Orlando Hamfest coming up fast....

[N4DES]

anyone planning on being there?

A bunch of us from the local area will be there. The plan is to come up Friday afternoon and leave the area Saturday night.

Mark

[alex]

I'll be there Friday at the opening, staying both Friday and Saturday nights in Orlando. First time going for me, but I hear it's a fantastic show. From talking to a couple of the local Orlando guys I was concerned that the economy would keep people away but they were saying most of the vendors they know are going this year.

Looking forward to meeting some southerners.

-Alex

[N4KVE]

I'll be coming up there Friday morning in my friend's motorhome. Staying till Sunday in the camping area on the grounds. It's a great show & lots of fun. All our friends who drive up for the day know they can stop by & have a few burgers grilled up, sit down & relax before going back to the show. Even recharge their batteries while they relax. Hope to meet a few of you there. GARY N4KVE

[escomm]

I will be there, looking forward to putting some faces to names

[N4DES]

I'm planning on a Friday night only stay and after the Florida Repeater Council meeting I'll be heading south back to Boca.
We should be up there in the mid-afternoon. Anyone want to coordinate a UHF freq in Astro?

Edit:

This is a wide area APCO 25 system in the Orlando area:

Repeater Output Frequency: 442.07500
Repeater City: Orlando
Repeater County: Orange
Repeater Access: Open
Repeater Format: Mix Mode
APCO NAC: A55
CTCSS Frequency: 103.5

[caprice96]

How is this one compared to Dayton?

[N4DES]

How is this one compared to Dayton?

It's a well attended fest and being I have been to Dayton once to compare it is probably 1/3 the size just because the outdoor square footage isn't as big and it's shared with the motorhomes. The outdoor swap area has been pretty good in the past but last years indoor area, where there are 3 of them, had some empty tables.

I have always had a good time and never dissapointed.

[ke4zdg]

Mark,

I'll be heading up there with Marc, LJM, sometime Friday afternoon/night. We'll be on 900 though, since none of us have P25 radios. No idea what freq yet.

Jared

[N4DES]

ok...I don't have 900 (only 800). Marc has my cell number and we will probably be at the Miguel Memorial table with his picture up in the back room.

[rc50won]

I will be there and listening to the repeater Mark suggested. I am bringing a 7 passenger vehicle so if a few would like sneak out around noon on Saturday for lunch I could make that happen. You don't want to risk eating the food there.

Marshall, N4BIF
954-873-2234 Mobile

[N4KVE]

The gang I hang around with, AC4XQ repeater group, will be on his repeater output freq 444.175 PL 107.2. For non hams I have been using the analog simplex freq of 467.600 for over 20 years. 179.9PL. I will also be listening there in IMBE on NAC 293. There will be a 900 MHZ rptr set up there, 927.6625 RX, 902.6625 TX PL 100. Hope to meet some of you guys there. GARY N4KVE.

[Johnny Galaga]

God! Why not just talk on 2m/440 analog. That would just make everything so much simpler.

[tvsjr]

God! Why not just talk on 2m/440 analog. That would just make everything so much simpler.

God! Why not just talk on 80 meters CW? That would make everything so much simpler!
God! Why not just use your spark gap generator instead? That would make everything so much simpler!

Maybe because they have the equipment and want to play around with it? Maybe because digital (IMBE, DSTAR, whatever you want) actually works better in certain instances? Audio quality when using encryption (outside the ham bands, naturally)? TMS? Low-speed data over DSTAR or P25? GPS location? The novelty of trying something different? The list goes on.

Moreover, why do you care? If you want to live on analog 2-meters with the rest of the hamsexuals, knock your lights out (yes, I can say that... I own a 2-meter repeater). The rest of us will be off playing with our toys.

[N4KVE]

God! Why not just talk on 2m/440 analog. That would just make everything so much simpler.

Uh, I did list a couple of analog UHF freq's, as well as an Imbe UHF & 900 analog freq for those so inclined. Hope some guys stop by for a burger. GARY N4KVE

[N4DES]

If I'm reading the Official Miguel 1Adam12 Memorial Table reservation correctly it will be in the back room tables W14-16. The other location noted on the paper is J2-3, but I believe the 3 table set-up is ours.

