[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] Dayton Hamvention

[ka4gfy at cox.net]

Attention Alexandria Radio Club members!  

Only 3 weeks remain until its Dayton Hamvention time.  This year’s Hamvention is May 16 through 18.  We generally leave early on the Thursday before and return late on Sunday.  If you have not been before, this is your opportunity to see the largest Ham Radio convention in the USA.  This year’s theme is Amateur Radio + People = Fellowship.

We have extra space this year and need to fill it.  The rooms generally run around $200 for three nights (two people per room), gas should be about $50 to $70; ticket to the Hamvention is $28 (includes bus fare), plus whatever you spend for meals and toys.

The Hamvention features the latest in Ham Radio equipment, forums and meetings on many Ham Radio subjects, the ARRL expo, Ham Radio manufacturers and of course the world famous flea market.  If there is new equipment to be introduced, it’s introduced here.    
  
If you have been shopping for a particular radio, at least one of the major retailers will offer a good deal not available anywhere else.  All of the retailers will offer some discounts on equipment.   

Many Ham Radio specialty groups hold meetings and dinners as well.  Groups such as QRP International, Potomac Valley Radio Club, Amateur TV Network and AMSAT all schedule activities over the weekend.
  
With the US dollar weaker than most foreign currencies, travel to the US is a bargain, especially from Europe.  So, expect to see hams from all over the world.  Where else can you have eyeball QSOs with hams from the Europe and Japan in the same day? 

Let’s not forget the prizes.  At most hamfests, the grand prize is a nice HF transceiver and the second prize a VHF/UHF mobile.  At the Hamvention, these are hourly prizes.  The grand prize is the complete station, including accessories with a value of several thousand dollars.  In addition ARRL has been sponsoring a scavenger hunt with their passport.  Find enough numbers around the Hamvention to fill the page and become eligible to win an HF transceiver.  The number of passports is far fewer than tickets sold.  
  
While the Hamvention is the main attraction, the US Air Force museum is close by.  If you have even a passing interest in aviation, it’s well worth visiting.  Nearly every type of plane in the US Air Force and its predecessor’s inventory is on display.  It’s aviation history since the Wright Brothers.  Except for the IMAX theatre, the exhibits are free.  For the Hamvention weekend, there is often a sign asking Ham Radio operators not to use their radios while in the museum.      

Follow the link to http://www.hamvention.org/ to find out more about the Hamvention. 

If you are interested, let me know this week.  I need to order tickets early in order to have them back before we leave on May 15.  Any orders past May 1 are picked up at the “will call” window.  Send me an email at ka4gfy at arrl.net.

73, 
Rich, KA4GFY