THE VERMONT HAM RADIO CONVENTION
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2024

LIVE at the HAMpton Convention Center
ON-LINE at www.HAM-CON.org

THANKS EVERYONE
FOR A TREMENDOUS SHOW!

Everyone reports having a wonderful time!

Please let us know what you thought by filling out the Evaluation here or write directly to: w1sj@arrl.net

See You All Next Year: February 22, 2025!



HAM-CON is sponsored by the
Radio Amateurs of Northern Vermont.

We are in a super location which is convenient for everyone and has all the facilities to make this a first class show.

HAM-CON proudly carries on the Milton Hamfest tradition:

44 Years of Great Hamfests in the North Country!

"and still the best little hamfest in the world!"




Can't Travel to the Show? NO PROBLEM!

Buy an admission ticket in advance and watch the forums ON-LINE!
Links will be provided here to watch the various forums.




THE DETAILS!

Date: Saturday, February 24, 2024

Times: 8am until 1pm. General admission opens promptly at 8am.

Location: Hampton Inn, 42 Lower Mountain View Drive, I-89 Exit 16, Colchester, and right here at hamcon.org.

Information: Phone: (802)879-6589, afternoons and evenings, BEFORE hamfest day. Or, via Email. Talk in on the WB1GQR repeater on 145.15 MHz(-600). This repeater is monitored all the time.



SHOW ADMISSION

Regular Admission


Discount pricing is no longer available but you can still buy advance tickets at the regular price.

Purchase Tickets




VENDOR INFORMATION

We require that vendors and flea market sellers arrive BEFORE 8:00 to set up their tables. The room gets too crowded to start carrying in sales items after that. If you are selling, please buy an early ticket and have your table set up by 8AM.

1. Early entry opens at 6:00 AM.

2. Admission: $18 at door, $14 in advance, We highly recommend buying the admission in advance!

3. Tables are FREE. They are available on a first come, first served - No guarantees made on space or table availability. There are less tables available this year, so plan accordingly.

4. Tables are reserved in specific locations for large vendors (more than 2 tables).

5. Tables and spaces can be reserved for $25, which includes 1 early admission. This will guarantee your table until 8:00. There are no refunds for tables reserved and not used!

6. All vendors MUST take all unsold merchandise away at the end of the day. We have no facilities for hauling stuff away!

7. Get a sneak preview of the Vendor Area by downloading the Vendor Area MAP. The location of all tables and services are approximate. Not all tables will be available.

HAM-COM makes every effort to help our vendors do well at the show. Please let us know how we can help you!



HAMFEST EVENTS



INDOOR FLEA MARKET - VENDOR ROOM
The Vendor Room will run from 8:00 until 1:00. Vendors must arrive no later than 8:00 to avoid crowds during setup. There will be tables chock filled with goodies. The offerings range from new to boat anchors and we can never know what jewels will show up.

FORUMS
We will have eight forums running all morning between 9AM-1PM. Forum speakers will be both live and via Zoom. Forums can be viewed live, or via on-line access.
Details are in the Forums section.

DOOR PRIZES
We will have a limited number of gift certificates which will be awarded on-line to attendees who register before February 22. We will also have some prizes to give away to attendees after 12:30.

QSL CARD CHECKING
Find Mitch W1SJ and give him an envelope with your cards, application and payment. You can then pick the cards up several days later. No shipping will be available.

W1V SPECIAL EVENT STATION
The W1V Special Event Station is BACK! Our fully remote station will link to a nearby station with large antennas. W1V will be located just after you enter the Convention. Be sure to put the headphones on and make a few contacts. Person working the best DX will get a prize!

VE SESSION
The Volunteer Exam Session will be at 1:30 in Forum Room 2. All exams (Element 2, 3 and 4) will be offered. All VE applicants must pre-register and have proper ID, FRN, copy of license and CSCE, if needed, pen, pencil. There will be a $15 fee. Please go to http://www.ham-con.org/hcexam.html for full details on how to pre-register and what to bring.

