How to get temporary HAM license in Kazakhstan

How to get temporary HAM license in Kazakhstan

Background

1) I got my Finnish HAM license in August 2023, but after just a few days, I flew away to Kazakhstan. Naturally, I was very interested in getting the local license.

2) I received an email message from Mats:

Good afternoon, Maxim,

I got interested when I heard you as UN/OH7O/P. Is it possible to work in Kazakhstan with a CEPT license? Or do you need a residence permit in Kazakhstan? I am a citizen of Sweden and Russia; my call signs are SM6*** and RM2** I think you worked from the Almaty region today? I will be in Almaty from Monday to Friday.

73 de Mats

My first wish was to use CEPT license. However, CEPT is not accepted here as far as I understood after quick digging on the internet.

Then, I asked local HAMs. Some replied, “Who cares – just use UN/OH7O, and everything would be fine‘. It was tempting, but I wanted a paper of some sort as protection if somebody starts asking questions particularly because 100% of the time, I work from the field – with very shiny and tall antennas, being very observable, and it all looks very suspicious 🙂 I certainly wanted a paper.

Eventually, via a local HAM contact, I got a contact in the regulator body in Almaty. The lady-boss was on holiday – it was late August – but she was very kind and replied to me on WhatsApp and asked her substitute to help with getting the paper and the temporary call sign UN/OH7O. It was just 24 hours in my case which is super-fast.

If you are interested, contact me over email at oh7cyo@gmail.com, and I will share the contact that arranged the permit for me.

During one of my field visits, a car of a local police drove to me to the field location and we had a funny conversation:
– Is everything OK?

– Yes, you see, I do the radio antenna.

– What for?

– I am a radio amateur and will have connections with other radio amateurs all over the world

After this answer, the conversation faded away 🙂

They asked once again whether everything is OK. I once again confirmed. And they drove away.

Overall, it was rather unusual because I was in a pretty hidden place this time. I doubt that the police was driving by and spotted me. Most likely, somebody reported and they came to check.

Anyway, it was a short and rather friendly conversion with a couple of young policemen.

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