REPORT FROM THE EDXC CONFERENCE IN MANCHESTER On September 9-13, 2016, the European DX Council (EDXC) held its annual Conference in Manchester in England, perfectly organized by the British DX Club, in particularly by the Editor Chrissy Brand, who lives in that area. About 43 DX-ers and spouses from seven countries participated, including these present and former members of the DSWCI: 0093 Kaj Bredahl Jorgensen, 0099 Anker Petersen, 0370 Noel R. Green, ex 0743 Dario Monferini, 0974 Dave Kenny, ex 1280 Alan Roe, ex 2470 Ydun Ritz, 3347 Christian Ghibaudo, 3588 Ray Browell, 3594 Toshi Ohtake, 3658 Heikki Puranen, 3659 Arto Mujunen, the present EDXC Secretary General 3765 Kari Kivekaes and two previous EDXC Secretary Generals Michael Murray and Risto Vaehaekainu. Unfortunately 1365 Tibor Szilagyi and 3667 Alexander Beryozkin had to cancel their attendance. Chrissy Brand opened the Conference at the Castlefield Hotel at 1000 hours on Saturday September 10 with a welcome and greetings from absent DX-ers. Then Kari Kivekaes explained the good situation within the EDXC, also economical. The next EDXC Conference will be held in Finland. Next Finnish Jukka Kotovirta gave a very interesting lecture about FM- DXing during Sporadic E-conditions in the summertime with loggings as far as Xinjiang, China, 4000 kms away. Then Dr. David Clayton from the University of York told about how popular battery radio receivers were for poor Africans living in rural areas and copper towns in Northern Rhodesia in 1948-1953. Next was the station manager of ALL FM, Manchester community radio station, Ed Connole, which started 16 years ago. Their power on FM is 50 watts and they also broadcast on www in various languages. They train volunteer broadcasters, before they are allowed to have live broadcasts. Dr. David Clayton gave a short lecture about connecting the wireless world - writing global radio history project across the borders. A project with three workshops with international specialists which will give a report within three years. After lunch we had an interesting tour to the very new Media City in Salford, where different media companies, including the BBC, have built radio and television studios with the most advanced technology. On Sunday morning Chrissy Brand told about her participation in EBU Radiodays Europe in Paris where specialists mainly discussed new technologies in the age of smartphones and podcasts. She also reported from the International Radio Festival in Milan. After that Italian Dario Monferini gave a long talk about his and DSWCI- 3249 Roberto Pavanello's tour in 2014 to Canada and St. Pierre et Miquelon to visit various radiostations. In Canada they visited Montreal, Halifax and St. John's. Then British DX-er Dan Goldfarb told about his impressive registration of all MW masts in the World using more than 1 kW since the 1920'ies, based upon contacts to thousands of transmitter engineers. They can still be needed as emergency transmitters covering vast areas. Professor Jopi Nyman from Finland then talked about the cultural representations of pirate radio with their crossing borders and making communities, from the first ones on ships in international waters till nowadays pirates broadcasting from secret locations. They are all illegal and challenge dominant practices and regulations. The last lecture was given by Dave Kenny, who most years since 1992 has participated in DXpeditions to the village of Sheigra on the far northwestern Scottish mainland, where long beverage aerials can be set up with excellent results. Jan-Mikael Nurmela and Risto Vaehaekainu from Finland then invited all DX-ers to attend the next EDXC Conference, which will be held in Tampere, Central Finland on 18-20 August 2017. It is two hours by train or bus from Helsinki. In 2017 it is 100 years ago, since Finland got its independence. Furthermore it is 50 years ago, since the regional club Tampereen DX- kuuntelijat as well as the EDXC were founded! On Friday evening there is a welcome in the Finnish way, on Saturday presentations, sightseeing, visits to a Media museum and a radiostation and the traditional banquet. Sunday's programme ends at 1400. After that maybe a 4-5 days sightseeing tour to Nordkapp depending on interest. More information later on the FDXA and EDXC websites. After that there was a guided walking tour of historical Manchester, e.g. the old Liverpool Railway Station, the beautiful old canals, and modern Manchester. In the evening was the traditional EDXC Banquet dinner at the hotel. In addition to eating three dishes, each participant was invited to tell shortly about his/her relations to DX-ing. On Monday there were two simultaneous walking tours to local FM radiostations, Key l03 with 3 operating studios (101 Talk, 102 Oldies and 103 Pop music with 100 employees) and Gaydio. Then the EDXC Conference programme finished with an excursion by coach to Moorside Edge MW transmitter site, a lunch and a stop at Holme Moss FM transmitter site. In total another perfect EDXC Conference! (Anker Petersen-DENMARK, DSWCI DX Window #564; via swb #1860 Oct 9)