Hamfest Attendance

[ka0sog]

I am the Chairman for the Ararat Shrine Hambash April 19th in Kansas City. We in the club are curious for the sake of planning if any of you have noticed attendance dropping off at hamfest from out of staters due to the price of gas climbing.

[ka0gkt]

I know that I don't plan on going to any hamfests more than a Ford Focus Tankful round trip...unless I can make the trip do double duty like visit my daughter or have the XYL visit her sisters. Any money spent on gasoline to get to and from the hamfest will be deducted from what I have bugeted to spend with the dealers and Flea Market folks, so even if I go, I'll be looking for bargains (which seem few and far between at Hamfests these days).

[k4kyv]

I had noticed hamfest attendance dropping off from both in-staters and out-of-staters even when gas was cheap.

[N9LCD]

I agree with K4KYV. Fest attendance has been going down even before gas prices went through the ceiling.

WHY?

IMHO:

As the urban/suburban sprawl increases, the sites available or usable for fests declines, forcingthe fests further out. The CFMC fest which used to be a Grayslake has moved to near Rockford, doubling the distance and travel time from central Chicago. You get to the point where the travel time equals or exceeds the "browsing" time.

While the quantity of fests has increased, the overall quality has declined. I've been to fests with FOUR dealers and less than TWELVE sellers. You might con somebody into coming once or twice, but, after a while, they'll quit.

The efficiency or effectiveness of the fests as a marketplace for electronic has declined. It's now more efficient or effective to buy on-line or, over the phone, from a dealer. If I'm looking for "big glass" vacuum tubes, I don't go to a fest; it's waste of time.

Fests have, to a large part, ceased being "buyer friendly". I know that the sponsor has to cover their costs and, hopefully, make a small profit, but there's something called "customer relations" that's being ignored. I meam, I've seen complaints about fests charging $6 for parking. To that, you could add coffee that costs morethan Starbuck's!

Overall, I feel that a lot of amateurs have gotten tired of paying for the sponsor's "STATUS SYMBOLS", be they a repeater system or a fest.

JERRY

N9LCD

[kn4ds]

As sort of defacto chair for the Heart of Georgia Hamfest (http://www.heartofgeorgiahamfest.com (http://www.heartofgeorgiahamfest.com/)), I hope to see attendance actually rise. It's May 10, but I fear gas prices are going to play a big factor, even though we have several vendors coming this year, instead of pretty much just a boneyard/swap meet.

We're trying to grow it, but it may well be that the day of the hamfest has gone.

[N2RJ]

There's a huge fest around where I live, less than 10 miles away...

[KA4DPO]

I'm planning on going to Timonium next weekend. It's about a two hour drive from here but I'm not worried about the gas as much as what I really want to find. A few years ago I flew to Columbus, rented a car and got a hotel room to attend Dayton. I do think the higher gas prices will have an impact on a lot of people who have to drive a couple of hundred miles or more but I don't think hamfests will disapear as long as the hobby exists. I think they may get smaller as time goes by.

[w3wn]

Attendance at most of the hamfests in the Pittsburgh area were in decline for the last 5 - 10 years, for a variety of reasons. That trend ended for most last spring (2007). I'd like to say it was sooner, but the first hamfest of 2007 (my club's, natch) got hit with an ice storm that morning that cost us significant attendance.

Starting last spring, from those I attended at least, overall attendance either held steady or rose. And the first hamfest of 2008 (my club's again) showed an attendance increase compared to 2 years before -- and to be blunt, was a lot more profitable. (Selling out almost all of the tables in advance, which paid for the hall rental, was a big help!)

Gas prices will sting. But one thing I noticed were quite a few hams carpooling, especially those coming from any significant distance.

One thing that really helped our attendance, and something I highly recommend to all holding indoor or cold-weather-time-of-year hamfests: Get someone to sponsor the coffee pot and offer free coffee all day. We've been doing this for close to 10 years now. Sure, it costs about $40 - 50 (which the sponsor covers) for coffee and supplies, and we "lose" the $10 or $15 we might have made on coffee sales. But -- it encourages people to stick around, sit, relax, chat, and then maybe get up and take another look around. It discourages people from the one or two trips around the room & gone syndrome. Promotes good will, and keeps people around longer, which ultimately benefits the dealers and other table holders.

