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Dayton Hamvention 2001
By Rick McCusker, WF6O
Dark, cloudy skies greeted visitors to the 2001 Dayton Hamvention.
And, sure enough, it started raining a short time after the convention
opened, and it rained a lot! Flash flood advisories were issued for the
area, and weren't lifted until Saturday morning.
But the rain didn't dampen the spirits of the visitors.
When the rain started, the crowds searching for that one special treasure
in the flea market rushed inside the buildings, and it was literally shoulder-to-shoulder
in the hockey arena - the location of the Worldradio booth.
As I took a glance out the door several times during the
day, the rain continued to fall at a brisk pace, and at times, lightning
flashed and thunder rumbled through the area. As there were several portable
antennas set up in the flea market, visitors were hesitant to venture
anywhere near them - for a good reason. None of them were able to be properly
grounded on the asphalt parking lot! There were a few brave souls sporting
umbrellas who continued to shop.
Lots of Worldradio readers stopped by the booth to say hello.
Most said, "Worldradio is the only magazine I read cover-to-cover."
Music to our ears! Manning our booth were Armond Noble, N6WR, Helen Noble,
Glen Rudesill, W6RWR, and myself. A very welcome visitor was Walt Maxwell,
W2DU, author of our newly published book, "Reflections II."
Walt was happily autographing the book for many lucky visitors to the
booth.
Everywhere I wandered in the buildings, readers were stopping
me to offer comments on how much they enjoy the magazine. I answered lots
of questions for our family of subscribers present at the Hamvention.
As usual, the highlight of any Hamvention is the introduction
of some new products. The star of the show this year was the Kenwood TS-2000
and a brand new tri-band handheld. Alinco had their new mobiles on display
and there was a very large crowd anxious to get the details on these new
transcievers.
Dealers were absolutely swamped with Hams anxious to buy
the newest and greatest in Amateur Radio equipment. Alinco, Kenwood, Icom,
Yaesu, ADI and others proudly displayed their wares for all to see, and
knowledgable staff was on hand to field questions about any of the equipment
offered at the convention.
Fierce competition between the major manufacturers takes
place during Hamvention - not just to see which one has the most impressive
radios, but also in size and style of display areas! If an award were
offered for biggest and most impressive manufacturer display, it would
be a close battle for the blue ribbon between Yaesu and Kenwood, with
Icom and Alinco coming on strong!
In the non-manufacturer area, the ARRL had a fantastic display
area. Lots of staffers were on hand from Newington and other parts of
the country to answer questions and assist amateurs with any questions
or problems. Dan Henderson, N1ND, did a fine job leading a team of volunteer
QSL card checkers for those applying for a new DXCC certificate, and for
those seeking additional endorsements for their certificate. ARRL President,
Jim Haynie, W5JBP, and ARRL Secretary, Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, were seen pressing
the flesh throughout the weekend. Rod Stafford, W6ROD, ARRL's International
Affairs Vice President stopped by our booth to chat for a while.
Saturday
Saturday morning - more clouds, but the weather forecasts
called for clearing skies, and we weren't disappointed. By 9 a.m. the
skies were starting to clear, the ground was drying out, and the crowds
were packing into the flea market area. Umbrellas were still in abundance
as the crowd didn't trust the forecasters, but about 10 a.m. the clouds
disappeared and the rest of the day was very pleasant.
During very short breaks in the rain on Friday, I ventured
out to the flea market area and felt sorry for one seller. He apparently
had gone into the building for a while, and failed to cover his stack
of VCR's and stereo receivers. They were thoroughly soaked in a matter
of minutes, but I'd bet they were a real bargain on Saturday!
The flea market is second to none in the Amateur Radio world.
If there is anything even remotely related to Amateur Radio, you can find
it at this flea market.
One thing I did notice at this year's flea market - lots
of Collins gear offered for sale. Most of it appeared to be in pretty
good shape, but the sellers had some rather high prices on most of it.
As an example, there was a Collins amplifier offered for $1,600.
You could find everything from luggage, honey, Beanie Babies,
tools, hardware, tubes, vehicles and much, much more. With 2,500 spaces
filled, it's no wonder you can find anything you want out there!
Inside vendors ran the gamut from computers to cars. Yes,
Ford and Chrysler had vehicles on display with their factory representatives
on hand to answer questions about the vehicles and their compatability
with RF. There was one vehicle from Volvo that looked very, very different
from anything I have ever seen. It sure was drawing a lot of attention.
Forums
Hamvention wouldn't be complete without a vast selection
of forums. These forums are set up in separate rooms and feature speakers
and moderators who are considered experts in their fields. The forums
started at 10 a.m. Friday and continued until Sunday at noon. Subjects
ranged from digital packet radio to kit building, VSWR, Hi-Fi SSB, QRP,
weekend Ham classes, YLRL, MID-CARS, ARES, County Hunters, SSTV, ATV,
PSK31, lightning protection, Collins, Drake, Heathkit, Youth in Amateur
Radio, ARRL, fox hunting, RTTY, VHF/UHF, DX, 10/10 International, RF safety,
contesting, FCC enforcement and rulemaking, Bicycle Hams of America, MARS,
APRS, Society of Amateur Radio Astonomers and Shortwave and Scanner listener's.
And that's just a partial list.
There's truly something for everyone at the forums. For
example, the contest forum featured the video "WRTC 2000 - The Ham
Radio Olympics." This excellent video was filmed by Dave Bell, W6AQ
and the event took place in Slovenia last year. A good time was had by
all - the contestants and the local citizens, as well as those present
to see this video.
One forum I attended was standing room only, with over half
of the audience being under the age of 18. Yes, it was the Youth in Amateur
Radio forum hosted by our Youth Forum columnist, Carole Perry, WB2MGP.
Once again, a majority of the youngsters were from the Boulder Amateur
Radio Club's BARC Juniors, from Boulder, Colorado. Impressive talks were
given by Patrick Clark, KC8BFD; Crystal Melhorn, W9IOU; Zane Wruble, W2YL;
Benjamin Arthur, KC&hibar;ISG, Jonathan Troup, K&hibar;DE, and Kristen
Wilson, KC&hibar;INX. Zane brought down the house when she had a photograph
of "her" station projected on the screen. It's quite impressive!
But she did admit that it really belongs to Dad - but she gets to share
it!
One very nice thing to see is the support the Youth in Amateur
Radio forum gets from the manufacturers. All of the manufacturers brought
in HT's to give away, and MFJ did a bang-up job of giving away lots of
Amateur Radio accessories. We did our part, too. I had the honor of giving
a life subscription to a 10-year-old girl, Stephanie. She is studying
for her license and may have it by the time you read this. You'll hear
her on the air, I'm sure!
The ATV forum was very interesting. John Wiseman, KE3QG,
was one of the speakers and his subject was ATV from a hang glider! Now
that was one designed for the daredevils in Amateur Radio. He used the
70 cm band for ATV with a camera mounted on a hang glider! For those prone
to motion sickness, this is not the one you want to watch! But things
calmed down a bit when the next speaker, Dan Greathouse, N8NBC, presented
his talk on "Hot Air Balloon ATV Adventures."
One forum that received a lot of attention was the AMSAT
presentation. A contact was scheduled with the International Space Station,
but after a valiant try, including several changes in frequency, it didn't
happen. Apparently the crew was a little busy and couldn't come to the
radio. VK5ZAI was on the radio end of the telephone, and he certainly
tried his best.
But there was more as we heard about the latest developments
with the ailing AO-40 satellite. Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, informed the audience
about future plans and testing underway with AO-40, and what's available
for use now. Roy Neal, K6DUE, then conducted an interview with Dennis
Tito, KG6FZX, about his recent trip as the first passenger on the International
Space Station. Dennis enjoyed his stay aboard the ISS, but didn't have
much time for Amateur Radio operation. He did manage a couple of contacts
with Hams on Earth, but his main contacts involved phone patches to his
girlfriend and sons. One surprising development from his journey - he's
looking into building the first hotel in space! I wonder what the room
rate will be? Roy then had a very nice telephone conversation with Dr.
Janice Voss, KC5BTK, a Space Shuttle veteran with many missions under
her belt. She talked about becoming interested in space flight in the
sixth grade, and how she set her goals to become an astronaut. AMSATcommittee
members then talked about the next generation of Amateur Radio satellite,
now in the planning stages.
