[Milsurplus] Rickreall Hamfest Saturday October 16 2021, comment

[Hubert Miller]

The Rickreall, Oregon "Octoberfest" hamfest was very lightly attended. The drive there
was no picknick, no matter what direction you came from. Jeff Quay told me at one time
the I-5 freeway slowed to 35 mph because of the solid wall of fog. My drive from the 
coast did not have fog solidly, but was not a lot of fun anyway. The GPS woman seemed
to be curt that morning. Where she usually says, "In one quarter mile, turn right",
yesterday it was "Turn right!", 50 foot before some fog-shrouded intersection. Worse,
at random points, even when I knew I was on the right road, she said, "Turn right. Turn
left. Turn right". Ah, well.  

At the nine o'clock starting gun, the usual thundering herd was not a herd and it was not
thundering and none of show aisles were ever crowded at all. It almost looked thru the 
whole show like the early before-start usual business was going on. However, if you're
interested in ham radio or scanners or CB and didn't attend, I think you really missed out.
There were the collected items from at least 3 large estates and also the leftovers from a 
closed radio communications maintenance shop. For example, there was a box of 
something like 25 handie-talkies or handheld scanners, each bagged with duck antenna
and AC adapter, $10 your choice. There were speaker-mic add-ons for your handheld radio, 
new boxed, $1 each. I bought several of each. There were tons of other larger scanners
and VHF and HF ham radios for fire-sale prices. The only things I saw offered for "retail"
prices were a number of Collins S-Line radios, where it looked to me that the sellers had
( wisely ) consulted some value reference before pricing them. This one estate seller with
a number of S-Line radios, all his other stuff was dirt - cheap. If you wanted a good VOM
there was a bunch of them, clean working, $2 each. That means everything from Simpson
and Triplett classics to FET-VOMs. I bought several, including 2 Micronta of 100,000
ohm/volt. I also bought a Heathkit regulated HV power supply,  which is still something very
useful to own, and therefore, prices online are still up there. Something I had been watching 
online for a while, and here it was.  There were practically no older vacuum tubes for sale, as 
Mike Miller from Salem, Oregon did not set up for this show. Considering the low attendance, 
not a mistake. There were only very few home - type broadcast radios, with prices from free to 
a very few bucks. Not a lot of military gear either. I saw 3 hacked BC-312 sold for prices from
$5 to $1. A TDQ vhf transmitter, large as a fridgerator, changed hands, but I don't understand
why. A couple good  condition "Command receivers" for $25 each; I bought one. I had brought a 
couple heavy large receivers, but no sale and very few lookers, and rather than have to keep 
thinking about what do to with them, I gave them away at the end of the meet.  I had one full
table full of free items, but nothing was taken away except a few magazines. Oh well, so it goes. 

I talked to one fellow who told me the turnout was due to aging - out of the ham radio 
enthusiasts, but I don't think that effect is quite as precipitous. I think COVID fear was maybe
the major factor in the low turnout. The scary road conditions in the morning may possibly 
have been a factor, but for those who made it, the day soon turned out to be warm and sunny,
just perfect. The large amount of estate closeouts was no doubt due to build-up during the period
of no hamfests. 

Driving home through the verdant green Oregon farmlands was inspiring. I drove past the
site of Camp Adair, once Oregon's largest city, when in WWII it was built for infantry training.
Chosen for its resemblance to European terrain, except I don't think there's anywhere in 
Europe where it rains as much. That must have been real fun for infantry training, rolling 
around in mud puddles in the constant rain of winter. But when I see the rolling farmland between
Albany and Adair, the rolling green fields with occasional dark little forest stand islands, I think, if 
the Reich's plotters had known of Oregon's beauty, they would have sent their armies here, rather 
than driving east to seize the barren steppes. 

It was good to see again and hobnob with the regulars. I am very glad I went !  Afterward I went to 
rental storage and 11 years late, finally started digging through my parents' estate items, collecting 
almost all for donation. I got up at 04:00, got home at 22:30, a long day but well spent.
-Hue Miller