I’ll be writing more about Dayton 2019 in the days ahead, but I thought I’d post this quickly. Above are the ICQPodcast presenters that made it to Dayton this year. I hope that you can tell from the photo what a great group of hams these guys are and what fun we had meeting one another.
Hamfests
The Hamvention hasn’t even started yet, and I’m already having a blast
I drove down to Dayton (actually Xenia) this morning and arrived just before 1 pm. I immediately went to get my vendor credential,and while they weren’t waiting for me, the friendly Hamvention staff jumped right on it.
Instead of just standing there, I decided to check on the condition of my classroom. Last year, it was in terrible condition. I had to drag a vacuum cleaner over there and clean it myself. This year, I was incredibly happy to find it in great shape.
What that let me do is to wander around, talking to people I know. Over the next three hours, I talked to:
- George, KJ6VU, and Jeremy, KF7IJZ, from the Ham Radio Workbench podcast.
- Jason, KC5HWB, of Ham Radio 2.0.
- Russ, K5TUX; Cheryl, W5MOO; and Bill, NE4RD of Linux in the Ham Shack.
- KB3IFH, who prints my QSL cards and Jeff, K1NSS, who designs custom QSLs and my book covers.
- Tom, W8TAM, and Julie, K8VOX, who are Parks on the Air stars.
It was a total blast, and Hamvention hasn’t even started yet!
I’m now sitting in the living room of an AirBNB with Frank, K4FMH, and Bill, N3JIX, who are fellow presenters on the ICQPodcsat. The British contingent, consisting of Martin, M1MRB/W9ICQ; Colin, M6BOY; Chris, M0TCH; Edmund, M0SGL; and Ed,DD5LP are due to arrive shortly. I can only imagine how much fun we’ll have when they get here.
From the trade magazines: Bandwidth explained, Silicon Valley flea market, twisted-pair characteristic impedance
What’s that signal’s bandwith?
Engineers will ask the question “how much bandwidth do I need for that signal?” Typically, the question relates to making sure that the signal can propagate through a component or system and come out the other end without any degradation…….Read more
What’s all this e-flea stuff, anyway?
Several ham radio clubs put on an electronics flea market in Silicon Valley during the summer months. They shut down from October to February, since Californians think 60°F is unbearably cold. My buddy Dave Ruigh calls it the eFlea, and that name has stuck with our pals. Last year, the eFlea was held on the second Saturday of the month at the Fry’s Electronics parking lot in Sunnyvale……Read more
Characteristic impedance, or not
Nixon didn’t like something he was being told so he got rid of the messengers. Something like that happened to me at a would-be client.
I was asked to certify that a particular twisted-pair cable would exhibit a particular characteristic impedance. There were two wires inside of a braided shield and in examining the cable, I could feel the two wires through the braid. The wires were not dimensionally consistent along the cable’s length. Instead they were kinky, gnarled, and whatever other adjectives you might care to apply………Read more
Great Lakes HamCon cancelled
Over the weekend, an email was sent out by the HamCon organizers:
Great Lakes HamCon 2.0 scheduled to occur this October at Michigan International Speedway has been cancelled. Failure to come to a final agreement for the use of the speedway led to the difficult decision to cancel the event. With just two months remaining, the issues caused by the lack of agreement are insurmountable.
Refunds for event tickets purchased will be made. Purchases made via PayPal will be mad through PayPal. Arrangements for refunds for cash purchases are being formulated and will be announced soon.
The support of our affiliated amateur radio clubs and their members was very much appreciated. We share your disappointment that this year’s event cannot be held. Thank you for your understanding.
This is a shame, but I’m not surprised. Last year’s event really wasn’t a success, not matter how much we all wished it to be. There were a lot of rationalizations. “It wasn’t too bad for the first year” and “The vendors that did attend sold a lot of stuff” were the two that I heard the most often.