We also use a caterer to run the kitchen for breakfast and lunch. He makes money at it every year. People tell us they like the quality of the food, the choices available, and the reasonable prices. We don't have to worry about manning the kitchen. Or about a group of kid volunteers who run out of food or don't know how to cook it (something like this, I am told, happened to another club at their 'fest in the recent past) but charge way too much.

I'm sure you can think of others. Remember: These are little things. They don't cost much. But they pay off in big dividends. They generate good will and good memories of the event, which encourages people to talk about what a great time they had, and plan to return the following year. So both in the short and long term, these little things pay off.

73

[wb5ydk]

Here is a link to the hamfest that Dave, KA0SOG, is helping to organize, in the Kansas City area: http://www.hambash.com/

[AF9J]

I had noticed hamfest attendance dropping off from both in-staters and out-of-staters even when gas was cheap.


Don's right to a great extent. I remember going to a 'fest last year for the first time in ages, that was a shadow of what I remembered it to be, the last time I went to it in the 90s. To top it off, there was a fair amount of rummage sale and computer junk at it. That's a turnoff to me. I like to go to hamfests for parts, radio gear, and radio related stuff. And yes, gas prices will probably hurt hamfest attendance. But other factors have been hurting hamfests too. Many hams seem more inclined to buy from online sites, than drive to a 'fest. Point, click, pay with a credit card, and you're done - no 1, 2 hours, or more driving to a 'fest, that may not even have what you're looking for. So, more time can be spent doing other things. Also the cost of holding fests, has caused many of them to call it quits. This happend with the hamfest my old radio club used to hold.

Still, not all is bad. Some fests are still pretty good. I went to one last summer that was jammed with flea market tables full of radio gear, in 3 lines over 500 feet long, in a field. I got a great deal on a Yaesu FT-620B, that got me back on 6m, and will also serve as my 6m AM station. Ham and Ham Swapfests are great places to get gear, without getting financially beat up by pricing like you often encounter on ePay. Also hamfests are great places to have eyeball QSOs with amateurs you've met on the air (which I did at a 'fest last week).

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[N2RJ]

We also use a caterer to run the kitchen for breakfast and lunch. He makes money at it every year. People tell us they like the quality of the food, the choices available, and the reasonable prices. We don't have to worry about manning the kitchen. Or about a group of kid volunteers who run out of food or don't know how to cook it (something like this, I am told, happened to another club at their 'fest in the recent past) but charge way too much.

Our club mans the kitchen ourselves because we make a LOT of money from it, the majority of our hamfest profits in fact come from the kitchen.

[K0YLW]

I think ebay and the computer junk at the ham fests and the lack of ham gear is what has hurt the flea markets.

[ae4fa]

I try to go to as many hamfests as I can whether I'm looking for something or just to sit around and talk with friends old and new. It's because I want to support the notion of hamfests.

If we're going to one some distance away, several of us carpool and caravan with others who are doing the same. We always have a designated simplex frequency and never fail to coordinate a breakfast stop.

Yes, I have seen a steep decline at most, but there are a couple of exceptions, which are growing. I attribute declines to e-pay.

Some folks in our local club have been yammering for years about how we should have a 'fest here, revive the one that existed years ago. So, just as a test, we decided to organize a tailgater. It will be held in a city park and feature no admission charge, no commission on sales and free coffee. Cost to the club will be less than $250 total. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

I'm of the opinion that some 'fests that are fairly geographically close should consider consolidation into one quality event rather than continue with their own individual disappointments.

[N8UZE]

I think another issue is that so many hams like I and my OM have pretty much everything we can afford. We seldom spend more than $10 bucks at a hamfest these days. We go just for fun. While this is fine for the ticket sales, it certainly will not attract sellers.

