A Thief @ Shelby Hamfest

[KC4VWU]

Yes, they were there in full force this year. I had a nice Hallicrafters S-20R on my table that grew legs and walked off. I had stepped away from my space around 3 P.M. and came back to find my receiver had disappeared into thin air. Lots of people still around and I was set up next to some friends as well. Somebody really has mighty big stones! Thing about it is, there was a really nice Kenwood R-2000 only 12" away, so whoever took it REALLY wanted that Halli... they just didn't want to pay for it. If you guys go to any of the 'fests and set up, be forewarned, the low life's are out there.

---Phil  

[KC4VWU]

I had to think about that for a minute and do a little modification. (A person) lifted my receiver, so I don't want y'all thinking it's a bad 'fest because it's not. Actually, I lost very little, comparatively. Not long afterwards, a pretty bad storm blew in and decimated the place. I just finished packing up and got into the car before the bottom dropped out. A lot of people had left by then, but most all who were planning on staying for Sunday had their setups brutalized by 60+ mph wind gusts. Numerous easy up's and portable shelters were demolished; parts and other items strewn about and broken. Really bad ending on Saturday for a lot of people.  

---Phil

[wb1ead]

Well I had a five finger event happen at my table last Oct at Nearfest..I always bring a "sampling" of my tube collection along with other goodies..they're packed into the display box fairly tite on purpose..seems a 12AX7A brandy new "walked" away too Phil..this was the 1st time for me..for one measly tube I'm not crying..I heard but can't verify that others around me had other stuff sprout legs..hopefully it's not the start of a trend..sorry for ur loss of that S-20R..I'm sure there are other stories out there of more significant theivery             73 de DAVE

[W2PFY]

Wow, this is a new low?  I never heard of this kind of thing happening before. I see on some other sites where they have a list or have posting of people who have ripped them off over a deal and then there is outright fraudulent listings going on outside of ebay. On average I turn in about three fraudulent listing per year on eBay.

[W1ITT]

We started getting reports of things "lifted" from tables of both flea market and commercial vendors about fifteen years ago at Hosstraders.  This was a bit of a change from the era where we would get HTs brought up to the sound trailer that had been left behind by accident by Mr Magoo types who were too excited by the hamfest.  We would announce them..vaguely...as having been found and the rightful owner would soon appear.  We usually asked them to confirm what was in the frequency memories to establish ownership.  We had wallets turned in too with all the money still in them.
I'm not sure what was the impetus for the change in ham radio morals.  Being old guys, Joe and Bob and I blamed the "no coders", for lack of anything else to blame.  But one of the contributing factors to our bringing Hosstraders to a graceful end was this lack of fraternity in what used to be called the fraternity of amateur radio.  I suppose the bad apples are still only one percent, but it used to be that they were .00001 percent.  Be vigilant.
On a happier note, I attended the Windsor (Maine) hamfest on Saturday and won a Baofeng HT door prize, my first door prize in almost 47 years of being licensed. 
73 de Norm W1ITT

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Congrats, Norm. I stopped putting my ticket stubs in years ago because there just wasn't anything I was interested in. I like old equipment, though I might be tempted to play if a Flex was involved. They sound pretty nice on AM.

Haven't made the last couple installments of NEAR-Fest due to family obligations, planning to be there this time. So it must've been 2 years ago we, or specifically Steve, had a transformer taken. IIRC, the perp left a note saying they'd pay him next year but never showed up, of course.

Bottom feeders have always existed but as you point out Norm, have been well in the minority. It just amazes me that someone would be willing to potentially compromise or ruin their name and reputation over a $20 part, $10 tube, common Halli receiver. All it takes is getting caught one time. They must not think much of themselves.

BTW, Just got your message, Phil. The mid-Atlantic gang won't be at Shelby this year. I bet you already knew that, though. 

[WQ9E]

I remember twice in one year seeing a ham and later an entire family escorted from a hamfest site.  At both there were LEOs (with jurisdiction) who were also hams attending which made things pretty simple.  The first incident was a very small hamfest and he was caught removing items from an unlocked car.  I knew the officer and he told me that the thief was angry because he was second in line and wanted to purchase the item.  After he missed it he decided to take that item and the other stuff in the car.  Fortunately he was caught.  The second incident was at the fairly large Peoria hamfest and a complete family was there and the kids (4 or 5 ranging from maybe 6 through early teens) were lifting stuff and bringing it back for the parents to sell.  Not real smart and they were caught-not sure what if any punishment was administered besides being removed from the fest.

