The contest dinner was not sold out until after it started. Tickets were
still on sale when the dinner started.
73, Bruce K1MY
----- Original Message -----
From: <k2qmf@juno.com>
To: <k4oj@tampabay.rr.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Cc: <Jim@shawresources.com>; <ve7hcb@rac.ca>; <K7LXC@aol.com>;
<towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 5:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] First day at Dayton - Attendance continues to slide
>
> The Contest dinner on Saturday night was sold out!
> In fact they had more people this year than ever before!!!
> The lines for the bus at Salem Mall were the biggest that were seen!!
> You couldn't move around inside due to the crowds even when
> it wasn't raining outside!!
>
> Go figure...
>
> Ted, K2QMF
>
>
> On Sat, 18 May 2002 15:04:01 -0400 "Jim White" <k4oj@tampabay.rr.com>
> writes:
> > This is the first Hamvention I have missed in a long time...
> >
> > So far nobody has mentioned why I like to go....comradery.
> >
> > I usually do not see all the new exhibits but make an effort to see
> > the flea
> > market....guess I am showing my age - reminiscing when I see older
> > rigs,
> > etc...I like to attend the Antenna forum and the contest forum -
> >
> > BUT I SPEND WAY WAY WAY MORE TIME SOCIALIZING THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
> > To me
> > this is what I am missing by not being there this year....not the
> > vendors or
> > the deals but the people.
> >
> > In my opinion the downturn of the attendance is sirectly
> > attributable to the
> > change of the hobby from operator to communicator status...I could
> > not
> > communicate wqith any of the peopl I want to see at Dayton on the
> > VHF bands
> > if I wanted to but that IS what Ham Radio has become - our circle
> > is
> > smaller.
> >
> > ...HF has been licensed/zoned/discounted into the back seat - this
> > is the
> > spectrum my buddies hang out on! I enjoy seeing the NE guys, the
> > Texans,
> > the Black Holers...and occasionally a DX attendee....why would I
> > travel to
> > Dayton if my radio buddies were from a circle of friends that is
> > reachable
> > on VHF?
> >
> > I t sure feels wierd not telling fish stories at 3:00 in the morning
> > with
> > KL7RA and W3GH or not having that late night pizza, etc....this is
> > what I am
> > missing this year...my friends.
> >
> > If you go just to see the gear you have missed out on the true value
> > of the
> > hobby - it brings us all together! I share a common love of radio
> > communication, and that is reassuring! I know there are hotels
> > other than
> > the one I frequent in Dayton that have their own "cliques" be they
> > VHF/Moonbounce, whatever...
> >
> > Last year I saw about half of the exhibitors on Sunday afternoon
> > just before
> > I left...between the forums and the fleas and chewing the fat there
> > just
> > wasn't time!
> >
> > Hope those at Dayton are having a blast....I gather the weather
> > finally has
> > turned in your favor!
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Jim, K4OJ
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chris BONDE" <ve7hcb@rac.ca>
> > To: <Jim@shawresources.com>
> > Cc: <K7LXC@aol.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
> > Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2002 1:48 PM
> > Subject: RE: [Towertalk] First day at Dayton - Attendance continues
> > to slide
> >
> >
> > > Is there not a natural waxing and waning of these things?
> > > The next upswing may not be exactly the same, as technology,
> > people etc
> > > change. However, there will be something that will move in to
> > take Daton
> > > Hamventions place. I always wanted to go. BUT $$$. To me it
> > seemed
> > that
> > > the $s went up every year it was successful, the more successful,
> > the more
> > > dollars next year. Then the cycle dies as the spenders are
> > without
> > dollars.
> > >
> > > Maybe the next swing will be in small hamventions in various
> > areas. The
> > > government goes through cycles of centralization and
> > decentralazation for
> > > political reasons, I think the sales and promotions do likewise
> > for dollar
> > > reasons.
> > >
> > > Just a thought, by, Chris opr VE7HCB
> > >
> > >
> > > At 06:18 AM 2002-05-18 -0700, Jim Shaw wrote:
> > > >Steve
> > > >Thanks for the update. A thought re your comment that
> > > >
> > > >"The bad news is that the Hamvention continues its attendance
> > slide."
> > > >
> > > >This is a trend, particularly since 9/11, seen in
> > conventions/conferences
> > in
> > > >the business world as well. Many articles in the business press
> > have
> > > >addressed the substantial downturn in the travel and
> > convention/conference
> > > >industries which actually started several years ago. Speculation
> > is that
> > > >part of the downturn is due to the growing effectiveness of the
> > INTERNET
> > at
> > > >facilitating information exchange (TowerTalk is an example).
