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All kidding aside
21 May 2011 | by I recently re-posted a link to my satirical “My first annual pre-post-Dayton writeup” that I wrote a few years ago. The intent of that was the poke fun at all the write-ups that showed up after the annual Dayton Hamvention, which, to me, seemed to all say the same thing. However, I noticed a couple of interesting things this year. First, unsurprisingly, technology has advanced enough so that there are many folks blogging and even tweeting from on-site while attending. Second, I noticed that several of the on-site bloggers have been posting really good writeups, not just the usual “big, smelly crowds” and “Hara Arena stinks” comments. (Well, apparently Hara Arena is still badly in need of repair).
I suspect that many of my readers already follow these blogs, but David, K2DSL has been posting on-site updates from his first time to Dayton on his blog, and Steve, K9ZW has been posting a series of “Random Notes” on his blog, With Varying Frequency – Amateur Radio Ponderings. I’ve found those postings to be informative and can recommend them. There are also a number of other bloggers posting about Hamvention that are syndicated at amateurradio.com (as is this blog).
Most of the tweets on twitter, while occasionally amusing, haven’t been particularly informative, but Jeff, KE9V has been doing a great job of tweeting about some of the new gear that’s showing up, particularly the new portable Elecraft KX3.
2 Responses to “All kidding aside”
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My Dad and I were at the Hamvention today. A yearly outing. I was impressed by how many vendors this year. Last year it was sparse. But….they had huge mess with a sewer failure and had to close all bathrooms, and had raw sewage floating around the parking lot/flea market area. We walked 1 row of flea market and decided we couldn’t/wouldn’t walk in human waste just to find a deal. I really hope they can find a new home for this convention…..Hara is just pathetic.
Unfortunately.. it was textbook perfect for the first time ever (at least in the ten or so times I’ve gone over the last 25 years)… until… the sewer line backed up and washed out part of the flea market. And yes, it did smell after that.
But then again I would have been disappointed if nothing would have gone wrong… it just isn’t Dayton if something doesn’t go wrong..
The two show stealers were the Elecraft KX-3 for the rich and the Kenwood TS-590S for the poorer of us. Both are supposed to be excellent rigs.
Otherwise there wasn’t much new stuff or big news this year.. but it was extremely pleasant for a Hamvention.. unusually so.. people were even friendlier than normal.
I am personally more poor because of the Kenwood TS-590S though as I couldn’t resist the Hamvention price. Neither could at least 15 others I talked to that bought them too throughout the show.. I suspect there will be a LOT of those on the air soon.
I’m going to go and post now.. a lot of pictures. Not much commentary tonight. I’m tired and have a 530 mile drive ahead of me again… 73