It's that time of year again for the largest gathering of Amateur Radio enthusiasts in the world; the Dayton Hamvention! If you're a ham radio operator, it's like the obligatory trip to Mecca. If you can't find it at Dayton, you likely can't find it anywhere. Radios, parts, computers, satellite stuff, it's all there. Over 500 indoor exhibits from all the radio manufacturers and a 2500+ table flea market so huge that it's difficult to see all of it even in three days time! This draws in tens of thousands of hams from all around the world!
If you're not a ham yet, you're still welcome to come. In fact, you can take your ham radio exam at the hamvention, and buy a radio while you're there. There's special event stations there you can guest operate, forums you can attend including a couple from AMSAT to learn about the latest in Amateur Radio Satellites, and meet hams from all around the world. Even if you just want to pick up some cheap computer/electronics parts, you can do that, too.
The Hamvention is on May 19, 20 and 21, 2006 and is located at the Hara Arena in Trotwood, Ohio near Dayton. Tickets are $20 to get in if you get them in advance, $25 at the door and tickets are good for all three days, indoor exhibits and flea market. You can park in the fields across the street for $8 per day, or park at the Salem Mall (or what's left of it) and take a shuttle bus to and from the hamfest, which costs $8 for all three days, or $3 per day. Hotels fill up very fast; in fact, many make their reservations for the next year's hamfest when checking out from this years! For more information, see:
http://www.hamvention.org
If you can't make it, you can be virtually there by taking the trip online with Tom WA5KUB. He has a table at the hamvention flea market and makes the trip every year from Memphis, TN, and it is all broadcast LIVE on the internet via a webcam, laptop and a mobile EVDO connection! You can also visit is booth and show the wife at home that new 10m dish you just bought so she can get over it before you get back! Check his site out, it's showing videos of prior hamventions right now but come hamvention time this year the helmet webcam will be back on and live.
http://www.wa5kub.com
Hope to see you there! 73,
Mark VO1ONE
If you're not a ham yet, you're still welcome to come. In fact, you can take your ham radio exam at the hamvention, and buy a radio while you're there. There's special event stations there you can guest operate, forums you can attend including a couple from AMSAT to learn about the latest in Amateur Radio Satellites, and meet hams from all around the world. Even if you just want to pick up some cheap computer/electronics parts, you can do that, too.
The Hamvention is on May 19, 20 and 21, 2006 and is located at the Hara Arena in Trotwood, Ohio near Dayton. Tickets are $20 to get in if you get them in advance, $25 at the door and tickets are good for all three days, indoor exhibits and flea market. You can park in the fields across the street for $8 per day, or park at the Salem Mall (or what's left of it) and take a shuttle bus to and from the hamfest, which costs $8 for all three days, or $3 per day. Hotels fill up very fast; in fact, many make their reservations for the next year's hamfest when checking out from this years! For more information, see:
http://www.hamvention.org
If you can't make it, you can be virtually there by taking the trip online with Tom WA5KUB. He has a table at the hamvention flea market and makes the trip every year from Memphis, TN, and it is all broadcast LIVE on the internet via a webcam, laptop and a mobile EVDO connection! You can also visit is booth and show the wife at home that new 10m dish you just bought so she can get over it before you get back! Check his site out, it's showing videos of prior hamventions right now but come hamvention time this year the helmet webcam will be back on and live.
http://www.wa5kub.com
Hope to see you there! 73,
Mark VO1ONE