Our club's hamfest has held pretty steady the last few years.

[WA6MHZ]

Somone asked about the Santee swapmeet. I have seen it go from a smashing success to a neglible event, however the grounds are still full, just not of ham radio stuff. I was one of the founders to fhe swapmeet back in the 80s after it had to move from the SWAN radio parking lot in Oceanside. We first moved to the San Diego Stadium (Now Qualcomm stadium where the Chargers play) but the stadium management saw a conflict in having a swapmeet there and gettiing it cleared out for games. So it was moved to the Santee Drive-in where it has been ever since. At first, it was great, with Hams coming from as far away as Arizona and Nevada to visit the monthly event. It was So successful that the swapmeet owner decided to make it 2 weekends a month, 1st and 3rd Saturdays. About that time, Ebay started up and things went downhill since. Now, we are lucky to have 1 or 2 Ham Radio sellers. There is still plenty of computer junk, and old lamps or dressses, but finding a Ham rig is sparse. That is because sellers find they can get serious money for items on Ebay and at the swapmeet, buyers weasle them down on items. The same item they sell for $10 at the swapmeet they can fetch probably $100 or more on Ebay! Consequently, with fewer Ham sellers, there are fewer Ham shoppers. But there are PLENTY of Mexicans. This place is filled with South of the Border shoppers looking for Amercian stuff to take back to Mexico. Tijuana is filled with what the shoppers collect and return with . Bring a Ham Radio and no one looks at it. But bring a box of old stereos, TV, car parts, and outright rubbish you would normally throw out, and the Mexicans go for it like PIRANAHS on a Carcass!!!! So, the swapmeet itself is having a jam packed banner day every week, but there just is no Ham equipment for sale. What does show up is quickly scarfted up by another form of Piranah. the RESELLER. These vermin scout the grounds to weasle whoever brought anything out of their "USELESS" ham items, and then they quickly take them home and put them on Ebay. These Resellers make thousands of tax free dollars this way. The same people quickly are at Widows doors before the Ham's body isn't even cold offering to "help" out the widow by taking away all this "WORTHLESS HAM JUNK". They give the sobbing widow a couple of bucks for their trouble and haul it all away to resell on Ebay. They are also found at auctions and anywhere they can pick uo Ham items to fill their pockets. Who needs a job when you can make lots of money off of HAM radio? So the prices get driven up on Ebay, where a rig that should go for $10 goes for hundreds, as the collectors and SHILLs fight it out for the prize. Hams see a TS520 go for $499 on Ebay, and don't want to sell it to the new ham who needs a rig for $100 anymore, and are surprized when no one wants to pay that at the Hamfests. With no sales, they say "WHY BOTHER GOING?" and just sell them on Ebay. REALLY greedy Hams will take a perfectly good working radio all apart to sell it as pieces hoping to make EVEN MORE money. I was recently outbid on just some FEET for a Heathkit. Can you imagine some lousy FEET for a radio going for $20 when the whole radio isn't worth more than that??? But thats Ebay, where the RICHEST BASTARDS in thw world outbid you every time, or make you pay way outrageous sums for things that should really have gone for a QUARTER!

[wf5tx]

The following is an observation regarding the last few hamfests I've attended. Plenty of people were in attendance, but there were many, many more potential buyers than there were practical items to buy.

At one of these hamfests I noticed that half of the room was not being used. Tables were set up, but they were empty. At the other event, a full 75% of the room was unused.

Here's my idea. Designate these empty tables as "community" tables and allow any Ham who has purchased a ticket to bring two items to be displayed at one of the tables at no additional charge. The items must be strictly Amateur Radio related. No decorative iron or dog food like I've seen at some hamfests. A group may also decide to put an "age limit" on the items being sold.

The sponsoring club might also supply a basic "test" setup at one of the tables so that equipment can be "checked out" by the potential buyer.

