• 2025
  • May
  • 24

Photo(s) from the 2025 SVARC Hamfest

As expected, this was a tiny show and had maybe a dozen vendors show up. I didn’t see a whole bunch of stuff I was interested in, mostly some nice radio gear and some electronics flea market stuff. Nothing really photo worthy except this interesting meter:

sv25meter-wereboar.jpg

If it had been cheaper I would have bought it for the probe. $50 was just too much for something I wasn’t going to use much.

I did pick up a bunch of parts, so I’m happy with the trip.

sv25parts-wereboar.jpg

Nothing wrong with stocking your parts bin with things.

Next show is Butler, see you there!

  • 2025
  • May
  • 21

The 2025 Breezeshooters Hamfest - June 8th 2025

This is a decent size local show that happens in Butler, PA at the Butler Farm Show event ground. I can usually spend 2-3 hours here, as they have several outdoor and indoor market spaces set up. It’s worth the trip if you’re in the surrounding area.

This is usually one of the first “Dayton Items without the Dayton Prices” shows that I’ll attend. See you there!

Breezeshooters Hamfest
Butler, PA
Butler Farm Show
625 Evans City Rd
Butler, PA 16001
June 8
8A - 2PM
https://breezeshooters.org/ns/hamfest/

We usually end the trip with a lunch at the Monroe Hotel Restaurant in Butler.

  • 2025
  • May
  • 19

Saturday’s photos from the 2025 Dayton Hamvention.

Saturday turned out to be a sunny, cool, and quite breezy day at the show. It looked like a few vendors left, and a few new ones showed up with stuff being unpacked throughout the day. We took a second tour of the flea market and looked inside one of the exhibit halls - things were just too packed in there to worry about.

hamventionsaturday.jpg

I didn’t take home much this day - some parts and a couple of books.

Here’s what I saw on Saturday:

batteryelim.jpg
A giant box of selenium rectifiers.
beacon.jpg
A bit large for a porch lamp.
bigtenna.jpg
It has a giant tuning capacitor on top.
bitchbegon.jpg
We've all needed this at times.
blowup.jpg
A portable inflatable atenna tower.
cells.jpg
Solar cells for charging phones.
chickenband.jpg
Lots of chickenband (CB) radios, not as many as previous years.
consolerad.jpg
A random console radio.
crt.jpg
Lots of CRT testers showed up this year.
dicksmith.jpg
The guy wanted $150 for this.
digitalconv.jpg
It's a converter. For your digitals.
diodes.jpg
Giant diodes.
eicochecker.jpg
Didn't see many of these this year.
equipment.jpg
Random stacks of equipment. Random show-goer not for sale.
foldout.jpg
Only the finest of turntables.
freqmeter.jpg
I didn't know GenRad made a frequency meter like this.
generators.jpg
Lots of siggens. Some were a bit pricey.
goldfingers.jpg
Not a Bond movie, but a gold-plated protoboard.
hisense.jpg
It has the high sensitivities. No WiFis or GeeBees included.
homebrew.jpg
A nice homebrew receiver device thingy.
hvcaps.jpg
Some high voltage storage media.
linearamps.jpg
Varmints for your bench.
milliamps.jpg
It measures the milliamperes.
nationalradio.jpg
One of many National receivers that showed up…
nationalradioinside.jpg
…and it was pretty inside.
noisemeter.jpg
This would explode some places I've worked.
panareel.jpg
A family member had one of these years ago.
radios.jpg
The prices on the S-38C units went way up.
randomequip.jpg
Just random equipment.
signalert.jpg
Not sure how this is supposed to be profitable, but hey.
someradio.jpg
It's a radio. I think.
speakers.jpg
A Heath speaker. Poor cabinet condition.
stackedstuff.jpg
Stuff, and it's stacked.
supplies.jpg
Power supplies for your plates.
tubetest.jpg
One of many tube testers at high prices.
wjlookalikes.jpg
W-J clones.
zappybois.jpg
These really need shorting bars on them.
zenith.jpg
A Zenith Radio.

.

I decided to skip out on Sunday, as I’d already seen everything twice and just didn’t feel like walking more.

Next up is SVARC in Piketon, and then Breezeshooters in Butler, PA. See you there!

Friday’s Pictures: https://wereboar.com … 5-dayton-hamvention/
Saturday’s Pictures: https://wereboar.com … 5-dayton-hamvention/
Sunday’s Pictures: Didn’t make it back on Sunday.

  • 2025
  • May
  • 19

Friday’s photos from the 2025 Dayton Hamvention.

