2003-0516. The largest Amateur Radio Convention in the world held this year on May 16-18 at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Paddy, my XYL, and I planned to visit the Hamvention on Friday, visit the Wright-Patterson Air Museum on Saturday and travel back to New Jersey on Sunday. The weather was fine for the outdoor vendors on Friday, it started a little overcast but got very bright and warm by mid afternoon. There were a large number of vendors both outdoor and inside the Arena with a very large complement of buyers. I bought a few tubes and of all things I bought a Vibroplex key to do a tiny bit of CW. Looked like everyone was having a fun time at Dayton this year! On Saturday, after the Air Museum visit, Paddy and I joined 30 other AM'ers for pizza at Marions.
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1: Friday 10:30 AM. Steve Cloutier WA1QIX and Dale Gagnon KW1I discuss the agenda for their part in the AM forum in Room 4 at the Hara Arena.
2: Dale KW1I president of Amplitude Modulation International (AMI) chairs the Dayton AM Forum and kicks off the program from the main podium.
3: Steve WA1QIX takes the mike and provides an overview of Class E transmitters.
4: The famous WA1QIX Class E transmitter on display for the Dayton crowd.
5: Steve WA1QIX showing off his Class E transmitter with Phil K2PG in the background.
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6-9: Boatanchors abounded and some of the prices were way up there.
10: How about that $1100 Thunderbolt !
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11: Wow, $600 for a Valient !
12: Damn... These hambo guys just look at RADIOS !!
13: Tubes everywhere.
14: K4HVA was the most ready for the Hamvention. He had a large yellow shopping cart, two folding chairs a couple of battery powered rigs a tall 2 meter antenna, food, beverage and a tarp just in case it rained. (It rained on Saturday).
15: It should be the motto for ALL hamfests!
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16-18: Paddy and I visited the Wright-Patterson Air Museum with it's huge inventory of full size aircraft on the deck and hanging from the ceiling. They also had a spectular IMAX show on the Space Station, awesome photography!
19: Paddy meets Bob Hope.
20: Does that old time pilot look like George Bush?