I'm betting that most hams in attendance have one or two good quality items that they wouldn't mind converting to cash, but don't want to rent a table to do so. Also, they don't want to have to "stand guard" over just one or two items and miss out on the rest of the hamfest. And they don't want to be forced out on the parking lot to "tail gate" with two items, either.

As for "standing guard", the sponsoring club could assign this detail to a volunteering member or two. Hams leaving equipment can put an index card or similar note on their items with the price and their call sign. If they are not at the table when someone needs info on an item, they can be paged. The seller's driver license or other unique ID number etched on the sale items might not be a bad idea, either. Just a thought.

If the hams who are displaying their one or two items want to volunteer to do a half-hour shift of guard duty at the "community" tables, that would be nice. However, I wouldn't require it of non-members as this might put a dent in participation and, after all, full tables are the object of this idea.

As an alternative to "free" tables for this operation, you could try charging $1. This doesn't sound unreasonable to me and might still generate a lot of interest.

73,

WF5TX

[ka0sog]

The following is an observation regarding the last few hamfests I've attended. Plenty of people were in attendance, but there were many, many more potential buyers than there were practical items to buy.

At one of these hamfests I noticed that half of the room was not being used. Tables were set up, but they were empty. At the other event, a full 75% of the room was unused.

Here's my idea. Designate these empty tables as "community" tables and allow any Ham who has purchased a ticket to bring two items to be displayed at one of the tables at no additional charge. The items must be strictly Amateur Radio related. No decorative iron or dog food like I've seen at some hamfests. A group may also decide to put an "age limit" on the items being sold.

The sponsoring club might also supply a basic "test" setup at one of the tables so that equipment can be "checked out" by the potential buyer.

I'm betting that most hams in attendance have one or two good quality items that they wouldn't mind converting to cash, but don't want to rent a table to do so. Also, they don't want to have to "stand guard" over just one or two items and miss out on the rest of the hamfest. And they don't want to be forced out on the parking lot to "tail gate" with two items, either.

As for "standing guard", the sponsoring club could assign this detail to a volunteering member or two. Hams leaving equipment can put an index card or similar note on their items with the price and their call sign. If they are not at the table when someone needs info on an item, they can be paged. The seller's driver license or other unique ID number etched on the sale items might not be a bad idea, either. Just a thought.

If the hams who are displaying their one or two items want to volunteer to do a half-hour shift of guard duty at the "community" tables, that would be nice. However, I wouldn't require it of non-members as this might put a dent in participation and, after all, full tables are the object of this idea.

As an alternative to "free" tables for this operation, you could try charging $1. This doesn't sound unreasonable to me and might still generate a lot of interest.

73,

WF5TX


Certainly an interesting idea. Thanks to all for the input. We had mixed success with the food last year but we relooked at the idea and will try again. We tried an auction last year and had mixed success. Maybe another fest will try it with better results and we can learn something from them. We will keep working at it and we won't give up on hamfest just yet.

Dave

[K9DNK]

Hello Everyone, Can anyone tell me of a HamFest or swap meet of some sorts in the Philadelphia, PA area?? I haven't heard of any that were not super far from here. Thanx for any input!!
DAN

[n4cd]

Go to www.arrl.org and select 'hamfests' on the left hand menu. You can pull up all the hamfests for a region, state, month.

There is hamfest in Timonium MD not all that far from Phila next weekend

You got on in York PA coming up.

Get together with some other hams and carpool it....not bad with 3 or 4 or more hams in a vehicle as far as gas goes!

I'll be off to Dayton OH come may - 1000 miles.......each way..but worth it.



There are bunches of hamfests back 'east'.

[K9STH]

DS:

The Heart of Georgia website gives precisely no information except for the date!

It does not even tell where!

The reason I am asking is that my wife and I will be in Powder Springs, Georgia, between 3 May 2008 and 13 May 2008. Depending on the circumstances I might be able to attend.

Glen, K9STH

[ai4ep]

One thing sbout hamfests ( positive note ) is --- most of your friends that show up will NOT tell you IN ADVANCE that they are coming / going to the hamfest...they just show up. Which is great.

