52nd Annual Shelby Hamfest

[ACRadio]

I got back Sunday night from my annual week at the Shelby Hamfest that was held in Dallas NC this year. Here's a few pics from the trip...

1. Our immediate area after the remains of Fay passed through and dumped about 8 inches of rain...

2. My display of switches and LNB's...

3. My homemade sign...

4. One of the RV areas...

5. A table full of vacuum tubes...

6. A section of one of the flea market areas...

7. A BIG pile of JUNK in another flea market area...

8. We were the subject of a news report, probably on one of the Charlotte stations, but I have no clue which one. I didn't know anything about it until I saw the uplink truck leaving the facility...

 

[jayelem]

I've always enjoyed events that involve peoples hobbies and passion's , I hope you had a good time.

We have a route 66 Car Show (Berwyn,IL) every year in September , and back in 2001 I chatted with a couple of old timers that had set up a live transmitting Ham Radio station for a Ham event that followed Route 66 all the way to California .......
at that time I listened to Shortwave quite a bit and loved to DX , I decided to take part in the event by listening to the Ham operators on my Single Side Band and I sent them QSL Reports and also got some QSL cards back ,the event was cut short ( I forgot all about it ) after September 11th WTC attacks , I don't think I picked up that SW Radio for close to 6 months if not more.

 

[Mr Tony]

very cool. There's a flea market about an hour away from my house. Havent been to it in years though.

 

[voomvoom]

I didn't know they still made Vacuum Tubes? I remember you could walk in any convenience store and they had a Vacuum Tube Tester, and you could buy them in the store, if yours was bad.....
Now I feel old.......

 

[digitrip]

I went to this show as well. I didn't get to go on Sat, instead I had to go on Sunday. It was dead, there was hardly anyone there. How was Fri-Sat?

 

[ACRadio]

I went to this show as well. I didn't get to go on Sat, instead I had to go on Sunday. It was dead, there was hardly anyone there. How was Fri-Sat?

Friday was a non-admission day like it used to be, so there was a nominal crowd. Saturday was covered up and attendance was probably up from last year. I guess people wanted to check out the new location. Sunday was like a normal Sunday...pretty weak, although I did sell some stuff.

 

[lumpkin666]

I didn't know they still made Vacuum Tubes? I remember you could walk in any convenience store and they had a Vacuum Tube Tester, and you could buy them in the store, if yours was bad.....
Now I feel old.......

Nowadays vacuums only take bags - except for the canister style Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen a vacuum tube for sale in a store, that must have been a couple years before my time.

 

[ACRadio]

Nowadays vacuums only take bags - except for the canister style Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen a vacuum tube for sale in a store, that must have been a couple years before my time.

Tubes are still very popular, although you probably won't find any in WalMart..

They are mainly in demand for RF and audio amplification. They are still used in the big RF amplifiers for ham radio use, and old radio restorers treasure good tube finds. And outside ham radio, audio buffs are building tube stereo amplifiers like crazy...my bass amplifier uses 5 tubes in it's preamp section.

 

[phlatwound]

Tubes are still very popular, although you probably won't find any in WalMart..

They are mainly in demand for RF and audio amplification. They are still used in the big RF amplifiers for ham radio use, and old radio restorers treasure good tube finds. And outside ham radio, audio buffs are building tube stereo amplifiers like crazy...my bass amplifier uses 5 tubes in it's preamp section.

Yep....guitar/bass/other musical instument amps and some sound reinforcement/processing equipment are still big users of tubes. I've got a bunch of EL34, 12ax7, 6550s........good stuff!