I haven't been for ten years now, and I decided its time to go again. Hopefully I won't find too much stuff I can't live without.

I'll be there for the entire weekend! I'll wear my Smooth Oscillator shirt for easy ID

Will you be wearing a MikeInKCMO shirt?

I will be there, thinking about trying to presell a bunch of boat anchors and deliver to Xenia. Right now I think I am going sell

Bunch of Receivers
Bunch of test equip
Just got to much stuff
bunch of misc stuff like dowkeys etc.

Jeff, OK where do I order it?

When Hamvention was at Hara Arena, I would arrive on Friday at gate opening time. It would take me pretty much the entire day to walk the outdoor fleamarket. Often I would find friends who had a space to stash my purchases, or trudge out to the car/truck.
By 3 or 4 PM I would be dead and ready to go home.

This was pretty much the story up to 2016. I decided not to go in 2017 as I figured there would be problems with moving to a new venue. I was right as I heard many stories of serious issues, including huge amounts of mud to deal with.

2019 I was offered a chance to go back. I didn't arrive at gate opening time that year, but within 2.5 hours, i had seen it all and went home. I didn't go in 2022 as the timing of events caused me to bail out.

I sure hope it grows back to Hara Arena proportions, but 2019 was a slim year. I'm not sure how things will progress.

That said, I will try to make it this year.

-Steve

I doubt if I will make it. I am working through a lot of protracted problems with my family involving support. Then there's inflation, summer gas prices, crap shoot weather and the flea market becoming a mostly commercial seller place. And a lot of my AM buddies don't go anymore.

But with that said, Hamvention is where I have found things in the past I'd likely never see anywhere else. The last time I was there, probably 2019, I took home a Hnat-Hindes Tri-Maze, a somewhat obscure late '80s analog 3 band broadcast processor for $175. It now does the audio heavy lifting with my 75 meter rig. That was the only thing I bought that year and I couldn't believe it when I saw it.

Yep, after last year I'm wearing rubber boots.

Delete

You may wish to order your tickets now; mine came in the mail pretty quickly!

I will be there, likely on Friday. If anyone wants to meet up shoot me a PM.

I personally like the fairgrounds better than Hara. Though when I started attending, Hara was already in disrepair. The first year the flea market was a little muddy, but it was still a fun year. The food court is always good with many options.

The flea market at Xenia, even on the slower years, still takes several hours to make the first pass. Usually after 2 or 3 passes my feet are tired and backpack is full. Every year I score a few good finds.

For the flea market, my strategy is to make a quick first pass. Then change direction on subsequent passes and go slower, taking more time to look through boxes, under tables, etc. I've noticed that several sellers slowly unpack more throughout the day as they sell things off, or their hangovers die down

Jeremy
KC9GIC

FYI Mendelson surplus of dayton is closed
There is Midwest surplus in Fairborn about 10 miles from xenia.
If you like old stuff fair radio in lima ohio
About 1 1/2 north of dayton
But they are only open during weekdays
Esl surplus mansfield,/Shelby Ohio closed
They claimed to bought 5 semi loads off mendelsons
During liquidation. Supposedly they were going to to shows again so possible they will be at the hamvention.
Their web site is dead
Mcm electronics closed some years back just mail order thru
Newark.
Parts express for newer audio is just south of dayton

Just incase you were planing things to do outside
Hamvention

Don't forget Debco in Cincinnati as well as R&L in Hamilton, I'm sure they both will be at Hamvention too.

https://www.debco.com/

https://www.randl.com

-Steve