So this was my third year at the Dayton Amateur Radio convention. The way that I know it was number three is that I have three hats now from Yaesu. I have to admit that it's a great way to keep track of the time and attendance. I'm sort of looking forward to getting another next year.
Back to my thoughts. This year was stupendous. Certainly not for all the great stuff that I bought, because the only things I walked away with were books this year. I'll tell you a bit more about those in just a bit. No what made the event really great was the number of displays, stalls and exhibits to see.
In the past, there were certain locations that just felt downright crowded. Especially in locations inside the building, spots that you just couldn't even walk through. This year though, there was so much more to see, that even though the attendance was certainly the same if not higher, it was more spread throughout the event. During the final raffle and awards ceremony, they said they were within a dozen stalls of selling out the indoor exhibit halls. That's impressive!
I also saw a lot of people younger than myself. Now I'm not that old, it would be a leap not just a stretch to call me an old man, but the twenty somethings in the crowd just seemed more prevalent this year. To me that's a great indicator of a healthy hobby. In the same vein, there seemed to be fewer booths dedicated to selling junk that only slightly related to ham radio. If you've ever been to a flea market you know the ones I mean, they're filled with the cheap plastic toys, knockoff electronics and other goods imported from who knows where. Instead, I saw new companies with new products.
Some of the things that were really impressive:
- The new FTM-350 from Yaesu (Bluetooth, Stereo, and a Line-In this might be my replacement for the regular car radio when I upgrade)
- Linear Amplifiers - Sure there were the standby's from Yaesu, et. al. but there were a couple other booths that were there representing smaller companies as well. Very nice!
- New 22o MHz 50W mobile radio from Jetstream. Talk about a niche in need of being filled. Time to get on some of those underutilized repeaters.
- The keys from Begali. I loved the bug and single lever key. Also impressive to see the receiver.
- The AMSAT booth was great. It was so much fun to hear about what they're working on next.
- I'm sure I'm forgetting a whole slew of things as well.
The flea market caught just as much of my attention. The boat anchors were out in force. I don't know that I've ever seen so much Drake gear in a single place before. I think there was at least one pair of Drake radios on every aisle. Drakes weren't the only older tube equipment though, there was plenty of Heathkit, Collins, Hammarlund, National and others. Not really something I was shopping for, but something that just sort of stood out to me.
The flea market had a new addition as well. There were benches that were scattered throughout with flags indicating rest areas. I spent my whole day Friday on my feet, but it was nice to know that if I wanted to, I could quite easily have stopped for a break.
In terms of complaints, I can only think of two and these are so minor they almost don't warrant mention. The first is that I got my annual sunburned nose. You would think that I would know better after all these years, yet I still manage to cook my sniffer. The second was during the awards ceremony. One of the ladies, a young blonde, working the Jetstream booth was quite lovely and while she was working on the step-stool taking down the display in shorts and a tee she presented the prettiest distraction. If they called my number during that period, I most certainly did not hear it. It would have been nice to get her name and find out if she was single, but the booth staff headed out well before I could catch up.
All in all, it was a great event. I was happy to be there. I am looking forward to next year.
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