> > Even more
> > > >powerful, real time approaches exist via WebEx and competitors to
> > it.
> > You
> > > >could give your 'tower mistakes' talk for free on PlaceWare
> > > >(http://www.placeware.com/ a WebEx competitor) and perhaps
> > attract a
> > larger
> > > >audience. Webinars (a contraction of the words 'Web' and
> > 'Seminars') are
> > > >offered free by PlaceWare.com to the business world by as a way
> > to
> > introduce
> > > >their service to prospective customers.
> > > >
> > > >While I suspect there are many other reasons contributing to the
> > Dayton
> > > >attendance slide that are related the overall drop in active
> > hams, I just
> > > >wanted to observe that the emergence of Internet forums may
> > better meet
> > some
> > > >of our needs because they are lower in cost, consume less time,
> > and are
> > more
> > > >readily accessible (e.g. I can get year round access to expert
> > > >advice/information via TowerTalk) vs. the once per year "drink
> > from a
> > fire
> > > >hose" approach of Dayton.
> > > >
> > > >Of course, the Internet is not yet a substitute for physically
> > seeing new
> > > >product offerings up close at discounted prices or for attending
> > the flea
> > > >market.
> > > >
> > > >73 de Jim WA6PXU@ARRL.net
> > > >
> > > >-----Original Message-----
> > > >From: towertalk-admin@contesting.com
> > > >[mailto:towertalk-admin@contesting.com]On Behalf Of
> > K7LXC@aol.com
> > > >Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 7:00 PM
> > > >To: towertalk@contesting.com
> > > >Subject: [Towertalk] First day at Dayton
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Howdy, TowerTalkians --
> > > >
> > > > It was nice running into some of you today at the
> > Hamvention. First
> > the
> > > >good news.
> > > >
> > > > Interesting new stuff including seeing the new AN tower at
> > the Array
> > > >Solutions booth. It's a commercial grade self-supporter. Pretty
> > brute
> > stuff
> > > >and should take any kind of load like a 10' microwave dish which
> > it looks
> > > >like it was designed for.
> > > >
> > > > The owner of Pro-Sistel was also at the A/S booth. Very nice
> > and
> > sincere
> > > >guy so his relationship with Array Solutions may be successful
> > for
> > everyone.
> > > >
> > > > Also in the A/S booth was the designer and a version of the
> > OptiBeam. It
> > > >sounded interesting. It'd be nice if someone were to test one of
> > them and
> > > >publish the results.
> > > >
> > > > Rich, K0XG, was there with his rotating tower products and
> > he
> > pointed
> > > >out
> > > >that he has a beam boom mount that'll fit on a 45G or 55G tower
> > leg. It
> > also
> > > >has a strut that prevents any beam movement so the torque on the
> > leg is
> > > >minimized but the strut allows fine tuning so you can get the
> > antenna
> > > >pointed
> > > >in the desired direction accurately and easily.
> > > >
> > > > The K3LR Antenna Forum had REALLY interesting programs by
> > K1ZM on
> > his
> > > >new
> > > >VY2/Prince Edward Island station that has his dream 160M vertical
> > set-up.
> > > >Mike, W9RE, had the story of his 2L 80M beam. It's big, it's
> > heavy, and
> > they
> > > >designed/homebrewed the whole thing. They even assembled it on
> > the tower
> > > >since the soil was too wet for a crane. VERY impressive.
> > > >
> > > > The bad news is that the Hamvention continues its attendance
> > slide.
> > You
> > > >can get a room anywhere in town right now including the Crown
> > Plaza which
> > is
> > > >a first. The Hertz rental place at the airport said rentals were
> > down 40%
> > > >and
> > > >you could walk right into the Spaghetti Warehouse across the
> > street from
> > the
> > > >CP on Friday night and get seated immediately - that's NEVER
> > happened
> > > >before.
> > > >
> > > > The wx is also crappy - rain and 50 degrees.
> > > >
> > > > More news tomorrow. I'll hit the flea market (2-1/2 acres!)
> > then but
> > > >will
> > > >have to buy an umbrella first.
> > > >
> > > >Cheers,
> > > >Steve K7LXC
> > > >TOWER TECH
> > > >_______________________________________________
> > > >Towertalk mailing list
> > > >Towertalk@contesting.com
> > > >http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> > > >
> > > >_______________________________________________
> > > >Towertalk mailing list
> > > >Towertalk@contesting.com
> > > >http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Towertalk mailing list
> > > Towertalk@contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Towertalk mailing list
> > Towertalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
>
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