Amateur radio adventure on holiday: mobile, portable and successful QRV
From adventure to radio-friendly holidays
Are you unable to set up and operate an amateur radio station at home for whatever reason? Then you still have the opportunity to participate adequately in amateur radio while on holiday. And even if you are fully QRV at home, it is certainly a new challenge to sit at the other end of a small pile-up. In addition to amateur radio from your hotel, holiday flat or holiday home, the appeal lies in the opportunity to combine a stay in the great outdoors with radioing. Take the opportunity to indulge in your amateur radio hobby undisturbed from a tent, caravan or motorhome.
If you go on holiday by car and drive to different holiday destinations, you can also use only mobile radio by driving to exposed locations. Hard-core OMs even travel by motorbike or bicycle to be portable QRV in the great outdoors.
Do DX if your holiday destination is a sought-after country or simply make regular contact with stations in your home town. Sure, you can also do pure radio operations at home, but there is simply more to experience with portable activities on holiday. The motto 'Get out into nature' is a beneficial balance to spending time at home in the tinkering room. Ideally, it may even be possible to involve the family in these activities, at least some of the time. But don't overdo it - with amateur radio! Unlimited, extended radio operation at any time of day is conflict-free and more suitable for groups of like-minded people (OM) or solo travellers.
Holiday radio offers numerous possibilities:
- Radio operation from your accommodation: Hotel, holiday flat or holiday home
- Mobile radio operation, at changing locations from a car or motorhome
- Radio operation from the campsite from a motorhome, caravan or tent
- Radio operation in the great outdoors as a 'fieldday', for example on the beach
Holiday QTH in sight
The first thing to do is to research and enquire whether the operation of an amateur radio station and the temporary installation of an outdoor antenna is possible and permitted at the holiday QTH. You should also know in advance what the local conditions are like at the holiday location: What floor is the room or flat on? Is there a balcony or terrace and which direction does it face? What are the surroundings and neighbouring buildings like? Are there any existing and natural anchoring points for a wire antenna in the neighbourhood?
It is obvious that a roof terrace offers the best conditions for a shortwave or VHF antenna: a clear view all round and an elevated location. Many things are possible here, from magnetic antennas and mobile antennas to vertical multiband antennas or dipole antennas for the upper shortwave bands, as well as vertical omnidirectional antennas or small directional antennas for VHF.
A detached holiday home on a larger plot of land offers more space for the installation of wire antennas for the lower shortwave bands. If there are no natural anchoring points in the form of trees or on buildings in a suitable location, you will have to create these yourself using fibreglass telescopic masts or lightweight aluminium sliding masts. Such a location is more suited to the exclusive shortwave amateur who prefers to operate on the low bands.
If you intend to relocate your radio operation to the great outdoors in the manner of a field day, other questions arise: Is the selected and suitable location in a public space or on private property? Perhaps the site can only be reached via a private property! It could also be located in a nature reserve or on land used for other purposes. Ultimately, it depends on this and a permit whether the site may be entered and used for such an activity at all. After completing the activity and finally leaving the location, it should be a matter of course to leave the site as you found it.
Lightweight luggage, full performance
All-band mobile transceivers for HF and VHF are particularly small and light, making them ideal for portabel radio on holiday. This means that you are no longer restricted to QRP operation. Almost all common mobile radio transceivers in this device class have an RF output power of 100 W.
When it comes to the power supply, it is important to clarify the nominal voltage of the mains in the holiday destination country and which plug standard is available there before going on holiday. Suitable adapters may be required for the mains connection.
The QRP fan can save himself a heavy transformer power supply unit or a larger switching power supply unit in his holiday luggage and can switch to battery operation or a solar panel with rechargeable batteries in buffer mode 'holiday and travel friendly'.
When selecting equipment, especially antennas, it is important to consider the packing size and transport options as well as the total weight in order to avoid excess weight when travelling by air. Before departure, a final check of the equipment for function and completeness can do no harm. Ultimately, everything must be stowed away safely and in a space-saving manner. A minimum tool kit including a small soldering iron, a small multimeter and spare fuses should not be forgotten! Plastic cable ties are always useful! Remember the transceiver manual! If you limit yourself to the essentials, it may just be possible to take your holiday radio equipment with you as hand luggage.
Many small items and accessories, especially for antenna construction, are certainly already available in local DIY stores. If all else fails and something is defective or missing, contact your amateur radio dealer. You can order either directly from WiMo or via our WiMo sales partners in Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Canary Islands, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey. Further information can be found here.
These documents are a must
In addition to the documents required anyway, such as identity card, passport, European health insurance card, proof of travel health insurance and your bank, giro and/or credit card, you should have your licence to participate in the amateur radio service (amateur radio certificate) and the CEPT documents and transceiver manual with you for your holiday radio.