Friday started out to be a nice day, quickly turned angry looking, and remained there for the rest of the day. It was threatening rain, but that all went to the south of the show during the day, and we had a relatively cool, slightly breezy afternoon for browsing the aisles.

hamventionfriday.jpg

This year was more of a “ham radio” year than previous. Yes, this is a radio show, but a lot more rigs and things seemed to show up. One of the vendors stated “Yes, that’s because everyone is dying,” and the older crowd we observed (myself included) seemed to indicate that more of the same would be happening. That’s probably where my stuff will end up in 30 years…

There was still a lot of good stuff to see, although I didn’t find what I was looking for. I did manage to drag a few things home, and overall had a good time.

This is what I saw on Friday:

aeroflex1.jpg
I used to work for this toxic company.
amplifiers.jpg
Some big rackmount amps.
analyzers.jpg
Somoe old Motorola comm analyzers.
antennacontroller.jpg
A cool looking antenna controller.
audio.jpg
A stack of audio gear.
bhscope.jpg
A cool old blue B&H oscilloscope.
bins.jpg
Lots of parts.
blanket.jpg
Stuff is just laid out on whatever.
chrome.jpg
It's chrome plated!
comms.jpg
Lots of walkies.
consumerradios.jpg
A table full of consumer era radios.
counter.jpg
One of those high-precision Regency counters.
crts.jpg
Someone bought a box of CRTs and related materials.
decade.jpg
A nice Heathkit decade box. Took this home.
dirtyradio.jpg
A dirty Hallicrafters.
dish.jpg
Not going to break this one.
drives.jpg
Hard to believe it's only 1.7GB.
dummyload.jpg
A giant dummy load. Dummy not included.
eico902.jpg
A nice Eico harmonic distortion analyzer. Went home as a project piece.
eicorf.jpg
The accompanying Eico RF generator.
eicoscope.jpg
An Eico scope. Tempting, but I have too many scopes.
eject.jpg
Not a comfortable chair.
equipment.jpg
Just stuff. Lots of it.
fieldphone.jpg
A field fone from from far afield.
frequencies.jpg
A Rat Shack project counter for chickenband.
gonset.jpg
This one is for you, Rob.
hero1.jpg
We all wanted one of these back in the day.
hp.jpg
Lots of these 1.3GHz specans show up.
millivolt.jpg
Millivolt Commander!
monitorscope.jpg
How many of these are there?
monitorscope2.jpg
Apparently not enough!
moreradios.jpg
Bet you never thought you'd see radios here.
morewj.jpg
Watkins-Johnson stuff. Getting rare now, it's ancient.
moscow.jpg
That had to be an interesting trip in 1961.
oddradio.jpg
An unusual scanner radio. Almost bought it, but why.
pacost.jpg
An unusual example of a signal tracer. Came home with me.
panelmeters.jpg
A box of GC meters. I took one of them.
parts.jpg
Lots of parts are for sale at the show.
poors38.jpg
That poor S-38 had to suffer.
powersupplies.jpg
That's some big supplies.
r390a.jpg
The once desirable radio. Nothing to listen to these days.
r390urr.jpg
Another R390. Nothing to hear here.
radios.jpg
Surprise, radios!
receiver.jpg
Some sort of ancient satellite receiver.
schiit.jpg
You see some odd schiit at these shows.
scope.jpg
A weird scope, meant for radio broadcast.
signalgens.jpg
A bunch of signal generators.
simpson.jpg
Lots of Simpson 260s show up.
solarcells.jpg
I've seen these for years.
soundonfilmplay.jpg
A device to play back the sound from a film.
stand.jpg
It's not a calculator, just a stand.
storage.jpg
An ancient and wonderful IBM memory tube.
tables.jpg
Some just load tables with whatever.
tape.jpg
For all of your desktop interrogation needs.
tekepcan.jpg
An ancient dial it in spectrum analyzer.
tekscope.jpg
A now ancient Tek boombox.
textalite.jpg
The raw board was made in Coshocton, Ohio.
ti994a.jpg
The worst selling computer you'll see the most of.
tubes.jpg
Can't not have tables of tubes.
tubetesters.jpg
A lot of these this year.
tubetesters2.jpg
Even more tube testers.
tubetesters3.jpg
And more tube testers.
twotones.jpg
A two-tone generator. For DTMF?
voltmeter.jpg
A really odd voltmeter. How does it work?
wirerecord.jpg
A wire recorder.

.

I did go back on Saturday, so check the next post for those pictures.

Friday’s Pictures: https://wereboar.com … 5-dayton-hamvention/
Saturday’s Pictures: https://wereboar.com … 5-dayton-hamvention/
Sunday’s Pictures: Didn’t make it back on Sunday.

  • 2025
  • May
  • 14

The 2025 Scioto Valley Amateur Radio Club Hamfest - May 24th 2025

There’s a small hamfest in Piketon, OH on the weekend of the 24th - if you didn’t get enough junque at Dayton.

