One of the reasons that I went with the Morfords and Gotts to Mexico was to operate there as a DX station. But first, I had to get a XE license and that is where the saga begins.

Most of the first morning in Mexico was devoted to getting the eye and dental clinics set up and going Then, about 11 o'clock Beto and I set off for Monterrey to get me a XE license and to renew Bob's XE2PED license. (Beto is a young Mexican working at the mission where we were set up. He has lived in the United States and worked with Americans a long time and understands our ways.) We arrived at the Direccion General de Comunicaciones about 1130 and after asking directions from a number of offices finally found the right one.

At the licensing office we were told that I needed:

- A passport photo. I told the young lady that I did not have one and did not know where to get one. After some talk she said, "forget the photo."

- A copy of my visa. I told the lady that I had a visa but did not have a copy. She said go get one. I asked where and was told that there was a copy machine in the building, somewhere.

- A copy of my US license. I did bring a lot of copies of that.

- Five copies of the application. I asked for five copies to fill out. The lady would only give me one and told me to make four copies. (If I could find that copy machine!!)

We went hunting the copy machine; found it and made the copies. But, there was a fee for using the machine. All I had were US dollars. After some talk it was decided that two dollars would be about the correct amount. I gave the operator two dollars.

Back to the licensing office. The lady told us that we had to take the applications to a bank, pay our fees, get the applications stamped, and come back with the stamped copies. That sounded easy....

We went to a bank across the street. They told us they could not handle amateur radio applications. We had to go to a National Bank "Where is a National Bank?" "Down the street and cross the bridge."

We found the National Bank and finally got in the right line. The teller told me to give him 187 pesos. I only had dollars and he would not take them. He told Beto to go to window 6 and change the dollars into pesos. The teller told me to stand aside and he would wait on other people. Beto waited in line for about 10 minutes but it did not move. Beto told me that he was going outside and find a money changer and get pesos, it would be quicker then waiting in line. He left the bank and I was left standing beside the teller's window as he waited on people. Many minutes later Beto returned with pesos. We went to the head of the line a nd six people gave us dirty looks. The teller took the pesos and then stamped, stamped, stamped, stamped the applications.

Back to the Direccion General de Comunicaciones.

The man in charge of the licensing office, the Chief, told us that we would have to come back Monday (today was Thursday and we were leaving on Sunday) and they would renew Bob's license. Since I did not have a license it would take longer.

I told the Chief that I needed a license today. He said that would not be possible as there was much paper work to do. After talking to him a few minutes I could see that we were not getting any where. I decided I would have to play my Gringo act. I would just set there and keep talking and asking questions until he got tired of me. So, I told him how I had to talk to Lawton to coordinate the travels of the doctors and medical supplies. I told him about the Lawton/Fort Sill Amateur Club and about the novice classes. Could I get a license today? Did he have a license, what was his Callsign, what kind of equipment did he have, and what were the local repeater frequencies? Could I get a license today? Would he just give me a callsign and we could take care of the paper work later? Etc, etc, etc.

IT WORKED!!!!

The Chief told Beto to write a letter requesting temporary permission to operate in Mexico. Beto did and even signed Bob's name to his letter, it looked just like Bob's signature. The Chief stamped the letters and added them to the pile of papers with o ur applications. I told the Chief that I needed a callsign so that I could operate today. After looking in his files, he wrote XE2PCN on a scrap of paper and told me to use that. After much hand shaking and a lots of thank yous, we left.

Now I could operate legally even if I did not have a single piece of paper with written authorization!!! The next day Beto returned and got our licenses and then we were really legal.

So Beto and I did in a couple of hours what normally takes several mananas. But, it was only done because Beto knew where to go and because both of us were slick talkers. By myself I would never have been able to get a license in one day.

All in all it was a wonderful trip. Everyone of you should go and operate as a DX station. Next spring listen for me from Durango, Mexico and I will tell you more tales about having high adventures!!!!

73 de Claude KD5RQ/XE2PCN

THE CONTINUING SAGA OF DX-ING IN MEXICO

by Claude KD5RQ/XE2PCN

The Morford's church has been sponsoring an old peoples home and an orphanage in Ojinaga, Mexico for a number of years. Ojinaga is a town of 35,000 people just across the Rio Grande river from Presidio, Texas. This past December the Morfords asked me if I wanted to go down and help deliver Christmas gifts and clothes. Of course I wanted to go! This would be another great chance to DX from Mexico as XE2PCN.

We departed Lawton about 1 PM on Friday in Bob Morford's Cessna 210. After a long four and a half hour flight (the head winds were over 50 MPH at times), we landed at the airport on the far north side of Presidio. We were met by Senior Migu