I won’t be attending Dayton Hamvention this year :(

Bittersweet.

I won’t be attending the 2017 Dayton Hamvention this year. I have been asked to be a groomsman for a close friends wedding.

The wedding takes place on May 20, 2017.

Hamvention takes place on May 19-21, 2017.

There may be a chance that I attend a Thursday session like FDIM or Contest University, or even partially on Friday; who knows. It’s but a 5.5 hour drive away from St. Louis, but this time I’m not sure of the wedding schedule. We shall see. If I can’t attend, at least W5KUB will be livestreaming it.

With all the YOTA US stuff going on, and Dayton being the best meeting of interested persons in all things ham radio, it’s a bummer, but it’s what you do for your friends. 🙂

Check them out at alianderic.wedding.

 

2016 Huntsville Hamfest Recap & Photos

Huntsville Hamfest was superb!

In my last post I mentioned why I was inspired to come. I found it on the W5KUB webcast:

The main push for me to go to the Huntsville Hamfest was this livestream a few weeks before. I was in the chat and mentioned I never been and wasn’t really planning on it (but probably could go), then Katie Allen WY7YL persuaded me.

Good call Katie. I really loved it.

This hamfest was really special to me not only because of the big focus on youth (hosting a youth lounge, and being home to the Young Ham of the Year award), but also because my fiance, Jesten, got to come along and check out all this crazy nerdy crap that I do. She’s the best ever. Soon she’ll be licensed – it’s a (tongue in cheek) requirement before we get married 😛

Anyway, I mentioned youth lounge. It was the first thing I checked out:

The fabled Youth Lounge - so much going on!
The fabled Youth Lounge – so much going on! Soldering on the right, robotics on the left, and some 3D printing too!

And I checked out a whole lot more stuff – the feature-crazy new Kenwood TH-74 APRS/TNC/DSTAR handheld, a few forums and the YHOTY award to name a few:

Later Then there was a cool storm.

Photo Aug 20, 6 44 13 PM

Later, we checked out a Barnes & Noble to find Jesten a book to read on the 6-hour drive home. I found this:

On Sunday, Jesten and I also checked out the Space and Rocket museum. It was great!

Checking out the Space & Rocket Center
Checking out the Space & Rocket Center…remember that time we went to the moon? Anyone?

Finally, gotta mention the southern comfort food. Half the reason we went was to break our diet. We ate at Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, Bojangles, and Betty Mae’s Restaurant. Stuff we don’t get in St. Louis.

Photo Aug 21, 12 25 17 PM
Worth every calorie…I mean just look at it! Seriously the best fried chicken I’ve ever had, and not shown was the most AMAZING red velvet cake I’ve ever had!