[SFDXA] Get the most out of The Dayton Hamvention from QuickSilver(edited)

[Bill]

Good tips on restaurants and what to do and not do at the new venue.
Bill W2CQ



  *Quicksilver Radio Newsletter*


        May, 2017

*
*
Be sure to stop by and see us in the Marconi Hall, Building #3, booths 
3503-3506 & 3603-3606. *Eight booths filled with the best in Ham Radio 
Goodies, Gadgets, and Gizmos. *

We received quite a few *recommendations for restaurants* in and around 
the Dayton/Xenia area.  Here they are, in no particular order.  Note 
that any comments are those of the poster, not mine:

I have to recommend Austin Landing as a location with multiple eats.
They have a Chuy's (TexMex and great place to catch up with friends), 
Dewey's Pizza and several more upscale dining options.
Brown Street has a ton of great quick eats since it's close to the 
University.
The best tacos are in an old gas station, Taquera Mixtera (1609 E 3rd 
St, Dayton, OH 45403) - It's cheap and amazing. But don't expect ambiance.

Try the China Cottage.  There are 2 locations; one near Hara Arena and 
one near the University of Dayton.

The Oakwood club, in Oakwood.  Best steaks around, in my mind. 
http://www.theoakwoodclub.com/ 
<http://qsradio.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=e245af7ea5&e=8eb55c876c>
  2414 Far Hills Avenue
  Dayton, Ohio 45419
  937-293-6973

Tudor's Biscuit World:  Excellent biscuits and gravy plus lots of other 
treats.  Best gravy and lightest biscuits I've had. For ice cream try 
Graeter's a local chain with locations in Beavercreek and Centerville.  
Delicious.
City BBQ at 2330 N. Fairfield, Beavercreek gets excellent reviews on 
Trip Advisor.

"The Buckhorn Inn", 8800 Meeker Rd, Dayton, OH, is a MUST. Great 
food,especially steaks and ribs!! Yummie!!  BUT, call for reservations, 
it gets very crowded with the local folks and the Hamvention crowd 
streaming in Friday and Saturday evenings.

Jimmie’s Ladder 11 on Brown Street in Dayton…best gumbo in the area and 
great walleye and perch.

Young' Dairy!!!!!!!!!  On US68 just north of Yellow Springs.

Nick's in Xenia, great burgers and beer. 
https://www.facebook.com/justwingitatnicks/ 
<http://qsradio.us10.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=ba82157a82&e=8eb55c876c>

The Dairy Station in Xenia, about 3 blocks away from the fairgrounds.

The Tavernette in Medway . . . Dine on the patio & deck. 
https://www.facebook.com/TheTavernette/ 
<http://qsradio.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=86f688d28a&e=8eb55c876c>

Fat Back's BBQ https://www.facebook.com/FatBacksBBQandCountryStore/ 
<http://qsradio.us10.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=14cddf555e&e=8eb55c876c>

Then there's always the http://melodeerestaurant.com/ 
<http://qsradio.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=15a1640984&e=8eb55c876c> in 
New Carlisle. It's been there forever.



Thanks to everyone who participated. *I wish I had the time to try them 
all.*


I have some tips to help you *get the most out of your* *D*ayton 
*X*pedition:

*Make a list, and check it twice.*Our good friends at PCboard -- 
https://info.pcboard.ca/hamvention/ 
<http://qsradio.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=d41ea8b1d1&e=8eb55c876c>-- 
maintain a great database of vendors and their booth numbers. Note that 
it covers both indoor and flea market exhibits.  Booth numbers 
correspond to the building or section.  For example, Quicksilver Radio 
is in the *Marconi Hall (building #3) booths 3503-3506 and 3603-3606.* 
  Maps of the grounds and each building are also available there.  Make 
a list of vendors you positively want to visit, along with their booth 
numbers.  Now add folks you probably want to see.  And even those you 
might want to get to.  Pro Tip #1: Enter them in a spreadsheet and you 
can sort them by booth number.  Those nearby each other are now grouped 
together.  Pro Tip #2: In most browsers. Ctrl-F opens up a little search 
bar to find a text string in a page.  Use it to look for your favorites 
on the PCboard web site.  Pro Tip #3:  You can't see the booth numbers 
in the Flea Market maps without zooming in.  In most browsers, press 
Ctrl-+ repeatedly until you can read them. Pro Tip #4:  Bring a small 
notepad and pen. Jot down notes of answers to questions, folks you want 
to revisit, etc.

If you want to see it all (or almost all) *you'll probably need all 
three days if you can manage it*, especially if you want to attend a 
forum or two.  Maximize your time in any case.  Some booths will be 
crazy busy early in the day, but after about 3PM Friday and Saturday the 
crowd starts to thin out a bit and the staff will have more time to 
answer questions.  Try not to spend time waiting in line. (Do you REALLY 
need another Yaesu hat?). Sunday will be much less busy, and can be a 
great day to cruise the flea market for those "I don't want to take it 
back home" bargains.

You'll be walking.  A lot. *Wear comfortable shoes!*  This is definitely 
NOT the time to break in a new pair.  Pro Tip #5: *Bring two pairs of 
shoes* to the show.  Halfway through the day, change them.  Trust me on 
this -- if you're not used to standing/walking on a hard surface all 
day, your feet will hurt and your enjoyment level will plummet. 
  Swapping shoes will almost feel like a new pair of feet.

