Hi Igor,
Thank you for the input. Very kind of you to help out. I appreciate it.
You say "What prevents you from organization this pre-qualification runs.?"
When I started in ham radio 1973 we were something like 8000-9000 SM hams.
The activity level was very high. A club in every town, 4-5 ham radio firms
selling a lot. It was booming. Three manufacturers of towers and antennas.
Today it is a complete other story. The number of active hams in Scandinavia
has rapidly decreased. Both with respect to active DX-ers and to contesters.
We have about 10 000 hams in SM but the average age has rapidly passed over
60 years. Judging from DX meetings, club logs for DX-peditions and ham radio
sales I estimate number of active DX-ers+contesters in SM to a maximum of
100 - 150 persons. Radio clubs are closing down to mostly in activity but
also to problems having permit to raise antennas. The sales of ham radio
equipment has dropped about 50-70 %. In latest CQ WPX we were 5 SM in SOAB
HP (place 20, 57, 86, 106 and 124) out of 50 SM hams. More participated in
CQ WW about 100 SM but only about < 30 with number of QSO:s > 500 QSO:s. So
how many would be regarded as real active contesters in SM? I would say
15-17 persons. That is the fact. In my judgement.
After our top SM contesters (two that now have qualified for WRTC) I judge
that we have perhaps one more in the top elite class capable of today
qualifying based on the last year's results from the major contests. And
perhaps potentially 1-2 more but they do not have the station capabilities
(some run from apartments with wire antennas and 300 W but do it extremely
well) to compete as I see it. Then there is a huge gap to the rest of casual
contesters. It looks to me the same in OH-land.
So to this pre-qualification run set-up it would be a tough challenge. Still
I have not ruled it out. If I get a mate to share the investment in time I
will make a try. And I remember your helping hand. Perhaps next WRTC period
more SM hams will re-evaluate and put a higher gear into high level of
contesting. Like myself (?!)I guess this is evolution :)
How does it look in Russia? You seem more active. I participate sometimes in
the Wednesday mini contest and I find it exciting. Lots of UA-hams.
73s Kari SM0HRP
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