[QRP] FDIM 2006 Dayton Hamvention QRP

[Mike Czuhajewski]

> What does FDIM stand for?

>> Four Days In May    ...... It refers to Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun of the
Hamvention in Dayton. Take a look at www.qrparci.com and follow the FDIM
link.

Close, but no cigar. Actually, you should go to www.qrparci.org, not
www.qrparci.com. The latter does give some response, but not sure what the
heck it is or where it comes from! Maybe some cybersquatter hoping to sell
the name at a profit later.

Four Days in May has been called that just about since the very beginning of
the organized QRP symposiums at Dayton, in the mid 90s. The originators
sponsored an all day QRP symposium at the "QRP hotel" scheduled for the day
before the official Dayton hamvention was scheduled to start. The idea was
to have a day long affair with various technical experts speaking on
different aspects of QRP and homebrewing, followed by the 3 days of the
hamvention. They weren't sure if they'd even break even on it, or get many
people to come; they felt they were taking a gamble, but it paid off. After
perhaps two or three years they turned over sponsorship to the QRP ARCI.

There had been QRP social gatherings at Dayton for some time before that, of
course, but FDIM kicked it onto a higher plane. The two founders were Bruce
Muscolino, W6TOY, and Bob Gobrick (or Bobgob as we called him), who was
known by several calls over the years--WA6ERB, VO1DRB (at one of his work
assignments), and N0EB. Both are silent keys; W6TOY passed away  perhaps two
years ago, and Bobgob several years before that.

Not sure how long FDIM was done by them and their small, dedicated crew
before the QRP ARCI took over sponsorship, but I think it was probably two
years, maybe three at the most. Not really sure who else was involved the
first couple of years; Bob and Bruce had a different set helping them each
year, I think, and these names come to mind--Paulette Quick, Preston
Douglas, Bob Follett. I know I'm missing someone.

A couple of times someone on QRP-L would wonder aloud if the added day was
the best way to do it, since it meant yet another day away from work and an
additional night in the hotel. Why not have the symposium on a hamvention
day? But then you miss a day of that.  It all depends on where your
interests are. Atlanticon, in Baltimore, is on the first day of a major two
day hamfest on the east coast and I felt significant pain sitting through it
knowing there was a major hamfest a 2 minute drive away. In fact, I usually
skipped some or most of the presentations since the pull of the hamfest was
so strong :-) Yes, it's a two day hamfest, but the first day is usually the
better of the two for what I go for, based on long experience at this one.

73 and queue our pea DE WA8MCQ