Hamfests & Conventions

ARRL New England Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, has approved several ARRL-sanctioned hamfests and conventions for 2022:

The Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club will host the ARRL Maine State Convention in Lewiston on April 1- 2, 2022.   Details can be found at http://w1npp.org.

The Port City Amateur Radio Club has received approval for its Seacoast Amateur Radio Flea Market to be an ARRL-sanctioned hamfest in Hampton, New Hampshire, on April 9. More info is available at http://www.w1wqm.org.

The Radio Amateur Society of Norwich, Connecticut, will host an ARRL hamfest in Gales Ferry on April 23, 2022.   For more information, visit https://rason.org.

The Southern Berkshire Amateur Radio Club will hold an ARRL-sanctioned hamfest in Goshen, Connecticut on May 21, 2022. More information can be found at http://www.sberk.org.

The Federation of Eastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Associations will once again sponsor the Northeast Hamxposition and host the ARRL New England Division Convention in Marlboro, Massachusetts on August 26-28, 2022.  Details will be published at https://hamxposition.org.

The Meriden Amateur Radio Club’s Nutfest will host the ARRL Connecticut State Convention  in North Haven on October 9, 2022.  Details to follow at https://www.nutmeghamfest.com.  

See https://nediv.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-hamfests-and-convention-rules-regulations/ for the official rules on becoming an ARRL-sanctioned event.  The application form can be found at http://www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application.

The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo returns on March 12-13, 2022 and has become a twice yearly event.  

Amateur radio is like a big circus.  It has its main tent with three rings in the center.  In those rings could be Contesting, DXing, and Rag Chewing.  However, amateur radio now has a “midway of a thousand smaller tents” according to Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, founder of the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, and host of the QSO Today Podcast, an interview program featuring the most interesting amateur radio operators.  It is exactly this midway that the “Expo” was founded to explore.  

The Covid-19 Pandemic closed ham radio conventions, hamfests, and monthly meetings all across the World in 2020.  It was because of these closures that Eric, 4Z1UG, got the idea to create an on-line, and virtual convention that has all of the elements of a real ham radio convention, similar to the most notable live conventions.  

The First QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo was in August 2020 where over 15,000 amateurs attended on the Expo weekend, attending on their computers over the Internet instead of in-person.  Over 80 presentations were made, with live Q&A on Zoom webinar, and attendees could come back over a 30 day on-demand period to view the recorded presentations that they missed.  

We discovered something unique in August from surveys that we made following the expo.  Sixty percent of the attendees, almost 9000 hams do not go to live expos, preferring to stay at home.  The Covid-19 Pandemic has made this all the more important.  

The Expo has also become the place to discover more niches in amateur radio through the presentations given at each one.  In March 2021, while there was some difficulty with the platforms, over 6000 hams came and viewed almost 100,000 presentations from the over 80 that were offered in March.  Our Expo in August 2021 had over 90 presentations in 8 tracks of amazing amateur radio content. 

From the NEQRP mailing list:

“BarbeQRPcon” (pronounced: Bar-Be-QRP-Con) is coming up this SATURDAY, JANUARY 15th, 2022. It’s ALWAYS ON THE 3rd SATURDAY IN JANUARY, ANNUALLY!

This annual event has been on-going for many, Many, MANY years and is a TRADITION in the NEQRP yearly activities/events. It’s THEE BEST WINTER BBQ in New England, … possibly the World!!! 🙂

Are you suffering from the Winter doldrums/blues?
Need to get out-of-the-house and take a break from the COLD WINTER days??
Want to get together with like-minded friends for a fantastic day of: BBQ LUNCH, Stops at, ‘HAM Radio Outlet’ to check out the latest new gear and supplies, ‘Harbor Freight’ for needed tools for that next home-built project/kit???
Well, YOU’RE IN LUCK!!!

That’s what BarbeQRPcon is all about. A day of, camaraderie, eating together, and, hitting a few local hangouts for a great break from WINTER with like-minded friends in the Amateur Radio Community. What could be better than a BBQ in the middle of WINTER?

It starts-off this year (2022) at a *** NEW LOCATION ***:

#1.) “KC’s Rib Shack”, 837 2nd St, Manchester, NH at 12-NOON.
There’ll be: Meet-‘N-Greet, Show-‘N-Tell, Lunch, and, more socializing from 12-noon to approximately 2PM.
https://www.ribshack.net
https://www.ribshack.net/menus/#sandwiches

#2.) Then it’s a caravan over to: “HAM Radio Outlet” in Salem (NH) for checking out: rigs, books, antennas, parts, and other gear, from 2:30 to 3:30PM.
https://www.hamradio.com/locations.cfm?storeid=9

#3.) From there it’s down the street to “Harbor Freight” for tools and other well-needed items for that next home-brew project/kit, from 3:30 to 4:30PM.
https://go.harborfreight.com/store/harbor-freight-tools-in-salem-nh-03079
https://www.harborfreight.com/?utm_source=go&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toplogo&_gl=1*1ldbnyj*_ga*YW1wLXdMSWRaS18zOXZfVENoQnlGcHFiZlE.

