Running Barefoot on the Beach

By H. P. "Pete" Friedrichs, AC7ZL

November 13, 2007

Casual QRP in a Tropical Paradise

The phone in my office rang. I picked up the receiver. My wife's voice buzzed in the earpiece.

"Have you ever been to Puerto Rico?" She asked.

"No, why?" I chuckled, wondering what would come next.

She explained that her employer was sending her to San Juan for a week on business. "Why don't you go with me? It’ll be fun." Hmmm... Let's see... a nice hotel room, warm ocean air, the beach... she didn't have to twist my arm very far.

"That sounds great. I'll put in for the vacation time." We chatted for a bit longer, and then I hung up the phone.

For better or for worse, radio and electronics are never far from my thoughts. So, as I daydreamed about my pending trip, my thoughts wandered to all of the QST articles I'd read concerning DXpeditions and those who travel in order to operate from the remote corners of the earth. I didn't know if Puerto Rico counted as an "exotic" location, or even DX, but I decided that doing a little radio work while I relaxed might be a lot of fun. I wondered if my license would be valid there.

Puerto Rico is a sovereign nation. On the other hand, it's also a commonwealth of the United States. So while Puerto Rico is self-governing, the President of Puerto Rico is in fact the president of the United States, and many US federal agencies like the FCC have jurisdiction there. To confirm this, I shot an e-mail over to the ARRL offices, asking if any special paperwork would be required to operate in Puerto Rico. They responded that none was needed

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