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Author Topic: New Hamvention Venue Advice  (Read 3926 times)
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KC4VWU
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« on: May 05, 2018, 05:28:29 AM »

Hi guys,
            Hotel room reservation and tickets in hand; looks like I'm making the trek after a year off. Was  a little shy about the new digs last year, so skipped it. Any sage advice gained from last years attendees? I'm old and kinda set in my ways, so anything other than pay $20 to park across the street and walk through the Hara Arena gate is a little confusing. At least I'm trying? XYL will be with me on Saturday; solo on Friday. Hope to see a bunch of familiar faces as well as new ones and take plenty of pics to post here.

73, Phil
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W8EJO
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« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2018, 08:34:12 AM »

I've been going for 35 years. Missed maybe 5. Went last year @ Xenia location.

Bring clothes for all kinds of weather. Hot, humid, cool, wet, dry, sunny. A hat with a wide brim. A backpack is helpful.

Comfortable footwear for walking for hours. Waterproof footwear for the rainy, muddy days.

The best thing I brought with me last year was an umbrella. Kept the hot sun off as well as the rain.

Bring a canteen you can carry on your belt or over your shelter. On a hot day you'll need water & it will cost you $1.50/bottle in the flea market. The food concession lines get very long so you may want to pack a lunch.

You don't need your own equipment cart. They have a free golf cart shuttle service @ the flea market to take you & your purchases  to your car.

There is free parking directly across the street on Fairground Road well as on the fairground property.
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Terry, W8EJO

Freedom and liberty - extremist ideas since 1776.
Detroit47
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« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2018, 01:00:32 PM »

Ain't what it used to be overpriced mud hole.

John N8QPC
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KA3EKH
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« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2018, 09:40:15 AM »

The old Dayton (Hara Arena) had a tank track to and from the flea market lot. The lot if you could call it that had a bunch of holes and other deformities. One year while I was there the septic pipes burst and put raw sewage all over the central part of the lot.
The old ham fest vendor packet had a warning that if you put any holes in the lot you would be subject to a $50 fine. It would have been impossible to determine a pre-existing hole from any that you make, but that’s another story.
The New venue has better food choices, less open spaces and is not connected with a rundown dump of a building but nothing in the flea market vendor location is paved so when it rains like it did last year there was a sea of mud by Saturday. I don’t stick around for Sunday and depart Saturday night and watched lots of motor homes and vans that sank in the infield that they were trying to pull out with tractors. Interesting site.
Long story short, in town you had city suck and out a Xenia you got country mud.
I would much rather complain about the hotels. All of the hotels out on 75 have a policy of at least doubling there rates if not more for the Hamvention. I know this for a fact and have spent time in a lot of them and have to say most of them suck. In the past several years chose to stay over in Fairborn. Better quality but the usual deal is to get there on Wednesday night and depart Sunday morning staying four days at around $150 per day so you end up paying around $600 just for the hotel room. Quite often that turns out to be the biggest expense at Dayton and a couple years its more then I make selling there.
All of that stuff aside still have to say that I plan on being there, and anyone who don’t has missed out. At least that’s how I see it.


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W4EWH
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« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2018, 09:58:55 AM »

I would much rather complain about the hotels. All of the hotels out on 75 have a policy of at least doubling there rates if not more for the Hamvention.

OM, there are alternatives:

  • Airbnb
  • College dorm rooms

Check 'em out: I'd bet you're pleasantly surprised.

Bill, W4EWH
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Life's too short for plastic radios.  Wallow in the hollow! - KD1SH
KA3EKH
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« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2018, 01:45:32 PM »

Use to stay at U of D and at first was a good rate, maybe $40 or $50 a night for two rooms but it started getting expensive and then they started having issues with other events happening on campus that put an end to that. Have not thought to look in the last several years. Staying in what at that time was a striped dorm room with no towels, sheets or TV was a bit of an issue too. Maybe that’s all different today?
The good thing is you would not have to drive thru Dayton any more.

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KC4VWU
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« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2018, 11:57:14 AM »

Here we go! Looks like it's gonna be wet and muddy!
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