What Fest to Attend

[KD6VXI]

Being WP2 now i can't just take a day or two off and ru. To Visalia, TRW, etc for a fest, ham swap or whatever.

Miami and Charlotte, NC are the two main airports I hit for all connecting flights.  Houston if I go through Puerto Rico.

Any good fests near those airports or cities?

Looking for swap and shop vs shiny shows.  Don't mind, actually prefer the flea market feeling to just booth after booth of new stuff.  So, no Daytons or the like.

Or, if you had to plan, say a week, around hitting a fest, where would you hit then?  One of those id have the wife so anything where there's things 'they' like to do is a plus.  She will hang out with me and my need box friends, but then it costs me later hahaha


Looking for ideas for this or next year vacation.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

[Opcom]

Irving Amateur Radio Club Ham Fest - though it's small
Irving, TX

Belton Hamfest - can spend a day there.
Belton, TX

I mean, if you like a mix including some new, lots of used, parts, and some junque and oddball.

[W1ITT]

Hi Shane..
I've managed to hit Shelby NC, not far from Charlotte, a couple times when I was working on projects in the area.  It's been worthwhile.  And the Charlotte area I'm sure has things of interest to XYLs.  My problem with going to hamfests and then having to fly home is that it limits what you can acquire without going to efforts to get the stuff back.  Once I bought some goodies and then one of those double wall military OD fiberglas cases and shipped it back along with my test equipment.  It's hard to get a 75A4 to "fit securely under the seat in front of you."
My favorites were some of the Silicon Valley events,  Foothills and Livermore always had good stuff.
73 de Norm W1ITT

[KD1SH]

   It's some 500 miles from Charlotte, but Sussex, NJ, is always a fine show. Perhaps if you flew into Newark someday.

[Sam KS2AM]

Don't mind, actually prefer the flea market feeling to just booth after booth of new stuff.  So, no Daytons or the like.

I haven't been to "Dayton" since they moved from Trotwood to Xenia but the Hamvention flea market is typically huge and the last I heard they weren't forcing anyone to look at newer gear.  35000+ attendees makes it worthwhile for sellers to show up from far and wide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vTxhj98Loc
https://swling.com/blog/2024/05/photos-from-hamvention-2024/

[Pete, WA2CWA]

ARRL holds a hamfest and convention once a year in Puerto Rico. I believe several clubs also have hamfests there.
Unless you have the urge to travel around the country to visit hamfests to buy someone else's junk, think about more local Florida, Georgia, or Alabama. Lots and lots of great hamfests throughout the year in these states. Of course, whatever you want to drag home, you have to figure out how and money wise how you are going to get it there.

In the past, I've been a vendor at Hamvention for close to 25 years. It's big and sprawling but really not always a great place to find deals. The many seasoned selling vendors there know how to squeeze the most dollars out of your wallet. Personally, I now prefer the more local hamfests where the deals are generally better and more negotiable and you don't spend the entire day wandering around.  

[KA3EKH]

Wow boss, been attending Hamvention for just as long and yes there are a lot of hard-core dealers there who want top dollar but there are also a bunch of deals to be had. Think I have been attending from about nineteen eighty or so. Love the new venue, way better than that dump at Hara that only got worse every year. Hamvention is like the Hajj in that it?s the duty of every devout Ham to attend at least once and for the able to attend annually.  If you been there you know.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

. . . Love the new venue, way better than that dump at Hara that only got worse every year. Hamvention is like the Hajj in that it?s the duty of every devout Ham to attend at least once and for the able to attend annually.  If you been there you know.

Move it down the road a few miles, put some lipstick on it but it's still the same flea market. Except the paved, with holes and ruts parking lot is replaced with grass and dirt. Get a day of soaking rain on the grass, heavy iron in the truck or van, and a good possibly of a big mess and possible dig out.
Around the country, there are some great locations where hamfests can be very enjoyable. I never found Hamvention to be one of them even at it's new location.

Of course, I was there to sell and make money and not belly-bump my on-the-air buddies or BS my way from vendor to vendor.

I just figured out, that over the years, I've been to hamfests in 22 states.

[KD6VXI]

Thank you everyone for all the responses.

Hoping to see they bring the Puerto Rico fest back, that's 25 dollars each way and I love a reason to go visit there!!!

I am going to be in Cincinatti for work over Fathers day.  Decided that's a great excuse to go to DX Engineering and Summit Racing.  Turns out there's a Fest on Fathers Day in Michigan, 2 hours away!  Guess I'll be hitting that one up!

Getting things home is tricky.  I generally travel with a 3 piece luggage that stacks together like the Russian dolls.  I try to pack all my clothes in hlthe smallest.  Thats one of my carry ones.  My credit card gets me one checked bag free and my 'elite status' gets me a checked bag free!  Only 75 lbs each so no boat anchors..

Anywhere, lots to digest.

