Operation Cuba Libre : Countering the Communist Jamming

Announcing operation Cuba Libre!
As the Cuban Government continues to block radio communication between amateurs, notably on 40 meters, I propose that all licensed amateurs engage in an AM ragchew on 40 meters between 7.205 and 7.295, using AM phone, Transmissions shall be ideally on multiples of 5kHz, with due care to avoid intentional interference with other stations. The ARRL recommended AM calling frequency is 7.290, but the idea is to get ragchews going across the upper part of 40 meters to allow Cubans who may not have anything but low-tech AM receivers to listen to amateur transmissions on the broadcast section of 40 meters.
Call “CQ Cuba Libre” and once you have a contact with another station, the two stations should discuss what each station knows about current events in Cuba, the state of the jamming effort as heard at your location, and other relevant information on current events, demonstrations, etc. This avoids violating the FCC rule against broadcasting while at the same time allowing the Cuban people listening information about current events in Cuba. Repeats by a receiving station of the reports sent by another serve to ensure that the reports are being transmitted accurately. They will also serve to maximize the ability of Cuban listeners to hear the information. Take your time and speak slowly and distinctly.
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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at brushbeater@tutanota.com or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

18 Comments

  1. BelieverPatriot July 22, 2021 at 12:45

    Brilliant!
    How ’bout 0800 EST.

    • Historian July 22, 2021 at 18:54

      Go for it!
      After about 9 pm Eastern Time, the broadcast stations at 7.285 and 7.295 get pretty obnoxious; there is another at about 7220 IIRC that gets pretty loud. By 8 AM the band should be more or less short, and anyone within about 800 to 1000 miles should be clearly audible in Cuba. If you can get a ragchew going with stations in NFl, GA, or the Carolinas that have good strong signals, you are set. The D layer starts to peak from 11 to ~2 pm, but I would bet that US ragchewers in the SE would be clearly heard in Cuba.
      If you habla, you are perfectly free to use Spanish for the chat, as long as you ID as required in Anglais. Cuba Libre!

  2. Anonymous July 22, 2021 at 12:46

    5

  3. BigRobbieRob July 22, 2021 at 13:56

    What is the FCC rule against broadcasting that you mentioned?

    • NC Scout July 22, 2021 at 14:28

      You can’t broadcast, ie, simply talk for a commercial purpose or any other reason aside from 2 way communication.

    • wwes July 22, 2021 at 14:42

      This is straight from the FFC regulations:
      §97.113 Prohibited transmissions.
      (b) An amateur station shall not engage in any form of broadcasting, nor may an amateur station transmit one-way communications except as specifically provided in these rules; nor shall an amateur station engage in any activity related to program production or news gathering for broadcasting purposes, except that communications directly related to the immediate safety of human life or the protection of property may be provided by amateur stations to broadcasters for dissemination to the public where no other means of communication is reasonably available before or at the time of the event.
      Also:
      §97.117 International communications.
      Transmissions to a different country, where permitted, shall be limited to communications incidental to the purposes of the amateur service and to remarks of a personal character.

      • Historian July 22, 2021 at 20:45

        Correct.
        US amateurs, however, can talk about current events anywhere in the world, discussing what is happening in Cuba, talk about how a SWL can better receive signals without using an obvious antenna, I.e. how to build a stealth antenna, and many other perfectly lawful topics of discussion that the Cuban people are undoubtedly interested in. If we do it on AM, on the upper part of 40- where there are already shortwave broadcast stations, where Cuban amateurs are not allowed, then folks in Cuba can easily hear us.

        • wwes July 22, 2021 at 20:53

          Thanks for clarifying that- that is the way that I understood it, but you are much, much more knowledgeable on radio and comms than I am, so I am glad that you confirmed my understanding of the FCC regulations.

          • Historian July 22, 2021 at 20:58

            As a rule most amateurs do not get into politics on the air. That is tradition, not law, and for this I will bend tradition and do what little I can to help the Cuban people. Letting them know what is going on is important, and letting them know how to learn more likewise. Maybe most important is letting the Cuban people know that they are not alone, that the eyes and ears of the world are looking and listening for them.

          • wwes July 22, 2021 at 21:24

            Agreed, it’s a matter of bending tradition to help a group of people who can use all of the help they can get
            I am just a technician, so I stick with 2m bands, but avoid political talk on air. We had a local repeater that pretty much lost all of the traffic on it for a while when some guy was hanging out on there ranting about Trump to anyone who would listen last year.

  4. Counter Revolutionary July 23, 2021 at 10:17

    The chair is against the wall, John has a long mustache.

  5. […] Contra Episode 63: Operation Cuba Libre is on the air actively battling the efforts of the Cuban Government to continue…. I discuss HF radio selection and why improvised wire antennas are actually the most important […]

  6. […] Operation Cuba Libre is still underway. First hand reports from our radio operators are indicating that their stations are being jammed, individually, shortly after beginning their transmissions. The Cuban government is actively trying to circumvent our effort as are working with the Russian and Chinese governments to hit this site with a series of attacks. We’re still standing, as we always will, in the fight for freedom. -NCS […]

  7. […] Contra Episode 63: Operation Cuba Libre is on the air actively battling the efforts of the Cuban Government to continue…. I discuss HF radio selection and why improvised wire antennas are actually the most important […]

  8. […] American Partisan started Operation Cuba Libre to counter “Cuban Rum Runner” (the ham radio world’s name to describe the jamming.) […]

  9. […] American Partisan started Operation Cuba Libre to counter “Cuban Rum Runner” (the ham radio world’s name to describe the jamming.) […]

  10. […] American Partisan started Operation Cuba Libre to counter “Cuban Rum Runner” (the ham radio world’s name to describe the jamming.) […]

  11. […] American Partisan started Operation Cuba Libre to counter “Cuban Rum Runner” (the ham radio world’s name to describe the jamming.) […]

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