2001 Brainerd Area Hamfest

FIRST EVER BAARC HAMFEST IS A SUCCESS:

The event was in the planning stage for over a year with monthly meetings held throughout the winter and spring months. An article in an earlier QST was a great help and provided many guidelines for running a Hamfest. Many of the Hamfest committee members and club members are avid Hamfest guests so there was no shortage of ideas and energy for planning this event.

Advertisement started in early spring and summer of 2000, and the excitement seemed to grow with each area Hamfest.

Vendors were contacted and manufactures began to donate door prizes. Patcomm Corp donated a dual band HF rig model PC-500 for the grand prize. MFJ donated 3 clocks and 12 coffee mugs. Ramsey Electronics, Inc. donated a fox hunt transmitter kit model FHT1 for second prize. The club purchased an Alinco 2 Meter hand held radio for third prize. Air Hobbies of Brainerd, owner Pete Bergman NØBLX, donated a power supply, a high-intensity light and a small wet/dry canister vacuum. Handi-Hams donated 6 coffee mugs. ARRL sanctioned our event and provided materials and door prizes consisting of an Antenna handbook, Amateur Radio handbook and repeater directory. Many other door prizes were also donated.

Mike Traffie, N1HXA, owner of Traffie Technology, drove from Ashby, MA and put on a Hex-Beam Seminar on miniaturized controlled field antennas.

Our goal was to sell at least 20 tables and 200 tickets. We ended up with 36 tables sold and 259 tickets. We consider this hamfest a huge success for our first try.

The food service was handled separately and showed a profit on it’s own. Equipment and computers donated to the club were also sold and brought in over $500.

This event would not have come off if it were not for a lot of help from many of the club members. As co-chair, I was very proud of all the people that came to help and carried out the assignments with enthusiasm and stayed after to help take down and clean up. Everything went smoothly and the weather was even nice.

I would like to personally thank the following people for a job well done:

Shirley, KCØDCW and granddaughter Karrissa; Mark. WØMH; Paula, WØHA; John, WØJGY; Pete, NØBLX and daughters Chandra, KBØYXB and Kali; Vickie, KCØDCA; Bob, WØZPE; Marv, WØYHE and XYL Sharron; Alan, AAØAS; John, WØMQD; Roger, WØWUG; Jim, KBØTXT; Sharon, KBØSQX; Ken, KAØJSW; Fritz, WØKO; Orcy, WØQT; Jon, KBØMNM; Gene, KØTIW; Katie, KBØDKD; Jim, KCØANQ; Curt, KCØGWA; Ed, KAØEXB; Terry, KIØFW; Bob, KGØZK; Ron KØFTB and XYL Emmy; and all the ladies (and guys) that made bars/brownies and anyone else I may have overlooked.

