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Hamvention\u00ae 2026 in Xenia, Ohio, officially begins on Friday morning, May 15. But several hundred hams arrived early to take part in pre-Hamvention activities.\u00a0ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio\u00ae was already on site at the Greene County Fairgrounds, exhibitors were busy setting up their booths. We snapped a few late afternoon photos of setup work at several booths, including Carlson Roof Towers, Heil Ham Radio, Buddipole, and HamStudy\/ExamTools, plus a few flea market tables. All of the vendors were looking forward to the opportunities once the show opened to connect with current and potential customers, with several of them noting that the relationships built or strengthened at Hamvention were at least as important as making sales.<\/p>\n
There were also several ham-related events outside the fairgrounds. Two of the biggest were the QRP Amateur Radio Club International\u2019s (QRPARCI) \u201cFour Days in May\u201d (FDIM) meetup for low-power enthusiasts and the 19th annual running of Contest University.\u00a0<\/p>\n
QRPARCI\u2019s David Cripe, NM\u00d8S, said this year\u2019s FDIM drew a record 325 attendees to listen to 9 speakers and visit with vendors in the evening on Thursday, which he said was the main day of the event. One first-time attendee is a relatively new ham who is already making a contribution to the QRP community. Jonathan Kayne, KM4CFT, says he got interested in ham radio through a friend in high school, leading to an electrical engineering degree from Virginia Tech and a job with Lockheed Martin. On the ham radio side, Kayne said \u201cI couldn\u2019t do radio from my apartment, so I got into QRP. That led my learning \u2013 and loving \u2013 CW. I started building kits, then designed one. Kayne had his CFT-1 5-band QRP CW transceiver available at vendor night. Another FDIM attendee was ham legend Roy Lewallen, W7EL (best known as the author of EZNEC antenna software), who had with him the \u201cOptimized QRP Transceiver\u201d that he designed and was featured in the August 1980 issue of\u00a0QST<\/i>! The two rigs are about the same size! Lewallen said that after a quarter century of coming to Dayton as a vendor, then retiring four years ago, this was his first trip back as \u201cjust another person\u201d enjoying the show.<\/p>\n
Contest University, held in a hotel on the grounds of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, drew 280 attendees this year, according to spokeswoman Amy Leggiero, N8AMY. Organizer Tim Duffy, K3LR, noted that nearly half the \u201cstudents\u201d were first-timers. Among them was 23-year-old Tyler Schroder, NT1S, a first-year Ph.D. student at Dakota State University in South Dakota, studying data privacy. \u201cWhen I first signed up,\u201d he said, \u201cI had no idea what I was getting into,\u201d noting that many of his ham friends told him that \u201cContest University is where you really learn the techniques to succeed in contesting. I\u2019ve learned a lot but more important is the people, getting to meet the top people in the field \u2026 and that\u2019s all before Hamvention!\u201d Shroder also noted that, as a ham under age 25, DX Engineering had covered all of his costs for attending Contest University. During Hamvention, he will lead the exhibit for the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program.<\/p>\n
Finally, among the pre-Hamvention activities, ARRL hosted its annual Donor Recognition Reception on Thursday evening to thank members who had made donations to ARRL and the ARRL Foundation. Remarks were shared by Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL; CEO David Minster, NA2AA; and President Rick Roderick, K5UR.<\/p>\n
Beal noted that the red, white, and blue-themed reception reflected ARRL\u2019s partnership with\u00a0America250, joining the nationwide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He said that amateur radio\u2019s technical innovation and volunteer service have contributed to the American story.<\/p>\n
The evening concluded with recognition of new ARRL Maxim Society donors, including those whose commitments moved them into higher giving classes. President Roderick and his wife, Holly, were recognized for their lifetime giving, which elevated them to Founder Class.<\/p>\n
Follow\u00a0ARRL News\u00a0for our\u00a0Facebook photo album\u00a0throughout Hamvention weekend as we add new images from the ARRL exhibit area, and from throughout the event. If you\u2019re attending Hamvention, be sure to stop by the ARRL booths in Building 2 \u2013 Tesla.<\/p>\n
Hamvention opens officially at 9:00 AM Friday and runs through 1:00 PM on Sunday, May 17. For more information visit\u00a0hamvention.org<\/b>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n