Subj : Other Ham Radio News (1) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Sat Feb 15 2020 20:32:12 Earlier today, Feb. 15, 2020, I got up before the "butt crack of dawn", and drove over 2 hours to northeast Arkansas...specifically to Hoxie (southwest of Walnut Ridge)...for the Lawrence County Winterfest. I left home, and took Interstate 30 to Interstate 440 to US 67/167 (future Interstate 57) from Little Rock to Hoxie. I was surprised that the highway was open to that point (actually 20 miles further than it had been previously...and it was open a bit further northeast, but there was no need for me to go further. I used the Google MAPS program, which was like having a GPS in the car...although I'll have to get a cigarette lighter adapter for my T-Mobile Android phone, as the battery power went down by 1/3 from its max on the way. But, now that I know how to get there, I won't need that the next time. The phone was recharged once I got back home. I arrived there about 7:30am, 30 minutes before the hamfest itself opened. Thankfully, I could get in the building to use the restroom beforehand (cold weather makes ones urinary bladder shrink -- it was in the mid 20's across north and central Arkansas this morning). But, I was glad I had brought my walker...the long drive was HARD on me physically. There were also areas of construction on US 67/167 between Cabot and Newport...along the way. While I left Little Rock way before sunrise, it was still daylight for the ride home. The first thing I did after paying the admission ($5), was to buy 15 worth of prize tickets (I got 1 for admission, and bought the other 15, so I had 16 total). It turns out I WON the first 2 door prizes, which were: 1) The Tornado Radio Unit. It is separate from NOAA Weather Radio, that runs on AC power, with a 9 volt battery as a backup. You place it in a window, free of nearby electrical disturbances, and it will sound an alert, illuminate an orange light for lightning or a red light for a tornado, and flash a strobe light, should those be detected within 30 miles of your location. It's a $90 value. 2) A $50 ARRL Gift Certificate for the purchase of one of their publications. Since only one transaction is permitted, I may look for a publication near $50 (even if it's one I don't care for, or have interest in), and donate it as a prize at a future hamfest that I plan to attend this year. If I do a forum at the Slidell or Shreveport Hamfest, in late July or early August, respectively, I'm looking at donating 4 copies of the 12th Edition of The ARRL Operating Manual. I haven't bought those just yet...the last ones I had gotten, I give to 2 fellow area hams to donate as prizes at the Mena Hamfest in west Arkansas, which is always the weekend after Labor Day. Since Monday is the Presidents Day Holiday, ARRL is closed until Tuesday...so ordering has to wait...unless I choose to do it online. Next, since H.A.M. stands for "Have Another Meal", and "You Don't Call Us Late For Dinner", I bought 2 Shipley's chocolate iced donuts (nice and soft), and a Coca-Cola to wash them down with, while I filled out the prize tickets. Next time, I may bring my personal address stamp, with my name and callsign on it. A fellow ham, an older gentleman, who I've known for years, bought more tickets than I did, and he didn't win a thing!! It's basically the luck of the draw. Vendor wise, Ray Novak from IcomAmerica, was there with a display, including several rigs and brochures. You couldn't buy any gear, per se, but could get further info. I'm considering an HT to take with me on my Amtrak Hamfest trips in 2020, to use for analog or D-Star, and to monitor NOAA Weather Radio, as well as the railroad traffic. He suggested the Icom ID-51A (I think). I'm going to do some more research on that. Since the Little Rock area D-Star and DMR repeaters are LOCAL ONLY (not connected to the gateway), it makes no sense to get a fancier radio and a portable hotspot...especially when I can use the ThumbDV from Northwest Digital Radio, with my Windows 10 Laptop Computer, a headset mic, and the BlueDV program from PA7LIM, to get on D-Star. I also use the same computer for Packet Via Telnet D-Rats, and Echolink...as well as for my square dance related work with the Arkansas State Square Dance Federation (my second hobby...the third one is a computer bulletin board system (BBS), sort of a small version of AOL). The other vendor was D&L Antennas, who had a wide selection of manuals from ARRL, connectors, accessories, antennas, and other items, but I don't recall offhand if he had any RF gear for purchase (there may have been some, but I didn't see it). He gave me information on the "Tornado Radio" noted earlier. There were about 18 flea market vendors, selling boat anchors of old gear, and even some non-ham radio gear. While chatting with folks at some of the tables, I wasn't about to buy any of that. I have seen a lot of those items that move from one hamfest flea market to another. Exam wise, only 1 candidate showed up, and he passed both his Technician and General written exams. There were about 18 folks at the ARRL Forum...including ARRL Delta Division Director, David Norris, K5UZ (Ugly Zebra, as he likes to note (hi hi)), Arkansas Section Manager James Ferguson, N5LKE (his wife Caroline, N6LKE, was there as well), and Mike Nettles (I forget his callsign offhand, but Mike did work with the Arkansas Packet Network awhile back). There were some other Assistant Section