More personal comfort notes. *Stay hydrated.*  Bring a bottle or two of 
water.  If you need medications during the day, bring them with you. 
  Some Advil or similar is a good idea too. Hiking back to your car to 
get them is just a waste of time.  A light jacket and possibly a small 
umbrella are a good idea as well.  Don't forget a hat and sunscreen. 
  Keep an eye on the weather! *Stay fueled.*  Hamvention is promising an 
array of food trucks, and a much improved dining experience over the 
past.  Even so, lines are likely to be long just when you get hungry. 
  Some snacks or energy bars will keep you going until the lines ease 
up.  You can bet I'll be asking for reports on the BBQ truck ;-)

*Bring cash!*  While large commercial vendors will probably accept 
plastic, most smaller sellers will not.  Credit card terminals rely on 
either WiFi or cellular service.  Given that this is a new location, we 
won't know until we get there how well they will work.  I have not seen 
any mention of ATMs at the show.  Even if they're present, Murphy will 
ensure that it'll either run out of cash or malfunction just when you 
need it.

Don't be surprised if *your credit card gets declined by your bank.* 
  Here's a likely reason why.  Banks have some pretty sophisticated 
fraud detection algorithms.  You might typically use your card once a 
day for coffee, and once a week for gas and groceries, plus some other 
local shopping.  All near your home.  Suddenly, you're making multiple 
larger purchases, possibly far from home.  They term this being "out of 
your pattern" and may flag your account.  Then add to that -- my credit 
card terminal is naturally registered to my business in Connecticut. You 
might hit a diner in Xenia for breakfast on the way to the Hamvention. 
  Your first stop in the show, of course, is to pick up some goodies at 
the Quicksilver Radio booth. Next, you buy a new call sign badge from 
our friends at the Sign Man of Baton Rouge.  It may appear to your bank 
that within the space of an hour, you've been in OH, CT, and LA.  Now I 
may drive fast, but I couldn't manage THAT!!  You may be able to avoid 
this by*notifying your bank in advance* of your travels.  In fact, I've 
set up text alerts on my phone.  If I'm out of my pattern, I'll get a 
text asking "Did you attempt to make these recent transactions?" and 
listing them.  All I need to do is text "Yes" in response.  It might be 
prudent to *make sure you can read your bank's contact phone number* on 
the back of your card before you leave.

Learn something.  Dayton Hamvention has an *incredible range of forums* 
and other educational activities.  Whatever your current or potential 
interest, you're likely to find something there.  Talk to leading 
experts, get your questions answered, and expand your horizons.

As always, I'm holding the annual *Hamvention Eats competition.*  We 
started this as a "crowd-sourced" exchange of ideas for places to eat in 
and around Dayton (and now Xenia) 7 years ago.  After a hard day of 
Hamfesting, a good meal with good companions is something to be savored.

So we all need to know those restaurants you’ve enjoyed at previous 
Hamventions.  Or, if you’re a local, your favorites.  Same rules as 
always.  No chains.  Exceptions may be made for small/local/regional 
chains.  (Hint: Waffle House and McDonald’s are NOT small/local/regional 
chains). *Extra points for great BBQ or baby back ribs.*  Decision of 
the judge – me – is final.  Stop by my booth any time during the show to 
see if you’re a winner.  We arrive in Dayton Wednesday, so I’ll have 5 
nights to test your recommendations.  Winners will get something of 
(probably inconsequential) value.  If I recall correctly, last year’s 
top 3 winners received new top-of-the-line HF Radios from one of the 3 
major manufacturers.  But my memory might be a bit hazy…  ;-)

I've added a breakfast category, so you have two chances to win.  Same 
rules, no chains.  Extra points if they're open at 5:00 AM.

Previous winners have included:
Quaker Steak and Lube in Fairborn.  Sadly, they closed   But we're 
anxious to try the new Wandering Griffin that opened in their place.
Hickory BBQ on Brown St.
The Pine Club also on Brown St
Jay's Seafood on E 6th St
That Indian place in a strip mall near Col. Glenn Highway whose name and 
exact location I can't remember.
None of these are particularly inexpensive.  But *good food is rarely 
cheap, and cheap food is rarely good.*
Send your recommendations to hamvention-eats at qsradio.com 
<mailto:hamvention-eats at qsradio.com?subject=Hamvention%20Eats%20Suggestion>. 
  Just prior to Hamvention I'll send a quick e-mail with promising 
suggestions.

Above all, *plan to have fun!*  It's a new venue, and it's likely there 
will be some bumps in the road.  Don't let them ruin your *D*ayton 
*X*perience.  And for heaven's sake ignore the handful of loud-mouthed 
whiners who are convinced in advance of how bad the new location will 
be.  Let them stay home and sulk while you and your buddies enjoy *The 
Greatest Hamfest on Earth.
*
Thanks and very 73,
John Bee, N1GNV
Quicksilver Radio Products
www.qsradio.com 
<http://qsradio.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5a6e8e950aa932d51c345073&id=a3d20afc5a&e=8eb55c876c> 
**