Subj : Dayton Hamvention Roundup Saturday May 20, 2023
To   : QST
From : ARRL de WD1CKS
Date : Mon May 22 2023 02:13 pm

05/22/2023

by Mark H. Derks, KC1RVQ, ARRL Acquisitions Editor

Ramping up

An overnight rain soaked the Greene County Fairgrounds for Saturday's Dayton
Hamvention[1]�, but by the time the gates opened, the skies were mostly clear
and the temperature hovered in the mid-60s. The crowds were a little slower to
build, as if the convention itself - like many an attendee - needed a little
extra time to limber up for the day, but by about 10 AM the show floor was
lively. Hams funneled through the ARRL Expo[2] area, snagging 2023 ARRL Field
Day t-shirts, Year of the Volunteers pins, and after renewing their membership,
walking away with commemorative Gil cartoon mugs or ARRL's End-Fed Half-Wave
Antenna Kit offering. Amateur radio operators sought advice from ARRL experts
on everything from emergency communications to estate planning and legacy
donations, and the staff and volunteers managed everything with practiced
competence.

Meetup!

At the ARRL Meetup! booth, authors Glen Popiel, KW5GP, Ward Silver, N0AX, and
Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, drew good crowds for their signings. Popiel, who
authored More Arduino for Ham Radio[3] and other titles, traded Arduino
projects and elucidated ideas with his usual topsy wit. Silver courted a bevy
of admirers and knowledge-seekers - particularly as lead editor for the ARRL
Handbook[4]. Frissell invited attendees to the 2023 and 2024 HamSCI Solar
Eclipse QSO Party[5] (SEQP). Numerous hams inquired about writing for ARRL's
publications, and several remarked that the Meetup! branding made the booth
seem much more approachable.

Innovations at Hamvention

At the Amateur Radio Emergency Service� (ARES�) forum, Josh Johnston, KE5MHV,
ARRL Director of Emergency Management, addressed an enthusiastic crowd. He
rolled out a variety of strategic partnerships pursued on behalf of ARRL and
ARES� volunteers. Some had been in the works for over a year. Partnerships
included Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service. Johnston
highlighted, in particular, the inclusion of amateur radio in SAFECOM[6], whose
emergency communications division,�"leads the nation's public safety, national
security, and emergency preparedness communications efforts to keep America
safe, secure, and resilient." They are a major stakeholder behind the scenes in
emergency management.

HamSCI[7]: The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation rounded out the
afternoon of panels, with student presentations by Rachel Boedicker, AC8XY, and
Diego Sanchez, KD2RLM. Boedicker discussed the upcoming SEQP and some of what
the group hopes to learn through the QSO party. She also provided information
on the personal space weather project and the GRAPE 1 and GRAPE 2, which are
receivers using a GPS disciplined oscillator to monitor the doppler shift of
"frequency standard stations such as WWV/H�and CHU[8]." The doppler shift can
be used to measure changes in the ionosphere over time or when aggregated in a
network.

ARRL Membership Forum

Dale Williams, WA8EFK, Director of the ARRL Great Lakes Division, moderated a
Saturday afternoon ARRL Membership forum, which included short presentations
from ARRL Treasurer John R. Sager, WJ7S; Director of Operations Bob Naumann,
W5OV; CEO David A. Minster, NA2AA, and President Rick Roderick, K5UR.

Sager highlighted the work of the organization's Investment Management
Committee (IMC) and CAPTRUST, an outside investment firm that was selected to
actively manage the ARRL investment portfolio for the benefit of members.
Naumann provided an update on The ARRL Logbook of The World[9] (LoTW),
including recent improvements that have significantly reduced, and sometimes
nearly eliminated, log processing queues. Minster highlighted a handful of ARRL
initiatives including the yearlong theme Year of the Volunteers and its
complementary operating event, Volunteers On the Air[10] (VOTA). He encouraged
members to "reach one rung higher" in their contributions to ARRL volunteerism
and support. He also introduced the new ARRL�Estate Planning Workbook[11] which
is intended to help members develop a plan for their equipment and amateur
radio legacy, which will ultimately benefit spouses and other family members
following the amateur's lifetime. Roderick charged members with concentrating
on their efforts to make an impact on amateur radio, encouraging newcomers and
youth, and ensuring their legacy for amateur radio.

Looking Behind to Look Ahead

Day two of Hamvention started out looking like the weather might turn and the
crowds might slow, but by the end of the day, Saturday proved to be another
standout day for the 2023 event. As the day wrapped up, a glance back at the
ARRL Expo store showed gaps where books had sold out and dwindling stacks of
t-shirts, caps, and mugs. The missing items told a story of the day's success.
Onward to Sunday!

[See ARRL's photo album from 2023 Dayton Hamvention at
https://tinyurl.com/ARRL-at-2023-Hamvention[12].]


[1] https://hamvention.org/
[2] http://www.arrl.org/expo
[3] https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/133985
[4] https://handbook.arrl.org/
[5] https://hamsci.org/seqp-rules
[6] https://www.cisa.gov/safecom
[7] https://hamsci.org/
[8] https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/nrc-shortwave-station-broadcasts-chu
[9] http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world
[10] https://vota.arrl.org/
[11] https://www.arrl.org/estate-planning-workbook
[12] https://tinyurl.com/ARRL-at-2023-Hamvention

---
� Synchronet � Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS