European Radio Amateurs' Organization

“Another trip to the amateur radio gathering in Friedrichsafen - another chapter in the history of amateur radio has been written!”

This gathering was special once again, as we returned with a completely new team and, once more, with specific goals.

The RadioȘtiința Association/EURAO team consisted of the children, YO9LMP, Călin, and YO9RYI, Rareș, and on the adult side, we were represented by two amateur radio operators: YO9AJM, Cristi, (who had just received his license), and YO9RIJ, Petrică!

This edition was different because we brought new elements; this year, we chose a different theme, which allowed us to showcase the activities we’ve carried out with the children in the school radio clubs we’ve established over the past two years within YO. We had the entire presentation booth set up ready for visitors by Thursday evening. We displayed a large number of photos showcasing various aspects of our activities. The organizational aspect went as expected because we had been preparing for this event since June 2025, when we decided to return to the Friedrichshafen Messe in 2026.

We set up the European Radio Amateurs' Organization (EURAO) booth to introduce our organization to the public and showcase our progress from year to year. The presentation of this global organization focused on informing visitors about its full and equal membership in the ITU, on par with other organizations, and the opportunities it offers to its affiliated members. In short, visitors were pleased to see and understood that there is a new global organization that can help them make their voices heard at United Nations (UN)/ITU forums for the development of amateur radio worldwide.

The presentation materials we prepared provided a comprehensive and highly appreciated overview of the wide scope and diverse fields of amateur radio activities within the STEAM projects carried out by the RadioȘtiința/EURAO Association.

Visitors appreciated the ingenious way in which we manage to integrate amateur radio with STEAM activities and the results we achieve year after year. We made an impression -though that was not our goal- with the large number of children whom the RadioȘtiința/EURAO Association helps become licensed amateur radio operators, as well as the collaboration programs between school radio clubs that we are developing. This was an appreciated good practice to see by others. On this topic, we gave interviews to amateur radio operators from the Dover Amateur Radio Club, AATiS, HAMLog, etc., who visited our booth and we had the opportunity to show up about some of our activities.

We discussed this at length as I sought to explain that amateur radio is not limited to contesting -which is just one small aspect among the dozens of benefits that the hobby of amateur radio fosters in a child- and that a change must take place if we wish to preserve amateur radio as the multifaceted hobby it was when it first began many years ago! I also presented the EURAO proposal regarding the implementation of specific activities in school radio clubs, which we had developed in 2024 under the motto: “Fewer contests and more amateur radio activities in schools…”! This concept caught on and materialized in our participation in the 2026 School Radio Clubs Day on the Air.

Later, I had a long and interesting discussion with Oliver Amend, DG6BCE, vice president of ARISS-Europe, with whom I discussed the expansion of space programs in Romania, satellites, ESA, etc., and at the end, he proposed that we join the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program in 2027.

This year, EURAO hosted the YO radioamateurs' meeting. Throughout the event, we had a steady stream of visitors at our booth, and we were honored to have visits and praise from many radio amateurs. We received many proposals too, for collaboration youths event, so in the future we’ll have to talk at length about the wonderful surprises we’re preparing for hams.

In closing, I can say that EURAO was once again honored to host, at the request of the radio amateurs, the “group photo” of the YO radio amateurs present at the event!

For the children and beginner radio amateurs who participated in this event, it was a perfect lesson on what the hobby of amateur radio is all about. They had gain wonderful memories and extraordinary friends. From my perspective, it was a very successful event.

A big thank you to all the radio hams who visited EURAO exhibition booth.

73! from YO9RIJ Petrică
President of EURAO