The reality is that it was a big disappointment. Attendance was poor, none of the big amateur radio companies showed up, and there were fewer vendors in the flea market than at some local hamfests.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the way that the finances were handled. Our club here in Ann Arbor, MI was cajoled into donating $500 in seed money for the first HamCon. Dinesh, AB3DC, our club president said, “They asked us for $250 and never for more. But we wanted the event to be a success and the Board decided to give them $500 instead. I believe a lot of other Clubs did the same.” Part of the spiel was that we would share in whatever profits HamCon generated.
We never did hear from the HamCon organizers after the first event. We were never shown any financial statements for HamCon 1 or any projections for HamCon 2. The shame is that $500 could have been put to much better use.
To be fair, putting these things on is a LOT of work. I think that the HamCon committee just underestimated the amount of work involved. It was a great idea, though.
You only see old guys at hamfests because they’re designed for old guys
Tom, KB5RF, forwarded an email from SOTAbeams that included the following comments from Richard, G3CWI, the company’s CEO:
Radio Rallies: a few thoughts
There is no doubt in my mind that here in the UK the people attending radio rallies (hamfests) are getting older but looking around at some of these events, there is probably little to attract a younger age group. Most of what newer hams want can be bought online and tables loaded with ancient gear priced well above what a new HT costs, are clearly not appealing. If you attend many rallies you see the same (old) traders with the same old radios time after time so they don’t sell much.
[…]
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom as attendees at rallies are not representative of the whole amateur radio population, but it would be a shame if they died out.
I had a similar thought recently—at a hamfest no less. The guy at the next table and I got to talking about how you mainly see old guys at these events anymore. (Indeed, he and I are both in our 60s.) It hit me then that you only see old guys at these events because they’re geared to old guys. As G3CWI points out, when the tables are loaded with ancient gear that cost well above what an HT costs, there’s little to attract a younger group.
I’m not sure what the answer is. I’m not even sure that there’s anything that can be done. Recently, a club here in the Detroit area tried opening later (10 am vs. 8 am) and closing later, thinking that might help attract more hams. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to work. Mostly everyone, including me left by 12:30 pm or so.
It would be a shame if hamfests die out completely. I hope that someone figures out the magic formula soon.
WB8TKL on Dayton 2018
Jay, WB8TKL, has been attending the Dayton Hamvention for nearly 40 years. He’s pretty much seen it all. I’ve asked him if I could post the comments he made about the conditions at this year’s Hamvention on our club mailing list, and he graciously agreed to allow me to do so. Thanks, Jay!
Dan
The paving of roads through the Hamvention flea market area was a HUGE improvement!!! Vehicles moving in to set up DID NOT create large gouges in the grass, creating pools of mud and water, as they had done last year. In a few places between the road surface and the front of *some* display tables had *some* mud, but nothing any reasonable person wouldn’t expect in any flea market after significant rain and foot traffic. Doing so would be like complaining that we have RAIN on this planet (grin).
[Unfortunately, for me, it rained most of the day on Friday, and because I was teaching on Saturday, that really cut into my flea market time….Dan]
The approach into the Raspberry-Pi tent became muddy on Friday, but was quickly covered with wood chips and a rubber mat, and the surrounding area covered with a heavy layer of straw. DARA took quick action in such conditions.
Since we had cooler temperatures in the overcast on Friday and Saturday, the tents remained comfortable. The tents last year had low ceilings but this year the tents were structurally improved, stronger, and had a ceiling roughly 10 feet higher than last year. Larry Camp WB8R who spent his entire time inside one of these tents was VERY satisfied with the improvements that had been made.
