RECIPROCAL LICENSE FROM YOUR OWN COUNTRY

FYI, you can apply the reciprocal license in your own country, and get approved! Well, it may not happen in other countries but it is happening here in this country.

Reciprocal license is a kind of licensing agreement between countries, so that operator from a country able to operate and transmit radio while in another country. If you are a foreigner holding an amateur station apparatus assignment (ASAA) from your country wants to operate amateur radio in this country, you have to apply a reciprocal license from this country. After being approved, you may operate your radio in this country, pertaining to specific local rules and regulations, which may be quite different from your country. Likewise an operator from this country, can also do the same in other countries, if there exist a reciprocal license agreement between the two countries.

On the other hand, you can apply ASAA in a country where you are in, regardless whether you are a citizen of the country, as long as you are allowed to do so, meaning that you have to qualify any requirement imposed in that country, sit for the exam and whatnot. Normally you'll be allocated with a callsign specific to the country. This is not like reciprocal license because reciprocal license does not require you to sit for any exam or test.

Later, when you return to this country, the country where you are being her citizen, you have to apply for an ASAA, equivalent to what you have got from other country. Normally you will not be given a reciprocal license, but a license like any other amateur operators who took and passed the local licensing requirements. Meaning that, the reciprocal license only applies to foreigner who have already had an ASAA and wants to operate amateur radio in this country.

A reciprocal license callsign in this country will be something like this; 9M2/originalcallsign or 9W2/originalcallsign (it may be "/", "-" or "", but this country's callsign prefixed), depending upon the equivalent original operating qualification.

But, recently I stumbled upon an amateur operator, a citizen in this country, who has been given a reciprocal license, or at least looks like it. I asked what actually has happened. The operator has sat for RAE in the other country and passed, then applied an ASAA there and carried that country's callsign. Later, when returned to this country, the operator applied for local ASAA, rather that been allocated with an equivalent local callsign of the citizenship, instead 9M2/originalcallsign was given, something like a reciprocal license. Further enquiry I made, the operator has got a local ASAA before getting the ASAA from other country. The operator has sat for RAE 2 times, once in this country and later in other country. To complicate the matter, the local ASAA is 9W2xx. The operator is paying the fees for both ASAA.

In this country, upon passing the RAE, you are eligible to apply tor class B ASAA. That will entitle you to have a callsign prefix 9W2. Later, you may upgrade to class A ASAA, after passing a 12 words per minute morse code proficiency test. The callsign prefix for class A is 9M2.

Coming back to this local "reciprocal" licensee. The operator has actually holding a 9W2 ASAA, with operating condition specific to class B operator. Suddenly, without even sitting and passing the 12 words per minute morse code proficiency test, this operator has been awarded with a 9M2 ASAA, albeit with 9M2/, a reciprocal, which seems pretty weird for a citizen, and having all operating condition privilege in class A!

MALAYSIA BOLEH!

SOFTWARE-DEFINED RADIO

Software-defined radio (SDR) refers to a radio device whose function is not fixed in hardware, but rather can be programmed by software using digital signal processing techniques. The analog portions of the software-defined radio are kept to a minimum, allowing the radio to become a cellular telephone, a GPS receiver, an amateur packet radio, or any other sort of radio transmitting or receiving device. Three excellent starting points for further information on radio are:

Helmet and the Law

It is against the law to ride a bike without wearing a crash helmet, a certified crash helmet. Everyone knows that. It is the road traffics law. Those who are caught riding a motorbike on a gazetted road without wearing a crash helmet, will be penalized, will be fined, jailed, or both.

There is this smart ass, said that it does not apply in radio communication. "Riding a motorbike without wearing a crash helmet is not wrong as long as you are not caught by policeman".

RAE 2008-2

Pursuant to Regulation 26(2) of the Communications and Multimedia (Technical Standards) Regulations 2000, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) will be holding the Radio Amateur Examination on 17 December 2008. Interested individuals aged 14 and above on the examination date are invited to sit for the examination.

Please read the details in English and in Bahasa Melayu.

the application form.

Amateur Radio vs Community Radio

I posted a pop quiz to a new ASAA applicant. A new applicant needs a recommendation letter signed by 2 representatives from MARTS or a class A amateur radio operator. In the letter stated as the person who signed the recommendation knows the applicant well of good radio operating conducts and knowledgeable enuf about amateur radio.

Salam Aidul Fitri and Begali Magnetic Pro

I collected the Begali's Magnetic Professional Key this morning. It carries serial number 0534. A heavy piece as expected. I've placed the order about 3 weeks ago along with a pair of short black aluminium fingerpieces, have my callsign engraved and gold contact points. I paid some RM1K+ for it.