I'm anchored or in a marina I can drop that.

How do I properly report my QTH, grid square etc? Should I just record my Lat\Lon in a paper log and then get the correct info before I do a logbook upload to HRD-Log or LOTW? Are there apps I can run on my PC which can pickup the Lat\Lon if I feed it in? Seems like some of you car mobile folks should have wanted to figure this out already.

Thanks a lot!
-W7PEA

**5B4AJB** · Fri 30th Dec 2011, 14:19

You should use HR2/W7PEA/MM (for example) I guess, whether underway or anchored.

The suffix MM applies to "any vehicle capable of being manned" so, that covers canoes to oil rigs.

For your location, the Maidenhead system is widely used, a GPS receiver often has Maidenhead output and this comprises of 2 letters, 2 figures and another 2 letters. For example, my location is KM64tu, which puts me inside a 1 x 2km "square".

Might be worth looking into APRS if you want (others) to track your position.

**K7KBN** · Sat 31st Dec 2011, 05:05

If you're in Mexican territorial waters or at a Mexican marina, you would do well to have a Mexican license/call sign issued by their government. If you go farther south than Mexico, the same thing applies: Guatemala, El Salvador, etc.

Once outside the territorial waters of another country, just W7PEA/mm should do. You might indicate which ITU region you happen to be in at the time. "Region 2" covers most of the waters around where you're operating, it sounds like. No need for specific grid squares, or Lat/Long coordinates unless you're able to track them.

But once inside a sovereign country's territorial waters I wouldn't even think of keying up. Canada is the only exception I can think of. I frequently pass through Canada, using VE7/K7KBN (or more often "K7KBN mobile VE7" from force of habit). Even if the U.S. has reciprocal licensing agreements with a particular country, that country NEEDS to know who you are if you're transmitting a radio signal from within its borders.

ITU ZONES:
If your station is operated in Europe, Africa or the adjoining waters, you're in Region 1. North and South America and the adjoining waters make up Region 2. The "rest of the world" is comprised of the countries of Southern Asia (excluding the countries of the Arabian Peninsula) as well as the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

**w7pea** · Sat 31st Dec 2011, 05:39

Yep, totally here you about the Reciprocal process which is diferrent for every country and not needed for some.

There is actually and iPhone app that gives you your Maidenhead (aka Grid Square) based on Lat Lon. And since I have an iPhone on board it is very handy! There are couple of apps, search the store. Pretty handy! I don't think I'll do any QSLs while underway, but when I am anchored or mooored somewhere I can update my location on QRZ, and create a new sub-account for that location on eQSL and add a new location in TrustedQSL for LOTW. Lot of work I guess.

Long term, I want to add mobile capabilities to my shack so I can activate Islands and Summits! You have to actually be ON the island for IOTA, beinh anchored out is not good enough.

Funny you mention APRS. I have been looking into that as well. Currently I use winlink to update my position and it's a very active process (i.e., I have to do it). When I get my mobile setup it would be fun to do APRS location and weather updates via satellite. The weather will be complicated though since I'd have to figure out a way to get the data off my NMEA 2000 network into a format the radio can understand.

Sounds like with your help I am on the right track though!

Thanks a lot!
-W7PEA