Those that had been attending Hara Arena in the past may have noticed that large sections of the arena did NOT have air conditioning in the last dozen years, yet we lived despite the sometime hot and muggy conditions. I am confident that we will survive similar conditions at Greene County Fairgrounds. We ARE a tough lot…
Food options were expanded this year, but sadly, so were the prices. Most everything that cost 4 to 6 dollars last year were now 6 to 10 dollars. It appeared that ALL vendors increased their prices more aligned with a Fair rather than a Hamfest. One vendor, serving Poutine, was only charging $4 for a good sized meal, so we frequented them :)
[I didn’t notice that so much myself. Maybe I just chose the right food vendors. :) On Saturday, I had a “burger combo,” which include a burger, chips, and a drink for $7…….Dan]
Signage was improved both in the Fairgrounds as well on roads outside and many miles away from the fairgrounds. Informational announcements were being made on 1620 KHz AM, 145.525 FM, and of course the 146.94 Talk-In. And ALL of the Forums were live streamed to the Internet, and are available on the Hamvention.Org website if you missed them.
[I don’t think this is quite right. Tom, W8TAM, gave a talk on Parks on the Air at 9:15 am Friday morning, and I didn’t see anyone there streaming the talk. Also, I couldn’t find the recordings of those forums that were recorded when I went searching for them the other day…Dan]
Forum rooms were increased from only four to now five rooms. So there was much more to choose from. I only got to 3 forums, but enjoyed each one!
The Xenia schools were again closed for Friday classes and their school buses were available as Shuttles from various designated parking lots all around the area. Mary Anne and I used lot #1A-B which was just 4 miles from our motel. The drivers do get paid, but they had Tip jars if you wanted to bring a big smile to their faces :)
The buses no longer drop you off in a back lot leaving you to have to ride in a wagon pulled behind a farm tractor. That worked for the first day, but quickly churned up the grass soccer field. So they shifted the bus drop-off/pick-up to the area behind ADA parking. It’s a short walk on pavement to the main gate, or the golf cart shuttles were in ample supply to drive you over to the gate.
We had absolutely NO complaints with how the whole operation was run. And though the rain caused many vendors to cover up their tables (understandable), those that brought canopies continued to sell.
And the ARROW flea market space (#7522), thanks to Steve Gladden N8LBV, was equipped with an AREDN node and a 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz Access Point (AP) where nearby members could log on and browse the services offered by the Miami Valley AREDN group. Always fun to have some techie toys to play with while relaxing at the booth :)
On Sunday we had clear skies and sun, and it reached into the EIGHTIES and yet, the tents were comfortable to be in as were the buildings.
It was a very satisfying Hamvention. And before departing our motel, we made reservations for next year. See you at Hamvention 2019!
Who says hamfests are dead?
Who says hamfests are dead? Below is a list of hamfests in the Great Lakes Division (MI, OH, KY) through the end of the year, just published by Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK. I already have several on my calendar. If you have a hamfest, you’d like me to list, please email me the details.
- 5/18/18 – Dayton HamVention, Xenia, OH
- 6/2/18 – Hudsonville IRA Hamfest, Hudsonville, MI
- 6/2/18 – Summer Outdoor Trunk Swap & Hamfest, Tedrow, OH
- 6/2/18 – Princeton Hamfest Princeton, KY
- 6/3/18 – Chelsea Swap Meet, Chelsea, MI
- 6/9/18 – Luce County Area Hams, Newberry, MI
- 6/9/18 – Ham Radio Tailgate and Trunkfest, Marysville, OH
- 6/16/18 – MARC Swap, Midland, MI
- 6/16/18 – MARC Hamfest, Milford, OH
- 6/17/18 – Monroe Hamfest, Monroe, MI
- 7/8/18 – 20/9 Radio Club Tailgate and Hamfest, Austintown, OH
- 7/21/18 – GARS Germantown Hamfest, Germantown, OH
