RV Service Net International

This was a great rally for the RV Service Net members in Orlando, FL, at Hamcation 2010.  Previously, for many years, our group met the week before for Ham-a-rally.  The RV Service Net met at a nearby RV park and enjoyed fellowship, food, and games.  We realized over the past year we wouldn’t be able to have the Ham-a-rally event and would instead focus on our group’s experience at Hamcation.

A great group of talkers — what else do you expect from Hams?

We didn’t know we would have the biggest group we’ve had in some years, with 49 rigs parked in the very nice Central Florida Fairgrounds.  Orlando Amateur Radio Club again operated a very fine hamfest with a large crowd and almost a full complement of vendors.  The nationwide wintry weather conspired against one or two vendors, but most of the many were showing and hoping to sell a lot of radios, amps, antennae, and accessories.

The wet and cool weather also dampened the activity some.  The tailgaters and other outdoor flea market sellers seemed most affected by the heavy rains on Friday — they essentially lost the whole day to drenching and cold rain.  Even if vendors could have kept all their wares displayed dry, the attendees spent much of Friday sheltering from the driving rain.

Never too cold to catch some Vitamin D for these snowbirds, Jean W2JHM and Joan

Except for rainy Friday the Hamcation days were dry and bright.  The hamfest had many indoor display areas so attendees found plenty to do without having to brave the coldest parts of each day.  Outdoor temperatures  were never very warm, but sitting in the sunshine apparently was warm enough for some, eh?

  A great collection of first-time RV SVC Net Hamcation attendees

The RV Service Net folks had a fabulous social, our largest for the weekend, Saturday afternoon and this despite some folks already having departed for various obligations.  Three special photos featured the first-time RV SVC Net attendees, many of the Net Controllers, and our snowbirds sheltering in Miami.

Largest collection of Net Controllers in the southeast?

Our snowbirds up from Miami

Our first Hamcation without the preceding Ham-a-rally has been a great success. The spontaneous potluck attracted most of our members and no one left hungry. The socials drew many for spirited fellowship, renewing friendships, and story swapping.  Everyone agreed this has been a very memorable gathering, and we’re all looking forward to next year’s Hamcation in Orlando, Florida.

Until then we’ll look for you down the log,

N5RTG  Jim

Orlando has 49 degrees this morning, 100% chance of rain, a high of 55, and snow in Medder, Ga today.  Weather has been in our favor so far although a little cool.

Debbie N4RTG, Susan KI4NSS, and Jamie KJ4JK are braving the cool weather

Gloria KD8KOT, Herman K8KOT, Elliot Wk3G, and Janet KD8CHD are socializing at the potluck

W4CYJ Mike ran our group’s net this morning.  By 8:05 eastern time, Mike had 40 check-ins.  What a great group we have at Hamcation from RV SVC Net, with over 45 rigs so far.  Will Mike be able to get everyone in before the Bell Ringers take over the frequency at 9:00 (hi hi)?

Herb W0HM setting up his chair for the potluck

Yesterday we had a wonderful potluck luncheon, saw almost everyone here and shared great food and fellowship.  Great thanks to KD8KOT Gloria for suggesting the potluck and for her delicious dishes she shared.   And thanks to everyone who attended and brought so many different and tasty foods.

A special benefit of having this group is the Net Controls amongst us.  Tab KR4RR ran yesterday’s net for 56 check-ins, and Mike W4CYJ did well today with 52 check-ins.  Don’t know what happened to the other 4, they must have slept in and missed this early net.

We’re looking forward to our annual Skycraft Surplus visit this morning.  We’ll walk around and fill our bags with all the things our xyls wish we weren’t bringing home.  This promises to be a good morning for Skycraft, but they’re going to be pretty crowded with our group descending upon them.  My budget is $10, should be enough to fill at least one bag.

Jim  N5RTG

37 RVs showed up yesterday and are in the RV SVC NET section of this year’s Hamcation, hosted by Orlando Area Radio Club.  Yesterday we had a big opening social beside KC2RAR’s rig, followed by some groups heading out for dinner at local eateries.

Today we’re looking forward to a nice noon potluck, and we’ll have to run around to burn enough calories to prepare for this afternoon’s social at 4:00 p.m. eastern time.  Today and tomorrow we may start seeing tailgaters displaying their goods and they’ll be out in full force Saturday.  The vendors start showing at noon Friday and will show through Sunday at 2:00 p.m. eastern.

In between, we’ll make a trip to Skycraft to shop for all those great, hard to find little electronics things as well as wire and other stuff.  You know it’s not so much what you need as what you should have on hand in case a need arises — right?

We’re looking forward to a great Hamcation and our first Ham-a-rally in this new format.

Jim
n5rtg

A great event is just around the corner and, if you act now, you MIGHT still get in on it.  We’re talking about the Pacific RV Service Net’s Rally in King City, Ca on October 5,6,7, 2009.  Walk-ins welcome, too, but be sure to ask Don if they still have capacity.

I wish Debbie and I could make it but we will be in Idaho visiting W7IRY and K7IRY then caravanning with them to Phoenix.  Or we would talk to W6KAT Don  and beg our way into this great deal of a rally.

Full information and registration form is on their rally web page ,or http://pacificrvservicenet.com/emailregister.html

Check it out — if you are in the area, this might be the best thing anywhere!

posted by n5rtg  Jim  2009-09-17

The Wally Byam Amateur Radio Club station, WB8RC, is operating June 20 through July 2 from  the Dana County Fairgrounds in Madison, Wisconsin.  The station is operating 40m, 20m, and 2m.  We are using two vhf radios with a small vertical for 2 meter comm and an Icom 706 for hf.  We are for the first-time using a Buckmaster OCF dipole for hf work and have been delighted with the signal reports on  both the 20m and 40m nets.

Club President, WK3G Elliot Steimle says this is the best operating station we’ve had in several years, perhaps second only to the station in Sioux Falls, SD.  Of course, propagation and altitude may have had something to do with the performance of the Sioux Falls station.  Propagation has  been up a tiny bit this month but nothing comparable to “the old days”.

WBCCI, the Wally Byam Caravan Club, already has over 500 Airstreams on site for the 52nd Annual International Meeting and Rally, which starts June 28 with the traditional Opening Ceremony and Parade of Flags.

Station Manager, N2MJC Jim Zigrosser says we have a great station and it’s HOT.  The past three days we’ve seen the daily high temperatures slide slightly down from 97 to 92 to 85, a good trend.  The station is operating great, especially on 40m.

The station is checking into the 40 meter morning net (0700 and 0800 hours, eastern daylight time) and the two 20 meter nets (noon and 1700 hours eastern daylight time).  If you’re in Madison come by the station.  If you are not here we hope we’ll meet you down the log on one of the nets.

Jim n5rtg at WB8RC

revised 2000 hrs 6/25/2009

The 2009 HamCation rally at the hamfest was a complete success with a good time for all attending. There were about 40 RVs attending, most coming from an also successful Ham-A-Rally in Christmas, Fl. At that rally there were 33 RVs attending and they also had a good time. There was entertainment supplied by Wayne, ke4ypp, and his cohorts, an ice cream social, a pizza party, and a sumptuous dinner at the Whistle Junction restauarant. Joe, w4vl and his wife Gladys acted as pseudo hosts.

Arrangements are in negotiation for next year’s rally. Jim Cocke has volunteered to be the registrar and make any arrangements and Joe Colao, kc2rar will help as a co-host. If it is scheduled it will be from Feb. 10-11, 2010 immediately followed by the HamCation in Orlando which will be from Feb. 12-14, 2010. Further information will appear here on the website and signups will also appear.