Safe on holiday: how to protect yourself against insurance risks
With amateur radio activities, whether at home or abroad, the question of insurance arises if, for example, something happens with property damage and/or personal injury during antenna construction. For DARC and VFDB members, liability and accident insurance are included in the membership fee, but only for official amateur radio activities of the clubs. However, you are travelling privately when using amateur radio on holiday. Your personal liability insurance is generally valid worldwide, including during a holiday at home or abroad. To be on the safe side, take a look at your personal liability insurance policy or ask your insurance agent to what extent the possible risks from your activity as a radio amateur are covered.
And don't forget your health insurance! Are you privately or compulsorily insured? The European Health Insurance Card [1] is accepted during a temporary stay in most of the 27 EU countries, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, but is sometimes interpreted differently. However, it is not a substitute for travel insurance or travel health insurance and its benefits. With the latter, you may always be on the safe side. Please also contact your health insurance provider before travelling.
Across borders: CEPT regulations abroad
You can read about the application of the CEPT regulations in detail at the Federal Network Agency [2]. The so-called CEPT country list is based on the basic idea that radio operations may be carried out during a short stay in another country without having to apply for a guest licence for that country. You then use the prefix of the respective CEPT country followed by your own callsign separated by a slash. There are two CEPT recommendations for this, but they only apply in the respective country if they have been implemented in national law there.
The CEPT recommendation T/R 61-01 describes the CEPT Radio Amateur Licence. It corresponds to the German Class A licence. CEPT Recommendation ECC/REC/(05)06 concerns the Novice Radio Amateur Licence. It corresponds to the German class E.
On the following link to the Federal Network Agency you will find all information on the CEPT regulation and the harmonisation of licence classes A, E and the new class N:
https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/EN/Home/home_node.html
A wealth of information and tips on the subject of 'Radio abroad' can be found here.
Current CEPT country list
The CEPT country list provided here for download by the DARC [3] was compiled by Hans Schwarz, DK5JI and contains the operating parameters (frequency ranges, power classes, bandwidths and operating modes, etc.) for short-term operation in the corresponding countries.
Compact power for your holiday
Mobile radio devices are primarily designed for use in vehicles. However, their small dimensions and low weight make them just as suitable for portable use on holiday. Those compact mobile devices which, in addition to the FM range, also have the shortwave bands and all common operating modes 'on board' are fully-fledged transceivers for holiday radio. It is not worth lugging around a large station transceiver. The following all-band mobile transceivers are particularly suitable for this use and can be found in our 'Mobile devices' product category:
Icom IC-705, Yaesu FT-891, IC-7100, the HF QRP transceivers Xiegu X6200, Xiegu X6100, Xiegu G106, Preppcomm multi-band and the Preppcomm DMX 40 m Morse code transceiver as well as a variety of mobile radio devices for the VHF/UHR range.
The perfect antenna for your holiday
From wire antennas such as the portable, modular antenna systems from Chameleon and a variety of lightweight end-fed antennas, to numerous portable, larger vertical antennas and short, vertical multiband radiators for mounting on tripods or balcony railings: In this extensive product category you will find the right antenna for every holiday QTH. Don't forget to take a look at the magnetic antennas category. In addition to the heavy models for stationary operation, there are also lightweight and dismountable versions for taking with you on holiday, which have found a place in every suitcase.
DIY antennas: Everything you need to build your own
If you want to build your own customised antenna: From baluns and centre insulators, end insulators and antenna strands to antenna clamps and more, this product category has pretty much everything you need for your own ideas. The categories 'Masts', 'Mounting material' and 'Antenna mounting vehicle' contain the hardware to set up vertical radiators or to get wire antennas 'in the air'.
Flexible at all times: The best antenna tuners
Manually operated antenna tuners and automatic couplers with a wide adjustment range, small dimensions and low weight are of particular interest to the "holiday radio operator" if the antenna conditions on site are unknown and an antenna that has been brought along but is "off" in the SWR has to be subsequently adjusted or improvised with an end-fed wire antenna of any length (random wire). Please also read our detailed article: "Antenna tuners - selection made easy".
How to manage the power supply at the vacation QTH
The local power grid is available in your hotel, vacation apartment or vacation home. This should also generally be the case at the campsite in a motorhome or caravan. In mobile phones, you also have a secure power supply in your car and boat with the 12 V on-board power supply. In all other cases at the latest, such as on a campsite or in the great outdoors, you must be self-sufficient with batteries, rechargeable batteries or a rechargeable battery buffered by a solar panel. We have compiled a very detailed guide to the importance of a good power supply for radio amateurs.
More details and insider tips
Until your next radio adventure
We wish you relaxing days, successful hours in amateur radio and lots of DX for your next vacation. WiMo has everything you need in the categories listed above. Are you thinking about going QRV on vacation for the first time? Then we hope that this article will motivate you and help you prepare.