--Shane
Wp2ass  / ex KD6VXI

[KA3EKH]

Think everything at the end of the day is you get out of it what you put into it. Been to a couple shows over the years and saw great ones die. Gaithersburg, Timonium and now Frostfest Don't know about the big deal down in FLA being have not been there yet. But as long as Hamvention keeps going, I will be there.
Don,t discount belly bumping and playing radio in the field because the days of buying tubes and coils is drawing to an end.
Can,t say for all the rest but for myself I am convinced the hobby is better when we get out in the field and play with our friends.
The more shows you hit the better.

[K4NYW]

Dayton/Xenia is an hour or so from Cincinnati if you connect through there.
And the Air Force Museum in Dayton is well worth a visit.
I have been to Dayton/Xenia many years and very rarely go inside to look at the shiny stuff - I stick to the flea market and always have a great time seeing/buying/selling vintage gear and meeting up with friends.
My photos from past events at
https://www.virhistory.com/ham/index.html#dayton

And Shelby is quite close to Charlotte and usually has a good crowd - probably 3rd in size to Dayton and Orlando
My photos from past events at
https://www.virhistory.com/ham/index.html#shelby

Have Fun!

[W3SLK]

KA3EKH said:

Think everything at the end of the day is you get out of it what you put into it. Been to a couple shows over the years and saw great ones die. Gaithersburg, Timonium and now Frostfest Don't know about the big deal down in FLA being have not been there yet. But as long as Hamvention keeps going, I will be there.
Don,t discount belly bumping and playing radio in the field because the days of buying tubes and coils is drawing to an end.
Can,t say for all the rest but for myself I am convinced the hobby is better when we get out in the field and play with our friends.
The more shows you hit the better.

Can't agree more with you. Gaithersburg was the first to drop. My feet would get sore making only one round there. Timonium went by the wayside when they started allowing junkdealers to attend, that was about the time the personal computer market dropped out. I remember the days of waiting to get inside one building. Once you were in, you had to wait until you made a complete circuit because it was wall-to-wall people! Frostfest makes me sad! All indoors, unless you were one of the sad sacks that couldn't get a place indoors and were selling stuff outside. I was happy when I attended Sussex last year for the first time and don't know why I didn't go in previous years. But at least it resembles a very good fest!

[KD1SH]

  Sussex is indeed a fine fest. This year will mark my eighth time going there (or maybe the seventh, since we lost one to Covid, as I remember), and I wish I'd discovered it years earlier. It's the farthest from home of all the 'fests I attend, which is one of its attractions since it provides some variety. The layout is easy to navigate, the bathroom facilities are fine, and there's plenty of room inside the building. About the only drawbacks are the scarcity of cover from the sun on typically sweltering July days, and the low-lying terrain with soil that seems disinclined to good drainage, ensuring plentiful puddles and mud after heavy rains.

Can't agree more with you. Gaithersburg was the first to drop. My feet would get sore making only one round there. Timonium went by the wayside when they started allowing junkdealers to attend, that was about the time the personal computer market dropped out. I remember the days of waiting to get inside one building. Once you were in, you had to wait until you made a complete circuit because it was wall-to-wall people! Frostfest makes me sad! All indoors, unless you were one of the sad sacks that couldn't get a place indoors and were selling stuff outside. I was happy when I attended Sussex last year for the first time and don't know why I didn't go in previous years. But at least it resembles a very good fest!

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I started to go to the Sussex hamfest in the early 80's. Back in the 80's and through the early 90's, I use to collect parts, print wiring boards, all types of connectors and parts for discarded or terminated jobs at work and estate sales. Around 10:30 in the hamfest  morning, I would drag out the filled boxes in front of my tables and have a free give-away. Probably gave away many $$$ worth of stuff each year.

In 2017, wife was in and out of the hospital so i didn't attend Sussex. In 2018 I had a hernia operation and couldn't lift anything, so I didn't go. Gave my spots to KJI Electronics.

In 2019 I was packed up on Saturday and to leave very early  Sunday morning. On Saturday, Niki Jean cut her left hind leg on something so had to get her to the vet. Took care of the bleeding but she had to wear a splint. I didn't want to leave her alone the entire day while I was at the hamfest, so I, at last minute, canceled.

In 2020 and 2021 no hamfest due to Covid.

In 2022 I was there at my typical spots. In 2023 we had those torrential rains Saturday and Sunday so I canceled. In 2024, I was there. For 2025, I will be there, unless more parts of Interstate 80 develop highway sink holes and you can't get there from here.

[KD1SH]

  Yes, I couldn't remember if Covid had cost us two Sussex events, or one; this will be my sixth, then.
You didn't miss much in 2023: the torrential rains held the turnout to a third, or maybe even a quarter, of usual.

In 2020 and 2021 no hamfest due to Covid.

In 2022 I was there at my typical spots. In 2023 we had those torrential rains Saturday and Sunday so I canceled. In 2024, I was there. For 2025, I will be there, unless more parts of Interstate 80 develop highway sink holes and you can't get there from here.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

  Yes, I couldn't remember if Covid had cost us two Sussex events, or one; this will be my sixth, then.
You didn't miss much in 2023: the torrential rains held the turnout to a third, or maybe even a quarter, of usual.

Several folk filled me in that did make the trek.
Since I had promised bringing door prizes, I doubled up on them the following year.

