[CQ-Contest] XEs in contest

[aldewey at aol.com]

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to be in Mexico at the same time IARU was going on.  I found it was fairly difficult for a U.S. amateur to get a temporary license to operate in Mexico.  There was a lot of read tape and a number of fees, money transfers, etc.  I ended up getting the license too late to operate when I was there.  One thing that the temporary license did specify quite clearly, however, was that NO CONTEST OPERATION was allowed.

Is this still the case with temporary licenses for operation in Mexico or has that changed?  Do you know the reason for this?

73,

Al, K0AD


Serious contest operations from the past decades were mostly americans operating 
ere, legally or some say illegally.  You can see some of the actual records and 
D2X is still on top.







-----Original Message-----
From: Ramon Santoyo V. <xe1kk at xe1kk.net>
To: cq-contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Thu, Jan 13, 2011 11:36 am
Subject: [CQ-Contest] XEs in contest



ome comments about the participation, history and situation of XE stations in 
ontest.
During the last ARRL 10 meter contest, as you all know, we were multipliers for 
he first time.  FMRE and Grupo DXXE worked for months promoting the event and 
e estimate that nearly 100 Mexican stations participate from almost all the 
tates, an unseen number in the history of Amateur Radio in Mexico 
http://www.dxxe.org/arrl10m/xes-arrl-10-1.pdf).  There was even an expedition 
o the hard to get state of Tlaxcala east of Mexico City. All of this to work on 
and with dubious conditions. 
Needless to say everyone down here was exited. For some it was probably their 
irst contest and only made a few calls.  Others clearly only S&P and never call 
Q. But we all have fun and we're waiting for December to do it again.
There is no collective long time contest tradition in Mexico as in the US.  With 
ew exceptions Mexico's famous old timers are/were, first of all DXers: XE1AE, 
E1CI,  XE1OE, XE1ZLW, XE1J, XE1ILI and many more of our honor rolls.  They 
ot/get into contest to work DX.   For the DXer there is no DX value in working 
he US all over again in a contest. As you can imagine from here you MOSTLY work 
tations from the US in any contest.
Serious contest operations from the past decades were mostly americans operating 
ere, legally or some say illegally.  You can see some of the actual records and 
D2X is still on top.
Few years ago things started to change.  Radio Club Satelite with XE1VIC leading 
tarted a CQ 160m SSB Multi Op contest station that eventually won the world.  
ater Grupo DXXE was created and people start to exchange information and 
echniques among them, something unseen in Mexico.  People started to compete 
micably between other XEs and your previous year scores.  XE2S and some XE + AZ 
ams have been making multi efforts from the north.  But there were almost no 
ocals teaching contest, you either read (in English, a foreign language for us) 
omething about it or have the chance to operate and/or learn with US contesters 
s XE2K, XE2AC, XE1AY, XE2MX or XE1KK did (Gracias Señor Trey!).  
It is also important to consider that XEs usually don't have the perception to 
eing valuable in a contest.  Any US station is expected to work an XE on most 
ontest.  The same apply to VE, LU or PY but this in no true for the rest of the 
orld.  During WRTC in Finland and old timer, with a modest station, told me 
hat the last time he has work Zone 6 in a contest was in 1959.  I was ashamed! 
If the XEs feel that they are "valuable" and understand the mechanics of a 
ontest (and why working the same guys over and over again every year is really 
un) there will be more XEs active.
The NAQP is a great contest to do this. The exchange is better than most 
ontest, it is a shorter contest so you don't get too tired, your multipliers 
re workable with a modest station, the big guns need to use 100 watts as you 
o, you don't need to wait a year and you can participate with your favorite 
ode, and you have propagation 24 hours to where your multipliers are. I hope 
he rules commission evaluate this possibility.
73
Ramon, XE1KK

 



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