HF Adventure in Sweden: Strömsund Edition
Portable HF operations from Strömsund, Sweden, logging 33 QSOs on FT8 and FT4 under clear summer skies. A rewarding stop on my Scandinavian radio adventure.
🏕️ Portable Radio Ops in Jämtland County
As part of my ongoing Scandinavian portable radio tour, I made a stop in Strömsund, a quiet town in Sweden’s Jämtland County. Known for its forests and lakes, it offered an ideal setting for another round of HF digital operations with my trusty TX-500 and HF-P1 ground stand.
📡 Setup & Conditions
I picked a remote, interference-free location near a lakeside clearing at grid square JP63jo. The weather was excellent — 22°C, clear skies, and a light breeze — much milder than my previous Arctic sessions.
Propagation was relatively stable despite elevated geomagnetic activity in recent days. 20 meters remained the most reliable band for mid-range contacts, while 10 meters opened briefly late in the day.
🎙️ Working the Bands
I concentrated mainly on FT8 and FT4 across 20 meters, logging 32 contacts with stations across Europe. Most QSOs came from Germany, Russia, and the Netherlands, with additional stations from Lithuania, Denmark, Belgium, England, Sweden, Hungary, and others.
A late afternoon opening on 10 meters netted me a single contact into Belgium — a welcome surprise given the band’s erratic behavior lately.
Contact Highlights:
- 32 total QSOs on 20m
- 1 QSO on 10m
- Mix of FT8 and FT4 modes
- Good mid-range propagation into Central and Eastern Europe
📊 Session Summary
| 📍 Location | 📶 Bands | 🎙️ Modes | 📝 QSOs | 🌦️ Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strömsund, Sweden | 20m, 10m | FT8, FT4 | 33 | 22°C |
📌 Reflections
Strömsund turned out to be a fantastic spot for portable HF ops — calm, remote, and with steady 20-meter propagation throughout the day. The good ground conditions and mild weather made operating effortless, and the brief 10-meter opening added a nice bonus to the log.
As I continue my journey through Scandinavia, each location offers new propagation conditions, scenery, and contacts. Strömsund delivered a memorable operating day, and I’m looking forward to what the next stop on this portable HF tour brings.
