Thanks for sharing Steve!
Lots of great TopBand dinner memories also from Dayton
http://topbanddinner.com
Hope to see everyone next year for the Dayton TopBand Dinner!
73
Tim K3LR
-----Original Message-----
From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces+k3lr=k3lr.com@contesting.com] On Behalf
Of Hugh Valentine
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2025 8:47 PM
To: wb6rse1@mac.com
Cc: Top Band List List
Subject: Re: Topband: IDXC Top Band Dinner History
Your last sentence says it all!
Val
N4RJ
Sent from my iPad
> On May 22, 2025, at 5:13 PM, Steve Lawrence via Topband
> <topband@contesting.com> wrote:
>
> The IDXC Top Band Dinner History
>
> From 2008 through to 2019, I hosted the Top Band Dinner at the annual IDXC in
> Visalia, California.
> These Friday night dinners were co-located at the convention hotels. There
> were door prizes and presentations featuring recent DXpeditions that made an
> effort on 160M.
>
> That first dinner at the then Holiday Inn was in a small hotel ballroom that
> was absolutely packed. 90 people. You could barely walk between tables. By
> 2019 attendance had grown to 150 - a significant percentage of the overall
> convention attendance.
>
> Over those 12 years there were some $50K total worth of donated door prizes.
> Yes, $50K. Antennas, radios, accessories, test equipment, books, magazines
> and discount certificates from: Alpha Power; Array Solutions; ARRL; Balun
> Designs; CQ; The Daily DX; Dog Park Software; DX Engineering; The DX Store;
> Elecraft; Flex; Force 12; Hi-Z Antennas; HRO; Icom; Idiom Press; Kenwood;
> NCDXF; Palomar Engineering; Photo QSLs; Steppir; Ten-Tec; US Tower;
> Vibroplex; West Mountain Radio; Yaesu - to name a few!
>
> These prizes were a big hit and the generosity of those companies, vendors
> and organizations went a long way in helping make the dinners successful.
>
> My thanks to the volunteers who helped with logistical details to keep things
> moving smoothly.
>
> With an emphasis on Top Band these were the programs:
>
> 2008 - Eric. K3NA - 3B7C Saint Brandon.
>
> Eric set up stereo speakers to demonstrate pileup management. We learned the
> meaning of the term "Listening up 5 and 10." Eric really saved the day as
> this was my first time hosting the dinner and I was initially at a loss for a
> presentation. Thank you Eric.
>
> 2009 - Glenn, WØGJ - K5D Desecheo.
>
> 2010 - Bruce, W6OSP - K4M Midway; George AA7JV - TX3A Chesterfield.
>
> 2011 - Ned, AA7A - The Voodoo Contest Group, The Low Bands from West Africa.
>
> 2012 - Bob, K4UEE - HKØNA Malpelo.
>
> 2013 - Les, W2LK - ZL9HR Campbell Island.
>
> 2014 - Craig K9CT - FT5ZM Amsterdam Island.
>
> 2015 - Bob, K4UEE - K1N Navassa Island.
>
> Fred, K6SSS, and Joe, W1JR, in the 1950s were W2IWC and W2HQL respectively,
> and they put Navassa on the air back then on just a shoestring. They were
> able to hitch a ride home courtesy of the US Navy. Quite an adventure in
> itself. By way of introducing Bob, Fred and Joe surprised him with a test to
> see if Bob could prove that the team indeed had been on the island. Questions
> like: "How many steps to the top of the lighthouse?" Bob was, as always, his
> gracious self going along with the gag. Great fun.
>
> 2016 - Jared, N7SMI - VK9WA, Willis; Ned, AA7A - VP8STI, South Sandwich and
> VP8SGI, South Georgia.
>
> 2017 - Glenn, WØGJ - 3YØZ, Bouvet Preview; Steve, WB6RSE - 160M DXCC from a
> Los Angeles city lot.
>
> 2018 - Don, N1DG - The upcoming KH1 DXpedition; Glenn, WØGJ - 3YØZ Bouvet
> Island "Successful Failure"; Lee, KY7M & Ned, AA7A - The Milt Jensen, N5IA,
> Memorial Station NA7TB.
>
> 2019 - Chris, G3SVL - The 6 Gs at VK9XG Christmas Island; George AA7JV -
> KH1/KH1Z Baker Island.
>
> Lots of memories, enduring new friendships and overall great times.
>
> 73 - Steve WB6RSE
> _________________
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