From w9sz.zack at gmail.com Thu Jun 19 18:39:02 2025 From: w9sz.zack at gmail.com (Zack Widup) Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:39:02 -0500 Subject: [MAMS] Huntsville Hamfest Message-ID: Date: 18 June 2025 *COME ON DOWN AND JOIN THE FUN!* To Weak Signal Operators and their Friends, The Huntsville Hamfest (https://hamfest.org/) is just around the corner with the date rapidly approaching. This year the hamfest will be held on Aug. 16 and 17, Saturday and Sunday. This hamfest is not devoted to the weak signal operators and isn?t devoted to that particular aspect of the hobby, but with a growing community of microwave operators, this is becoming a significant aspect of the hamfest. The weak signal forum and operating events are not intended to become another VHF/UHF/Microwave conference but to provide functions that are of interest to this specific group of hams to enhance your hamfest enjoyment. Not only will you have the opportunity to visit and operates with your compatriots of this unique aspect of the hobby, but you will also get to participate in and enjoy a great hamfest with a huge flea market, all of the major ham radio dealers, and plenty of interesting forums all in air conditioned comfort. To make this gathering even better, we will build on the previous year?s successful VHF/UHF/Microwave venue with an added feature to assist those microwave contest operators increase their score count even more for the 10 GHz & Up contest. Last year at the hamfest, the agenda seemed to hit a winning note. To summarize, on Friday evening the VHF/UHF/Microwave crowd met at a local restaurant for a ?Meet & Greet ? dinner to enjoy the food and visit with old acquaintances and make new ones with a common interest. On Saturday morning the hamfest officially kicks off, and on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., a portion of the forum schedule will be devoted to the weak signal operators for two hours of forums. As these presentations take place, several volunteers will bring microwave test equipment (signal generators, spectrum analyzers, power meters, frequency counters, etc.) set up in the back of the forum room to assist those with equipment to verify their equipment performance. Last year we were able to get at least two stations on the air that were previously having problems. At 4 p.m., the hamfest holds their prize drawing, so all events are suspended for the drawing. At the conclusion of the drawing, participating operators will be invited to cross the street from the hamfest to the parking deck where multiple operators will set up on 10 GHz to operate the 10 GHz & Up contest that coincides with the hamfest. Once everyone has worked all of the other participating stations, most of the crew will adjourn to one of our fine German restaurants for more food and fellowship. This year?s plan is to follow the same script as last year but with an added feature. Since most of those who participated in the contest operating stay overnight on Saturday, the additional feature is to position operators on Sunday at locations approximately every 10 miles along the departing routes leaving the hamfest. This will allow stations making their way home to work those along the departing routes from their hamfest sites, drive in that direction for 10+ miles to work them again, and the continue along the route home stopping to work these stations again every 10+ miles for as long as they can communicate. This should really boost the score of stations wanting to enter in the 10 GHz & Up contest. This is a preliminary notice so you can arrange your schedule to join us. It?s something like a mini-conference and operating event except there are no fees other than the hamfest admission. More details will follow, but everyone is invited to join in. Regards?..Ben/K4QF