Summer is high season for ham-fests around the U.S. And over the next several weeks, two amateur radio events will happen in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
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| HamCom Flea Market |
Ham-Com 2011: Amateurs from across the country come to Plano for one of the biggest ham shows each year. The 2 day event, June 10 and 11 is held at the Plano Centre in Plano, Texas. I love HamCom because it has something valuable for everyone. All the major equipment manufacturers and vendors will be on hand. Additionally, there's a very active flea market that gives hams a chance to sell and buy used gear. And, HamCom especially shines from an education standpoint. Each year features different speakers as well as training for hams who want to learn more about specialized aspects of amateur radio. HamCom is an excellent venue to introduce kids to Ham Radio. And with more digital/computer applications of ham radio being introduced and developed each year, there's lot of exciting new technology that is very kid-friendly. For more information on HamCom 2011, go to
http://www.hamcom.org
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| Field Day Hams 'On The Air' |
Field Day 2011: The weekend of June 25-26, Hams from across the country gather at camp grounds, parks and other remote facilities to demonstrate portable operation skills. Thousands of ham radio clubs will be participating in the event. Field Day is an actual roll out of emergency communications. Many radio operators will be using generator, solar and battery power to simulate operation in an actual emergency. Field Day is also a contest for hams who work to compete for prizes and recognition for contacting the most stations during the weekend.
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| Field Day 'Under The Stars' |
Field Day is my favorite weekend of the year. My son Mac and I enjoy stopping at several radio club events throughout Dallas-Ft. Worth. It's exciting to hear the ham bands totally full of stations doing demonstrations and participating in contesting. It's also an outstanding promotional event for ham radio. Because many Ham Clubs hold their Field Day activities in high-visibility parks, the public (and especially young people) get a chance to see ham radio in action.
For more information about Field Day and to find a Ham Club Field Day event near you, go to
http://www.arrl.org/field-day
-Pete Thomson - KE5GGY
'Voice of Ham Radio'
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/voiceofhamradio
