Michael Kalter, W8CI and Tim Duffy, K3LR discuss the Hamvention 2020 events in lieu of cancellation. Contest University 2020- Register for free: https://www.contestuniversity.com Hamvention QSO Party: https://hamvention.org/hamvention-qso-party-saturday-may-16/
Contest University was excellent! Thanks to everybody who pulled this off. I can only imagine how much work was involved in the major effort. Hoping for an in-person Contest University in 2021 with the incredible breakfast buffet.
I know right!? I can't even imagine two more days of the week with absolutely nothing on the air. At least it's activity on the weekends.
I myself am not a trophy hunter but when the band conditions are reported to be in such bad shape, just tune around your antenna`s resonant frequency, and make the best of what you have. Put out a signal, listen for a while, put out another signal. Join in with the contesters and have fun! You can`t change the Solar Index so, Again, Make the best of what you have, there is a whole lot more to Amateur Radio. Read, experiment, build something, or SWL. Use what we have or lose it to another service. I did make 1, one contact on May 16 to a contact hunter where his report was 59, 91, I had to remember the first time I went to Dayton, 1991! I then shut off the rig and went to chat with my XYL and reminisced on how much fun we had all those years, driving for 8 hours to get there for Friday morning, how much we miss going to spend $0.50 dollars to buy stuff that we could have done without. I look at it like the traffic on your way to work (pre COVID-19), simply wait, the roads will be clear again, just like the ham bands. Amateur radio is like a disease, it is in our blood, it is in our brain, it is 24-7 not just on the weekends! Terry, VE3NEJ (since 1979)
It was great fun hearing what year contacts were first at Dayton. One was 1965 I believe...that was a hoot. Tons of 2020's and 1998's for some reason. People forget to just have FUN.
