So I went to Hamvention for the first time. I knew it was a big deal when I tried to book a hotel a couple of weeks before, and everything within 25km was full. Even my dodgy distant motel was full of hams, and the Perkins next door couldn’t handle the breakfast rush.
Hamvention is huge. Radio amateurs from all over the world come to Dayton to meet, look at the shiny new stuff, buy things they can actually afford, and paw over the junk valuable items in the fleamarket. The fleamarket’s the size of a small European country.
One obnoxious item I must get out the way is the amount of anti-government sloganeering on trucks, shirts and hats. I could do without that. For a hobby that wouldn’t exist without strong government regulation (and users sometimes go crying to government when someone doesn’t play by the rules), anti-government sentiment seems inane. Okay, that’s my rant over.
The fleamarket is basically where a lot of things that really should be snoozing away the millenia in a landfill come out every year to get aired. Sure, there’s some neat stuff in all those stalls, but you’d have to rummage and bargain. I was only there for a day and a half, and I’m trying to cut down on junk, so I was mostly in the fleamarket for the lulz. Here are some of the things I saw:
![teletype teletype](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0227.jpg)
A real teletype
![tesla coils tesla coils](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0228.jpg)
Tesla coils
![geiger counters geiger counters](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0231.jpg)
Geiger counters, lots of ’em (all non-functioning)
![line launchers line launchers](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0232.jpg)
n8prk‘s line launchers. Every few minutes he’d launch a marshmallow, which disappeared into the sky with a satisfying “Foomp!”
![cavities and repeaters cavities and repeaters](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0235.jpg)
Duplex cavities and repeaters. The big tanks at the back are for the 10m band.
![too many antennas too many antennas](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0236.jpg)
Too many antennas, sorry.
![enigma machines enigma machines](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0237.jpg)
Real wartime enigma machines. I think the price sticker said $90,000.
![old apple tech old apple tech](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0238.jpg)
Old apple tech.
![compact UHF cavities compact UHF cavities](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0239.jpg)
Tiny UHF repeater cavities from Paladin RF (aka Honest Bob Morton of Maple Leaf Communications)
![nixies! nixies!](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0240.jpg)
Nixies!
![good stuff, or junk? good stuff, or junk?](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0241.jpg)
Good stuff, or junk?
![WB4APR's old school mono solar WB4APR's old school mono solar](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0242.jpg)
WB4APR’s old school monocrystalline solar modules
![WB4APR's solar spinny thing WB4APR's solar spinny thing](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0243.jpg)
WB4APR’s solar spinny thing
![WB4APR's charge socket WB4APR's charge socket](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0244.jpg)
WB4APR’s charge socket on his Prius.
![WB4APR's prius WB4APR's prius](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0245.jpg)
Bob WB4APR’s prius. Bob’s quite well known for creating APRS: Automatic Packet Reporting System.
![WB4APR's prius WB4APR's prius](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0246.jpg)
WB4APR’s prius, from the rear.
![wire recorder wire recorder](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0247.jpg)
A wire recorder. Julian Koster would be proud!
![old ataris old ataris](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0248.jpg)
Old Ataris.
![KX-3 is the new hotness KX-3 is the new hotness](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0249.jpg)
The Elecraft KX3 is the new hotness (if you wear a cap). I had to fight to even get a glance at this thing.
![various bugs various bugs](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0251.jpg)
Various morse bugs. I ended up buying a Code Warrior Junior.
![a very purple Hilberling radio a very purple Hilberling radio](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0252.jpg)
A very purple (and very expensive) Hilberling radio.
![Begali testbed Begali testbed](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0255.jpg)
Begali testbed.
![London, Gerry from the Unseen Bean's helper London, Gerry from the Unseen Bean's helper](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0256.jpg)
London, Gerry from the Unseen Bean’s helper. It is good coffee.
![tubes tubes](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0257.jpg)
Tubes, or valves.
![more tubes more tubes](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0258.jpg)
More valves, or tubes.
![petrol engine from a Maytag washing machine petrol engine from a Maytag washing machine](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0259.jpg)
Petrol engine from a Maytag washing machine from pre-REA days.
![hams dream in heathkit green hams dream in heathkit green](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0261.jpg)
Hams dream in Heathkit green.
![you couldn't afford a hallicrafters you couldn't afford a hallicrafters](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0262.jpg)
You couldn’t afford a Hallicrafters then, and you probably still can’t.
![too big, and too many solar panels too big, and too many solar panels](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0263.jpg)
Too big, and too many solar panels.
![civil defence radio civil defence radio](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0264.jpg)
Civil defence radio, basically a 2m AM(?) HT. If anyone says that tubes are better than solid state, show them this.
![edison cylinder edison cylinder](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0265.jpg)
An edison cylinder, playing “Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia”. It sounded good.
![yaseu green yaseu green](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0266.jpg)
Yaesu green
![more enigma more enigma](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0267.jpg)
More Enigma.
![russian data burst encoders russian data burst encoders](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0268.jpg)
Russian data burst encoders. I remember a news piece on these around 1974; was there a spy bust in the UK then?
![two nagras two nagras](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0269.jpg)
Two Nagras for Nesey. You might not be able to see the tiny one inside the big one’s case.
![too too many antennas too too many antennas](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0270.jpg)
Too too many antennas — don’t be that guy.
![QRPme kit QRPme kit](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0295.jpg)
A QRPme kit. I sat in on the QRP session. Interesting, but clutter-inducing. MUST SHUN!!!
![QRPme kit 2 QRPme kit 2](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0296.jpg)
QRPme kit 2
![QRPme PIC kit QRPme PIC kit](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0297.jpg)
QRPme PIC kit
![too many APRS users too many APRS users](http://scruss.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0300.jpg)
Too many APRS users. Seriously, 144.39 sounded like the frog chorus being sick all the time.
I only met one ham I’d worked; Joe (KJ8O) of the Feld Hell Club. I’ve only had my licence for a year, so not really a big surprise. Mad props to Russ of Linux in the Ham Shack for correctly guessing my accent, possibly a first.
I have to say that the event was extremely well organized. They’d teamed up with Dayton Transit to have buses from the free parking to the event. I didn’t have to wait once, though it was clear that most hams aren’t habitual bus riders. I enjoyed my time in the sorrowful midwest; I might go back every other year.