Now for the bad news --- most of the folks that tell you that they WILL be at an upcoming hamfest will not show up for various reasons ---work / wife sick ( he aint married ) / in - laws trouble / high price of gas ( even when it was $2 per gallon ) / personal sickness ( bone in leg ) / weather ( even when the weather couldnt be better and it didnt keep all the thousands - hundreds of OTHER hams away . /

Now I have done went and problably offended some ones excuse for not going to a hamfest this coming year.

I plan to go to any locally...even Huntsville ( which I didnt go to last year and definately regretted it afterwards )...I may even go to Birmingham hamfest this year ( first weekend of May 2008 ) which I aint never been to before, but always wanted to go to , just never got started going to it....also FAYETTE tailgate party which is about 3 - 5 years old but I aint been yet **free food **.

So I plan to go to about 5 events this year ---
Moulton ---last Saturday of April (26 )
Birmingham ---first Saturday of May
Fayette --- ?
Cullman ----- late July/ early August
Huntsville ---- 3rd weekend of August

In simple terms, get away from the computer on Saturdays and go to hamfests this year and socialize with other amateurs instaead of being an old grouch sitting at home and griping..............................what about YOU ??

I Do have a problem with crowds but I have a plan around that scenerio...if no crowds show up, then I should have no problem....right ?

[k7mh]

In simple terms, get away from the computer on Saturdays and go to hamfests this year and socialize with other amateurs instaead of being an old grouch sitting at home and griping..............................what about YOU ??

Yeah!! That's right! And be sure to buy a plate tuning knob for a DX60B for $25!! :eek:

[wa6itf]

Here is a link to the hamfest that Dave, KA0SOG, is helping to organize, in the Kansas City area: http://www.hambash.com/


What memories this announcement has just stirred for me. Back in the late 1980's through the early 1990's KC had one of the best annual hamfests in the nation. It was sponsored by the PHD Amateur Radio Club and was initially held at the old KCI Airport that was no longer a passanger aircraft facility. It later moved to the downtown to the H. Batle Roe Convention Center before -- I guess -- dying away.

In retrospect, the PHD Hamfest was in good part one man -- the late Chuck Miller, WA0KUH, who was a person who refused to take "no" for an answer. I do not think that the word "no" was even in his vocabulary. Even with his health in decline he was all over Bartle Hall on his scooter overseeing every aspect of the hamfest. His crowning glory came in 1989 (?) when the ARRL chose it for the venue of their National Convention.

To illustrate what I am talking about, my association with the PHD Hamfest began in a rathewr off beat way. One afternoon I was sitting at this very desk and my phone rang. As usual I answered "Hello Newsline."

A somewhat gruff voice on the other end replied: "This is Miller. I bought you a ticket to fly out for our hamfest next week. I want ya to talk a few minutes about your news. Jim will meet you t the airport and bring you here. We got you a good hotel room and I hope American Airlines is OK by ya."

I responded: "Ehhh... Who is this?"

He responded: "Im Miller, WA0KUH and I chair the PHD Hamfest over at KCI Airport. Your'e commin, ain't ya?"

So I said to myself: "self... this is the strangest invite to a speak at a ham convention I have ever received. I'm so curious that I got to go."

I did, and it was the beginning of a decade-long association between myself and the PHD Hamfest that ended when Ckuck Miller, WA0KUH, became a Silent Key back in September 2001. (Chuck also served as Midwest Division Vice Director from 1988 to the end of 1991)

I lost contact with the PHD club after Chuck's passing and I kind of doubt if that hamfest has survived. But back in the 1980' and early 1990's it was a fun gathering and an event where as an attendee or as a forum presenter -- you always felt welcome.

