An IOTA Hotspot, V31MD Ham Shack is located on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America in the constitutional monarchy of Belize.

In addition to being the perfect retreat for the DXpedition team who seek a unique Caribbean experience, the location is also a perfect retreat for nature lovers and an ideal place to unwind while enjoying your favorite hobby.  Temperatures are warm and balmy all year-round too!

The Belize Barrier Reef, over 1000 offshore Cayes (islands), white sandy beaches, excellent fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling, numerous rivers for rafting, and kayaking, various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, hiking opportunities, bird watching, and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya ruins make this a very attractive DXstination indeed!

V31MD Ham Shack is adjacent to Palmetto Place Guesthouse on the Placencia Lagoon with magnificent views of the Mayan mountains and terrific yagi take offs across the ocean.

At the guest house, the great room is divided into living, dining, and kitchen areas with plenty of space to kick back after a day on the mic…

An entertainment cabinet located in the northwest corner of the living area includes TV, VCR, DVD and stereo.  DSL is available for guest use, too.

The kitchen has a full complement of cookware, cooking utensil, dishes, and flatware to create some delicious shack snacks.  Kitchen appliances include a refrigerator, microwave, toaster, coffee maker and gas range.

The dining room comfortably seats four people although additional place settings and chairs are available if needed.

The shack itself is a comfortable, stand-alone building only 100m away with three large screened windows, ceiling fan, ergonomic operating table and comfortable chair.  There is also a full-size couch to relax on or entertain visiting radio friends.

All radio equipment (pictured above right) is already set up and ready to go as soon as you arrive.

If you rent the shack for a week or more the you will perhaps have time to plan other trips such as jungle tours, diving or snorkelling, explore the Mayan ruins, and more!

More Infos:

• DXCC: Belize 
• Continent: North America (NA)
• 11m Division: 218
• RSGB IOTA Reference: NA-073
• Shack Name: V31MD Ham Shack, Palmetto Place Guesthouse
• Rates: The Shack rents for $350 USD/week and only to guests at Palmetto Place.  There is a minimum of 1 week rental during contests.: 
• Contact Email & Address: To book the Shack, contact Bob Fox at bob@wishwilly.net
• Website: TBA

Station:

Kenwood TS850S with narrow SSB and CW filters in the 8 MHz and 455 KHz IF’s, Ameritron ALS600 watt amplifier, RS232 computer output for your laptop, Kenwood TS690 dedicated to the 6 meter band and also as a back-up transceiver, DSL is available in shack.   Back-up battery and generator available if needed.   There is also a 5 band Lightning Bolt cubical quad on a 10m tower.

Getting There:

Given its proximity to North and South America as well as the Caribbean, getting to Belize is easy.  Several major airlines have daily direct flights from US and Central American gateways, all coordinated with European connections.

There is no direct flight from Mexico, but flights to Cancun with a 6 hour bus trip to the Belize Northern Border.  Driving through Mexico provides a two country vacation in one!

Belize is a popular itinerary stop for all major cruise lines and there are scheduled ferries from Guatemala and Honduras.