Not a great start for me Xvention

So got up real early, so I thought. Twenty minutes from home to Xenia. Then spent hour or hour and a half stuck in stopped traffic in that town. Got inside. Parked me in muddy grass absolutely as far from venue as possible. Rode in on a trailer pulled by farm tractor. I was pretty disoriented the whole time there. Outside was wet grass and mud. Temp and humidity high. I think I spent about as much time there as I did stuck in traffic and just left. Bought a twenty dollar coax switch that I can actually use. Tomorrow small chance I will return. Large chance I will never return. I am sure a lot of folks will have a blast, but after decades of going, something about this new place. Good luck.

 

HARA was the ideal venue!!! Too bad the owners let it get run down and had to lose it for back taxes not paid. HARA was HAMVENTION!!! But I can't run down the new place yet as I haven't been there. I loved HARA!

 

Have the video up at W5KUB.com on another tab at the moment mostly folks walking by the camera but they do take the camera out and about from time to time if you can't be there you can get some idea of what is going on.

 

The parking does sound like a Cluster****! That will be the number one complaint for Xenia. Not sure how it wasn't a problem at Hara. I always had the best parking spot in the place with my volunteer pass and Handicrapped placard

 

I wanted to have a good time today. But I just found the conditions off putting for me. I don't do well in heavy heat and humidity anymore. And the inside displays were basically large pole barns, the one I went in was open to the outside air. Maybe it is just the newness, but with the traffic and stuff I saw, the venue seems to be like trying to stuff ten pounds of schtuff into a five pound bag. It would be the ideal venue for a much smaller hamfest, probably. This is all my opinion and I am sure that others will tell me I am totally wrong. IF the weather tomorrow was supposedly going to be, say, sunny and 72 degrees, it would seem appealing to try again but I think we are looking at more of the same, and after the grass in parking and flea market has been driven over much more, with more rain coming, muck and yuck. Better wear your wellingtons tomorrow to wade thru it. I realize they cannot control the weather but I still don't find a muggy quagmire appealing. At least at Hara, the water drained off the lots at some point.

 

Watching the KUB feed...

..DOUG
KD4MOJ

 

This is disappointing to hear, I hope it gets better. Hara was an absolute dump, and I haven't been in probably 10 years now because it wasn't getting any better. I figured I'd wait for the reports to filter in on the new location before committing to go again.

It's kind of sad that this is the premier event of our hobby....

Steve
KV6O

 

From watching the W5KUB video feed it's quite warm there and the buildings do not appear to be air conditioned. It' been a few years so I don't recall if the old location was air conditioned.

 

I will confirm the 1-1/2 hrs traffic problem. Since I need a scooter to get around the wet ground and mud ate my batteries which normally are good for many miles but here the lasted the amount of time it took to get into gate. Tempers seemed be on edge do to the heat. Hara was by far more convenient but the venue sucked.

 

Just checked the weather there, 84 degrees and 68% humidity sounds about perfect to me. I'd be loving it...that part of it anyway. 52 degrees here with highs only in the upper 40s this weekend. Hope all the 'vention goers have at least a tolerable time. Hoping to make it next year, or the year after that for sure.

 

Listen, I really really wanted it to work out, I wait all year for this. Now I hear thunder in the distance. The humidity seemed worse maybe because of the sunshine and all the wet from the previous night. I might have found it a little more tolerable if I were 20+ years younger. A great adventure! Sun aint shinin there now! Maybe they can improve things...somehow....and I might go back when the weather is ideal or something. That means no advance ticket anymore. Don't see how you can improve the traffic unless you park way off site which means inconvenience for purchases to me. Dragging a bag of stuff you buy gets heavy fast.

 

I had a great time. No traffic problems either day, since I arrived early and approached from the west. No parking problems on site, again because I arrived early and parked near the gate. Arrived early means getting there around 7 AM, and then napping or chatting with friends until the gate opened.

I found the venue to be pleasant. When it rained I stayed inside. The flea market did get muddy as Saturday progressed, however. For me, Hamvention is more exhibits, forums and indoor events and vendors than fleamarket. YMMV. In general there seemed to me to be fewer spaces, but much less crap. Again, YMMV.

All in all, imperfections but still a great event. Hara is dead and gone, so let's make the best of it. OSISI.

 

Well, I hate to ruin everyone's whinefest, but I'm having a GREAT time at Xenia. Sold a pile of books at W5YI booth. This venue actually has a MIDWAY, with TONS of great food vendors. I like the county fair atmosphere too.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled hand-wringing.

 

Well, that's GOOD to hear! So long as it's not like the dump Hara was, I'll be back! Might have to make plans for 2018!

Steve
KV6O

 

OK well then. I went back Saturday with my friend to help him in flea market, after he talked me into it. We got there from his house in about 10 minutes, no hour and half! Set up and sold some stuff there. I took my umbrella and got some rubber overshoes for the substantial wet and mud. Actually Sat was a much better experience, even with the lightning storm that blew thru mid morning(I took advantage of that and my umbrella to get food, no line then!). Bought some parts and vintage radios. Most of the morn. was cool and comfortable but overcast. Later on got sticky muggy again. Ended up exhausted but if next year can happen without the rain or wet issues, it should be alright. My Debbie Downer feelings of despair over Friday have substantially evaporated. Now Sunday not going. So anyone going on Sun, it is an open question how that works out. Probably less crowding?