SilentKillerx07
Member
I know this sounds "noobish", but what exactly a Hamfest?
What is a Hamfest?
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eorange
♦Insane Asylum Premium Member♦
It's a swap meet for amateur radio equipment. People buy, sell, and trade all kinds of gear. Go here to find one near you:
http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html
It's also a great place to learn about getting licensed for amateur radio; VEs (volunteer examiners) are always at hamfests, administering the amateur exams.
http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html
It's also a great place to learn about getting licensed for amateur radio; VEs (volunteer examiners) are always at hamfests, administering the amateur exams.
jhooten
Member
A swap meet is part of a hamfest. You can have a stand alone swap meet, but to be a true Hamfest it must have programs, meetings, and activities.
prcguy
Member
I've been to countless Hamfests and found they can also be a gathering place for Pork aficionados.
prcguy
prcguy
They're enjoyable to go to, even if you're not looking to buy anything specific. They're truely great for a sociological observation at the least. You'll see about the highest concentration of portable radios and vehicles sporting antennas of all kinds possible. Unfortunately at everyone I've been to, there are quite a few hygiene-challenged individuals from almost any age bracket.
The attendance of the few that I've been to recently, has declined over the past few years. With e-bay and all the online stores available nowadays, some prefer to go that route, or just buy new stuff (since a lot of prices are going down) that's got a warranty, etc.
With the increased evolution of the Internet and how it's become a daily part of our lives, it seems to be unfortunately taking a toll on the ham radio hobby.
Don't let me scare you off, they're worth the while. A great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday when you have free time.
The attendance of the few that I've been to recently, has declined over the past few years. With e-bay and all the online stores available nowadays, some prefer to go that route, or just buy new stuff (since a lot of prices are going down) that's got a warranty, etc.
With the increased evolution of the Internet and how it's become a daily part of our lives, it seems to be unfortunately taking a toll on the ham radio hobby.
Don't let me scare you off, they're worth the while. A great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday when you have free time.
MarkEagleUSA
Member
What's that???pm1072 said:
elk2370bruce
Member
I enjoy the opportunity to see some of the older gear and the demonstrations of new technologies. I've learned a lot from these sessions + they are a lot of fun and you get to meet a lot of the people that you talk to on the ray dee oh.
w0fg
Member
A hamfest is a anthropological phenomenon at which a group of overweight, unwashed, middle-aged social misfits (closely resembling homeless schizophrenics, to home they are related) gather in a car park surrounded by electronic flotsam and jetsam. There they publicly demonstrate their lack of electronic knowledge and social skills by attempting to convince each other that each piece of non-functioning electronic scrap is of inestimable value.
57Bill
Member
The swap meet aspect is fun if you like looking at all kinds of electronic/radio gear. But these people (along with the other graphic descriptions above) like to start early and leave early. By noon, most of these guys start putting their ware in boxes to take back home. If you attend, attend early to see the most.
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prcguy
Member
I think I've been to that hamfest too many times. Have you noticed at ham swap meets that whatever you might be selling and no matter how cheap you have priced it, there will always be someone who says "why should I give you that much, I can build one from scratch for less than $8.
prcguy
prcguy
w0fg said:
902
Member
Wow! That's probably the most accurate description I've ever read!w0fg said:
Sadly, most hamfests are dying. Ebay is replacing them. I look for weak-signal VHF stuff. Back in the late 70's and through the 80's you could find tables of 6, 2 and 432 antennas, radios, transverters, etc. Now, literally everything is garbage that I would be dumpstering from my garage the next time I order a dumpster. Last one I was at, someone was selling small kitchen appliances and 10 Meg IDE drives. The only thing I get out of a hamfest is "social engagement" (and, given the accurate statement of 'social' in this context, that's something I could probably do without).
Anyone remember the "computer shows" from the early 90's? I had a guy near me who rented halls and convention centers for them. There were THOUSANDS of people turning out for little sh*tskies and floppy disks in crates. People would custom make your computer as you waited and the computers were like Motorola MX radios - you either wanted to get the smallest one wedged in with stuff, or the biggest one with like three CD players and multiple ports (and it was only a 286)!
The social phenomenon there during the days of the "Baby On Board" signs (which only evoked the feeling of "They let you reproduce?!") were that most were yuppies who had Spielberg beards, dressed like Indiana Jones in khaki shorts and a hat, and carried their screaming yuppie puppies in pappoose packs. They would inconsiderately bend over and the d*mned kid's toe got stuck in your nostril. On the extreme end, you also had the ill washed fat men with long stringy hair and birth-control glasses going "Hey maaaaaaannnnnnnn..." (most embarrassing episode - I was standing in line at one in Monmouth Co. with a buddy waiting to get in and one guy I worked with, who looked like Langley from the X-Files except he was still in his work clothes from the ay before with electrical tape covering up the name of the company, picked me out of the crowd and was yelling my name to get my attention - shoot me now!). Some social event.
No wonder Ebay is so popular.
ROTFLMAO crashcrew! I was thinking the same thing, Hamfest = Christmas Dinner! You beat me to it! It's refreshing to see you're developing a sense of humor in your old age! :wink:
rcvmo
Member
meet a lot of the people that you talk to on the ray dee oh
Then there are those who want to talk senslessly about anything or anybody.........forever and ever. And your standing there trying not to be rude, saying uh-huh, uh-huh, but you really have to go to the bathroom bad.
rcvmo
Then there are those who want to talk senslessly about anything or anybody.........forever and ever. And your standing there trying not to be rude, saying uh-huh, uh-huh, but you really have to go to the bathroom bad.
rcvmo
Astro25
Member
I've been selling lights/warning equiptment (Whelen, Code3) and Motorola equiptment from our shop at Dayon for the past 3 years. Dayton is generally really good.
But, no hamfest is complete without the guy with the porn table! :roll:
But, no hamfest is complete without the guy with the porn table! :roll:
w0fg said:
Best reply ever made on the internet about hamfests. Ever.
Kudos to you, Sir
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