Hamfest!! Timonium fairgrounds, 4/5

[John]

I'm going, got my advance ticket so I can get in a 1/2 hour early. Hopefully I'll pick up another couple Heathkit VTVM.  Anyone else in the area going?

Speaking of Heathkits, I bought a T-3 signal tracer off eBay years back, before I even knew how to use it, because A: it looked cool, and 2: it was cheap. (even came with both test leads) Finally got around to messing with it, it seems to work fine. Someone re-capped it with OD's, except for a few filter caps. I got reading the owner's manual, and it seems to be a very useful tool. I can't wait to use it on something!

[SILVERGUN]

I would consider coming out just to meet up with you....it's just a hair too far from Philly 
I'm gonna catch one this year....it'll be my first.

Here's an online calendar for anyone who's interested:
http://www.qsl.net/w2vtm/hamfest.html#ConventionDelaware

[John]

I've been to the West Friendship twice/3 times, and the Westminster a couple times too. I don't think they're having the Westminster one anymore, just not enough turnout. WF is pretty well attended, have outside tailgates plus inside tables. I snagged a couple nice panel meters, forceps and other odds n ends at that one. I would think (hope) the Timonium will be a good one too. First time I'm going to that one.

[Jack_Hester]

I'm going, got my advance ticket so I can get in a 1/2 hour early. Hopefully I'll pick up another couple Heathkit VTVM.  Anyone else in the area going?

I still have my Advanced license, but I've been inactive for many years.  My license is current, though it's up for renewal later this Summer.  I'll renew, as so as they will let me, online. 

I just dug out an old Swan radio that I've never used.  Bought it off of a friend, whose father was a very active HAM.  My Icom 745 died quite a few years back, and I haven't been on since.  I've got an Icom 725, with PS, that appears to be mint.  Came from the same estate.  Both have been sitting for a very long time.  I had hopes of firing up the Swan and getting back on the air.  But, I just don't know enough about operating a tube transceiver.  The 725 would probably be my best bet.  It would slip right into the spot that my 745 occupies, and my existing PS would provide the power. 

I'm mostly a listener, and I never really cared to talk radio.  So, when I did get on, it was usually with someone in a place that I visited on my bike (a long while back, too).  Talked to a Postman out West, walking his route.  He was using his portable 2M to repeat out of his car/truck on HF.  That was a fun QSO. 

With work being like it is (a good thing), it will now be Summer, before I'll be close to getting back on.  80-meter half-wave dipole up 65 feet, is my primary antenna. 

Anyway, I'm interested in your finds at the Fest.  I'll be watching.  Have a good one.

Jack

[John]

I never got into ham radio, I guess it was getting taken over by CB by the time I'd have liked it. There's still a pretty good following for it though, I think. I haven't done much with actual amplifiers lately, instead I've gotten sucked into the old test equipment instead. I will let you know if I find any goodies.

[Jack_Hester]

I never got into ham radio, I guess it was getting taken over by CB by the time I'd have liked it.

Same here, though it does have it's moments that make it all worth the effort to get the ticket.  Whenever I got into a QSO topic on cross-country bike trips or history, I found out that there were a lot of people just like me who wanted to talk anything but radio.  I do have some interest in it.  It's still a great way to communicate on a 'party line', where the whole visit belongs to the world. 

Ghost Towns.  Those were some of my greatest trips.  Talk about them on the radio, and people come out of the woodwork with similar stories, or wanting to plan their own trips. 

World's largest hand-dug well, in Greensburg, Kansas.  Made a trip there (I'm in N.Carolina), just because I talked to someone on the radio from there.  Well worth the trip.  A huge walnut grove somewhere on the way.  Originally, the trees were planted, and at some point when they were saplings, another walnut variety was grafted to the first.  The first had the best root system, to survive the high winds of the area.  I hope they survived the terrific tornadoes that destroyed Greensburg a few years back. 

HAM radio made for some fantastic bike trips, 'back in the day'. 

Jack

[HotBluePlates]

I hadn't even paid attention to the hamfest schedules. If I can find babysitting of some kind, I'd probably go to the Timonium meet. I'm not a radio guy, but I might be able to sell some excess test gear & pick up some tubes cheap.

[John]

some excess test gear

[Ritchie200]

Nipper has gotten a little hairy!  Or is that Chipper all grown up?

Jim

[HotBluePlates]

The dog licks the outlet to tell you if voltage is present?? 

[John]

Only if I hold his paw.

[John]

Okay, I went, I saw. It had been 20 yrs + since I had been to the fairgrounds. I pull in at 8:15 and the parking lot is filling up quick. I'm thinking there's another event going on also. Then I see all the antennas sticking out of backpacks walking towards the Cow Palace and see the light. haha. Apparently, ham ain't dead just yet.


It was huge, lots of vendors and a ton of visitors. Lots of computer stuff, lots of other stuff that I didn't even know what it was. Quite a bit of ham related stuff, I'd say. Very little test equipment useful for what I do, but I did pick up 4 4ft. lenghts of heat shrink for a buck per length, and a Senior VoltOhmyst for $10. It powers up without shorting out, so after I get the Jr. VO back together I'll dive into that.


I did see a couple pristine tube stereo units,and also a McIntosh in mint condition. Quite a few boat anchors here and there, too. Glad I went, it took me 90 minutes just to see everything.

[kagliostro]

I go to all the Hamfest in a circle of 250Km from my town (North east Italy, not very far from Venezia)


I'm not a Radio Amateur but many of my friends are


I like this kind of Flea Market and go to all I can in this last 6 years, a pair of times I was also to the Friedrichshafen (Germany) Ham Fest, it is a bit more far from here (~550Km) but is nice to be there a pair of days, that is the bigger european hamfest


Often happens to find interesting stuff at hamfest, yesterday at a very little one in Portogruaro (VE) I get (really at a low price) 3 small chassis from military equipment with very nice shielded sockets and 12 x 5654 1 x 6cl6 1 x 6ah6wa 1 x 5670, a small PT and a fantastic aluminium bag/cabinet ex HP military equipment


My council for those who has never been at an hamfest is to go there and give a look, many times is possible to get interesting stuff


K