License requirements for visiting Austria

Dear all,

As you all know I only got my full call on Saturday, but I’m due to fly out to Austria very shortly, so haven’t got a lot of time. It’s not clear from the Austrian Amatuer Radio website if they are a CEPT country etc.

Can anyone offer advice as to the requirements for operating in Austria. Do I need a guest license, what paperwork do I need to take as I don’t want to get to customs and have my equipment taken off me etc.

Many thanks

Brian M0OYG

In reply to 2E0OYG:

yes, austria is a CEPT-country … unfortunately the oevsv has the info only in german language on their website:

http://www.oevsv.at/opencms/funkbetrieb/CEPT/
http://www.oevsv.at/opencms/funkbetrieb/CEPT/cept_oe.html

vy73 and hope to hear you soon on the air

martin, www.oe5reo.at

In reply to 2E0OYG:
See: http://www.irts.ie/downloads/tr6101.pdf

In reply to 2E0OYG:

It used to list the countries which had signed up to this particular CEPT agreement in the famous BR68 booklet which accompanied the pre-liftime licences. A quick Google for “Austria CEPT amateur radio” will give you all the links you need!

You’re required to have a paper copy of your licence with you so download your licence from the OLC website and print it out. Also your licence conditions in Austria is the lesser of the Austrian licence and your UK licence. So as you are now have the Full (or whatever it is called today) licence you can run 160W on 70MHz. However, Austrian hams don’t have an allocation on 70MHz which means you can’t use 4m in Austria. Likewise ISTR that Austrian hams can run 750W on some bands but your licence UK limits you to 400W. So the most you can use in Austria is 400W.

Of course if you are just taking a VHF/UHF handy you wont have any problems. Don’t forget the UHF repeater split is -7.6MHz in Austria/Germany.

Andy
MM0FMF

In reply to 2E0OYG:

Brian,

Regarding CEPT license I think everything has been said. You have to stick to Austrian band allocations and power limits, which are listed in the link provided by OE5REO.

Regarding customs you do not have to worry either. Austria is a full member of the EU since 1995. You can bring amateur radio gear whatever you want, but mind the safety regulations for air travellers. It is a good idea to take out any batteries and transport them seperately. I would also carry the vendors documentation with me, to show the inspection staff what you are carring in your luggage. They are notoriously ignorant about amateur radio equipment.

Welcome to Austria!

73 Heinz

In reply to OE5EEP:

Thank you Heinz and all the other stations who have given great advice and information. Just to let you all know. I’m staying in Fuschl and hoping to get up OE/SB-216 Schafberg - 1782m, 6 points during my stay. I will only be taking my Yeasu FT-60 and telescopic antenna. I would love to have taken more, but this is a family holiday so anymore would be a no no. I do however have two more questions.

  1. Like over in the UK do I have any provilages to supervise and non full licensee in Austria as both my wife and son are amateurs but don’t hold a full license?

  2. Are there any local 2m or 70cm repeaters near by Fucshl and if so do they have IRLP Capabilities?

Many thanks for your help

73’s

Brian M0OYG

In reply to M0OYG:

Brian,

  1. I do not understand what you mean with “non full license”. Is this a kind of educational license? We do have a license type with limited access to 70cm for practice purposes, but I doubt that CEPT regulatiosn are applicable to this type of licenses.

  2. I am not into VHF/UHF at all, but this link will lead you to a directory of Austrian repeaters (“Relais” in German): http://www.oevsv.at/export/oevsv/download/relais_neu.pdf

The number in an Austrian call sign identifies the province of the holder, respectively the QTH of a repeater. Fuschl and Schafberg are at the border of Salzburg (OE2) and Upper Austria (OE5). On top of Schafberg you should be able to catch any OE5 or OE2 repeater. The closest ones are OE2XSL, OE5XGL and OE5XFM. I am pretty sure that OE2XSL will be best to try while in Fuschl. This repeater is located on Gaisberg, which is the mountain next to the city of Salzburg with the radio tower on top. You can easily spot Gaisberg from Salzburg Airport. From the arrival building it is straight east, that is looking back accross the run way.

When operating SOTA you could try the following simplex frequencies: 145.275 (local radio club of Vöcklabruck), 145.525 (radio club of Frankenmarkt) or 145.500, which is the informal SOTA frequency. I do not know about the Salzburg radio clubs (different section).

If you need detailed topographic maps you can find them on the web here: http://www.austrianmap.at

I wonder how you want to ascend Schafberg. I did it several years ago (before there was SOTA) from the north side. It is about a 2.5 hour hike. The most comfortable way is to take the railroad from St. Wolfgang. This will take you to about 100m below the summit. Info on the touristic railroad can be found here: Bergluft schnuppern | SchafbergBahn There is an english folder for download.

If the weather is fine I would go there early (whenever they start in the morning). There are long lines if you arrive late during the day. If the weather is anything else but fine I would not go at all.

73 Heinz

In reply to 2E0OYG:

Hi Brian!

Nice to hear, that you will visit Austria and activate Schafberg soon. Let me know, when you will come to Austria? You can see my Schaftberg-activation last year on this Youtube-url http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwu89oBsHVI

Watch it and enjoy it! :wink:

73 de Chris OE5HCE
http://www.oe5hce.at.tt

In reply to 2E0OYG:

Brian

I hope that you enjoy operating in OE. I did a couple of SOTA summits in OE on a family holiday a couple of years ago. It was great fun. I had no problem with Customs either way. My radio gear was in the suitcase.

73

Richard
G3CWI