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Author Topic: NearFest Reports  (Read 20599 times)
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WBear2GCR
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Brrrr- it's cold in the shack! Fire up the BIG RIG


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« Reply #25 on: October 23, 2014, 11:47:00 AM »


  Next year the fester will be the weekend after the holiday which should be better attendance-wise but it may be colder.


73,

MrMike, W1RC[/size]

MrMike,

Speaking for myself, I think it would be a far better idea to move the fest one or 2 weeks earlier, not later. The weather usually turns for the worse right at the weekend the hamfest has been held, later probably would not be as good as earlier.

Is there any reason you can't get the grounds a week or two earlier??
Think it would be a big boost to the attendance.

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« Reply #26 on: October 23, 2014, 01:06:30 PM »

They are an excellent value. The other black and white parked near the OD green area was mine.

That alternator is not really easy to find in a hurry.


I'm curious.... do you notice the public slowing way down when you are behind them on town roads - and pull over to the right lane for you to pass when on the highways?


Add a fake smokey hat on the dashboard and it would be pure paranoia.   Grin



T
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« Reply #27 on: October 23, 2014, 02:22:09 PM »

Drove the old Crown Vic a total of just under 17 hours. There were about a half dozen ex cop car P-71s and not one burst into flames the whole time.
There are always a few P71 Police Interceptor ex-cop cars around, starting with mine, currently a 2009 ex-Vermont State Police green Crown Victoria.  Others include Will, N1PXA's nice black and white P71[, Warren's all-black "Fed" Crown Vic and steel others.

Wonder why hams love Crown Vic's?  Peobably one of the rasons Is the 210 Amp electrical system and, probably the best reason is that they are very inexpensive to buy at the auction.



They are an excellent value. The other black and white parked near the OD green area was mine.

That alternator is not really easy to find in a hurry.


Gee, here I thought Nearfest was packed with undercover cops, to keep an eye out on those dangerous hams  Grin
(insert tinfoil hat here)
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« Reply #28 on: October 23, 2014, 07:27:27 PM »

They are an excellent value. The other black and white parked near the OD green area was mine.

That alternator is not really easy to find in a hurry.


I'm curious.... do you notice the public slowing way down when you are behind them on town roads - and pull over to the right lane for you to pass when on the highways?


Add a fake smokey hat on the dashboard and it would be pure paranoia.   Grin



T

Yes, a lot of people apparently have driver's licenses hanging by threads.

Drove that car all the way home from Mid town Manhattan a few days after Hurricane Sandy at 90 to 100 MPH the entire time when the roads allowed. Made it 72 miles in 105 minutes from the parking garage on 33rD Street to Beachwood Mountain.
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« Reply #29 on: October 24, 2014, 11:50:27 PM »

Is there any reason you can't get the grounds a week or two earlier??
Think it would be a big boost to the attendance.
Yes,there is one very good reason and it's simple - the grounds are not available.  The Deerfield Fair is two weeks before the hamfest.  We cannot have the grounds the weekend after the Fair because all the concessionaires have ten days contractually to get their stuff off the grounds so this means the very earliest opportunity we have to rent the grounds is when we have the fester.  All weekend slots in September are filled so we don't have any other choice as to when we get the grounds.  None.

Hope this answers your question.

Bring rainwear and warm outer clothing.

73,

MrMike

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W4EWH
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« Reply #30 on: October 26, 2014, 10:39:40 AM »

Yes,there is one very good reason and it's simple - the grounds are not available.  ...

Bring rainwear and warm outer clothing.

Mr. Mike,

I suggest that you let the powers-that-be know you are considering other venues: no matter what the outcome of your investigation, the Deerfield brass will be more inclined to work with you.

Of course, it's understood that such a move, if it were possible, would not happen overnight, but speaking as one of the rapidly aging population of visitors to Near-Fest, I'll opine that the fairgrounds is better suited to horses than to flea markets.

My 2 cents, YMMV.

Bill, W1AC, whose feet are still aching
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« Reply #31 on: October 26, 2014, 10:55:51 AM »

As has been stated many, many times before, those who attend NEAR-Fest tend to do so for the event and friends and not the wx. Age doesn't seem to matter. We're not worried about improving our tans (though dry, sunny wx is always a plus). We like having the event at the Deerfield fairgrounds, and apparently so do many, many others. It's a special place to us, but not well-suited to those who prefer indoor venues like shopping malls, rest homes, or don't like walking. You'll definitely get a workout covering the grounds.

