International Longwave Meeting, Summer 2005 in Sweden
(incl. World Heritage Grimeton Radio)?
Page updated:
07-sep-2004 10:14 +0200
Hello, longwave (ELF, VLF, LF) people!
Summary:
Do you want to take part in an international "longwave meeting"? I have been
told that the most recent one was in York, UK, in 1992.
Earlier this year, VLF radio station SAQ in Grimeton was put on the Unesco
World Heritage List.
The meeting would combine present ELF, VLF and LF issues with a visit to SAQ.
Given sufficient interest, the venue will be on the west coast of Sweden, in
the town of Varberg, from around Thursday June 30 to Saturday July 2, 2005.
The time period should be regarded as fixed.
To go further, we need your advice. Are you interested? If so, please go along
and read the rest of my message.
Details:
I take this opportunity by email and through websites to query your possible
interest to take part in a "Nordic longwave meeting" on ELF, VLF and LF
communication and navigation systems (whistlers and other natural phenomena
covered by other events). Given sufficient interest, the venue will be on the
west coast of Sweden, in the town of Varberg and nearby Grimeton, from around
Thursday June 30 to Saturday July 2, 2005. There is a reason for these dates
and the time period should be regarded as fixed, provided we get sufficient
interest to launch such a seminar, symposium, or fullfledged conference.
A few weeks ago, the Nordic Radio Society Foundation (NRS) had its 7th "Nordic Shortwave Conference" HF04 on the exotic island of Fårö in the Baltic. HF04
comprises VLF issues, albeit the majority is related to HF. 160 participants
attended and I devoted my HF04 opening speech to radio station SAQ in Grimeton
that had been added, on July 2 this year, to the Unesco World Heritage List:
"an exceptionally well preserved monument to early wireless transatlantic
communication. It consists of the transmitter equipment (i. e. the
Alexanderson alternator), including the aerial system of six 127-m high steel
towers. Though no longer in regular use, the equipment has been maintained in
operating condition. The site is an outstanding example of the development of
telecommunications and is the only surviving example of a major transmitting
station based on pre-electronic technology".
That HF04 opening night, I got congratulations for our world heritage success
and people said "now we must go to Grimeton". All of a sudden, it came to my
mind that we ought to organise an international "longwave meeting" in Varberg
so as to combine present ELF, VLF and LF issues with a visit to nearby vintage SAQ. I got immediate support from industry, operators and various agencies. As
a matter of fact, I was told that the most recent VLF meeting had been in
York, UK, in 1992.
I promised to look into the matter and I have
done that:
Varberg is a "Summer Town" and a perfect venue
with all facilities within short walking distance (hotels, youth hostel,
campus lecture halls, railway station, Denmark ferry terminal, parking lots,
old castle and swimming of all sorts, cafés etc etc).
SAQ was inaugurated on July 2, 1925 by King Gustaf V. The new reception
building will be inaugurated on July 2, 2005, celebrating 80 years of SAQ
operation. Then, we hope a royalty will start the alternator to transmit a
"royal message". This will be the perfect final activity of the "2005 Grimeton
longwave meeting". Thus, the dates are fixed and we have already made a
preliminary reservation of hotel rooms. So, please mark the dates in your calender - now.
So, everything sounds fine, doesn't it? Well, we have all things under control
except money. We doubt that we can find sponsors to cover an anticipated full
conference loss. Do we keep the ambition low (=seminar)? Will we get a lot
participants (=conference)? We know that we have to keep the fee reasonably
normal and we hope to offer lower rates for university people.
Therefore, I kindly ask you to tell us if you would be interested in taking
part in a "2005 Grimeton longwave meeting". All answers are without
obligations, but we need them in order to help us decide if we should go on
and, if so, the ambition. A first invitation and call for papers could be sent
out in November, 2004.
All views are welcome. Please submit yours by email to the HF04 administrative
secretary,
Ms Winnie Svensson at AerotechTelub, email <winnie.svensson@aerotechtelub.se>,
fax +46 470 42042.
For SAQ articles in English see
http://hem.passagen.se/sk0mt (0 is a zero, SKØMT is the call sign of our
local amateur radio club, click TSA logo to proceed, look for Grimeton 2/3
down in the left column).
Well, will we meet in Varberg in June/July 2005? The answer will depend on
you.
Thanks for your cooperation,
Carl
-----------------------
Carl-Henrik Walde, HF04 chairman
Secretary of the Swedish National Committee of URSI (Union Radio-Scientifique
Internationale)