#4.) AND if that’s not enough for YOU, there’s our Traditional Farewell Dinner/Supper at the Famous Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant also in Salem, approximately 4:30 through ~6PM+.
https://locations.bertuccis.com/us/nh/salem/275-rockingham-park-blvd
https://www.bertuccis.com/menu

Need directions? – Here you go! Just re-enter your starting point in the “A” Window in the link below:
https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=1c8afc7f-5a52-4428-8c12-0ffb47742243&cp=43.096686~-72.556538&lvl=8&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

Hopefully the WEATHER (check it out in the link below) will cooperate with us on this fantastic day of tradition known as “BarbeQRPcon”.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=42.8258&lon=-71.2322#.Ydx-TkxOmM8

Questions? Just ask.

Yes, the locations and various stops/times, over the years, have changed through the decades, but, this is an ALL NEW SCHEDULE for *** BarbeQRPcon 2022 ***.

*** IT’S THE BEST BARBECUE OF THE YEAR, AND, IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER TO BOOT!!! ***

Come join us and see what this Winter TRADITION is all about.

* “THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING …” ***

See YOU this coming SATURDAY the 15th at 12-NOON.

Stay healthy and safe, es 7 3 . .

** NOTE: All Communications will be on “THEE NATIONAL SIMPLEX FREQUENCY” (146.52 direct). Bring your H/T or join us on “52 direct” via your mobile rig. – CUL

*** P.S. – Join-in on whatever fits into YOUR schedule. Only one of the stops, a few, or, all of them, it’s up to YOU. ENJOY!
______________________________________________________________

The ARRL Vermont State Convention, known at HAM-CON is Saturday, February 26, 2022 at the Hampton Inn Convention Center in Colchester, Vermont. The Convention will use a hybrid format and many activities will also be available at ham-con.org. HAM-CON is the only New England ARRL Convention held in the first quarter of 2022.

HAM-CON will feature 8 forums running throughout the morning hours. There will also be a vendor flea market. For the first time, we will include an outdoor segment of the flea market, weather permitting. The on-line site will feature several video chat rooms where attendees can meet up with friends in a more private setting.

Admission to HAM-CON is only $6 if you purchase an advance sale ticket before February 20. This admission is good for either live or on-line access. Please go to our Web Site, http://www.ham-con.org for other prices, travel details and program information.

For specific questions or program ideas, contact Mitch at w1sj@arrl.net or 802-879-6589.

73, Mitch

As we get ready to return to Deerfield NH in a couple days to resume our beloved hamfest that we have all missed so much for two years it is obvious that there are some fundamental precautions we must institute in order to be in full compliance with all CDC, State and Town Departments of Public Health guidelines.  We do not want to wear out our welcome.  NEAR-FEST IS SAFE FOR ALL must be our motto!

It is our hope that everyone will have been vaccinated.  However we realize that not everyone will be.  If you have not had your shots please take extra care: wear a mask especially inside and use hand sanitizer often. We don’t want anyone getting sick at our event.

The State of New Hampshire does not currently have a mask mandate so neither does NEAR-Fest.  However, we have some common sense requests and recommendations because we want everybody to feel safe at our hamfest:

1:  We are strongly requesting that everyone wear a mask or face shield while inside the commercial buildings, when attending forums and when at the exam session.   Masks will be available at the entrance to these buildings but it is advisable to bring your own as well.  We are also strongly requesting that all attendees wear a mask when buying or presenting your admission ticket or otherwise interacting with any of our staff members.

2:  Our staff volunteers have expressed some concerns and we want them to feel comfortable helping us run the fester.  Remember we cannot do the hamfest without them. They did not volunteer to get Covid.  Many of them aren’t the young healthy kids we once were and have serious concerns about covid either personally or with immediate family members.  We are requesting that everyone put aside all political and personal views about mask wearing and wear them where we have requested out of respect for the dedicated volunteers who run this event.

We  are committed to keeping everyone safe and this request from me is part of this commitment.

3: The use of hand sanitizer is advised especially after handling any items in the flea market and commercial buildings.  We will have hand sanitizer in automatic dispensers as well as masks available at the entrances to the buildings. 

Additionally, we ask that all attendees attempt to maintain a distance of six feet (or two metres) from others as much as possible and avoid crowding others at flea market and commercial vendor tables.  I know this is difficult especially if there is “good stuff cheap”.

These are still difficult and trying times.  We are glad to be back running the hamfest again but the world has changed in the past 18 months and we must change with it.  We appreciate your cooperation which is particularly important because we want to continue holding the hamfest while assuring the local community that we pose a minimal health threat with our presence.

HELP MAKE NEAR-FEST SAFE FOR ALL! 

Stay well!

MisterMike, W1RC, and the entire NEAR-Fest gang