The 59th annual Rayne Hamfest was March 8 & 9, 2019. It was a good show that was well attended. Every year the club goes out of it's way to put this on and every year it gets a little bigger and better. The clubs EMCOM trailer was on display as were their go kits. Icom's EMCOMM-1 van made it to the show as well. Yaesu, MFJ, Elecraft, Expert Linear, Radio Waves, Be Ready Solar and Main Trading were some of the vendors there. There were seminars on DXing, contesting and ARES. Representatives of ARRL's Delta Division gave interesting presentations as well. As usual the food was outstanding! Bar B Q pork steaks, hamburgers, a pastalia dish that was very unique and delicious was just some of what was on hand. The club ladies at the High Q Sweet Shop had lots of homemade goodies that were enjoyed by many. There was even a bingo game in one of the rooms for anyone who wanted a break from the activities or for the non-hams. In addition to most of the local hams, we had amateurs from as far away as Ohio and Michigan who attended. We had a few techs from a local hospital who were interested in setting up an amateur station at their main campus. I showed them our go kits and introduced them to the vendors and local Emcom operators. They appreciated the effort and left with all the information and contacts they needed to get started. The main prize this year was an Icom 5100. All in all the show was well attended and a success. Derek WM5TS AARA Club member.
