You being here probably means you already know what ham radio is. However, I know for a fact you have friends, or acquaintances, or people you know, or brushed shoulders with but just happened to have their Facebook and Twitter info…so send them this:
It’s exactly what ham radio has been waiting for — PR outside of our own circles. In just a few hours it’s gotten over 8,000 views and growing – unprecedented for even the best ham radio channels like K7AGE and the ARRL themselves.
It’s already drawing a group of interested people to the reddit thread it was shared on.
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! 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:
OMG The TH-74 :O also sorry, the wordpress gallery smushes the photo
The fabled Youth Lounge – so much going on!
Soldering CW keys at the Youth Lounge
Watched Bill’s WB8ELK present his balloon tracker
11 grams of APRS and WSPR location beaconing
Congrats to Skyler KD0WHB for being Young Ham of the Year!
Signed the Icom piggy
#goals after paying student loans off. Also smushed by wordpress :/
Proof she was there!
Later Then there was a cool storm.
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…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.
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!
