Ham Talk Live! Episode 171 - World Scout Jamboree & WalMart Parking Lots On the Air

If only some WalMarts have McDonald's have McDonald's in them then give a bonus 1/4 point multiplier to stations that contact another station that also have a McDonald's. Quarter Pounder, quarter multiplier. Job done!

 

Why would the rules matter? WalMart is still a commercial entity. The 6 station you responded to has it correct.

I'm trying to figure out why you and some of these other guys are so bent around the axle about people pointing out the presence of a commercial promotion in a radio event. I still think it's a stupid idea no matter who you try to dress everything up as some kind of joke. And yes, it IS a commercial promotion, anyone can see that. Why do you think corporate entities spend millions of dollars slapping their brand on anything they can? It's about exposure and repetition of the product name.

It just plain doesn't belong in ham radio.

Actually, I don't know why I bother to respond. I'm sure you'll come up with something as witty and insightful as you did responding to my last post.

Don't hurt yourself, station.

 

Viva WMPLOTA! Be there or be square!

 

I think you can find the 'chill pills' on aisle 11 inside Walmart. If you aren't a dedicated satellite operator you have no idea how many Walmarts are on grid lines which is how this all got started. It's a fun event that many of us satellite operators enjoy. If you don't like it, you don't have to participate. It's not like Walmart is paying us for spending 10-15 in their parking lot after buying items in their store. Chill out!

 

I never realized that some people can get so triggered over a small niche of the amateur radio community being creative and having fun. Personally, I can't wait for the event and plan on getting some fried chicken from the deli at Walmart and enjoying it out in the Walmart parking lot with my ham daughter and almost-a-ham daughter and sending some RF up to a satellite and letting others know the store number of the Walmart where we got the fried chicken. I can't think of a more fun thing to do with my kids than spending time with them eating fried chicken and playing on the radio. Hopefully, my ham daughter will let me make a contact or two rather than making them all herself.

 

We have ASDA in the UK. Part of the WalMart corp. Does that count?

 

I am thinking of starting a Casey's gas station on the Air who wants to join LOL
I hope they have fun but yeah its a bit much for me as well

 

I have to admit that the idea of being at a Wal-Mart parking lot made me laugh. But then again, lots of people go to Wal-Mart's (and not all of them make it to the People of Wal-Mart web sites) so I figure good exposure for the hobby. Good idea even if it is a bit tongue in cheek.

 

I will try to work the scouts no matter where they are located.
It is always fun to hear young operators on the air!
Hopefully a few of them will decide to get there license.

 

"Fun" is not the point, and you know it. You're sitting here promoting WalMart right here in this thread. BTW, I'm not getting into it with you because based on experience from past postings from you, you'll just repeat the same garbage over and over and over regardless of what facts are presented to you.

You're just plain wrong about this, period.

 

Krispy Kreme on the air! Waffle house on the Air! Dunkin' Donuts on the Air! Go where the hams hang out! POTA or mountain topping sounds more challenging...and healthier.

 

Do you often find yourself outside and yelling at clouds? Those of us that participate in WMPLOTA are not "wrong about this" and I can promise you that we are having lots of fun. Once again, chill pills can be found on aisle 11 and for quicker service you can use the self checkout located at the front of the store. I can't wait to exchange grids and store numbers with my fellow WMPLOTAians. 73!

 

The more I think about it, it's not silly. I believe the main point of these exercises is to get ham radio out into the public, get it seen where we can have the most return on investment. Walmart does bring in a lot of people, some will have time to see what's going on. But I think it's a marketing issue, for example, if you ask a mom and pop store if you can set up a station to demonstrate ham radio, you need to sell it as an opportunity to draw some people into their parking lot, and offer to plug their store to anyone that shows up to see what's going on. With Walmart, it's a different story, there we're trying to hook some of their existing customers, we won't be drawing new people in for them. In that case, the tactic is different, there we want to sell to Walmart the emergency aspect of ham radio (yes, even if it's talk to Santa event). By doing that we're saying Walmart is critical to the area, they have things that people will need in emergencies, people need to remember that. And because Walmart is critical to the community, it should participate in ham radio exercises, which give us a chance to see how things could work there. In the case of a real community emergency there will be law enforcement there, needing coordination with the local authorities. We need to ask them, "do they want to be part of the solution, or part of the problem?"

 

Wahhhhhhhh!

 

dont forget McDonalds on the air burger king on the air and KFC on the air Pizza Haven and Dominos on the air