FCC COMMERCIAL LICENSE EXAMS
Exams for FCC Commercial Licenses (GROL, MROP, etc) will be at 1:30 in Forum Room 2. YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER by contacting the commercial examiner at w1sj@arrl.net or by calling 802-879-6589 weekday afternoons. You will need to bring bring ID, proof of citizenship, FRN Number, pen, pencil and $50 exam fee.


SPECIALTY TABLES

WHERE IS EVERYTHING LOCATED?


The areas at HAM-CON:
  1. Entry Area
    As you enter the facility (remember to use Door C at the BACK!) you will pass the admissions table, and further down the hallway come up to special event station W1V.
  2. Activities Area
    After the entry hallway, turn right and you will head down through the Prefunction area, just outside the forum rooms. Here you will find the activities such as the Technical and DMR Tables.
  3. Vendor Area
    This is the first door on the right off of the Activities area
  4. Forum 1
    This is the second door on the right off of the Activities area
  5. Forum 2
    This is the third door on the right off of the Activities area
  6. Facility layout  showing location of Vendor Area and forums.




2024 HAM-CON FORUMS AND ACTIVITIES



HAM-CON will have the finest collection of Amateur Radio Informational Forums found at any small convention! There is something which interests every amateur operator. Stop in on a forum or two and learn a whole bunch of new stuff. The forum times are tight, so plan your schedule in advance for best results! No PA announcement will be made at the start of forums, so use your phone or watch alarm to alert you to get to the forum room on time.

The forums will run in two different rooms. Forums will run from 8:30 AM until 1:00 PM. Forums in Room 1 will generally start at the top of the hour and Forums in Room 2 will start on the half hour. Forum speakers will be both live and remote. Forums will also be available on-line. Simply follow the link and you will be directed to the correct meeting location. Be sure to mute your microphone at all times, escept when you plan to ask a question.
Make sure you get to the forums on time. They will not wait!


FORUM ROOM 2

8:30
WINNING THE WRTC
Yuri Onipko VE3DZ

(Remote Presentation) The WRTC is the World Radio Team Championship, the Ham Radio Olympics. This past summer 64 teams of operators competed head to head in Bologna, Italy. When the QSO's were counted, Yuri and his partner Yaroslav UW7LL were the winners. What does it take to be the best ham operators in the world? Yuri will explain all that in detail, along with stories and pictures.



9:30
GROUNDING AND BONDING FOR HF HOME AND MOBILE STATIONS
Ward Silver N0AX

(Remote Presentation) We will present an overview of topics, definitions, and important requirements for grounding and bonding in fixed and mobile HF stations. The talk covers the basics of AC safety, lightning protection, RF management, and how a common grounding and bonding system works for all of those needs.



10:30
ARE YOU CONSIDERING A NEW HF RIG
Rob Sherwood NC0B

(Remote Presentation) A lot has changed in HF Ham Radio transceivers in the last 10 years. Rob has tested them all and can certainly compare and contrast the different radios out there. He will look at the specific features and qualities of the different radios and provide input as to what types of rigs to consider based on what you do on the air. This is great advice which should not be missed!



11:30
HAM-SCI SOLAR ECLIPSE
Jack St. Louis N1XGB

HamSCI is looking for hams to do real science to help increase our understanding of sun-ionosphere-earth relationships. We will cover a brief overview of the eclipse & Safe viewing, what is HamSCI?, events, hours & modes of operation, participation, equipment and contest rules.



FORUM ROOM 1

9:00
The KI1P HAM VAN
Chris Knox KI1P

This is the story of one ham's quest to think outside the shack to solve problems of poor radio propagation from his home QTH. Get a behind-the-scenes look at this unique mobile ham shack built out of an ex-TV news van. This van has it all! From HF and VHF contesting to mobile repeaters as well as a home ham shack, this van checks a lot of boxes. Right after the talk, join us outside as we tour the mobile ham shack.



10:00
ARRL FORUM
Fred Kemmerer AB1OC ARRL NE Division Director

We all live in challenging times and ham radio is no exception. We are challenged to get old hams on the air, new potential hams on the air, maintaining our ham radio organizations and even keeping the ARRL healthy. Fred will explore all these topics in this open discussion forum which will include a lot of questions and answers.



11:00
WHO WANTS TO GO ON A DXPEDITION?