Got to attend with the family in tow this time as it was combined with a visit to my family members in the area. Didn't get to stay long as our late arrival and the AM Dinner left about 2 hours tops for browsing. Jen was impressed with the event and the folks she met. Caitlin had a blast, of course. Something new, outdoors instead of strapped in the car seat.

Was good seeing Carl/'KPD, Ross/'EKG, Joe/'PJP, Bill/'LLY, Steve/'QIX, Mr Mike, Dirk, and a few others. The AM Dinner was again well-attended, around 14 or so as I recall. The B&B replacement for the Northwood Motel was a mixed bag.

Delivered a 30L-1 amp, Racal RA-17 cover, and BC-348R which received personal escort to its new owner, K1ANX. See below.

Saw a few nice items but really didn't get to look around much. Didn't bring home any radio gear, but did find a cool old IH truck that will be perfect for hauling broadcast transmitters. Looks like it'll stay in VT until next spring.
 


* NEAR-Fest2.JPG (177.24 KB, 507x762 - viewed 401 times.)

* LeftFront1.jpg (157.27 KB, 1024x768 - viewed 413 times.)
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« Reply #32 on: October 26, 2014, 12:34:43 PM »

As has been stated many, many times before, those who attend NEAR-Fest tend to do so for the event and friends and not the wx. Age doesn't seem to matter. We're not worried about improving our tans (though dry, sunny wx is always a plus). We like having the event at the Deerfield fairgrounds, and apparently so do many, many others. It's a special place to us, but not well-suited to those who prefer indoor venues like shopping malls, rest homes, or don't like walking. You'll definitely get a workout covering the grounds.

Got to attend with the family in tow this time as it was combined with a visit to my family members in the area. Didn't get to stay long as our late arrival and the AM Dinner left about 2 hours tops for browsing. Jen was impressed with the event and the folks she met. Caitlin had a blast, of course. Something new, outdoors instead of strapped in the car seat.

Was good seeing Carl/'KPD, Ross/'EKG, Joe/'PJP, Bill/'LLY, Steve/'QIX, Mr Mike, Dirk, and a few others. The AM Dinner was again well-attended, around 14 or so as I recall. The B&B replacement for the Northwood Motel was a mixed bag.

Delivered a 30L-1 amp, Racal RA-17 cover, and BC-348R which received personal escort to its new owner, K1ANX. See below.

Saw a few nice items but really didn't get to look around much. Didn't bring home any radio gear, but did find a cool old IH truck that will be perfect for hauling broadcast transmitters. Looks like it'll stay in VT until next spring.
 

Could not agree more as to what makes NEAR-Fest so special.  Its definitely a combination of the people and the physical place in where its held.  All of this would not happen if we did not have a group of volunteers who feel so passionately about doing this each year.  So a large thanks go out to all of those that picked up the ball and ran with this from when the Hoss Traders had the even and who also did a fantastic job year after year.   

Glad you and the family had a good time Todd.   The truck looks very cool but having just gone through a frame off restoration of Martha's old Chevy truck all I see is $$$$$$ signs! 

73,
Joe, GMS 
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« Reply #33 on: October 26, 2014, 02:08:39 PM »

I suggest that you let the powers-that-be know you are considering other venues: no matter what the outcome of your investigation, the Deerfield brass will be more inclined to work with you.

Of course, it's understood that such a move, if it were possible, would not happen overnight, but speaking as one of the rapidly aging population of visitors to Near-Fest, I'll opine that the fairgrounds is better suited to horses than to flea markets.

Bill, your suggestions are preposterous and, to be honest, offensive to those of us who work harder that you could ever imagine just to keep our regional hamfest alive right where it belongs, at the Deerfield NH Fairgrounds.  Let me make one thing absolutely clear right here and now for everybody to read and hopefully understand.  We are NOT considering other venues nor will we as long as we are welcome at Deerfield.  It is not a matter of "working" with me, earlier dates don't work because of the Fair.  If we were to hold the event before the Fair we would be crowding Boxborough  which we will not do.  If for some reason we are no longer welcome at Deerfield that will be the end of NEAR-Fest as we know it.  I will be done.  Hopefully another group will come forward and find a new venue but it won't involve me.

The Fairgrounds are just as suitable for a flea market and hamfest as they were in the mid 1970s when the Hosstraders moved their event there and where it stayed for fifteen years.   Hosstraders was never the same when they moved to Rochester and Hopkinton.  It's part of our culture, pure and simple, and if we weren't there it would not be the same.

