Mika Mäkeläinen and Chrissy Brand talk with Liu Hengyi in China via FaceTime (Photo FDXA)
The EDXC 2017 conference was a smoothly run affair, with plenty of informative sessions and a busy social programme. I enjoyed the talk on space weather given by Dr Kirsti Kauristie of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. She explored how the ionosphere and other layers impact on distant radio reception. She also spoke about the approaching solar minimum. A visit to, and presentation about, local AM and FM low-powered station Pispalan Radio was of great interest.
The traditional EDXC Banquet was an entertaining affair, thanks to the excellent compere and DXer Vesa-Jussi Rinkinen. The conference incorporated the annual Finnish DX Association summer meeting and various awards were given out for international services to DXing. I particularly enjoyed another aspect of the social programme; a swim in a lake, followed by a sauna and lakeside part. It was lovely to meet some fellow DXers, male and female, and to talk of all manner of things besides radio.
More reports in November's RadioUser magazine but, before then, you can read reports at the British DX Club website and the Finnish DX Association (FDXA /SDXL) plus the EDXC blog.