Do you ever dream of going on a DXpedition to a rare island and handing out contacts in a massive pileup? Well, some of us do! We are going to give you that chance right here. You will sit in your "shack" in the middle of the room and hams from all over the world (or the forum room) will shout out their call signs. All you have to do is to correctly copy and log them. Who can work the most stations? We will find out!



12:00
THE WEAKEST RADIO LINK

You probably have seen or heard of this popular game show. Quite simply, we will ask a group of contestants a bunch of questions (all ham radio related) and we'll see how many each contestant gets correct. Then the contestants get to vote the "weakest link" off the show. This is a fast moving and exciting show, making its debut at HAM-CON 2024. Don't miss it. During the break, we will also give away valuable door prizes, so be sure to be there!



Mini-Forums and Demonstrations

HAM-CON will also feature several mini-forums and demonstrations throughout the morning. These will typically run 10 minutes. Be sure to be on time or you will miss the show!

8:50 Visit Convention Station W1V

Stop by and visit our Special Event Station W1V! This is a fully remote station which is computer connected to the actual transmitter and antenna 10 miles away. Sign up to do some operating during the Convention. Location: Convention entry hallway.

9:20 All About Oscilloscopes

Dr. Jeff will present another exciting demonstration as he brings us into wonderful world of oscilloscopes. He will demonstrate oscilloscopes, data analyzers along with a software defined radio. Location: Middle of Prefunction Hallway.

9:55 Tour of the KI1P Ham Van

Chris presents the details of his mobile ham shack at the 9:00 forum. Nnow stop by and tour the van! Location: Just outside the convention entrance (Door C).

10:20 DMR Demonstration

Stop by and see a demonstration of the features of DMR - Digital Mobile Radio. Location: End of Prefunction Hallway.




Forums At A Glance

TIME
ROOM 1
ROOM 2
8:30   Winning the WRTC (8:30)
9:00 The KI1P Ham Van (9:00)
9:30 Grounding and Bonding (9:30)
10:00 The ARRL Forum (10:00)
10:30 Considering A New HF Radio (10:30)
11:00 Who Wants to Go On A DxPedition? (11:00)
11:30 The HAM-SCI Solar Eclipe (11:30)
12:00 The Weakest Radio Link (12:00)
12:30



GETTING THERE

Hampton Inn is located on Lower Mountain Rd. This is just off of Roosevelt Highway, Routes 2/7, just north of I-89 Exit 16.

From the South, I-89, Exit 16. Make a right at the light onto Routes 2/7 and then another right at the next light at Lower Mountain Road.

From the North, I-89, Exit 16. Make a left at the light onto Routes 2/7 and then a right at the next light at Lower Mountain Road.

FROM THE SOUTH

From NH and Boston: I-93 North, I-89 North through New Hampshire and Vermont to Vermont Exit 16.

From WMa and CT: I-91 North, I-89 North to Exit 16.

From NY: New York State Thruway or Taconic Parkway to Albany. Adirondack Northway (I-87) to Exit 20 - Fort Ann. Route 149 12 miles to Route 4. Route 4 north 18 miles to Vermont Route 22A. Route 22A north 43 miles to Route 7. Route 7 22 miles north to I-189. I-189 to I-89 to Exit 16.

FROM THE NORTH

From Montreal: Autoroute 15 to border, I-87 Exit 42 to Rt 11 to Rouses Point Bridge to Vermont. Route 2 South to Route 78 East to Swanton. I-89 South to Exit 16.
Alternate route: Autoroute 10, Autoroute 35 to Route 133 South to Border. Then I-89 to Exit 16.

FROM THE WEST

Lake Champlain Bridge Crossings:
Lake Champlain Winter Ferry crossings:

Ferry CrossingOperates
Plattsburgh, NY to Grand Isle, VT24/7
Essex, NY to Charlotte, VT7 AM - 5 PM


The ferry crossings schedules are subject to adverse ice conditions. Always check their web sites prior to crossing.

The Ticonderoga, NY to Bridport, VT Ferry is CLOSED for the season!

