Subj : Hamfest Overview
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Mar 01 2018 10:40 am
Hamfest Overview
================
The term "hamfest" is short for "ham radio festival"...a place where you
can go to meet other ham radio operators, make new friends, renew old
acquaintences, buy and sell new and used gear, take a license exam for a
new or upgraded amateur radio license, attend informative forums on
various aspects of the hobby, and more. For those who have never attended
one of these fun events, this bulletin is a "brief guide to a hamfest".
Hamfests Big And Small
Hamfests can be as small as those hosted by one local club...it can be a
state, regional, or division convention...or go all the way to the king of
the hamfests, the Hamvention in Dayton, Ohio in mid-May. The latter has
been termed by some as "a 3 day ham radio orgy". Not to sound vulgar, but
if you want to eat, sleep, and do whatever else as it relates to ham radio,
the Dayton Hamvention is the place to be.
Depending on the scope of the hamfest, there may be just a morning and
early afternoon event (usually on a Saturday)...to lasting 3 full days,
such as the Dayton Hamvention.
Admission and parking fees...as well as to how big the parking areas and
the event venues are...can vary widely, depending on the size of the event.
Be sure to check with the contact persons for all the information noted on
the specific hamfest website.
You can search for a Hamfest by going to the ARRL website at www.arrl.org
and clicking on the Hamfests Link. That will take you to the Hamfests And
Conventions Calendar, enter the desired search criteria, and click on
Search.
If nothing shows up, then there are no hamfests scheduled for the area you
requested.
Getting To The Hamfest
Now, that you've decided to attend a hamfest, the question is "how do I get
there??". There will usually be a "talk-in" frequency, to direct you to the
hamfest site. Having run these in the past myself, you have to be sure to
help visitors from out of the area to find the hamfest...and giving good
directions is essential.
The talk-in station should also have basic information about parking,
admissions, license exams, forums, prizes, etc.
Another thing to consider is if the hamfest is more than a one day event,
are the accomodations where you will stay while in town. The Dayton
Hamvention has such a HUGE DEMAND for rooms, that they usually SELL OUT
OVER A YEAR IN ADVANCE, and the room rates are NOT cheap...in many cases,
over $100 per night!! And, the closest rooms may be as much as an hour or
more away.
Most other hamfest venues and conventions will usually not have this "huge
demand", but it's best to not wait until the last minute to book a room.
Also, check the gasoline prices and locations in the area. You don't need
to run out of gas, or have vehicle trouble going to or from the hamfest.
Plus, you also need to be aware of weather conditions and forecasts for
the hamfest you plan to attend, so the appropriate weather gear can be
brought along, if need be.
To find weather forecasts for hamfests around the United States and its
territories, go to www.weather.gov -- then click on the desired area of
the map. You should be then taken to the website of that areas National
Weather Service office. Once there, check the map for any watches,
warnings, or advisories, and click on the word LOCAL under the forecasts
section on the left site of the page. You can also click on the area of
the map for a point forecast for that particular location.
Once there, you may have to walk a great distance to, from, and at the
event itself. So, if you have a disability, bear that in mind. Many places
usually have parking for the disabled, but you need to have either a
license plate or a special hang tag or placard. The local police agencies
WILL ticket and/or tow your vehicle, if you park in one of these spaces
without authorization. The Dayton Hamvention has a limited number of
"scooters" during the event, for rental by disabled hams, with mobility
impairments. Reservations MUST be made IN ADVANCE, and both fees, and
disability documentation, will be required...see the Dayton Hamvention
website at www.hamvention.org for details.
At The Hamfest
After you take care of parking and admission fees, you're likely to see
the following at a hamfest. Note that the bigger the event, the more of
these there will be.
Bring cash, as most may NOT accept checks or credit/debit cards.
1) Dealers, that sell new gear, accessories, antennas, connectors,
software, manuals, etc. If you buy computer hardware or software, be
sure you scan it for viruses and spyware before using it.
2) Flea market tables, where you can usually get a good deal on used
gear, that you couldn't afford new. However, the phrases "buyer beware",
and "you get what you pay for", APPLY!! Unfortunately, some of the gear
that is "sold" ends up as a "worthless boat anchor doorstop"...as the
original owner may be wanting to "make some money off of a worthless item".
