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Hamvention

Posted by michael on from the hamvention? dept.

amateur radio buff writes "The Hamvention is coming up on May 16 - 18, for all you amateur radio people out there. This is the worlds biggest Ham fest held in Dayton, Ohio. With over 2500+ space outdoor vendor, and 500 inside exhibit spaces, find any amateur radio and electronic items there. Also the The 11th Annual Dayton Contest Dinner is held this year too! Dont miss it!"

10 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Encapsulating IP into RF by jortega · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Slashdotted Does any one know how I would be able to encapsulate IP into RF.????

  2. Re:the other white meat by polin8 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You were thinking spamvention

  3. Oh, simpler times... by MrPerfekt · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My dad took me to the good ol' hamvention every year for about 8 years. I went since I was 7 or so. Good times. I remember when it was held in the middle of April and you froze your butt off at your table space trying to sell your old nintendo games. Not that gradually nudging it into May helped that much with the weather.

    In any case, this is hardly new so if you're just learning about this for the first time, where have you been?

    But seriously, my experience is that this event as with most ham radio things has been dwindling over the years. Anyone else feel that way?

    It's a shame too because the community spirit of the ham radio operators rivals that of the early days of the Internet. But the Internet has lost its spark (or at least it's friendliness) far faster than amatuer radio.

    But at least we have the memories.

    --
    I just wasted your mod points! HA!
    1. Re:Oh, simpler times... by Gavin+Rogers · · Score: 3, Interesting

      But seriously, my experience is that this event as with most ham radio things has been dwindling over the years. Anyone else feel that way?

      It's a shame too because the community spirit of the ham radio operators rivals that of the early days of the Internet. But the Internet has lost its spark (or at least it's friendliness) far faster than amatuer radio.

      Its true that in many countries amateur radio licenses have started to fall in number... some blame "the internet" and others say that it's "young people" who have no interest anymore in technical hobbies. Hardly. I'm 24!

      Amateur radio has changed as times go on. unable to put up big antennas in your back yard to work stations internationally? All you have to do is pick up your handheld radio and connect via a voice-over-IP gateway and talk all you want worldwide.

      The UK's foundation license and Australia's proposed introductory license are trying to solve the problem we all seem to have of "no time for that". By making that first step into the hobby that much easier to get, more people are willing to give it a go.

      It is a fun and rewarding hobby that goes well with computing as a hobby (a different level of geekdom?) or as a different technical hobby if you're stuck with computers all day at work...

      The spark is still there! :-)

      Gavin
      VK6HGR

    2. Re:Oh, simpler times... by Chuck+Milam · · Score: 5, Interesting

      ...some blame "the internet" and others say that it's "young people" who have no interest anymore in technical hobbies.

      I blame the Internet and cable TV. No kidding. I was headed to a Linux Business Expo in the Twin Cities a couple years ago with some of my close (and very interested in technical hobbies) friends. We drove my car, and I was tuning around the HF bands as we made our way across town in the morning hours. The guys were interested for all of about 2 minutes. They were extremely disappointed that I couldn't just dial up whatever country they wanted. No kidding. It was like they expected me to dial in the [Japan|Germany|Mexico|France] channel, and have a open direct line to the country immediately.

      Once I explained that HF SSB mobile was more "art" in the sense that you had to bascially take what was on depending on the time of day, band conditions, whether someone was actually on, etc., they lost all interest.

      All too used to punching in a channel or a web address and having content delivered immediately, I guess.

      --Chuck, KF9FR

    3. Re:Oh, simpler times... by covertlaw · · Score: 2, Interesting
      There's nothing in a VX-1R that can't be replaced with the proper equipment and skills. You can purchase a PACE soldering system and work with SMT technology fairly easily. All it takes is a little more education and practice to work with the new technology.

      Quite honestly, I blame the ARRL for not including information on SMT technology in the training manuals. It really isn't that much more complicated than older thru-hole components and isn't that difficult to work with.

      73, KD5BFE

  4. Re:available bandwidth? by N3Bruce · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The VHF and UHF amateur bands can get a little crowded with all of those HTs walking around, plus the communications by the event organizers. There is more room on UHF (420-450 Mhz) than on VHF (144-148 Mhz). Also add in all the traffic for cell phones and demonstrations of different modes and it is sometimes hard to find a quiet frequency, based on my observations at the Timmonium, Maryland hamfest. Patience is sometimes needed, but there is usually enough bandwidth that a frequency opens up. Usually groups of hams will work on a pre-agreed frequency, and there are only so many simplex channels and repeaters within HT range to go around, so patience and courtesy goes a long way. Perhaps a few experiments with trunking on the amateur bands could extend the limited bandwidth, but since large hamfests are local and infrequent events, there seems fairly little incentive to push the technology, and get the rules changed to allow it.

  5. Ham radio swap meets are so over by Animats · · Score: 2, Interesting
    That's what Ebay is for.

    Even surplus stores are dead. In Silicon Valley, there are few left. Halted Specialties has the same crap it's had for the last decade. Action Computer has obsolete used PCs that cost more than new ones of equivalent power. The surplus store on 101 near San Tomas has rejected power tools from third-world countries. Alan Steel and Supply has tons of rusted-out equipment stored outdoors. (Good place to buy stainless steel; lousy for surplus). Wierd Stuff Warehouse has ancient Sun systems and ISDN networking gear.

    Electronic surplus is a victim of Moore's law. The new stuff is better and cheaper than the old stuff. Besides, components are so specialized today that used parts are mostly useless.

  6. Been there, done that. by MsWillow · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Back when I used to live in Chicago (instead of Seattle), I used to go to these things. This was a great place to talk with other tech nerds - why, my first Linux CDRom came from a hamfest (Slackware, long time ago). Then one year I went to a talk, and had my 2M handie stolen. That kind of put an end to me wanting to go back, ever again. :(

    Yes, these things can be fun, but they're also well-known, and well-loved, by all the thieves around. If you must go, lock the car, don't carry anything, use a fanny pack instead of a wallet or purse, and in general treat it like you were vacationing in a hostile country. Not my idea of a fun vacation, but a chaqu'un son gout.

    --

    Lemon curry?
  7. Re:available bandwidth? by Fastolfe · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't know that I would even consider it legacy. If you're trying to reach a station that's really far away, complex modulations are easily lost in the noise. Some times CW is the only way you can get a signal out at an appreciable distance.

    In addition, it's the "lowest common denominator" for station identifications, making it useful if you're listening to a signal that identifies itself with morse.