Dayton 2006

[Carl WA1KPD]

Flew out Friday morning early from Bradley in CT with Ron, K1VYU.  By the time we got our car etc. it was about 10:30 when we arrived at the fest.

Saw several NE hams only only one that I recognize from Hosstraders.

Fair amount of BA equipment for sale which included:
NC-100
RALs
R390s
Several nice 75A4s and newer Collins stuff
2 AF68s with PMR 7 and power supply
4 Viking IIs in various shapes
A pretty nice NC-101
Hallicrafters HT-20
Lot of Drake tube gear
Mohawks, Mohegans and other assorted Heath gear
Several SX-28s, SX-25s, NC-125s and other assorted mid range rcvrs
A Harris broadcast transmitter (looked incomplete)
A .002 mfd cap oil filled 12KV cap which was about the size of a case of beer. (I thought it would be fun to use in a crystal set.)

Ther were a large number of vendors inside. I really enjoyed seeing the SDRs. Drooled all over a couple of them

Attended part of two of the presentations (missed the AM one) and left both early on. They were not inspiring.

WX was partly cloudy but comfortable Friday. Beautiful on Saturday and Sunday was cool with some rain showers.

Attendance seemed good with about 90% of the flea market spaces filled and a fairly good sized crowd. Riley Hollingsworth was on one leg of our flight home and he said vendors told him sales were up.

A general observation on hamfest attendance.
In talking with a group Sunday afternoon we began to compare it to the hamfest attendance of the mid 80s to 90s. One person pointed out that there used to be a ton of used computer stuff during that time period and that those vendors by and large are gone.  It occurred to me, that back in that time frame, I was becoming discouraged about the number of computer types showing up.  With less and less people custom building computers now days we may have lost that component to the hamfest crowd and are confusing that loss with a drop in true hams attending and participating in hamfests.

In other words perhaps the 85 to 95 period had no more or less hams then we have now. I know I found most of what I wanted at Hosstraders, and sold a fair amount of stuff so from a narrow perspective my involvement was at its usual level. There was a lot I could have bought from Dayton, but had no practical way to transport it back. Maybe things are not as bleak as some think

Flew back Sunday at 5:00 and home by 9:30

All in all a very enjoyable time and will go back again in 3 to 5 years

[K1JJ]

Carl said:

"One person pointed out that there used to be a ton of used computer stuff during that time period and that those vendors by and large are gone.  It occurred to me, that back in that time frame, I was becoming discouraged about the number of computer types showing up.  With less and less people custom building computers now days we may have lost that component to the hamfest crowd and are confusing that loss with a drop in true hams attending and participating in hamfests."
-------------------------

Hi Carl,

That's a very interesting idea and observation from Dayton.  I agree that at Hosstraders there was very little computer stuff for sale. Certainly the $300 new computer has quashed that group.

Glad you guys had a good time.

73,
T

[Carl WA1KPD]

And then there was this guy.....
Pardon the pic quality, it was done inside with a cell phone camera

[k4kyv]

I missed it for the 3rd year in a row due to a scheduling conflict with the one day out of the entire year that I couldn't get off from work.

I rarely ever picked up "boat anchors."  My main interest has always been more along the line of classic components for homebrewing and modifying, than transmitters and receivers, except maybe for something truly rare and classic (which lately would have been unaffordable anyway) .

I used to come back home with the car loaded down with goodies almost to the point of dragging the ground, with hardly enough room left inside to safely operate the vehicle, but for the past 2-3 times I attended, I could have put everything I acquired in one shopping bag.  Not only were the pickings slimmer and the prices higher, I have become much more selective about what I acquire as storage space continues to run low.

How was the selection of good transmitting components such as tubes, meters, sockets, fixed and variable TX capacitors, oil caps, modulation iron, etc., and were there many 30's vintage and antique parts lying around?

[k4kyv]

And then there was this guy.....
Pardon the pic quality, it was done inside with a cell phone camera

And I heard over the air that as usual there was at least one dude wearing a scale model antenna and tower mounted on a hardhat.  Oh how HamSexy!!!

And no doubt the usual array of Daytonmobiles putt-puttering about.

