Posted: 6/6/2011 6:08:34 PM EDT
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No threads about ham com in Plano this weekend?
Who all is planning to go? This will be my first year to attend and I am excited to see all of the manufacturers products in person. So does the outside flea market start at 3 am like at the big hamfests???? I would love to find a smoking deal on another mobile radio to serve as a base station at the house. |
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Hey PC, so MARS is still active in this era of cell phones and skype and voip? I think I may be sent to hamcom this weekend so DH can go to the gunshow. I will try to stop by the MARS tables and see y'all. Do you know of SATERN will have a table there too?
73's n0vmr |
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*BUMP*
Here's a link to schedule. I've never been, but everyone is taking about it on the radio. http://www.hamcom.org/attending-presentation.cfm#add |
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Quoted: Hey PC, so MARS is still active in this era of cell phones and skype and voip? I think I may be sent to hamcom this weekend so DH can go to the gunshow. I will try to stop by the MARS tables and see y'all. Do you know of SATERN will have a table there too? 73's n0vmr Don't know about SATERN. Now it looks like I'm not gonna get to make it either. Texas Army MARS will definately have a table, so stop by and chat. |
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AAR
New ICOM radio availability adversely affected by tsunami in Japan. No IC-718's to be found and I had ¢a$h in the pocket to buy one. 
Saw an interesting 'Software Defined Radio'. Not sure that I'm ready for that yet but looked like quite the stuff. Essentially a 'VM' for radios. Overheard some of the 'old timers' complain that the flea market was 1/3 of the size of last couple of years and didn't have any deals. Personally, the area looked like a bunch of electronic crap that had been pulled out of dumpster. 
Thusly was forced to get the other radio I had planned on getting, the IC-208H plus the BuddiPole. Talked with 'Budd' from whom the antenna was named and he got me setup to run the IC-208H on the BuddiPole. Gave me his business card and told me to call him anytime I'm having problems with getting my radio to work with this antenna. 
Took the General test and passed it. They said that they would have the national database updated this afternoon. 
Overall.
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Quoted:
I would be willing to wager that 25% of the attendees were motorized.
Listening to the repeater, the guys who went today are bitching about the amount of scooters at ham com, being upwind, depends undergarments, with an odd absence of urine bags. Arf.com gold  Average age was probably 75. 
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Forgot some goodies so I went back. The 'flea market' on the west side of the centre looked like an electronic parts version of Joplin, MO. The % of mechanized visitors was way down. Hell. Yesterday, a round of drinks would have consisted of 5 gallons of Geritol and a couple of Depends changes.
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Quoted:
Listening to the repeater, the guys who went today are bitching about the amount of scooters at ham com, being upwind, depends undergarments, with an odd absence of urine bags. Arf.com gold I just got back from there. Inside, the urine smell was definitely back. mm |
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Here now. Only had two scooters in my way so far. No urine bags.
Got a couple of things, I ended up with one of those 20amp power supplies for $30. One guy bought it, decided he didn't want to take it home on the plane because it was heavy. I bought it off him instead of returning it. I'll use it eventually. I'm kinda underwhelmed, I expected a little more, but it looks like that parking lot cleared out when it got hot. |
| I thought it seemed less impressive than in years past. Didn't see a lot of scooters, and a lot of vendors were out of the stuff I wanted, but thanks to the good folks at DC PowerLLC, I was able to get pretty well everything I needed. Wes at DC Power was extremely helpful, even doing on-the-spot custom wiring builds for me. Had to buy more 10ga zipwire than I wanted as Wireman was out of 10ga, but at least WB0W had some––just in 25' lengths. I only wanted a foot or so...The Comet antenna folks (VIS) were nice and actually had the antenna I needed too, so kudos to them too. The Yaesu booth was basically unmanned, or too lazy to talk to me––not sure which. The Wouxun folks from Paris TX were busy and nice, and were managing to talk to everyone despite the crowd. The Icom booth was much like the Yaesu––essentially unmanned. The Kenwood booth was the least eyecatching, but had reps who would actually talk to you...despite the fact the pack on my back was advertising my TS-50s for sale! |
| Well I'm glad to see this thread. My buddy and I decided Friday morning that we didn't have enough time or money to make the drive up from Austin this year. Sounds like the right call. If I lived up that way I would have definitely gone. I thought with the ARRL national meeting it would be special this year. Oh well. Thanks for the reports fellas. |