Lates (not quite news, for those who were there) of the Hamvention

[Chip Fetrow]

Hara is a dump.  It isn't even in Dayton, it is in Trotwood.  Trotwood  
is a slum, with high crime.  It is adjacent to Salem, where we are  
forced to park, which has even higher crime, and is more of a slum.

The bathrooms are disgusting, and some have consistent problems with  
overflowing toilets.  The toilets in the tailgate area leak out into  
the parking lot.  They are little more than portable toilets -- blue  
rooms.

Years ago, Hamvention attendance climbed to over 30k, some "say" 36k,  
but they won't back it up.  THAT would have been the time to move it  
to another city, like Indy.  Now that it is once again under 20k, for  
good reason, there really isn't the ability to move it.  It will  
slowly get smaller and smaller, and die.

E-bay has killed off many hamfests and it will eventually kill of the  
Trotwood Hamvention.


About a decade ago, the Trotwood Hamvention was about $10.  They lost  
$8k that year.  A friend and I went to meet with the head guys.  We  
suggested that such a fandango should not be $10, but $25.  They  
raised the rate a lot the next year.  Blame me.

--chip

On Jul 29, 2011, at 5:17 PM, tacos-request at amrad.org wrote:

> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:26:41 -0400
> From: Louis Mamakos <louie at transsys.com>
> To: Tacos AMRAD <tacos at amrad.org>
> Subject: Re: Lates (not quite news, for those who were there) of the
> 	Hamvention
>
> On Jul 29, 2011, at 3:13 PM, w3hwn at comcast.net wrote:
>
>> http://www.rwonline.com/article/another-slightly-different-radio-show/24037
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tacos mailing list
>> Tacos at amrad.org
>> https://amrad.org/mailman/listinfo/tacos
>
> I'd have to disagree with at least the caption on the last photo, of  
> Hara Arena:
>
> "While not exactly the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Dayton Hara  
> Arena is up to the task of hosting the annual Hamvention. (And this  
> convention hall?s hot dogs are only $3.)"
>
> How about "entirely unlike the Las Vegas Convention Center."  It  
> seems like the owners of Hara Arena haven't spent a nickle on  
> maintenance or upgrades this past decade, and at least the sewer  
> system failure in the flea market is evidence of the dilapidated  
> state of affairs.  If you can't flush the toilet, it hardly seems up  
> to the task, eh?
>
> It's a dump.
>
> louie
> wa3ymh