As Ward,N0AX noticed,EU involvement in contesting is increasing what seems
to be oposite trend to what hams were talking about:internet e.t.c should
detach young guys of ham radio.This EU increase is even more noticable in
the background of catastrophically decreasing JA participants in all sorts
of the contests including AA and JIDX.
I believe that EU numbers are mainly pumped out due to
political/economical improvements in Eastern/Central Europe.I don't believe
that central bodies,like Radio Amateur Societies maybe have done anything
significant in these countries,but devoted groups of amateurs did
.Youngsters are concentrated around strong clubs ,as they are in
Slovenia,Check Republik,Hungary,Russia(RU1A,RW2F,RW9C e.t.c.),Lithuania and
other countries.
The next factor is relatively improving living standard in CEEC and
availability of Japanese /US made ham radio equipment .As you remember
mainly home brew rigs were used here 10 years ago.Even more: due to the
conversion of Russian military industry big variety of impressive ham
antennas are professionally built there and sold at attractive prices.When
You are listening from other side of the pond ,second tier of contestants is
much louder now so giving You chance to work much more those you never
heared before.
It may chnage to the worse within 10 or so years as it happened in US or
Japan,when living standard wll keep growing ,old generation will retire and
just restricted volume of fresh blood will refill ham radio vessel.But
let's be happy like things are going on now!
73 Ted,LY2OX
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