I attended this one last year (except it was in October,) and pulled a few good deals out - including my IG-72 Signal Generator. I’m pretty sure I was at this one a couple times in the 90s, but who knows - that’s too long ago for me to remember.

It was a small but decent local show, and if you’re in the area it’s worth stopping by.

Scioto Valley Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
Saturday May 24th
Pike County Fairgrounds
311 Mill Street
Piketon, OH 45661
8A - Noonish
https://www.arrl.org … radio-club-hamfest-3

Bonus, there’s one of the few remaining Rax Roast Beef joints just north on US23!

  • 2025
  • May
  • 9

The Dayton Hamvention is happening in a week.

Break open mister piggy because it’s almost time for the Dayton Hamvention. You still have time to get tickets at a discount rate, but they’re being held will-call at the ticket booth on site.

Times are:


Friday, May 16th - 9A to 5P <--- Probably the best day to go.
Saturday, May 17th - 9A to 5P
Sunday, May 18th - 9A to 1P <--- Vendors leave, but some have free stuff!

Forecast, as of Wednesday the 14th:

Friday: Sunny and 86 with a chance of early afternoon showers.
Saturday: Sunny and 78 with a chance of early morning showers.
Sunday: Sunny and 75.

(Things have changed to be a bit more rainy. May want to pack some gear!)

I’ll have pictures posted as soon as I can get them processed - probably the following week. I’ve got a few items on my want list, and I’ll post anything I pick up that’s unusual or really interesting.

Tickets can be purchased online at: https://hamvention.org/purchase-tickets/

See you there!

dayton25almost.jpg

It was a good show. Here’s my photos:

Friday’s Pictures: https://wereboar.com … 5-dayton-hamvention/
Saturday’s Pictures: https://wereboar.com … 5-dayton-hamvention/
Sunday’s Pictures: Didn’t make it back on Sunday.

  • 2025
  • Apr
  • 28

Photos from the 2025 ACARA Hamfest.

This was my first time attending this event. It was an easy drive, so I decided why not? This took place at the Athens Community Center in Athens, OH, and featured about two dozen vendors in a sheltered parking area as well as a couple in the center itself.

This one had a different selection of gear, with more test equipment and consumer gear appearing to show up at this one. Of course, a handful from TUSCO were also here, so I saw some of the same stuff (but didn’t photograph it as you and I have already seen it!)

As with the other shows this year, I’ve noted that prices are trending upwards, especially on those things that are considered cachet - Simpson 260 devices and tube testers are commanding higher prices again, even if they’re a bog-standard bottom of the barrel emissions tester. Dayton will be the tell on this one, if prices there are back to normal we know the economy is doing better.

Here’s what I saw at the show:

cdrs.jpg
CD-R…once a miracle, now just junque.
chrome.jpg
The camera doesn't do the chrome justice.
counter.jpg
An interesting passthrough counter.
desolder.jpg
A desoldering iron from the tube socket era.
dosy.jpg
An all-in-one RF test station.
gear.jpg
Some older test gear including a cap checker in the box.
player.jpg
An HP 200 series generator and an old tape player.
portable.jpg
A “Portable” multimeter.
powersupply.jpg
Once of those tube unit power supplies.
reels.jpg
An old Sony reel-to-reel tape player.
scopes.jpg
A couple of scopes. Interesting, but not needed.
sencoretester.jpg
An interesting Sencore tube tester.
stuff.jpg
Radios and an overpriced PACO tube tester.
tenma.jpg
A bad shot of some old gear. Would have taken the rightmost one if it had been in better shape.
trio.jpg
One of Trio's active panel meters.
tubetest.jpg
One of Heathkit's interesting lunchbox tube testers.
tuning.jpg
Some radio tuning gear.

.

As I wandered through the show, I overheard someone saying that he’s not going back to Dayton because it’s held at Xenia now. “HARA was a dump but it was my dump! and I don’t like Xenia.” I had to lol, ok dude - I appreciate being able to walk through the parking lot and not twist my ankles, so you can stay away and I’ll buy the junk. HARA was certainly a dump, and I don’t miss the burnt mystery burgers and the dimestore nachos.

Speaking of Dayton, the Hamvention (as of this writing) is only about 3 weeks away. I’ll certainly see you there, but if you can’t attend then come back for pictures shortly after.

  • 2025
  • Apr
  • 28

Photos from the 2025 TUSCO Hamfest

This is a small show at the Tuscarawas County fairgrounds in Dover, Ohio. I’ve been attending since 2023, when they reopened after the country decided that they needed to not do anything for a few years.

