I'm going to a convention in Ohio in May (No, not a comic convention)

[JBK405]

I'm heading to the Dayton Hamfest in May, and I was wondering if anybody else has their Ham Radio license and is going to the convention. It's the biggest hamfest in the world, with a large flea market, and I've been going since 1998 (Or '97, I honestly can't recall which), and I only missed it once (My sister was graduating college).

Are there any other hams on the board?

[Weeto]

I would have thought that ham radio would have faded out because of internet broadcasting.

Pretty much anyone can speak on the net now, to each other and the world in general.

[JBK405]

We're old school nerds, after the second-to-last ham dies, the last one will still be on shortwave signalling 'CQ'. Unfortunately, given the sedentary lifestyle most of us adopt, that won't be as far into the future as we're hoping.

[RachelEvil]

Man, I got excited by the name "Hamfest" and then found out it was about old timey radios. :P

[JBK405]

Well, there are a lot of pork products to be found if that's what you're looking for. Overpriced pork products, given the food is always overpriced at a convention, but pork nonetheless.

If anybody is in the Dayton, Ohio area come on by even if you're not a ham. The flea market is always a great place to pick up stuff, and the electronics are good for any self-respecting nerd.

[JBK405]

Well, I'm in Ohio and heading to the convention tomorrow. There's really NO hams on this board at all?

[sunbird]

I once worked on an island that ham radio enthusiasts wanted to broadcast from for some inane reason. When the USFWS declined access to the important wildlife refuge they sicked the most anti-environmental Republican Congressmen on the USFWS to try and open up the sensitive islands to anyone that wanted to come. The bill was fortunately killed (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/04/19/BAGKJCATU01.DTL) (and since then some of ham types may have visited), but these people tried to trash an important refuge out of spite. So not only am I not a ham radio enthusiast, I have about as dim a view of the breed as it is possible to get. JBK405 aside, obviously.

[Erica J Heflin]

No, but a guy who lived in the house we bought was. He had an entire shed converted to his radio room and we have a MASSIVE radio tower that was built into the wall of the shed :)