V31KW Oldest Call in Belize
- skylarkcolo
- Apr 29, 2021
- 10 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
This is a DRAFT Page at this time, a work in progress, but many ask
GENERAL, STEVEN ""SKY"" WALZ, Military Attache Belize
"Hola" The Last update here was Sept 2025
The top photo was from a 1996 writeup in QST about, V31-KW airmobile Miss Belize, the plane
V31-KW Steve Walz, my military air-call sign is "SKY" All Belize calls officially have a " DASH" V31-KW
My 1st call was the Old British Honduras call of VP1KW, now V31-KW is the longest issued call sign to the same ham in Belize, ham radio was the only way to talk to the states when I started. Back then this Crown Colony Commonwealth required you to know code with a practical operational component too.
CQ-Zone 7, ITU-Zone 11
Belize may be the true "Banana Republic", but I love her
U Betta Belize It
"The General must be possessed of wisdom, honesty, benevolence, courage and discipline". Sun Tzu, The Art of War
God is always, the guess operator and my copilot
Soy un entusiasta de la aeronaútica
"See Miss Belize" The Airplane in Dec. 1996 QST page 20
100% QSL with SASE use Manager: NO (BURÓ) bureau cards please!
Currently recovering from Leukemia (AML). But now great news, Received a Stem cell Transplant April 2024 at MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston, TX. USA, and I am back on the air.
Mi principal QTH'S está cerca de Monkey River, Belice, también tengo uno al lado del Aeropuerto Internacional
de Ladyville que tiene una configuración de base remota de Internet. Ese sitio ejecuta HF desde 1.8MHz-500Mhz
puedo usar las bandas de jamón, frecuencias diplomáticas, Marítimo-Móvil y bandas de aire con antenas muy
grandes (Collins Log-periodic 5-30 Mhz a 90 pies y un bucle de 160 metros). El control remoto está usando
un Icom HFIC-F8101 con Automatic Link Establishment, esta configuración me permite estar en el aire para
"uso en el condado" y DX mundial desde Belice en radioaficionado. También se me permite usar 60 metros
de este sitio (servicio fijo y móvil).My main QTH'S is near Monkey River, Belize, I also have one next to the International Airport in Ladyville, which has an internet remote base setup also. That site runs HF from 1.8MHz-500Mhz, I can use the ham bands, Diplomatic frequencies, Maritime-Mobile and Air bands with very large antennas (Collins Log-periodic 5-30 Mhz at 90 ft and a 160 meter loop). The remote is using an Icom HFIC-F8101 with Automatic Link Establishment, this setup allows me to be on the air for "in county use" and world wide DX from Belize on ham radio. I 'm also allowed to use 60 meters from this site (fixed and mobile service). This station monitors the Coast Guard Global Maritime Distress and Safety System distress channel (8S) 8.291mhz USB or the Coconut Telegraph Net on 4060/ 8170 mhz USB. Sea Cruisers Stay in Contact on the ‘Coconut Telegraph' at 1200 UTC.
Other Sea Cruisers nets in our area: KPK 8104 1200UTC, Northwest Caribbean Cruisers Net: 8.188 MHz at 1400 Zulu Covers from Mexico to San Andres Island, Colombia/Panama Canal, Connection Net: 8.107 MHz at 1330 Zulu. Panama Canal Connection Net: 8.107 MHz at 1330 Zulu. Covers Pacific from Mexico to Galapagos, Atlantic from Belize to Colombia with emphasis on SW. Caribbean. But no Winlink here, only the Drug Dealers use that mode in the caribbean now days. When "In Country" I run 146.52, 7.095 and 14.160 MHz from mobile and aircraft.
Otras redes de cruceros marítimos en nuestra zona: KPK 8104 1200UTC, Northwest Caribbean Cruisers Net: 8.188 MHz en 1400 Zulu Covers desde México a la Isla San Andrés, Colombia/Canal de Panamá, Connection Net: 8.107 MHz en 1330 Zulu. Red de conexión del Canal de Panamá: 8.107 MHz a 1330 zulú. Cubre el Pacífico de México a Galápagos, Atlántico de Belice a Colombia con énfasis en SW. Caribe. Cuando "en el país" corres 146.52, 7.095 y 14.160 MHz desde el móvil y la aeronave.