I'm expecting to be there around 3PM tomorrow wandering around the fest on the UHF freq noted above in ASTRO!!!

Anybody up for a scheduled meet by the table at 11:00 on Saturday? Then maybe transition to lunch...

Mark

[RadioSouth]

Just got back, for those that missed it unfortunately you missed a real good one. For those that did it was very nice meeting
you. When we gathered at the Miguel table and his picture was up I immediately recognized who he was from past shows, had a table
almost adjoining his just 2 years ago. Didn't know the man but talked to him a bunch of times, a real gentleman. Didn't know he was a batlabber at the time. Very nice gesture that his buds keep his table going.

[N4KVE]

I got back late last night from Orlando. As always , had a great time. Ran into lots of old friends, but this time I met quite a few Batlabers. Jeff [Escom], Doug [Batdude], Alex, & Radioshop [Jim]. Got a great speakermike from Jeff. Got some batteries, chargers, & a 900 GTX for a local ham repeater here in WPB. Burgers & hot dogs were on the grill all weekend. Can't wait for next year. GARY N4KVE

[alex]

Yeah, it was a great time.

I looked around for the memorial booth you guys are talking about but I didn't see it. I should have checked back here first.

Those of you I did meet up - it was nice to see some of you again. Anyone see anything interesting while walking around the 'fest?

-Alex

[N4KVE]

Anyone see anything interesting while walking around the 'fest?

-Alex

Yeah, what you had on your belt. LOL GARY N4KVE

[RadioSouth]

Just some brackets and a speaker mike for me. Going up Saturday morning there was ducting and was able to work a 2m machine
all the way there (about 130 Miles from the repeater and did all but the last 10 miles on 10 watts).

[N4DES]

Hey guys...nice fest and I apologize for the screw up on the meeting spot. I tried to put out an all-call for the batlabbers on the UHF freq that I posted as the picture of Miguel was put up at a different location and I wasn't able to be at 2 places as the same time.

I guess better luck next year as with the turn-out from this year I hope a good word spreads fast and its even bigger.

Mark

[RadioSouth]

Kinda think we need a simple dedicated BatLabs hailing frequency for events like this and Dayton. Can always carry a dedicated little 'dot' radio like Motorola SP10 in addition to the other stuff on say 154.570 PL 203.5 and use our BatLabs handles since it's a license free MURS channel.

[alex]

You'll find just about everyone on the north east on 151.88 DPL 143 / NAC 293. This is from the Dayton channel plan posted years ago.... There's not really a great UHF equivalent I guess except FRS.... and there's not many people I know who want to turn down their radios to 300mw.

-Alex

[rc50won]

Mark KS4VT, and I were walking around looking for you guys but never found you. I took a small group to lunch just after 11am. I had a VHF radio with me but not setup for 151.88. Next time for sure.

Marshall

[N4KVE]

I am ashamed to say that most of the guys I met were by cell phone. LOL. I did meet a few on the simplex freq I posted, but Thursday night I PM'd my cell phone # to some of the guys. Then when I hooked up there were other members there too. Also I knew lot's of Miguel's friends & their table was inside in the usual spot, but his photo was at the table by the bathroom outside, & I didn't know any of those guys. His photo should have been at the inside table where he always used to sell stuff. GARY N4KVE

[flecom]

it was a good hamfest, i sold everything on my table (a few K) and picked up a UHF XTS5000 for $400

ran into mark as always, i am frank - the guy at the table with john and andy

[alex]

picked up a UHF XTS5000 for $400

Damn. Nice find. I was wandering around and most of the XTS's I saw out on tables for sale (the guy who was down right convinced his 5000 was a VHF was funny. He was convinced up until the point where I said I'd bet him the price of the radio it was a 450 split portable....) were waaaaaay over priced for what I would expect to see at a flea market.

Note to sellers: If your going to ask $1,800 for a XTS5000 - scratch that - ANY RADIO - take a minute and REMOVE THE HAIR from between the case and display thank you.

-Alex

[MSS-Dave]

Note to sellers: If your going to ask $1,800 for a XTS5000 - scratch that - ANY RADIO - take a minute and REMOVE THE HAIR from between the case and display thank you.

Now THAT'S typical of the Orlando 'fest swap tables over the years....

Dave