Epilogue: The last time I visited with Chuck was back in 2000. I was taping part of a pilot for a show I was trying to develop and did that out in Hiawatha KS. As I was flying in / out through Kansas City I called Check to see if he would like a visit. We spent about four hours sitting in his livingroom talking about the "old days." His health was in pretty rapid decline by then but he insisted we all go to his favorite haunt -- a cafeteria in North Kansas City where for years the PHD Banquet had been held. Try as he might, he just could not do it so we just stayed at his house with his lovely wife serving us snacks now and again. I left there at about 3:30 pm I had my usual 6:10 flight out to Dallas. That was the last time I would ever see Chuck. Ive not been back to Kansas City since.

To those of you putting on the new KC HamBash -- I truly wish you all the best. You have a great ham community out there in middle-America and I hope you get all of the support that community can afford to you.

de Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF
ARNewsline

[NN3W]

Bill, one thing you actually hit upon which is indicative of hamfests and radio - conventions. I remember when conventions for amateur radio were real deals. For example, the ARRL national used to be held in Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Dallas, or other large cities. They were honest to goodness trade shows. And they were held at major convention style hotels - LA Airport Marriott for example.

No longer. I don't know what the last major city to hold the ARRL National was? Huntsville doesn't cut it.

[KA8NCR]

I think hamfest attendance is down because interest in the hobby is down. Many hams are not active, although I have seen a lot more old timers at recent hamfests that I have not seen nor heard on the air in a very long time.

Furthermore, I don't think hamfests are marketed all that well. A recent fairly local hamfest sent me a post card in the mail. A standard QSL sized postcard can be effective, but not when you have 7 and 8 point fonts. C'mon, think about it; it costs nearly the same to send a full-sized brochure AND larger type means your core audience (a bunch of old farts) can actually read it without grabbing a magnifying glass.

[kn4ds]

DS:

The Heart of Georgia website gives precisely no information except for the date!

It does not even tell where!

The reason I am asking is that my wife and I will be in Powder Springs, Georgia, between 3 May 2008 and 13 May 2008. Depending on the circumstances I might be able to attend.

Glen, K9STH
I know... that's my bad. I originally registered the domain and put that site up when things were still in a pretty decent bit of limbo... I have time set aside tomorrow to update it.

FYI, it'll be at the Byron Middle School, right off I-75, about 100 miles south of Powder Springs... Exit #149.

I'll get that site updated tomorrow, as it appears the server it's on may have an issue, too... grrrr

[ON EDIT]
OK, the server issue resolved and now I've updated the page as well.

I'll get the vendor information on there shortly, as well as food info... plus clean up the site a bit.

[ky5u]

I am the Chairman for the Ararat Shrine Hambash April 19th in Kansas City. We in the club are curious for the sake of planning if any of you have noticed attendance dropping off at hamfest from out of staters due to the price of gas climbing.

I drove 4.5 hours to the Rayne, La. (near Lafayette) hamfest yesterday and today. I enjoyed it.

[K9STH]

DS:

OK, just south of Macon.

My degree is from the "North Avenue Trade School" (a.k.a. The Georgia Institute of Technology - better known as "Georgia Tech"). I spent 4.5 years in Atlanta and my wife was raised in Atlanta (we lived in Forest Park my senior year in college). Have been through Byron numerous times in the past. My youngest daughter was born in Dallas, Texas, but has been in the Atlanta area for over 10 years and we are going to vist her for 10 days.

Can't promise that I will show up. However, I will definitely try to make it if possible.

Glen, K9STH

[KA7RRA]

I think some of the promblems we have is the over price of gear that is 20-30 yrs old and EBAY. I have had people tell me that thye could get twice has much on EBAY,and I well not buy a used radio just to save 40-50-60 dollars from a new one. Vendors lower your prices

I have been going to ham-fest for the last 25 yrs and I do see the same stuff over and over.

[kg5vk]

I also drove over 4 hours to the Rayne, La. (near Lafayette) hamfest yesterday

I enjoyed it.

sold a few boat anchors and even some newer stuff
Heil Headset and Rig Blaster Pro
both hams were thrilled to find those items and did not quibble at the price or the lack of a shipping fee :cool:

Yes the amount of money I made from my sales was cut in Half by the cost of the gas and yes I am having second thoughts on driving to Huntsville Alabama from North West Louisiana - Gas cost -

I was very impressed with the Huntsville Hams
they take care of their guests
simple things like assisting in unloading gear the night before the fest !