Por favor no me llame sobre visitas de vacaciones o DXpeditions a Belice. Pero puedes echar
un vistazo V31-BZ, tienen buenos lugares para alquilar.
Vea esta lista actualizada de Jamones en Belice http://barc.bz/database/Please Don't call me about Vacation visits or DXpeditions to Belize. But you can check out V31BZ they have nice places for rent. News, March 2020, the Belize Amateur Radio Club shack (V31HQ) has burned down. See this up to date list of Hams in Belize http://barc.bz/database/ Also now V31XX
If your going to Belize City, check this out (but you need to read between the lines!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjUKmMsZHbU
Belize is the only nation in the region with a British colonial heritage (English is the official language). It uses the Fahrenheit scale for temperature. Belize is part of the Western Caribbean Zone, however, it also shares a common heritage with the Caribbean portions of other Central American countries. In general, Belize is considered to be a Central American nation with strong ties to both the Caribbean and Latin America. Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Summits of the Americas by the Organization of American States, United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA.) Belizeans have much to be proud of as we all celebrate and give thanks for our nearly 40 years as an independent nation. It seems like only yesterday that George Price, the father of Belize and the leader with vision was urging Belize on to independence. He dedicated his whole life for this major goal that we should be in charge of our country, our destiny and our future. The struggle for independence was not an easy road. Our country emerged against a back-ground of years of slavery followed by colonialism and then colonial neglect and national poverty. Out of many ethnic groups our population has successfully blended into an entity we all proudly proclaim as Belizean. It was not always this way. It was George Price who repeatedly urged us to strive to be “one people, one nation, one destiny”. So too with our geographic situation. Under colonialism our country was divided into districts. Each district kept poor and neglected and separate from the others. It is we Belizeans who have built roads and communications and urged closer relationships with each other that today it is one country, easily accessible.
Check this short video about Belize https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scItMngcQek
Belize Band Plan is Region 2, so on 40 meters SSB is down to 7050kHz, and 20 meters 14100kHz, with the Max Band/W of 2700Hz
You might want to look at this video, it has great views of the Belize country side, "The last flight of The British Army" in Belize at the Jungle Training Base called BATSUB, British Army Training Support Unit Belize. The Special Forces Base has the most testing jungle exercises in the world, with access to 5,000 square miles of primary jungle. In the past the base trained over 3000 to 9000 troops per year. It additionally provides a high level of training for the Belize Defense Force. The Jungle training base is still being used daily by the BDF and others. Belize is still the premier training ground for many NATO allies, and military units from Britain, Canada, Kiwis from New Zealand, French Foreign Legion, Poland, Norway, Spain, USA and others have all taken advantage of the unique training experiences that Central American can provide. http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/413588/The_BATSUB_%22Ba-Bye%22.html
BATSUB is now back and open for training https://youtu.be/kUYSAUukO_w?si=ee_-hbgS6-Kl1KrK
Military Jungle Warfare Training - US Marines In Belize https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-9dU1a-0Dk
Voz de América, In the past I have used the old Voice of America (VOA) site in Belize as my antenna farm! With the end of the Cold War and its related proxy battles in Central America over, the U.S. VOA propaganda broadcasts were no longer a high priority. That site was on a unique salt waterfront property which was great for antennas, with two hundred and seventeen acres of cleared land, fully fenced, containing a number of buildings gen/sets and fuel tanks, as well as twenty well anchored broadcast towers, each two-hundred feet or higher (Rhombics and Distributed-fed Curtain Antennas). This was my best antenna farm ever!!!! V31KW/VOA see https://www.k0uo.com/post/v-o-a-site-in-belize
ABOVE: VOA Buildings and the 217 acres Site
SEE more info about the Belize VOA, and other early radio brodcasters in Belize @
ARRL Life member, Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), RSGB Commonwealth Century Club (CCC) and 5 Band Commonwealth Century Club (5BCCC).
