On Saturday, the mine area by Trälhavet was visited by TSA and SSA — Täby’s Radio Amateurs and the Swedish Radio Amateurs, Region 0 (Stockholm). The Ytterby Mine Association organised a guided tour of the mine, as well as talks on both the mine’s earlier history, presented by guide Maria Johansson, and a more in-depth account of the mine’s role during the Cold War, presented by Tommy Wahlund. The Chairman of the Ytterby Mine Association, Sven-Olof Kviman, was also on site to speak about the Association’s work and its efforts to increase interest in the mine and further develop the mine area, while Per Troein was responsible for the planning and preparatory work at the site.

When representatives of the Ytterby Mine Association arrived at 10:30 in the morning, Täby’s Radio Amateurs were already on site. In the days beforehand, Chairman Claes Carneheim and Vice Chairman Gunnar Törnqvist had carried out extensive brush clearing and grass cutting across the entire area. The staircase leading down from Isterbergsvägen had been thoroughly cleared and is now in much better condition. The whole area facing Trälhavet had been mown and cleared of undergrowth. The Ytterby Mine Association would like to thank Täby’s Radio Amateurs for this work.

An antenna wire had been strung up 30 metres high in the top of a spruce tree and arched out to a vertical whip antenna set up on the jetty outside the old mine entrance from the 1950s. The radio amateurs tried to convince the representatives of Ytterby Mine that they had climbed the tree, but after much back and forth it turned out that the wire had been “shot up with a bow and arrow.”

At 11:00, around thirty radio amateurs were on site. They were able to enter the mine, listen to talks, and later organised sausage grilling, coffee brewing, and radio activities. Gunnar Törnqvist explained that the area below Isterberget, facing Trälhavet, is unusually free from interference and is therefore highly favourable for amateur radio.

Later in the day, at 13:00, a further guided tour of the mine was arranged for both long-standing and new members of the Ytterby Mine Association. Members arrived in a steady stream, and the unusual antennas on site attracted great interest among the Association’s members.

Täby’s Radio Amateurs and the Stockholm branch of the Swedish Radio Amateurs showed great interest in the work of the Ytterby Mine Association, as well as in the mine’s earlier history, the chemical discoveries, and its more recent history during the Cold War.

The Ytterby Mine Association would like to thank Täby’s Radio Amateurs for the initiative behind a successful day in the archipelago. Special thanks to Chairman Claes Carneheim for this initiative, as well as to Gunnar Törnqvist, Sven-Erik Thor, Dag Florén, and Ann Lundell, who all contributed to making the event possible.

Combining the interests of different associations and co-organising activities in this way is a wonderful opportunity to share knowledge and enthusiasm for our various events and activities. The Ytterby Mine Association looks forward to continued cooperation with TSA/SSA and other associations.