- 7/21/18 – NOARS Fest, Elyria, OH
- 7/21/18 – Gladwin Area ARC Hamfest, Gladwin, MI
- 7/22/18 – Van Wert Hamfest, Van Wert, OH
- 7/28/18 – Big Sandy Hamfest Louisa, KY
- 7/28/18 – CMARC Outdoor Hamfest, Lansing, MI
- 7/29/18 – Portage Hamfair, Ravenna, OH
- 8/4/18 – Columbus Hamfest, Columbus, OH
- 8/4/18 – UP Hamfest Escanaba, MI
- 8/11/18 – Central Kentucky Hamfest, Lexington, KY
- 8/12/18 – Cuyahoga Falls Tailgate Swap, Stow, OH
- 8/12/18 – Seaway Trunk Swap, Port Huron, MI
- 9/8/18 – Grand Rapids GRAHamfest, Wyoming, MI
- 9/8/18 – Greater Louisville Hamfest, Sheperdsville, KY
- 9/9/18 – Findlay Hamfest, Findlay, OH
- 9/16/18 – Central Kentucky Hamfest, Richmond, KY
- 9/16/18 – Adrian Hamfest, Adrian, MI
- 9/22/18 – OHKYIN ARS Hamfest, Cincinnati, OH
- 9/23/18 – Cleveland Hamfest, Berea, OH
- 9/29/18 – Paintsville Hamfest Paintsville, KY
- 10/6/18 – Vette City Hamfest, Bowling Green, KY
- 10/8/18 – Michigan State Convention/GL HamCon, Brooklyn, MI
- 10/10/18 – Microwave Update Fairborn, OH
- 10/13/18 – Cave Run Hamfest, Moorehead, KY
- 10/20/18 – Muskegon County October Color Tour Hamfest, Muskegon, MI
- 10/22/18 – Kalamazoo Hamfest, Kalamazoo, MI
- 10/27/18 – Hazard Hamfest, Hazard, KY
- 10/28/18 – USECA Hamfest, Madison Hts, MI
- 12/2/18 – L’Anse Creuse Hamfest, Madison Hts, MI
Busy weekend for KB6NU: One-day class and a hamfest
I had a pretty busy ham radio weekend. On Saturday, at the request of Ruth, KM4LAO, I taught a one-day Tech class at Kettering University (formerly known as General Motors Institute) in Flint, MI. Ruth is resurrecting the amateur radio club there.
The class consisted of several Kettering students and several members of the local community. The good news is that three out of four students and six out of seven community members passed the test. One fellow even passed the General test.
General Motors ARC bucks the trend with inaugural hamfest
The General Motors Amateur Radio Club is not your typical amateur radio club. It has more than 200 members, and on Sunday, held its first hamfest. It bucked the trend in several different ways.
First of all, it didn’t start at “zero dark hundred.” Instead, the hamfest started at 10 am, which in my humble opinion, is a more civilized time. Second, it invited several community technology groups to set up demonstrations for free. Third, it gave out a bunch of prizes, including gift certificates to local restaurants and car wash places.
To be honest, the results of these moves were mixed. Attendance was pretty good, but there weren’t many sellers. There were lots of open tables. As a result, most everyone had closed up shop by 1 pm, instead of staying until the 3 pm closing time.
Personally, I didn’t sell as many books as I’d hoped. Nor did I sell either of the FA-VA4 antenna analyzers that I’d brought with me. Even so, I had a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to next years GMARC hamfest.
Hamfest stories
I attended the TMRA Hamfest earlier today. Here are a couple of things that happened.
Got up at 6:00 am, so that I could eat something and have a cup of coffee before hitting the road at 6:30 am. It takes an hour to get to the hamfest site from where I live, and I wanted to get there by 7:30 am to purchase my table and get set up by 8:00 am.
Traffic was very light this morning, and I made it in plenty of time. I’m always amazed that they actually drive slower in Ohio. As soon as you hit that state line, the average speed drops at least 5 mph.
I get set up and meet the guy whose table is to the left of me. He’s a really nice guy, and among other things, we discuss the new ARRL proposal to give Techs more HF privileges. We pretty much agree that this measure, should it be adopted , won’t really do much to encourage Techs to be all that more active.
The first item I sold was an old TV set that had been collecting dust in my basement. The young-ish guy who was interested in it asked if it worked. I gave him the standard hamfest answer, “It did the last time I plugged it in.” That got a chuckle out of him, and I told him to take it and find an outlet somewhere.