Old "Radio Belize" QSL Cards
Belize Band plan IARU Region 2, (we now have 60 meters and I was the first station on 60 meters from Belize), Please U.S.A. hams no contest or point collection activities of any kind on this band (like State QSO parties SOTA & POTA). The 60 meter band is allocated on a Secondary basis in Region 2. Fixed and Mobile (except Aeronautical Mobile) stations are the Primary users. Not all countries in Region 2 have approved operations in this band yet, and some specify different frequencies than this band plan.
A fines de la década de 1980 y 1990, mi grupo también tenía el mayor rancho de ganado y plantaciones
de naranjas en Belice (Belizean International LTD & Belize Growers).
.
On the Flight-line of an USAF Base Notice, that my Ham call "V31-KW" was also the Airplane's tail number! The Blue Angels aircraft are setting on the flight line too. I probably have more flight time in this type of aircraft than any person in the world having flown it for military use, and have owned several personally
You can see the O2 Wings while filming this video. http://vimeo.com/105629740
An O2 Skymaster airplane used for intelligence work (Airscan Inc now A2G)
The New "Miss Belize" V31-KW which is the fastest longest-range Skymaster ever, and the mount on the left yoke is for an Icom 7000 HF radio head. This plane has updated engines to TSIO-550's which are 350 hp each, glass panel and 210 gal fuel tanks. All the air shots in this video were from this Skymaster (it was some fun treetop flying, I love this plane) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-AFzMopWpE
Now the Fun Part! Who wants to land on the beach??? Flying over my beach near Monkey Ri
English taught in the schools of Belize is based on British English, but it is often influenced by the teachers' Kriol speech. The 1999 Ministry of Education: School Effectiveness Report notes that "Creole (Kriol) is spoken as the first language in most homes." Belizean people speak English, Kriol, and often Spanish, while learning the English system of writing and reading in schools.
Working V31-KW DX rules for Good Behavior in pileups.
1. I'm running remote most of the time now days and I don't run FT8, so don't ask.
2. DX can be Fun for all. When trying to work me in pileups, it is not the time to call with a QRP station. With hundreds of people calling, I can tell you that you don't stand a chance and will get frustrated trying, Give the QRP thing a rest and work me with full power in pileups.
3. LISTEN, the pileups will go faster and better for all. If I have worked you once on the same band/mode don't call me if still in a pileup. On CW I use a J38 straight key at 25 WPM, yes I'm old and slow but I will get your call. No Winlink, it is only used by Drug Dealers in this area.
4. If someone starts purposely QRMing the pileup or just keeps calling while I'm making an exchange with another station, (You may not get worked). There is no excuse for intentionally QRMing, It's just childish and sad. I don't have time for that suff and may QRT and QSY and using another mode.
5. PLEASE READ this one more time, No FT8.
6. WARC Bands Users Please read: Under IARU agreement for WARC Bands, which has been codified in the official records states: "Contest activity/ Point Collections shall not take place on the 5, 10, 18 and 24 MHz bands". Many USA stations are violating the spirit of these rules, with all the Special Event Stations, QSO parties, Parks on the Air, or Special Nets, which are just forms of "Point Collections or Contest". Now some United States hams are doing some special events and State QSO parties, POTA, which really are just a form of collection points contacts on the air. I don't care what you call it, QSO party, special event by contacts working for points, is a contest to collect points, that's what the rest of the world thinks. So guys up in the States please think about it. I would never use those bands for Point Collection/ contest when I'm operating my U.S.station. It just makes it harder for us DX stations to use these smaller bands (So think about it, and tell the ARRL, that all of these QSO parties and Special Events on the WARC Bands are sending a bad massage to the rest of the world, about USA Hams).
Break out the Wouff Hong and begin to apply it liberally.
We found that they were setup to use Winlink and were sending encrypted e-mail traffic, apparently in the amateur HF bands
And more below
Below, Others that I could not fly back to the base!
BELOW: Central America bandit country, not safe for the tourists! So put on the bullet proof jacket and you must be ready for the worst (it's not the mud and snakes)!
BDF Airwing BN-2 plane, down in western Belize. It was hauled out by the US Army.
See youtube below
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