[Drake] Findlay Hamfest and the Drake Net

[W8DRZ at aol.com]

Greetings to all,
                    40 was in bad shape at net time as 
I was not able to hear anyone! Yikes. Not sure if
there even was a net today. A few signals up and
down from 7238 but mostly a flat line on the band
scope at 2000 GMT.
 
The Findlay Hamfest was a nice weekend outing.
 
The weather was outstanding. I thought the 
attendance was down a bit, this seems to be the trend the last few years of 
all the Hamfest I go to,
Dayton included. I guess it is easier to go 
on-line to look or list for that item.  I still  enjoy
seeing old friends and making new ones and 
 especially being able to see all the goodies first  hand
still makes the trip worth while.
 
On the Drake front there was not too many things to see, I noticed 2 TR-7's, 
one T-4XC with AC-4/MS-4
( I'll bet someone got the R-4C, hi) 
a TR-3 with RV-3, a TR-4C and a PS-75. I'm sure 
missed some of the others. I did see Mark  WB0IQK
 with a smile on his face, perhaps he found a 
few good deals.
 
It is a nice hour and 45 min trip for me down 224 from Vermilion. 2-meters 
and 440 were hot on the 
way over to Findlay. I could bring up the Hometown 
UHF Repeater all the way to my parking spot at  the
hamfest. Normally its a moot point after 20 miles 
or so.
 
Cost of Gas at 3.0995    $15.25  (39.8 mpg in a  94 Honda)
Hamfest  Ticket            $ 5.00
Lunch                       $  3.50
Hamfest  purchase         $15.00 (12 old  QST's 1943)
 
Having Fun with Ham Radio on a nice day..PRICE LESS!
 
73
 
Jim - W8DRZ