Try to avoid purchasing "antique radios"...and "learn the smell of burnt
or overheated electronics". Replacement parts for vintage gear...or where
the electronics have been burned out...will be EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, if not
IMPOSSIBLE, to obtain. If the hamfest has a "Test Bench", try the gear out
BEFORE you shell out the money, write a check, use your credit card,
etc...and, if the person won't let you test the gear before you purchase
it, it's best that you POLITELY DECLINE their offer, and move along to
another table. If the price sounds "too good to be true", it probably is.
3) Forums, discussing any of several aspects of the hobby. There may also
be an ARRL forum, where you can meet your State Section Manager, ARRL
Division Director, or other officials from the ARRL.
4) VE Testing, where you can take an exam for a new ham radio license, or
for a license upgrade. The license exam may be ARRL/VEC, W5YI VEC, or
another group. For an overview of what a license exam session may entail,
go to www.wx1der.com/hamradio.htm#examday
5) Concessions, where the local club is selling food and drink, so you
don't have to leave the hamfest site to grab a bite to eat, if you don't
want to. Bear in mind that the menu is usually what you'll find at a
ballgame (hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, etc.). Restaurants are
usually nearby, if you prefer to eat out, as it were.
6) Prize drawings, the main draw of the hamfest. The smaller prizes can be
manuals, books, repeater directories, connectors, etc. -- while the big
prizes can be HT's, mobile or HF rigs. You usually have to be present to
win, except for maybe the grand prize, which is usually awarded just
before the end of the hamfest. For the amateur radio gear prizes, you
MUST be a licensed amateur radio operator, or have just passed your
license exam at a test session earlier in the hamfest, to win these items.
7) Wouff Hong. If the event is an ARRL Division or National Convention,
lasting for more than a day, there may be the Wouff Hong ceremony. This
Secret Society, and its ceremony is a FUN part of the hobby. However, I
can NOT go into the exact details as to what goes on...you have to
experience it for yourself...but you do get a nice certificate afterwards.
The ceremony is usually held in the mid to late evening hours...midnight
is preferred, but sometimes, they'll do it a bit earlier. I went through
it at the 2007 ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, and the 2013 ARRL
Delta Division Convention...and let's just say that "a good time is had
by all". For further details on the history of the Wouff Hong, check out
the "ham radio history" bulletin, and scroll down to near the bottom.
8) DFing (Direction Finding) and Fox Hunting. Sometimes there will be a
"fox hunt" set up where you try to hone your direction finding skills, to
locate a hidden transmitter...with the winner usually receiving a nice
prize.
9) Displays of various emergency communications vehicles, etc. related to
amateur radio.
Conclusion
Hamfests can be termed as "family reunions", because as an amateur radio
operator, you are part of a worldwide "family". While you may not be able
to go to as many hamfests as you would like, go to the ones that you can
attend.
Many clubs that put these on use them as fundraisers for the expenses that
their club incurs each year, with the repeaters, etc.
If you're licensed, bring your HT...especially if you're coming as a family
or group, to keep track of each other. FRS Radios are available for
purchase at area stores for those who aren't licensed...to keep track of
those in your group...as it's easy to get lost among a large crowd of
people.
If you are a part of a club that puts these on, you'll find out in a hurry
that there is a LARGE AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEER WORK to be done...before, during,
and after the hamfest...and it takes a large commitment to make the hamfest
a success. Whether you do Talk-In, Admissions, Concessions, Security, VE
Testing, Forums, Parking, Website, or something else...your offer to help
will be greatly appreciated.
Sadly, many hamfests are disappearing, for a lack of people wanting to put
in the effort to put on the hamfest in the first place. So, when you attend
a hamfest, let the organizers know how you felt about it. While no hamfest
is perfect (there are bound to be glitches), simple encouragement, and
"constructive criticism" to those who work with it can help prevent those
things from occurring at a future hamfest. Don't berate and lecture them as
if they committed the unpardonable sin...this spirit of discouragement is
one of the reasons that folks don't want to put on hamfests anymore...as if
monetary costs (high gasoline prices, etc.) nowadays weren't enough of a
deterrent to hamfests.
So, the future of the hamfest...and of the hobby of amateur radio is up to
you. Do what you can to keep it alive...and be part of the solution...not
part of the problem.
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