They have forums that are interesting !

Too many Hamfest have nothing other than the repeater group and sky warn forum, yes it was a state convention and there was an ARRL forum
that I missed - so I missed the one forum I would have enjoyed being a participate at.

I was not surprised the Rayne Hamfest did not offer a Dx forum Or a talk on antenna choices by a local dx, contester or even a rag chewer that has more than one antenna in his antenna farm (I am sure ever community has at least one elmer with more than one antenna for HF)

I would like to see and will drive within 5 hours to attend Hamfests that offer things of interests to me

I did enjoy meeting and was pleasantly surprised with the new candidate for our ARRL division (Delta)
In fact finding K5MC there and being able to talk about where we might be and where we as members of the league might want our league to take us
was more rewarding than the sales from my wares at the flee market table.

But while every hamfest can not have a candidate for our ARRL division
they can offer forums to add interests beyond repeater and D star topics !

I challenge those of you that are organizing hamfest to offer a broad range of subjects in seminars

In fact my Huntsville trip will be a go even with higher gas prices IF
there is a topic and a speaker of that topic that is of interests to me.

Heck I met a guy at the Rayne Hamfest that I would have loved to have seen give a presentation, because he has an SDR radio and has been using it for some time now.

The Hamfest committee could have easily drawn a bigger audience by billing him as a Forum speaker, this underlines to me that in every community there exists some one that has a worthy topic to speak on.

So even if you can't get some one like WX0B, K8KI, N1MM and the likes to speak you can find someone that will attract more people !

73
steve
KG5VK

[k8jd]

Back in the '60s I hitched rides across the state to go to ARRL conventions and hamfests (I was a high-school student with no car).
I also belonged to a ham club for many years that sponsored a major metro area hamfest and worked at many of the annual events.
...The last big hamfest/swap & swindle fest I attended was over 10 years ago because the nature of the event was quickly shifting away from radio.
The last sale floor at a hamfest I saw was mostly old computer gear, homemade jewellery and trinkets, leather goods, kids toys, bike parts and very little actual radio gear and parts.
Not for me any more !

[kn4ds]

DS:

OK, just south of Macon.

My degree is from the "North Avenue Trade School" (a.k.a. The Georgia Institute of Technology - better known as "Georgia Tech"). I spent 4.5 years in Atlanta and my wife was raised in Atlanta (we lived in Forest Park my senior year in college). Have been through Byron numerous times in the past. My youngest daughter was born in Dallas, Texas, but has been in the Atlanta area for over 10 years and we are going to vist her for 10 days.

Can't promise that I will show up. However, I will definitely try to make it if possible.

Glen, K9STH

Yup, 2nd exit south of where I-75 and I-475 merge...

I'm familiar with the ramblin' wreck... got a lot of friends who went there, but I still hang out with 'em anyway. :D

If you think you'll make it, let me know, would enjoy meeting you... depending on the level of test candidates, I might have to be in a classroom with the test session, but that's just part of the day.

[ka0sog]

That was the last time I would ever see Chuck. Ive not been back to Kansas City since.

To those of you putting on the new KC HamBash -- I truly wish you all the best. You have a great ham community out there in middle-America and I hope you get all of the support that community can afford to you.

de Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF
ARNewsline

You bet I remember Chuck Miller! I for one had my first voice QSO after passing my tech at the event. Some perfect stranger was complementing some of us for passing and said here give it a shot and handed me his handheld. I worked a local repeater and he wondered off while myself and a couple of fellow successful test takers ran down his battery. He came back later and retrieved his radio and when we apologized he said no problem I remember the first time I got on voice too. What a kind man, I wish I had the presence of mind to get his name and call because to this day I don't know who did me that kindness.

Bill many thanks for your kind words and recollections; PHD was the first radio club I belonged to. So come back to Kansas City and visit us!

Dave Hinkley KA0SOG