I rarely sell stuff at fests so nothing has happened there but after a group toured my "radio museum" several years ago my TS-830S came up missing a couple of knobs.  They were easy to replace but it did change my outlook on club meetings.

[Opcom]

Some folks are just wrong in the head. An idiot drive a minivan down a hamfest aisle he should not have. Oh, he was going only about 1MPH for safety reasons. That kept the people he physically pushed out of the way and up against the tables with the minivan from being hurt. Several people followed the van to the parking area. I don't know what happened there.

[kb3ouk]

He might've gotten tarred and feathered.

[KC4VWU]

Well guys, I know I'm not the first, and definitely won't be the last; just wanted to let y'all know it is happening and to stay alert if you do tailgate. I like to share my table space with someone else, or have my wife or daughter with me, but everyone bailed on me this year. Still, it's a pretty brazen act just to walk up to someone's stuff, pick something up like a rather large receiver, and just walk away with it in a decently populated area and in broad daylight. I lost little, monetarily, but the next victim this individual preys upon might lose out far worse.

Anyhow, enough of that. I had a fun time otherwise; although attendance wasn't what it was in years past... a sign of the times. I had heard comments from others who were mad about the change and said they would not attend because of it. I also know the older folks really enjoyed the shade trees at the park, whereas the fairgrounds offered none, and many stayed home because of that fact. No "boneyard" around back near the parking lot as in years past; even the "bottom area" had quite a few spaces left during peak time on Saturday. Hopefully, it will rebound next year and more people will attend and sell.

What'd I buy? I stuck to my guns and didn't go overboard like usual, but a pretty cool Stancor ST-202A tx. did follow me home.

...73, Phil 

[WD5JKO]

Hams are people first, and with that comes all the good or all the bad qualities people posses. Being an AM'er does not make a person honest either.

I remember Ozona Bob, W5PYT (SK) bought an RCA AR88 sight unseen that was "mint". This was from the yellow sheets. So Bob sends a check (big money), and it is sent (after check clears of course). It comes in, and a few things were missing, two front panel rotary switches, two IF cans, and the entire wiring harness! Bob gave it to me, and before he died, I got it working again.

What about the Festers selling busted junk as "works great". An example might be a near mint transceiver that took a lightning hit. Is that not steeling also?

Then there is that nearby ham that visits your shack, and wants to "borrow" something on the shelf. Maybe it is an Eico 720/730 for example. Years later he still has not returned it, and then brags about it on the air (on AM!) about what that Eico modulator is worth! Thieves can also posses a bad memory.  

I was tested a few years ago at the local Belton hamfest. As noon past things in the covered area were thinning out fast. There on a table all by itself was an absolutely mint Central Electronics 200V, museum quality. No price tag on it, nobody around..nothing. I wanted to talk to the owner since I am into the CE gear. I hung around for nearly an hour, nobody around. Strange. I was never tested since I am honest. I feel guilty when office stationary comes home with me in my shirt pocket...I return it. Still, there was that 200V just sitting there when the fest was nearly cleared out....It could have ended up in the dumpster by the clean up crew that follows after the hamfest was done..

Jim
WD5JKO

[W3GMS]

I was tested a few years ago at the local Belton hamfest. As noon past things in the covered area were thinning out fast. There on a table all by itself was an absolutely mint Central Electronics 200V, museum quality. No price tag on it, nobody around..nothing. I wanted to talk to the owner since I am into the CE gear. I hung around for nearly an hour, nobody around. Strange. I was never tested since I am honest. I feel guilty when office stationary comes home with me in my shirt pocket...I return it. Still, there was that 200V just sitting there when the fest was nearly cleared out....
Jim
WD5JKO

Jim,
Well congratulations on doing the right thing.  You will be rewarded many times over for not taking that gear. Things happen for a reason and your strong character will return favors to you many times over.
73,
Joe, W3GMS

[W3RSW]

...And I see in the local news this am that a thief was caught stealing tools from a farmer's barn by a " deer" camera.  You know, cameras that record snap frames on 1/2 second or whatever interval set in white light or infrared, your choice.