[Carl WA1KPD]

And I heard over the air that as usual there was at least one dude wearing a scale model antenna and tower mounted on a hardhat. 

here you go....


http://www.k2jsv.com/gallery/albums/album26/DSCF2906.jpg

[KR4WI]

I got to go this year, my first time. very nice, and enjoyed the military folks, ka8tru and crew. Picked up apache, and 4-400, 4-125 toobs, hope maybe to homebrew transmitter this winter, also got a free six foot cabinet. Matthew KR4WI

[KA1ZGC]

Well, I never went before this year, but we (W2NBC, WA1HLR and myself) had a freakin' great time.

Snagged myself a Ranger in fantastic cosmetic condition with very detailed service notes for $200. Jeff may never forgive me.

Also scored a 4CX1000 with the screen-grounding socket (i.e. no screen bypass caps) for $140 from W3JN's buddy Ken, who then threw in the filament iron, blower, and chimney at no extra charge. The socket is what I was really after, I've always had a soft spot for the 4CX1000 in grounded-screen service.

Stay tuned for the eclectic, nay esoteric transmitter (yes, I said transmitter, not amplifier) conceiving itself in my head involving that tube as we speak.

Met lots of guys for the first time: John W3JN (to whom we all owe special thanks for providing us with a staging area, german beer and some great stogies), Gary WD8BEM, Brown, Dale KW1I, Bill, John,  and many others my brain isn't functioning well enough to identify right now.

Was hoping to finally meet Buddly... guess ya couldn't make it, Bud. Don, given the way life has happened around you lately nobody was suprised you didn't make it. Hope all is well with you and your daughter.

There were plenty of parts to be had. I could have bought the vacuum caps and roller inductors I'll need for the transmitter-to-be-unveiled-later on Saturday, but I thought it would be much more fun and challenging to hang out with JN and company and get sunstroke in 65 degree weather. John offered me sunscreen, I passed it up, and I'm paying for it.

Oh, yeah:

1) If you ever get the urge to hang out in your hotel room shooting most of a bottle of Canadian Mist between two of you, don't.

2) If you ever get the urge to drive from Akron, OH to Sparta, NJ with only three momentary stops, don't.

3) Particularly if (1) is Saturday night and (2) is Sunday morning.

Jeff's got the pics, I'm sure they'll be showing up soon.

Just got back to New Hampshire this afternoon, and now I can catch up on about three days of sleep I'm missing. Pardon me whilst I NiCad.

Definately worth it, 1st time in 15 years as a ham, and won't be my last.

--Thom
Killer Album One Zappa's Greatest Compositions

[Ed - N3LHB]

Met lots of guys for the first time: John W3JN (to whom we all owe special thanks for providing us with a staging area, german beer and some great stogies), Gary WD8BEM, Brown, Dale KW1I, Bill, John,  and many others my brain isn't functioning well enough to identify right now.

--Thom
Killer Album One Zappa's Greatest Compositions

Great finally meeting you Thom...

The trip to Dayton was rainy and cool on the way down Friday, the rain stopped once I got 10 miles west of Columbus. Decent weather, although just a tad on the cool side both days compared to other years.

Regreted passing on the 125 dollar SX-42, should have looked closer and longer, it was gone Saturday, on my return (there was no doubt it would have been gone after thinking about it Friday night). Saw a nice early HRO that was also gone Saturday...

Ran into many AM'er's of QSO's past and some new ones too.

Some of my scores were a portable victrola in a wooden box about 6x6x9, a (cheap!) SX-28 cabinet for my 5 dollar SX-28A, and a clean Collins R-390A audio module, of which is in my psuedo R-725 now, and listening to 75M right now ...

All in all, I thought Dayton was just a little smaller than years past. In addition, although there were parts, they were also in less abundance than years ago. I remember thinking that ePay might have had an impact on smalls, but most hamfesters seem to have less and less parts these days...

Looking forward to the rest of the summer festers and next years Dayton...


   

[W1DAN]

Dayton 2006 thoughts by W1DAN

Got there Friday at about 1:30PM. Within 5 minutes I found an ACC-SM100 ShackMaster interface for a friend.

