[FADCA] Melbourne Hamfest and ARRL Florida State Convention Oct 14-15, 2006

[bud Thompson]

The Melbourne Hamfest is scheduled for the 14th-15th of October.

You may find a PDF file on some details here http://www.pcars.org/

Scroll down to Hamfest Flyer and open or save the PDF file.

At the bottom of my note here is the activity/forum schedule as I have it - 
but
this did not come from the PCARS website.  There is a FADCA FORUM scheduled
for 2:00PM - 3:30PM  on the Stage Forum Area.  No one from PCARS has
contacted me about this - but I appreciate their having put us on the
schedule.

Please do not be bashful about answering these questions - it will help us 
plan properly.

QUESTION: Do you plan on attending the Melbourne Hamfest this year?
Common- let's get a count.

QUESTION: If we have a FORUM what topics would you like to see presented?
(No, just because you make a suggestion you won't have to present the topic 
unless you want to.)

QUESTION:  Is anyone interested in taking the responsibility for organizing
this FORUM?

QUESTION:  Is anyone interested in taking the responsibility for organizing
a FADCA TABLE/BOOTH for the hamfest?

Here is what I will offer to do:  If there are two or more people who want 
to make a presentation at the FORUM for five to 15 minutes I'll take 
responsibility for organizing the FORUM and advertising it.

If there are five people who will volunteer to spend one hour manning the 
FADCA TABLE/booth, N3PPC and I will take care of having portable packet 
stations (two max) at the table for demonstrations.

Here are some considerations - notably influenced by some of my personal 
concerns:

Over the past six, perhaps seven, years  N3PPC and I have nearly
single-handily organized both events at Hamcation, Melbourne, and Tampa
Hamfests.  While we appreciate the help we had from a few FADCA members, the
overall FADCA membership has not shown all that much interest in these 
activities.

Last year at Melbourne there were only two (2) people who attended the
'FADCA FORUM!!!'  There was some general interest around the FADCA table, 
but
not enough for N3PPC and me to be on duty for the entire day. (We did get a
couple of short breaks to shop, thanks!)

Adding to that - the overall interest in digital in the Melbourne area, per 
se, is almost non-existent.  Charlie and I installed the new DOS FPAC switch 
there in August 2005, and there is no indication it is being used at all -
or is even still on the air! (K2BJG, KA1VRF, or KN6KB may be able to bring 
us up to date.)  With the VERO switch down and the Orlando switch too 
distant, the switch is isolated from the network.  So far as I know PCARS 
has not yet appointed an official replacement caretaker for the switch. 
(There was $850 in equipment and a hundred hours of labor donated to get 
that switch back on the air!)

All that said - I recently had an inquiry from KG4IPO in Palm Bay who has 
some interest in attending a FADCA FORUM (K1YON - make a list of topics!) - 
and there may be a group behind him.  BEARS has apparently officially 
adopted SEDAN for its local digital support - but at least there is some 
packet on-going - there just needs to be some Layered Packet Network 
interests there; someone to push it.  Wayne KA1VRF is nearby and working to 
take over such duties left by the passing of N4XEO.  Wayne needs help!

On a related- more positive note - We are steadily chewing away at 
developing LINUX FPAC capability which could open up the Layered Network to 
the 21st Century for digital and EMCOMMs support.  This effort is being done 
by a small handful of technical-oriented FADCA members.

Frankly, we need to give FADCA a kick in the ass in the Hamfest/promotional 
department and move along.

QUESTION:  Who has the largest shoe size?

73,

bud N0IA
386 574 4124
386 956 0386 Sprint Cell

Here is the Activity schedule as I have it.
Time                           Forum or activity
Location
    SATURDAY
9:00AM - 10:00AM     MARS
Main Forum Room

10:00AM - 11:30AM   Mike Gruber - Hq ARRL - RFI
Main Forum Room

10:00AM - 11:30AM   FCC Exams
Stage Forum Area

11:30AM - 12:30PM   Contesting Forum - FL Contest Gp.
Main Forum Room

11:30AM - 12:30PM   ****OPEN****
Stage Forum Area

12:30PM - 2:00PM     DX Forum - 3Y0X (K3VN & N2WB)
Main Forum Room

12:30PM - 2:00PM     Kids Forum & Activities (AI4GK & KA4NHW)
Stage
Forum Area

2:00PM - 3:00PM       ARRL Division & Section led forum
Main Forum Room

2:00PM - 3:30PM       FADCA
Stage Forum Area

3:00PM - 5:00PM       Florida Repeater Council
Main Forum Room

3:30PM - 4:00PM       Hidden Transmitter Hunt Orientation
Stage Forum Area

4:00AM - 5:00PM       ****OPEN****
Stage Forum Area


ALL DAY                     ARES Badging - Ray Kassis
Adjacent to ARRL Booth

ALL DAY                     ARRL Awards Checking - W3DHN
Adjacent to ARRL Booth

ALL DAY                     BEARS 1 Tours
In front of main entrance

ALL DAY                     N4LEM Emergency Vehicle tours
In front of main entrance

ALL DAY                     Hourly Door prize Drawings
Stage

6:00AM- Noon            Talk-in station
Tail Gate Area  and Stage

9:00AM - 12:30PM     Kids Scavenger Hunt

4:30PM ?                    Hidden Transmitter Hunt

SUNDAY

10:00AM - NOON      ARECC EMCOMM Exams
Main Forum Room (Need to have some tables)


3:00PM ?                    Begin drawing for unclaimed prizes
Stage

3:30PM ?                    Final Door Prize drawing
Stage


Others for Sunday?

END OF ANNOUNCEMENT