Guy came back for more and the cameras rolled.

You never know "what evil lurks in the heart of man."

As kids most of us had sticky fingers now and then, but as you grow and mature, find the value of hard work and reward, generally you respect the property of others.

At any rate, the thief will be taken to task sooner or later.  I hope he enjoys the thought of how he got your receiver every time he operates it or the time when he flips it.  Because those thoughts only dig his hole deeper.  He sinks ever lower into the realm of lawlessness and disrespect until his only companions, if any, steal from him.    ...or worse.

His obit of course will be a glowing self written eulogy.

So has it been, so will it be always.

[KD0HUX]

 

I was tested a few years ago at the local Belton hamfest. As noon past things in the covered area were thinning out fast. There on a table all by itself was an absolutely mint Central Electronics 200V, museum quality. No price tag on it, nobody around..nothing. I wanted to talk to the owner since I am into the CE gear. I hung around for nearly an hour, nobody around. Strange. I was never tested since I am honest. I feel guilty when office stationary comes home with me in my shirt pocket...I return it. Still, there was that 200V just sitting there when the fest was nearly cleared out....
Jim
WD5JKO

Jim,
Well congratulations on doing the right thing.  You will be rewarded many times over for not taking that gear. Things happen for a reason and your strong character will return favors to you many times over.
73,
Joe, W3GMS

[Opcom]

Then there is that nearby ham that visits your shack, and wants to "borrow" something on the shelf. Maybe it is an Eico 720/730 for example. Years later he still has not returned it, and then brags about it on the air (on AM!) about what that Eico modulator is worth! Thieves can also posses a bad memory.  

Jim
WD5JKO

That's the same like a co-employee at work that borrowed a brand spanking new, plastic-still-on-the-LCD B&K multimeter to use the thermocouple, and used it until the battery went bad, decided to replace the batt., and didn't know how to remove the back and broke the bracket on the back that holds the fiber optic coupled USB data collection dongle in place. Also the rubber armor wrap around piece is missing and he said he never saw it, no idea what I am talking about.

Two weeks later he returns it and tells me some fish story and "Oh, it doesn't need that piece, it has this other stand" (sorry bub, that's not a fold-out stand, it's a fiber optic cable holder-inner, and it needs it).

In the fishmouth story the blame seemed to be laid on the dead battery for the broken item (making it my fault some how??).

It ain't only hams, no, it's people like the above who become hams, and then do the 'wrong things' they were taught to do during upbringing or by culture.

[W1RC]

We get reports every once in a while of something that " grew legs" and walked off.  It's deplorable but happens everywhere it seems.  I recall years ago at a police collector show that some patches walked off.  Later someone was caught and it was a well-respected police officer.  So watch yer stuff.  Sad but true. 

73,

MrMike

[WD5JKO]

Phil,

   After some time passes, the thief might decide to update his QRZ home page with picture of his shack. That S20R might just pop up once again. My Eico station that I "lended" is brazenly displayed on this guys QRZ homepage. 

   Perhaps there is an electrical short in that S20R, and it has a hot chassis leading to an electrocution....

Jim
WD5JKO

[wb1ead]

I remember back awhile ago reading a short article perhaps in "Hints and Kinks" for '50 or '60s QST..seems this guy came up with a perfect solution to the occasional "borrower" who failed to return the equiptment if at all..it required soldering various resistor values/wattages inline with the power cord..they were given along with their approx fail time for whatever effect you were trying to acheive and how long they would last b/4 the proverbial "smoke test"..the "borrower" would be sure to return ur gear quickly with either a "it worked just fine..don't need it no more" or "might be sumptin wrong..guess I better borrow Hanks next door"......did I ever use that?..no..but I got a gud memory..so watch out!..LOL   73 de DAVE   

[W1RC]

A further thought on this subject.  It would be very interesting to see how our Sergeant-at-Arms would react to a thief caught ripping someone off at NEAR-Fest.  Paulie hates thieves.  It wouldn't be very pretty.  I expect that someone would be going to jail....or worse.

73,

MrMike, W1RC