Saw a nice looking and incomplete RAS for reasonable money. Saw an HRO-5 for $850.00, many other boat anchors for reasonable and unreasonable prices.

General thoughts:
Fewer parts were there. I was looking for some common and some un-common parts. Did not find any. In the past, Debco, a parts supplier had 10-15 tables inside. This time they had about 4 tables outside in the flea area. Mendleson had less and was having a store closing sale. Thought I’d find more vacuum and air varaibles. Not too many. So Dayton is no longer the parts mecca it used to be. Friday had light to medium traffic. Thought it’d get much more Saturday, but it was about the same.

Saw the forum on SDR. Pretty good. The guy next to me fell asleep and leaned against me until he woke up!

Went to the ARRL area (they had a whole section cornered off with carpet and a forum mike and chairs). They are really pushing in a new direction very hard. It was good to see them trying. Hopefully their new direction will be successful. Talked with Norm Fusaro (K3IZ?) about some Katrina stuff and got an amazingly poor response from him that angered me. Talked with Dave Sumner, K1ZZ who was very nice and had a fantastic memory. I am happy the ARRL has him. Good guy. They have a new promo video for the “hello” campaign. It opens with a guy in a telehraphers outfit tuning a TBS-50 that had a 1920’s speaker connected to it. Poor continuity!

I went there to join friends from New Orleans and Mississippi. Really had a great time with them. Met WA1HLR, KA1ZGC, KW1I, W8TOW, WA2CWA another 8 lander AM’er, and W4DAN.

Bought a Brown Brothers UTL paddle, a transmitter kit, an MFJ SW converter, some LM380 amp cards ($1.00ea), some books. Ate well.

Good time!

73,
Dan W1DAN

[WA1GFZ]

Glad to hear you went to SDR those guys are cutting edge.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Also, had a great time at Dayton this year. Great to see and meet Carl, Dan, Dale, Ed, Dan(2), John, and a bunch of others. Although my activities were more business oriented, I did have time to wander the hamfest (abit fast) to catch a look at all the boat anchors and "stuff" out there. Had lots of laughs.

Someone even came home with a SDR rig.

In this picture, I can't remember if the SP600JX17 and SX42 were gone already to new homes. Their was also another table that's not visible in this picture with more stuff.

[WB3JOK]

Mendleson had less and was having a store closing sale.

Say it ain't so! Mendelson's is closing?? 

I thought they'd be there forever... certainly some of the stuff on the third floor shelves is still there from when I lived just up the street ('92-'96) which is about the time they quit accepting counteroffers on their prices. But a visit there has always been part of my trip whenever I go to Dayton and you can find damn near anything if you look long enough. What happened, was the building sold for yuppie loft condos?

-Charles

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Mendleson had less and was having a store closing sale.

Say it ain't so! Mendelson's is closing?? 

I thought they'd be there forever... certainly some of the stuff on the third floor shelves is still there from when I lived just up the street ('92-'96) which is about the time they quit accepting counteroffers on their prices. But a visit there has always been part of my trip whenever I go to Dayton and you can find damn near anything if you look long enough. What happened, was the building sold for yuppie loft condos?

-Charles

I thought the sign said something like store liquidation sale on closeouts and overstocks. I haven't heard anything about them closing. Also, nothing to that effect on their web site.

[W1DAN]

Guys:

Yes it was a liquidation sale, for whatever that means (I assumed they were going outta business).

Dan
W1DAN

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Guys:

Yes it was a liquidation sale, for whatever that means (I assumed they were going outta business).

Dan
W1DAN

Dan:
Great to meet you and your friend(from LA) on Saturday. At Saturday's end, I felt like I shook a thousand hands on Friday and Saturday. It was amazing how many "Guests" read this bulletin board on a regular basis. Thanks guys and gals. Sometimes members forget that lots of non members/Guests also read this board.

[WB3JOK]

I thought the sign said something like store liquidation sale on closeouts and overstocks. I haven't heard anything about them closing. Also, nothing to that effect on their web site.

OK, that's a relief. That sign is up at the flea market tent  every year 

I had some worries a few years ago when they put up that minor league ballpark, figuring they were selling out. But it went up right across the street and only took out the parking lot and Mendelson's stilll has their own lot next to the building.