Re: Two days in Finnish Lapland - the secret of success

[Mika Makelainen <mtm@xxxxxxxxx>]

This message is sent by Mika Makelainen <mtm@xxxxxxxxx>
to hard-core-dx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

On Wed, 29 Nov 1995, Rocco Cotroneo wrote:

> Thanks to a work tour in Ivalo, Northern Finland over the weekend I could
> experience for the first time in my life the astonishing propagation
> conditions of the region.
> (long list of stations)
> Is all this normal up there??? Anyone in the same region in those days with
> proper receivers and antennas?

Northern Finland is perhaps one of the best DX-locations in the world... 
but only when conditions are good. During a severe magnetic storm the 
band is virtually empty and there is nothing to listen to, because the 
magnetic belt of the Northern hemisphere covers the area. However, when 
conditions are good, it's the opposite - you can hear incredible 
stations. You were lucky to be there exactly when conditions were extremely 
good - top of the season so far.

About 100 kilometers from Ivalo is located the famous Lemmenjoki, Love
River, where DXpeditions have been held regularly since the early 70's. 
At the moment, DXpedition number 87 is going on. Their loggings will later
be published in the Finnish DX magazine "Radiomaailma" and in the bulletin
"DXclusive". In October I participated in "LEM85", a DXpedition which was
held up there from Oct. 21th to Nov. 4th - I was there for the first week
only. When I get our log to a suitable form, I'll try to post it in
hard-core as well. Love River is equipped with 16 beverage antennas, each
about 1000 meters in length. Most of them are directed to various parts of
the Western hemisphere, plus two straight north and two toward Japan. As
the equipment is excellent and the location is great, it's only natural
that Love River has become a Mecca for Finnish DXers and the results of
the annual pilgrimages up there are astonishing... 

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|             Mika Makelainen      |     snail: Keihastie 14 C,               |
|             mtm@xxxxxxxxx        |            FIN-01280 Vantaa, Finland     |
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