He did, and when he returned, he said, “Well, it seems to work. Would you take $8 for it?” I was only asking $10 for it, so I said, “Sure, but only if you have a five and three singles.” As it turned out, he didn’t have the three singles, so he gave me a $10 bill.
I finally sold the Vibroplex bug that I’ve been carting to hamfests for the past couple of years. I was asking $75 for it, but that seemed to be too much for most guys. This morning, about 9:00 am, a guy came over and looked it over and asked if I’d take $50 for it.
I told him that if I didn’t sell it by 10:00 am, that I’d consider selling it to him for that price. Well, I guess he really wanted it, because he came back twice before 10 o’clock, and the second time, he peeled three fives and three twenties off his wad.
I was really glad to get $75 for it. I purchased it at Dayton several years ago for $50, then found out that someone had taken a file to the contacts. Having new contacts up on the thing cost me another $55. So, the guy got a decent deal, I think.
I didn’t sell any of my study guides until 10:00 am. I was getting a little antsy about that, but I ended up doing OK. I guess those that come early are the more experienced hands looking for bargains. The attendees that come later are the less experienced folks who still need to upgrade.
At about 11:30am, I decided to pack up. I got everything back in the boxes, then took a quick trip around the tables. I hadn’t had a chance to do that at all prior to this.
I found a guy selling a Viking Matchbox for $100. Having had a little experience with one of these before, I thought it would be a nice addition to my shack.
Being so late, I thought maybe he’d give me a good deal on it, so I asked the guy, “Would you take $80 for the Matchbox?” His pained expression told me that he was expecting more. He replied, “How about $90? It’s in pretty good shape, and I’ll guarantee that it works.”
I wasn’t so hot on paying $90, and I was tired and hungry, so I said, “Well, I’ll look you up at the next hamfest.” He replied, “No, you won’t. This thing isn’t going home with me. When are you leaving?”
I nodded towards the boxes on my hand cart and said, “I’m on my way out right now.” He said, “OK. How about $85?” “Deal,” I said. And, with that, I paid him, plopped it on top of the boxes, and headed out to my car.
Dick Norton, N6AA speaks at Quartzfest
Quartzfest bills itself as “a week-long ham radio, camping, living, and learning event. If you’ve ever seen Gordon West’s Quartzfest reports on Ham Nation, you’ll see what I mean. With all the activities and speakers they have, it just looks like a lot of fun.
This year, one of the featured speakers was Dick Norton, N6AA, the recently censured Southwest Division director. Randy, K7AGE, recorded his talk, and has graciously allowed my to post it here. (Thanks, Randy!) If you’ve been following the recent ARRL board saga, you should watch this. His talk lasts for about a half hour, and the subsequent Q&A session takes another hour.
- The ARRL is not in any kind of financial difficulty. According to N6AA, the ARRL has approximately $20 million in the bank that has not yet been earmarked for any particular purpose.
- Your emails made a difference. One director received over 1000 emails, while another received nearly 800. Not a single one was sympathetic to the board and bylaws changes.
- While the articles of incorporation and bylaws changes were withdrawn at this particular board meeting, they haven’t gone away. We’ll be keeping an eye out to see if they get put on the agenda for the next board meeting.
- A big deal was made by the ARRL Board that the “Code of Conduct” was recommended by the League’s lawyers who are familiar with Connecticut state law. N6AA kind of pooh-poohed that idea, noting that you can get lawyers to provide you with a position paper on just about any position that you want to promote.
- Furthermore, he apparently did a little research on his own and found the Connecticut Revised Nonstock Corporation Act. Sec. 33-1104 of this act spells out general standards for directors. Part (a) says, “A director shall discharge his duties as a director, including his duties as a member of a committee: (1) In good faith; (2) with the care an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances; and (3) in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation.” He believes that (a)(3) directly contradicts some of the wording in the ARRL’s Code of Conduct.
In addition to these topics, N6AA tackled questions on the Amateur Radio Parity Act, the ARES re-organization, and other current issues. As I said earlier, if you’re interested at all in the governance of the ARRL, make sure to watch this video.