From Rouses Point area: Northway I-87 Exit 42, Route 11 to Rouses Point. Look for signs for U.S. Route 2 and Rouses Point Bridge to Vermont. Go 2 miles past Alburgh and go left on Vermont Route 78. Continue on Route 78 through Swanton and look for I-89 South. Continue on I-89 to Exit 16.

From Plattsburgh area: Northway I-87 Exit 39, Rt 314 to Ferry. (Runs every 15 min, $10 each direction). On Vermont side, right on Rt 314 to end at Route 2, right on Route 2 South, 20 miles to I-89. Go south one exit to Exit 16.

From Crown Point area: Northway I-87 Exit 28, New York Route 74. Go North on New York Route 9N. (DO NOT go into Ticonderoga or follow signs for Ticonderoga Ferry, as this is closed for the season). Continue on 9N for 11 miles and turn onto New York Route 17. This crosses the new brige into Vermont. Continue on Vermont Route 17 East to Vermont Route 22A. Go left and take Route 22A North. At Route 7, go left and continue North on Route 7. Take I-189 to I-89 North to Exit 16.

PARKING

We have free parking on site.



Join RANV!

The Radio Amateurs of Northern Vermont sponsors HAM-CON. We are based in Northern Vermont but have members all over. If you would like to join RANV, or if you are an existing member and would like to renew, please go to our RANV Membership Portal. Not sure if your dues are due? Look this up.
 

It will be the very same HAM-CON we all love:

  • Flea Market, Vendors and Meet Your Pals
  • Forums, Meetings and Demonstrations

Donate!

Prices for our facility have gone up a LOT! If you found value in HAM-CON, and have available funds, please consider a one-time donation. Go to our donation site click on "Send" and you can donate. Thank you OH SO MUCH!



WHAT WILL THE ON-LINE PORTION OF THE EVENT BE LIKE?

Forums will be available to on-line attendees who bought at early ticket.

We will have 8 forums running from 9-1. The speakers will be both live and on-line. Most of these forums will be streamed on Zoom and Youtube. Attendees on Zoom will have the ability to ask questions.The forums will be available after the show.



HAM-CON uses the Zoom Meeting Platform

Please go here to learn how to set up and check your version of Zoom







Pictures of Previous Hamfests!

HAM-CON 2014
HAM-CON 2013
HAM-CON 2012
HAM-CON 2011
HAM-CON 2010
HAM-CON 2009
Milton 2008
Milton 2004





THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!


      

                 

HISTORY OF THE HAMFEST

The Milton Hamfest started in 1983 as the "Northern Vermont Electronics Show." It was conceived by WB1BWV, WB2JSJ and others as a way to get Vermont hams together for swapping equipment and socializing during the long winter. The admission back then was $2. The philosophy of the Milton Hamfest has always been to bring hams and experimenters together for learning new things and having fun. The hamfest has always been organized and run by a tiny group of volunteers, who, like everyone else, pay admission!

The hamfest started with humble beginnings and an attendance around 150. Today, the hamfest draws around 300 people, which is a sizable number considering the small size of Vermont. Attendees come from Vermont, Northern New York, Quebec and New Hampshire. A few come from Southern New England as well.

Over the years, some changes were made which we hope will keep the hamfest a great one. After many years of being an independent show, Milton is now sponsored by the Radio Amateurs of Northern Vermont (RANV), and is the ARRL Vermont State Convention. And in 2009, we moved it to a Convention facility. In 2020 we held one of the last live hamfests before COVID. Our 2021 show was totally on-line and featured forums and an on-line flea market. In 2022, we went to a hybrid show with both live and on-line elements. We are back to a full live show, but we will continue to make the forums available to off-site attendees. We have worked hard to bring in more Forum Speakers and live demonstrations. The Forum program at HAM-COM is the best you find at a small show.

It is the goal of the HAM-CON to keep attendance levels stable and even show some growth even though hamfests all over the country have been declining in attendance over the last couple of years. We cannot do this without YOU! Please make every effort to join us!

Read the article about the 2001 Hamfest in the Burlington Free Pree




What Else??

Keep checking back here for new information.



Back to RANV Home

HAM-CON

FEBRUARY 24, 2024

Last updated: February 19, 2024