I seriously doubt that the opinion you express is shared by very many of those who love the fester and attend it faithfully with total disregard to the weather as being irrelevant.  Remember Rainchester?  It is more likely shared by those who stay home because they are too old and decrepit to enjoy the fester and the people who make it what it is.

As long as we can pay the bills and are welcome at Deerfield Fairgrounds there WILL be a NEAR-Fest.   Any you can take that to the bank.

73,

MrMike, W1RC

PS: I was just informed that our dates for 2015 have been approved by the Fair Association so we're good to go for another two hamfesters.

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« Reply #34 on: October 26, 2014, 02:45:59 PM »

Speaking as one of the three people who founded and ran the Hosstraders for 34 years, I have to echo Mike's comments, although he got me laughing,  But I was mostly laughing at myself, and Joe and Bob, because we used to get annoyed with the people who thought they could tweak the hamfest to make it "better",  Mostly these people don't see the big picture, and look at things from a limited perspective, as well as their own limited experience.  How many people have actually run a hamfest of any size?  Talk about herding cats !!
The reason that Hosstraders stayed viable so long is that it was a three-man dictatorship.  Dictators have received a lot of bad press over the years because of a few bad apples.  But there is nothing that frigs up an event more than a committee.  Bob and Joe and I had another advantage because we were always on the same page, knew what the other guy was thinking and could pretty much communicate in monosyllabic grunts because we knew what the other fellow was going to say.  Friends like that are few and far between.

It comes down to one thing.  Everyone needs to stop kibbitzing from the sidelines.  Either get on the committee   (impossible for you back in Hosstraders days) and work your tail off to get some perspective, or go out and start your own event from scratch and raise it from a pup.  That's what the Hosstraders did back in 1973 and it turned out OK.  Other events in the same period bloomed briefly and faded.  When outside events, internet commerce in particular, made it hard for us to meet our own standards for what we wanted in a hamfest, we put it to bed while we could still be proud of what we had.  Times are different now, and Nearfest, while not my own idea of perfection, is what we have left to live with.  If anyone thinks they have a better mousetrap, pick a date and a format and a location and run with it.   Maybe people will beat that path to your door.  Or maybe not, but at least the attempt was made.
 
On the other hand, Mike actually got me laughing out loud with his reaction.  It's like a trip down  memory lane, when I had to listen to some of that.  Keep picking on him.  He can take it....

Norm W1ITT, the amateur formerly known as WA1IVB
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« Reply #35 on: October 27, 2014, 08:45:34 AM »

I hold up the Rochester, NY 'fest as an example of what can happen when there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

Not too long ago, it was just about the biggest fest on the east coast. Because of politics and infighting, plus the loss of a venue, its struggling just to survive... it had to be cancelled for this year and even though it is "scheduled" to be back next year, who knows what form it will be?

Look around the country and see what is happening to hamfests...and then be glad we've got what we've got in NearFest.
I haven't been able to go either of the NearFest events the last few years because of commitments I couldn't get out of.
The move of the Fall event to weekend after the Holiday will allow me to go in 2015...Very much looking forward to it.

My hats off to the organizers of this, or any 'fest today...it isn't easy. I'll take the imperfections...and enjoy every minute of it.
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« Reply #36 on: October 27, 2014, 11:42:52 AM »

It ain't broke,no need to fix it! This visit was my first since the move and I wuz surprised at how large the fairgrounds are. It seemed smaller 15 years ago. How could that have been Huh Huh Huh I guess my brain is shrinking?
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« Reply #37 on: October 27, 2014, 11:56:17 AM »

You're just not as hungry as you were back then. Back in the day there was never enough stuff to see, no matter how full the place was. Now that we're older and have plenty of junk to play with, it looks a little different. Hard to believe that were don't even rent the entire grounds like Norm and the Hosstraders did.

As Mike and Norm both illustrated, you can't please everyone. It's more about going with a known quantity and letting those who don't want to participate stay home. From all I've seen and attendance numbers in the 2K range or more at each event, we must've done something right. Maybe it has something to do with the way it all began, in both cases: three hams who were too foolish to know they couldn't do it because it was impossible. I'm very thankful that Mike had the forethought to bring the event back to a venue so many of us cut our teeth on.

Was good seeing you at the AM Dinner, Terry. Hadn't seen you since the days at Hopkinton.
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