This show seems to attract a decent crowd of vendors, and a decent crowd of attendees. I took home a few books and odds ‘n ends from this one, which is exactly what I expected.

bridges.jpg
Some interesting equipment. Radio gear?
cameratubes.jpg
Lots of vidicon tubes. Lots and lots and lots!
goldcb.jpg
The early 80s still live among us.
lafayetterad.jpg
A dual band (lol!) Lafayette Radio.
radios1.jpg
I bet you never thought you'd see more radios.
radios2.jpg
AM/FM/8-Track with a cool honeycomb face.
radioshack.jpg
Radio Shack ghosts haunt us.
scopes1.jpg
A couple of old Tek (tube-type) scopes. Ok price.
scopes2.jpg
A mini scope. That seems high priced.
stuff1.jpg
Just stuff from the CFARC guys. I took the decade box.

.

Prices generally seem to be heading North this year, so get it while the getting is good. I did see some things that were not very reasonably priced - they would have been fine 10 years ago, but with technology changes things that were portable then are obsolete now.

Not a whole lot else to say about this one, so enjoy the photos - ACARA’s photos are coming up next.

  • 2025
  • Apr
  • 9

Photos from the 69th annual CFARC hamfest.

This year’s show seemed to be pretty crowded. Prices were still good, but were certainly rising - people’s enthusiasm for a better economy is starting to show. The flood of CBs has started to slow down, and some older radio sets seem to have dropped in price quite a bit. Other than that, it was a good mix of old and new, and worth the drive.

aor.jpg
A nice AOR scanner with a serial control port.
audiogear.jpg
A table full of audio related stuff.
betaforever.jpg
BetaMax anyone?
broadcasttube.jpg
A giant broadcast tube.
capcheck.jpg
A small capacitor checker. This went home with me.
cases.jpg
Some cool 1970s cases. I took a woodgrain special home.
ceddisk.jpg
Someone had a collection of early music video.
chassisunits.jpg
A lot of radios and tubes.
cheaptable.jpg
The club has a table of cheap stuff.
coffin1.jpg
A coffin set. These have become cheap.
coffin2-inside.jpg
The inside of the coffin set.
coffin2.jpg
Another coffin set.
coffin3.jpg
Another coffin set. Would have got this if I had room.
deafasapost.jpg
I bet this thing can't hear WLW next to the tower.
eicosignal.jpg
A giant-size signal generator.
gear.jpg
Some radios and one of those monitor scopes.
hammarlund.jpg
Self explanatory.
heathequip.jpg
Some old Heath stuff. Some of it's not all that useful these days.
heathscope.jpg
Another small Heath scope. Took this one home, it's in great shape.
homebrews.jpg
Dad's homebrew projects.
knobs.jpg
Knobs. Need I say more?
lafayette.jpg
I wonder who Lafayette was channeling here?
lastheath.jpg
The last Heathkit of it's type.
leaderscope.jpg
Who didn't have one of these?
meters.jpg
A stack of old meters.
millvision.jpg
An old mill controller.
monitorscope.jpg
How many of these were made?
national.jpg
A nice National radio.
pulses.jpg
Pulse generators.
rackmount.jpg
Various rackmount equipment.
radios1.jpg
Surprise, radios!
radios2.jpg
Even more radios.
radios3.jpg
You guessed it, radios!
radios4.jpg
You'd think this was a radio show.
scikit.jpg
An “Electric Eye” science kit.
solar.jpg
A nice old Solar cap checker with a meter instead of an eye.
stand.jpg
I couldn't pass this up for $5.
stuff1.jpg
I see you hiding in there.
stuff2.jpg
A lot of different equipment.
stuff3.jpg
Just some stuff. There was a calibrator here I took with me.
tek.jpg
I wanted the triple stack, but we couldn't come to a bargain.
testtv.jpg
A television test jig and degaussing coil.
unusualradio.jpg
Some oddball one-off set made in the 1970s in the USA.
yaesu.jpg
I love that they used a lot of color on these.

.

This year, we even made it over to what was, up until a week before, the last freestanding Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips shop in the world. It was just like I remember from the 80s. This is going to be a regular stop when we are in town!

treachers.jpg

Next two shows are TUSCO in Dover, Ohio, and then ACARA in Athens, Ohio - both back to back on the 26th and 27th of April. After that, it’s Dayton!

See you there!

  • 2025
  • Apr
  • 2

The 69th Annual CFARC Hamfest is this weekend.

This Saturday marks the sixty-ninth Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Radio Club Hamfest.

Located in the Emidio & Sons Party Center at 48 East Bath Road, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, this show has always been pleasantly surprising in the stuff that shows up for sale. It even includes a well stocked “pay what you want” table where people can leave donations and, of course, pay what they want!

If you’re into this kind of thing, and are close by, this is a good show to attend. It’s Saturday, April 5th, from 8AM to about 1PM, and admission is $8. Assuming nothing gets in the way, I’ll have plenty of pictures for you soon.

Promo flyer is located here: https://www.cfarc-ha … fest.org/hamfest.php

See you there!

cfarc2024tables.jpg

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