Al Doree, WØRC, BAARC Hamfest Co-chair

	The Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club had it's first annual Brainerd Area Hamfest on July 21, 2001. The event was held at the Brainerd National Guard Armory.
	Talk-in was provided by Jim Duit KBØTXT. Jim was at the armory. He was aided by Terry May KIØFW, not shown, who did some of the talk-in from his home in Crosslake, MN.
	The Hamfest attracted 259 paid admissions. 36 vendor tables were sold.
	The food concession was run by Bob Feuer W`ØZPE who is in the back making a Sloppy Joe. To the left is Vicky Bergman KCØDCA. To the right are Bob Englund KGØZK and Sharron Holmes, wife of Marv Holmes WØYHE.`
	Some of the food was brought to the vendors and attendees by cart. Orcy Lyle WØQT was in charge of the cart. She was aided by Kali Bergman, daughter of Pete Bergman NØBLX and Karrissa Doree, not pictured, granddaughter of`BAARC President Al Doree WØRC and his wife Shirley KCØDCW. Shirley is Club Secretary.`
	The Handi-Hams had a table demonstrating a talking computer. Left to right are Gene Bradfield KØTIW, Rose Schieffert WAØWVR, Katy Bradfield KBØDKD, and BAARC Secretary Shirley Doree KCØDCW.
	A Hex-Beam antenna seminar was put on by antenna seminar was put on by Mike Traffie N1HXA, owner of the Traffie Technology Company of Ashby, MA. Learn more on their website at: http://www.hexbeam.com Radio City from Minneapolis was one of the major exhibitors.
	The American Radio Relay League had a booth at the Hamfest. `Frank Karnauskas N1UW, who is the ARRL Affilliate Club Coordinator for the Minnesota Section, is on the left in the photo. E-mail Frank at: n1uw@arrl.net On the right is BAARC President Al Doree WØRC.`
	The Grand Prize winner was Milt Moore WF`ØQ` of Aikley, MN (on the left in the photo). He went home with the Patcomm PC-500 Series Dual Band Transceiver. The prize donation was arranged by Club Member Peter "Pete" Bergman NØBLX (shown on the right in the photo). Pete is Past President of the Club and is the local representative for Patcomm Radio. Patcomm is Designed & Manufactured in the U.S.A List Price of the PC-500 Transceiver is $395.00
	The Patcomm PC-500 offers CW & SSB modes, an Iambic Keyer with a CW Keyboard Interface, adjustable 1 to 15 Watts of output power (12 Watts on 6 Meters) and Patcomm's unique DVF (Digital Variable Filter) filtering system providing a 600 Hz to 2.8 kHz continuos variable filter within the AGC loop for superb receiver selectivity. VOGAD and RF clipping are used on SSB transmit to provide that Big Radio "Punch". This radio can be ordered with your choice of any two Ham Bands between 160 and 6 meters, and when ordered with the VOX option is PSK-31 ready. This is the ideal rig for QRP and Portable operation.
Air Hobbies donated a 1 million candle power rechargeable spot light, a 12 VDC wet dry VAC and a 6 Amp ICS power supply. That supply was won by Brian Olson N`ØXFE of Bloomington, MN.` Air Hobbies is located at 714 Laurel Street in downtown Brainerd and is run by Pete Bergman NØBLX. MFJ donated 12 coffee mugs and 3 digital 24 hr station clocks.	Ramsey FHT1 Fox Hunt Transmitter kit with matching case and knob set--retails for $120.00. Donated by Ramsey Hobby Kits, it was won by Allen Pfanz KBØUUL of Brainerd. Alinco 2 Meter hand held transceiver, provided by the Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club, was won by Earl Quinnell WAØELW of Rushford, MN.
FIRST EVER BAARC HAMFEST IS A SUCCESS: The event was in the planning stage for over a year with monthly meetings held throughout the winter and spring months. An article in an earlier QST was a great help and provided many guidelines for running a Hamfest. Many of the Hamfest committee members and club members are avid Hamfest guests so there was no shortage of ideas and energy for planning this event. Advertisement started in early spring and summer of 2000, and the excitement seemed to grow with each area Hamfest. Vendors were contacted and manufactures began to donate door prizes. Patcomm Corp donated a dual band HF rig model PC-500 for the grand prize. MFJ donated 3 clocks and 12 coffee mugs. Ramsey Electronics, Inc. donated a fox hunt transmitter kit model FHT1 for second prize. The club purchased an Alinco 2 Meter hand held radio for third prize. Air Hobbies of Brainerd, owner Pete Bergman NØBLX, donated a power supply, a high-intensity light and a small wet/dry canister vacuum. Handi-Hams donated 6 coffee mugs. ARRL sanctioned our event and provided materials and door prizes consisting of an Antenna handbook, Amateur Radio handbook and repeater directory. Many other door prizes were also donated. Mike Traffie, N1HXA, owner of Traffie Technology, drove from Ashby, MA and put on a Hex-Beam Seminar on miniaturized controlled field antennas. Our goal was to sell at least 20 tables and 200 tickets. We ended up with 36 tables sold and 259 tickets. We consider this hamfest a huge success for our first try. The food service was handled separately and showed a profit on it’s own. Equipment and computers donated to the club were also sold and brought in over $500. This event would not have come off if it were not for a lot of help from many of the club members. As co-chair, I was very proud of all the people that came to help and carried out the assignments with enthusiasm and stayed after to help take down and clean up. Everything went smoothly and the weather was even nice. I would like to personally thank the following people for a job well done: Shirley, KCØDCW and granddaughter Karrissa; Mark. WØMH; Paula, WØHA; John, WØJGY; Pete, NØBLX and daughters Chandra, KBØYXB and Kali; Vickie, KCØDCA; Bob, WØZPE; Marv, WØYHE and XYL Sharron; Alan, AAØAS; John, WØMQD; Roger, WØWUG; Jim, KBØTXT; Sharon, KBØSQX; Ken, KAØJSW; Fritz, WØKO; Orcy, WØQT; Jon, KBØMNM; Gene, KØTIW; Katie, KBØDKD; Jim, KCØANQ; Curt, KCØGWA; Ed, KAØEXB; Terry, KIØFW; Bob, KGØZK; Ron KØFTB and XYL Emmy; and all the ladies (and guys) that made bars/brownies and anyone else I may have overlooked. Al Doree, WØRC, BAARC Hamfest Co-chair