Why go to OHØ?
It all started during the spring of 1991 when Jonas, SM5HJZ, started to think about going to Åland, OHØ for a trip taking the radio with him. The emerge of CEPT licensing in Europe started to make it very easy to go to another CEPT country with your ham radio equipment. Jonas, enthusiastic as always started to trig some of his ham fellows. All who know Jonas a bit knows that when he start a project he will always do it to the end and doing it right! The OHØ adventure had started.

The first trip was in early June 1991. The gang consisted of SM5AJV, SMØGNS, SM5HJZ and SMØIHR. We brought a modest amount of gear; IC-735, L4B and some wire antennas for HF. For VHF we brought a IC-275 and a 15 el yagi. Since the cottage we are renting is on the northern part of Åland we always take the ferry line from Grisslehamn to Ekkerö. This trip only takes two hours from SM to OHØ. Imagine being only two hours from a rare DXCC-country!

We didn't really know if OHØ would be a wanted "new one". But we sure found out that it was! Very soon the pile up was pumping in the shack! We all agreed that this was real FUN!

When we arrived back to Stockholm again we started to plan for the next trip. The second trip took place in September 1991. This time the weather wasn't very pleasant. It was real cold and everybody was freezing and longing for that hot summer weather we had earlier that year. Not even the lasagna got warm enough to eat. And the condx were like a black hole. We all agreed that autumn was not very good for going to OHØ.

Bringing tons of gear
After 1991 we have been using a lot more equipment. Almost one rig per operator. SM5HJZ brought a portable telescopic mast together with a 3 el mono-bander for 20. A 5/8 lambda vertical for 7 MHz with a remote controlled tuner was also erected at the beach of the Baltic sea. With much better antennas we were making real huge pile ups!

1998 SM5AJV had more things than ever with him. In total approximately 1000 kg was brought to OHØ this year.

Some of us became tired of doing the logging off-line in dBASE. So we started to use a contest logging program for logging and keying the transmitter. This was new for the most of us, but we found it very useful! Today we won't go on the air without using on-line computer logging. The log program we would use is TRLOG.

The social HAM
Even though we go to OHØ for working radio, the social aspect has grown each year. The last years we have spent much more time discussing and dining. Maybe this has something to do with the low sunspot numbers? Or maybe one gets more social when one gets older? Anyway we think we are combining two of the most interesting aspects of HAM radio; DXpeditioning and socializing with your HAM friends.

Smörgårdsbord on the Åland-ferry. From left SMØEEH, SMØIHR, SMØIEA, SMØHPL and SM5HJZ all enjoying finnish beer and danish snaps. Everyone eager to get to Aland and work some radio.

73 es CU de SM5AJV/Ingo

We have some special pages of the 1998 activity, follow me.

50 MHz
1998 we expand the activity to include 50 MHz. The station was a FT-920 and
5-element Yagi.

Worked squares on 50 MHz

OHØ in the middle
On this map you will find us in the middle...

You can make your own Great Circle Maps, follow this link to web site of SM3GSJ.

Future expeditions
We will most certainly be back. Information will be available on this web site.