WRTC 2002

Emily Thiel
P.O.Box 614
Oranjestad
ARUBA
p43e @ hotmail.com

YLRL member
10-X# 69821
FISTS# 5055
CC# 1649, silv# 415

WRTC 2002

WRTC 2002, HELSINKI, FINLAND

HIMOS CAMP

WED-FRI, Jul. 10-12. After a 3½ hours bus ride, we arrive in town of Jämsä where Himos Camp is located. A ski resort in wintertime, but this year a ham radio mecca, as SRAL, CCF and WRTC 2002 meet. Everywhere around camp, antennas are found, including a guest station with the official WRTC beam. Always, a busy hang out and very popular with the competitors who were checking out the propagation from this latitude.

Saunas are deeply rooted in the Finns, and every morning the smoke sauna is being prepared for 6 hours before it can be used. To anyone whom has never seen this before, the smoke saunas cabins, look like a house on fire, as even the doors and windows are smoking.

Day and night (if you could actually distinguish night!) there would be big conglomeration of people in front of the restaurant plaza. If empty, there was probably some event in the big tent.

Walking around camp; there was definitely people from all around the globe. The tents, caravans and cottages, often had flags identifying the residents' country.

Shared a cottage with the Finnish YLs from OH2YLS. Thanks for the hospitality. Great location: close to the lake, the big tent, and the Hotelli Plaza.

WRTC STATION VISIT: ZS- TEAM @ OH2BAD

SAT, Jul. 13: Bernie and Chris doing a last minute check of rig. The photos however, almost costed me the film. (African hunters!) Picked blueberries and some strawberries too.

OI2HQ

SUN, Jul. 14. Worked at OI2HQ for a little bit on Sunday. 24-elements on 20m :)

HELSINKI

MON, Jul 15. Helsinki city tour in the morning.

The anticipated event was the award dinner at Kipplan restaurant in downtown Helsinki, which can only be reached by boat. After reading the live score updates, everybody wanted to know the final results.

Back at Hesperia after dinner. WRTC is over: it's either back home, or the optional tours...

ÅLAND ISLANDS

TUE, Jul 16: OH2BH (Marti) become our personal tour guide for the first day of the Åland Islands. Took the ferry from mainland Kustavi - Åvo - Brändö island. We were greeted by OH1RY (Pekka), and after a lunch at the Gullivan, the group was allowed to operate 4 hours @ OH0B. Overnighted on Kumlinge island.

WED, Jul 17: Visit to OH0AZ and OH0Z stations. We are welcomed by Harry (OH0AZZ), Lars (OH0RJ), and OH0JKB. Lunch at the Soltuna restaurant, and where the towers from OH0V can be bumped into.