I have a brand new still in the boxes, an Ameritron AL-82 amplifier, that i thought about bringing, but I doubt too many festers walk around with 3G's in their pocket.

[KD1SH]

   Yeah, big-dollar items don't move well at 'fests, but...a brandy-new AL-82: that's gold! I remember, back before Covid, a few outlets were selling them for around $2500. The Covid era supply-chain thing drove them into the stratosphere, and now, with MFJ having ridden off into the sunset, that amp will remain a prize for a long time to come. For the right buyer, and he's out there somewhere, I'll bet it's worth 4G's or more.
   I had a chance, a couple of years ago, to buy one (not brand-new) from someone I knew for $1200. I passed, mainly because I've got a project going, a triple 3-500Z "three-holer," and I didn't want the AL-82 to distract me from that project. Still, looking back, I probably made a mistake not buying that amp.

I have a brand new still in the boxes, an Ameritron AL-82 amplifier, that i thought about bringing, but I doubt too many festers walk around with 3G's in their pocket.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

   Yeah, big-dollar items don't move well at 'fests, but...a brandy-new AL-82: that's gold! I remember, back before Covid, a few outlets were selling them for around $2500. The Covid era supply-chain thing drove them into the stratosphere, and now, with MFJ having ridden off into the sunset, that amp will remain a prize for a long time to come. For the right buyer, and he's out there somewhere, I'll bet it's worth 4G's or more.
   I had a chance, a couple of years ago, to buy one (not brand-new) from someone I knew for $1200. I passed, mainly because I've got a project going, a triple 3-500Z "three-holer," and I didn't want the AL-82 to distract me from that project. Still, looking back, I probably made a mistake not buying that amp.

I have a brand new still in the boxes, an Ameritron AL-82 amplifier, that i thought about bringing, but I doubt too many festers walk around with 3G's in their pocket.

My radio interests have gravitated back to VHF/UHF so the AL-82 HF amplifier in it's boxes is collecting dust and taking up space. The cabinet and circuitry is in one box, the tubes in another, HV transformer in another. I also have the grid protection board accessory that will go along with it.

I still have HF shoes if I need them including two SB-200's and for clown shoes, a Johnson Thunderbolt.
For 6 and 2 meters, separate 4cx-250B amps, and for 6 and 2 clown shoes, a Johnson 6N2 Thunderbolt. I also have a partially built 432 MHz amp that I started building years ago that I never finished.

[KA3EKH]

Been to Sussex a time or two, they also have a Military Vehicle show and sale at the same site, something like a Ham fest only for military equipment. I have to travel up the turn pike or 295 and that's a drag. Just have a hard  time warming to stuff well above the Mason Dixon line.
Frostfest was a great sale, was the best way to start the new year and new season. Always well attended and bought many bargains along with selling a lot there. But Covid killed it or so I am told, don't know if there is more to it then that but sad to see it never return.

[W3JKO]

I'm planning to visit Dayton next week for the first time in 30+ years.  I have no clue what to expect as far as getting to it; what time to realistically arrive to get parking on site and how messy it will be if it rains ,etc.  They claim the attendance is around 25-30k people so I would think the main parking would fill up pretty quickly.  If its worth it I may go back Saturday or we might drive back to PA.  

Although its not a 'hamfest' the antique radio meet is in Kutztown this weekend and its a pretty big deal.  You can find tubes and parts there.  https://www.dvhrc.com/kutztown.html

[KA3EKH]

Friday is the big day for buying and Saturday is a good day if your selling, although my experience has been that I have sold most of my junk on Friday. most everyone who is there on Friday is also there on Saturday, very few show up on Saturday that were not there on Friday. Almost no one shows up on Sunday. They have huge parking lots but being I always sell never had to deal with parking being that I get there early.

[KD1SH]

   I've never been to Dayton, but now that my wife and I are retired, I've been thinking about it. It's a roughly twelve-hour drive from my location in CT, and I figure I'd break it up into three four-hour stints, with overnight stops in Scranton and maybe Youngstown, and two nights nearby to the event. My truck gets 24 mpg on the highway, so the overnight lodgings would far exceed the fuel costs.
   It wouldn't be hard to talk my wife into it; she's not a ham, but she loves going out on trips. The problem is, she's got arthritis in her knees and isn't much for walking around. If I set up a table for her to sell her crocheted items, she could sit comfortably while I'm out walking around the 'fest, which is how it usually works at Nearfest and other local events. Failing that, maybe I could get her a wheelchair and roll her along with me. It would serve a dual purpose; I'm sure she wouldn't mind cradling a seventy-five pound mod transformer in her lap.

I'm planning to visit Dayton next week for the first time in 30+ years.  I have no clue what to expect as far as getting to it; what time to realistically arrive to get parking on site and how messy it will be if it rains ,etc.  They claim the attendance is around 25-30k people so I would think the main parking would fill up pretty quickly.  If its worth it I may go back Saturday or we might drive back to PA.  

Although its not a 'hamfest' the antique radio meet is in Kutztown this weekend and its a pretty big deal.  You can find tubes and parts there.  https://www.dvhrc.com/kutztown.html