The Finnish Amateur Radio League (SRAL) currently has 5000 members.
This number represents more than 95 percent of all Finnish amateur licensees--
the highest percentage member-to-licensee ratio in all of Europe.
SRAL has retained its membership while many other countries have experienced declining numbers.
To this end, the League employs some highly advanced initiatives--
SRAL is quite possibly the only national Amateur Radio society that recruits new members through television commercials.
The organization is professionally run and the Finnish Ministry of Education supports its efforts.
Contesting and DXing are two of the most popular Amateur Radio pursuits in Finland.
Countrywide amateur activities are also organized by the
Contest Club Finland (CCF) and the OH DX Foundation (OHDXF).
Located at 62 degrees North, Finland is considered by some the "KL7 of Europe"--
as it is within the auroral zone at roughly the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska.
Finnish hams seem to believe that by hoisting their antennas higher
and adding more elements they can close the "propagation gap" that exists between them and
the rest of Europe. In Finland, rotatable 140-foot towers are fairly common.
With antennas positioned at lesser heights
it would be very difficult to be competitive under typical conditions.
When the propagation is favorable, however, OHs are right in the thick of things--
fighting for victory. Some of these individuals are not content with leaving their fate to the whims of the local propagation though--
they head south and set up operations in contesting "hot spots" in equatorial regions.
Those who visit Finland may be surprised to see
that the reach of the internationally renowned OH2AQ DX Summit--
the global network of Web-based DX spotting--
has been extended into the horizon of new innovation.
The DX Summit is carried by the Finnish nationwide teletext TV network.
Switch on a TV set anywhere in Finland--in any household--
and you'll enjoy instant access to the latest information from the site
on DXing and Amateur Radio contesting.
Many Finnish hams are exposed to state-of-the-art technology in their employment as well--
as they work for companies that are front-runners in high-tech sectors.
Some of these companies will be providing support for WRTC-2002--
Elektrobit, Nokia and Vaisala for example.
(Nokia, incidentally, currently employs more than 10 percent of the ham population of Finland.)
But ultimately,
the greatest factor that has contributed to
the success of Amateur Radio in Finland is the unity of its ham population.
While OH DXers and contesters compete head-to-head in many events,
the following day they are back around the same table,
sharing what they've learned and planning their next endeavors.
As the hosts for WRTC-2002,
we invite both the competitors and others to come to Finland
and experience firsthand the beauty of our country,
the depth of our culture and the tremendous camaraderie
that has become the hallmark of the WRTC events.
to main About Finland page ...
WRTC - World Radiosport Team Championship in Finland - July 9-16, 2002
© WRTC2002 Org. design: OH1NOA