Another well-attended forum was the PSK31 presentation,
moderated by Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Editor of QST. Del Schier, K1UHF, gave
a short talk on using sound card software for digital modes. You may recognize
Del's name and call - his company, West Mountain Radio, developed the
very popular RIGblaster! interface. So, you can believe he knows what
he's talking about!
The ever-popular DX forum had a huge crowd. With presentations
by our own Propagation columnist, Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, and Bob Eshleman,
W4DR talking about their trip to Syria. There was also a presentation
on the Kingman Reef/Palmyra DXpedition presented by Gary Shapiro, NI6T,
and Neville Cheadle, G3NUG, showed his excellent video on the D68C DXpedition
to the Comoros Islands. There was a lot of good information for those
thinking about taking their own trip to a land far, far away.
The banquet
Unlike last year's massive crowd, including some outsiders
in the stadium seats to see the Smothers Brothers, this year the committee
opted for a smaller banquet. The event was sold out, due in part to the
fine lineup of speakers. Master of Ceremonies was Carl Nichols, N8WFQ,
Chief Meterologist for WTDN, Channel 2, in Dayton.
Several awards were handed out to committee members from
DARA, including some awards for Hams helping put on the Hamvention for
50 years. When the convention first started in 1952, plans were made for
300 Hams to be there. Over 600 showed up, and it's been growing ever since.
The DARA Amateur Radio Operator of the Year Award was presented
to George Jacobs, W3ASK, the propagation columnist for CQ magazine. The
Technical Excellence Award was presented to Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, for his
excellent work with AMSAT.
The featured speakers were Bob Heil, K9EID; Roy Neal, K6DUE,
and Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH. Each presented his views on the beginnings
of Amateur Radio and what lies ahead in the future for the hobby.
Sunday
Those who procrastinated on Saturday were handsomely rewarded
on Sunday as wheeling and dealing was evident throughout the flea market.
Sellers who didn't want to pack it back home were willing to bargain on
just about anything left. By 10 a.m., most sellers were calling it a day
and starting the chore of packing and the exodus out the gate. Those who
stayed a little later were really trying to sell their wares!
Forums continued on Sunday morning with the most interesting
being presented by Bill Cross, W3TN, and Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, from
the FCC. They discussed current actions being taken by the FCC, including
the review of the latest ARRL petition for reconsideration of PRB-1. That
petition will be reviewed by the Commissioners, not just by the WTB branch.
Bill did mention that with the restructuring of Amateur Radio, we can
look forward to a change in operator privileges within the next two years.
One surprising comment was the result of a question about repeaters. Bill
stated that unless there is a problem with deliberate inteference, or
some other gross violation of FCC rules, the FCC will not handle repeater
problems. He said it's a local problem, capable of being solved by Hams
in the area of the problem.
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, then entertained the audience
with tales of enforcement. Stating that stupidity and radio don't belong
together, he mentioned California leads the nation in stupidity when it
comes to FCC violations. There were a few of us from California, but not
enough to make it a fair fight, so we just sat and let it bounce off our
thick skulls! I told him I would get even with him, but how do you get
back at the "Enforcer?"
Final thoughts
This convention would not be possible without the thousands
of hours put in by volunteers and the Dayton Amateur Radio Association.
They organize an excellent event each year, and the quality of the services
available shows it. For non-Hams, there's always activities at other venues
to entertain while the Hams spend the family fortune in the flea market.
The Trotwood Police Department does an excellent job in traffic control,
and the security staff is always helpful.
One item that never gets mentioned is the opportunity for
other groups to earn a little money during the Hamvention. There's plenty
of snack bars around the arena and outside in the flea market, and each
and every one of them is a fund raiser for groups from Scouts to different
High School groups. With 28,000 hungry Hams in attendance, you can bet
they increased their treasuries quite a bit. Kudos to DARA for providing
them the opportunity!
The citizens of the Dayton area deserve a pat on the back,
too. It doesn't seem to bother them at all when we invade their turf for
a weekend. In fact, they seem to welcome us with open arms!
The staff at Hara Arena puts in a full day's work each day,
and then some. This year, with the rain falling all day Friday, a major
effort was just keeping the floor dry inside the doorways. They did an
excellent job. I didn't hear any tales of anyone slipping and breaking
that brand new shack-on-the-belt!
Thanks, Dayton, DARA and the others. We're looking forward
to next year!
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