Managers, etc. there, but the small room was packed for the forum...and there was a good bit of discussion. The main point to drive home, was to ELMER someone. If we don't do that, the hobby is going to die. Many young people are so engrained with their smartphones and tablets, and have no interest in the history, current state, or future of ham radio. Plus, the young people "don't want to talk to a bunch of old men". Admittedly, while ham radio is a male dominated hobby, the women "clean our clocks" when it comes to making contacts via contests, Field Day, or otherwise. Then, it was lunch time, and I got 2 cheeseburgers, 2 cans of Coca-Cola, 2 chocolate chip cookies, and a package of Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips. I had hoped that would be lunch, but I had to stop at the McDonald's in Newport on the way back to get another large Coca-Cola, along with a large order of french fries, and 4 small cheeseburgers...basically to help keep me awake on the way home. I finished most of the fries, but have some left for later, and still have the 4 cheeseburgers. Thank goodness for a microwave oven at the QTH. I took a nap as soon as I got back home. They gave away the grand prizes between 12:30pm and by 1pm, things were shutting down. At that point, "the crowd parted like the Red Sea" (hi hi). The same schedule will probably be at the Russellville and Fort Smith Hamfests...but from what I understand, W5YI/VEC will do license exams between 8am and 9am, then ARRL/VEC will do license exams between 9am and 10am. The hamfest doesn't open until 9am, so that gives those who want to take a test, and see the entire hamfest, a chance to do such. Yet, with many of the smaller hamfests, it's very difficult to get vendors. The "big hamfests" (i.e. Hamvention in Xenia, Ohio, in mid-May...Hamcation in Orlando, Florida, in early February... and Huntsville in Huntsville, Alabama in mid August) are the main ones benefitting now. I am taking Amtrak to 2 Louisiana Hamfests this year...Slidell in late July, and Shreveport in early August. As a note, while not serving Shreveport directly by train, Amtrak does offer a connection via a Thruway Bus at Longview. The Hoxie Hamfest is always held the 3rd Saturday in February, at the Hoxie Service Center, 500 SW Lawrence Street, across the street from the Hoxie Fire Department. Last year, winter weather really hurt the crowd, with both vendors and attendees unable to get there...but aside from morning cold, it looked well attended today. The next hamfests for Arkansas are the Arkansas River Valley Amateur Radio Foundation (ARVARF) Hamfest in Russellville on Saturday, March 7...and the Fort Smith Hanging Judge Hamfest on Saturday, April 4. That day is also the same day as the Arkansas Railroad Museum Show And Sale in Pine Bluff...and at times, amateur radio operators from the Pine Bluff area, set up an HF Special Event Station, operating from a former Southern Pacific Caboose, there at the museum. A picture of part of that, with yours truly in his Train Conductor outfit, can be found under my profile on QRZ (search for WX4QZ). The last time I had attended a hamfest in Arkansas, was when there was one in Little Rock, in September, 2016, put on by the CAREN Club. However, with a lack of vendors, attendees, and especially workers, 2016 was the last year of it...and it's a shame that with at least 3 clubs in the central Arkansas area (the Central Arkansas Radio Emergency Net (CAREN) Club, the Arkansas Radio Emergency Services (ARES) Club, and the Central Arkansas Ultra High Frequency (CAUHF) Club, they can't find a common ground to do a hamfest. But, there are apparently too many cliques and personality conflicts of new and "old time" members, who will NOT work together. Aside from being interfered with when I was on the air, that's the main reason that except for being the Volunteer Examiner (VE) Team Liaison for the University Of Arkansas At Little Rock (UALR) Ham Radio Club, I am not part of ANY other club in the Little Rock area. If they ever were to do a combined hamfest again, I would volunteer to do the VE Testing, with ARRL/VEC. As a VE, my goal is to get hams licensed, or upgraded. What they do in the hobby, is their business. After the Hoxie, Russellville, and Fort Smith Hamfests (in February, March, and April, respectively), the next one is the Queen Wilhelmena Hamfest, on top of Rich Mountain, in west Arkansas, which is always the weekend after Labor Day. Then, a much smaller hamfest (which I've heard isn't worth the drive), the K5BOC Memorial Hamfest on Petit Jean Mountain in Morrilton, on Columbus Day Weekend in October. I don't make the latter two, due to schedule conflicts...the latter being the Fall Festival for the Arkansas State Square Dance Convention. Being a member of the Executive Board, I have to be there. Several years ago, there was a hamfest in Batesville, and from what I heard at the ARRL Forum today, their club has grown explosively in members over the last year or two. I don't know if they'll do a hamfest this year or not...but it was a small one the last time I was there. One last thing...Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, of Amateur Radio Newsline, was there today. He's formerly from northeast Arkansas, then had moved to Topeka, Kansas. He and his family now live in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Daryl Stout, WX4QZ, Little Rock, Arkansas --- SBBSecho 3.10-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (454:1/33) .