The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
DX Special Bulletin No. 1522.1
BID: $OPDX.1522.1
July 8, 2021
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio)
Written/Sent from Strongsville, Ohio

Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX
Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, the AB5K's AR Clusters
Network, and OH2BH for the following DX information.

 "Celebrating 30 years (March 1991) of FREE DX News"
 "Could this be the last year???" .... Tick

FROM THE DESK OF SRAL, FINLAND
Helsinki, July 08, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [edited]

 THE WEEKEND OF JULY 10/11TH WAS DECLARED A COUNTRYWIDE RADIO CARNIVAL
 IN THE NORTHERLY REPUBLIC OF FINLAND - OF2HQ AND OF0HQ ON THE AIR

 Celebrating many events such as the half time mark of the SRAL centennial
and the start of new relaxed COVID domestic regulations, the entire OH popu-
lation is overjoyed and is taking full advantage of the current tropical
temperatures all over their homeland, with their beautiful lakes and
rivers, now at their best.

 The IARU Radiosport was selected as a main medium to facilitate the
countrywide carnivals. These events will bring an extensive OH presence
on the HF bands for everyone to enjoy.

 The lineup of twelve (12) powerful OH stations is selected to present
you with the best signals on all six bands, both CW and SSB simultaneously,
signing as OF2HQ and OF0HQ (Aland Islands).

 The operators are OG9X, OH1ND, OH1NOA, OH1TM, OH2BH, OH2BU, OH2GEK,
OH2PM, OH2TA, OH5BM, OH5CZ, OH6BG, OH6KZP, OH6MW, OH6NVC, OH6QU, OH6RX,
OH6UM, OH6XX, OH7SV, OH7WV and their New York visitor Adrian, KO8SCA/OH0SCA.

 Their stations are even furnished with four (4) 80m beams although they
do not know what to do with them as sun would never set at their latitudes
at this time of the year. The station host families throughout the country
are in full support in making all this jell.

 The parade will be headed by the jubilee stations OH100SRAL and OH2A
operated by Jorma/OH2KI, Jan/OH1NDA, Ville/OH1JD and Markku/OH4UI and
they are backed up by the Finnish Signal Corps station OI3AX operated
by Marko/OH2LGW and Timo/OH5LLR.

 These four stations: OH100SRAL, OH2A and OI3AX along with OF2HQ count
for SRAL-100 Northern Lights Awards.

 Working the OF2HQ/OF0HQ stations on four (3) bands would qualify you
for a special 4-page SRAL-100 QSL card. In case you work these stations
on more than three bands, the QSL card will have a special bronze, silver
or gold sticker on it.

 We welcome everyone to the SRAL half-away centennial carnival with
appropriate dress code for this occasion. Kindly send us your pictures
and we will feature the best ones at the SRAL website. T-shirts are not
allowed.

 Note that the hunt for the SRAL-100 Northern Lights Award and multi-
pliers continue for another six months and hereby we repeat the rules.

EARN THE HIGHEST RECOGNITION FROM YOUR OH FRIENDS
 Contact just 100 (one hundred) of your OH friends during 2021 and 10
(ten) specially featured Finnish stations, to earn the OH Northern Lights
100-Year Certificate (OH-NL-100) showing a nice featured story and ex-
plaining the magic of the OH-land and the Northern Lights.

 Your 100 contacts should include 50 OH stations and 50 OF stations, a
total of 100. A special OF prefix will be launched to all OH stations
on September 15th, 2021. Your maximum point value can be 100, the number
of your OF/OH contacts.

TEN SPECIAL ACTIVITY MULTIPLIERS
 SRAL and its members are active in a wide range of Amateur Radio activ-
ities and each of the ten multipliers represent some of those activities.
The multiplier stations are: OH100SRAL, OH2A, OH0W, OJ0C, OF2HQ, OH2YOTA,
OG2B, OH6SRAL, OI3AX and OF9X.

 Multiplying your QSO points (maximum 100) by your multiplier value
(max 10) will give you, your score, a maximum of 1000 points. OH Boy!

 All who score 1000 points and the top-ten continental highest scorers
will receive their OH-NL-100 certificate signed by Santa Claus. In addi-
tion, a special lottery will feature special prizes that will be announced
later on.

 Your log extract should be sent to the Santa Claus offices at of9x@sral.fi
during January 2022. The same address will answer all questions that you
might have related to this centennial activity.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THESE TEN MULTIPLIERS?
 OH100SRAL: This is the official SRAL centennial jubilee station which
 is active all year round throughout Finland and is activated
 by SRAL's member societies (120) and special activity groups.

 OH2A: This is the SRAL HQ station in our capital, Helsinki. It is rarely
 active internationally but to honor this special year you can catch
 it occasionally. Surely the letter A is first in the alphabet!

 OI3AX: The Amateur Radio activity in the Finnish Signal Corps (OI prefix)
 has a brilliant history of cooperation with SRAL. Many well-known
 OHs have caught the bug while doing their service for their
 country. OI3AX will represent the country-wide network of 35
 OI-locations.

 OF2HQ: With the country-wide unified SRAL-team it is expected that all
 of Finland will be active in IARU radio sport, during the weekend
 of July 10/11, in one way or another. Mid-summer is the time when
 all OHs smile. OH boy!

 OH0W: Aland Islands is Finland's share in the DXCC program. But also,
 one of the most beautiful archipelagos to visit and enjoy. It is
 home to three HF superstations and the historical battlefield of
 all OH contesters, for they once won the world: CQWW at OH0W 1982.

 OJ0C: Market Reef is a rare one with adventures and challenges right
 on its doorstep. So many from far and near have experienced DXotica
 over the barren rock in the midst of the stormy seas. It is a
 dream for landlubbers not to see anything in the horizon and this
 rock fulfills that dream!

 OH2YOTA: The Finnish youth are the movers and shakers in the YOTA move-
 ment and hosted one of the early ones in Finland. At the core of
 SRAL activities, the theme in Finland is that only youth can com-
 municate with youth. OH Boy! Also, only the youth would know what
 makes them tick!!

 OG2B: The IARU/NCDXF beacon network has been supported by the SRAL and
 its dedicated members for almost 40 years. While OH2B is busy at
 work, the alternative OG2B will be its substitute during this
 centennial jubilee. Surely you have used the IARU/NCDXF network:
 www.ncdxf.org.beacon/

 OH6SRAL: Every Saturday at 3 PM SRAL transmits its radio news to its
 entire membership. OH6 is located in the middle of the country
 and has a long history of such transmissions. The station chief,
 Heikki, OH6ZS has done those transmissions for more than 40 years
 and his dedication to this duty continues.

 OF9X: Old-Father-Nine-Xmas, has excited the little radio operators and
 their families for many years from the land of Christmas. Once
 upon the time Santa Claus was pushed to the North Pole but these
 Santa transmissions from Finland have finally proved that Finland
 is the same as the North Pole.

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SEPARATE PRESS-RELEASE

ALAND ISLANDS -- Following the IARU OF0HQ operations from Aland Islands,
Adrian KO8SCA will remain there for some extra days with Martti, OH2BH,
and activate his new OH0SCA callsign from Brando Islands in Aland Group:
IOTA EU-002. QSL via KO8SCA.