-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
NEAR-Fest
- Thread starter ChevyGuy91
- Start date
cockpitbob
NES Member
I haven't been in several years. May have to this time.
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 22,924
- Likes
- 23,528
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
AHM
NES Member
Ayuh.
About 2½ barns worth of commercial vendors.
So many tailgaters selling stuff that on a good weekend it takes most of a day to really hit them all. The really good rigs will change hands within a couple hours of opening (except for sellers that only come up on Saturday).
Only about three food vendors will be open:
- Deerfield Community Church
- Pastarama Polish Kitchen
- Angelino's Sausage Truck
But shouldn't that be enough for anyone?
73's,
Vendors with parts and gear. Some food. Tents. Campers, wannabe musicians. Probably some BO too but since its (mostly) outside it won't be too bad....
If its anything like the old days don't bother with Sunday, by then it's table scraps... although occasionally you get the last minute deals but its rare.
Last edited:
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 22,924
- Likes
- 23,528
Your best bet would be something in Manch, it's only about 20 minutes from there. Deerfield is pretty rural, not a whole lot going on.
Sounds like a ball to me.
Since becoming an adult, I just expect BO at most large congregations of adults.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Been to everyone for 20 years. Big social event also for MANY of us old farts
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
.....the fest is ONLY Friday and Saturday....NO Sunday -AB1CQBeen to everyone for 20 years. Big social event also for MANY of us old farts
Well, at least at one time I went up there on what I thought was a sunday morning and everyone was cleaning their shit up and
leaving.
This was years ago though so my memory might be fuzzy. ETA: Shit, this is back when it was Hosstraders, that's how long it's been since I've been to one of those things.
-Mike
Last edited:
Since becoming an adult, I just expect BO at most large congregations of adults.
If you've never been to a hamfest, this is different. Like worse than a gun show, bad, although this isn't nearly as bad as like boxboro or any of those deals where there are a ton of people smashed into a building, which is 100 times worse.
One great thing about these things is there are at least 2 or 3 vendors who have weird parts for shit that you never see anywhere else, and you will usually end up dropping some money to buy shit. In that regard hamfests are a lot more useful than gun shows.
-Mike
Last edited:
cockpitbob
NES Member
Years ago on this forum someone describe a gun show as being like a ham fest, but without as many colostomy bags.
CatSnoutSoup
NES Member
It is a tradition with some members of my club to head up the day before NEAR-Fest and camp out (if you can call parking your motor-home camping ).
Although I have been asked numerous times I have never been up there.
Last event I attended was the ARRL centennial convention in Hartford, and I was underwhelmed.
I have not been to Boxboro in quite a while, but I may find an opportunity now that they have changed it from a semi-annual to annual event. (at least I think they did)
).Although I have been asked numerous times I have never been up there.
Last event I attended was the ARRL centennial convention in Hartford, and I was underwhelmed.
I have not been to Boxboro in quite a while, but I may find an opportunity now that they have changed it from a semi-annual to annual event. (at least I think they did)
n1oty
NES Member
It is a tradition with some members of my club to head up the day before NEAR-Fest and camp out (if you can call parking your motor-home camping
Although I have been asked numerous times I have never been up there.
Last event I attended was the ARRL centennial convention in Hartford, and I was underwhelmed.
I have not been to Boxboro in quite a while, but I may find an opportunity now that they have changed it from a semi-annual to annual event. (at least I think they did)
I think Boxboro is much better than that show that the ARRL put on in Hartford for the 100th. Hartford was underwhelming to say the least.
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 22,924
- Likes
- 23,528
I went this morning with no real purpose other then to get out of the house and take the dog for a good walk. I was surprised how much was there and how nice everyone was. I wish I had a few more dollars in my pocket, but I wound up picking up a 13.8v power supply I needed and got out in the nice weather so that's a win. I will be going next year for sure.
I went Friday, got there at 3:30, the turnout wasn't as big I expected, considering the weather actually cooperated.
It appeared to be mostly the same old junk I've been looking at for years.
I spent $20 to drive in, then only $18 while I was there.
Got a nice Igloo cooler for $1.00, and I spent another buck for a chainsaw wrench, which I pulled out of a bin full of tools and the seller had no clue what it was.
It appeared to be mostly the same old junk I've been looking at for years.
I spent $20 to drive in, then only $18 while I was there.
Got a nice Igloo cooler for $1.00, and I spent another buck for a chainsaw wrench, which I pulled out of a bin full of tools and the seller had no clue what it was.
I went Friday morning. It was my first venture and I guess I did not read the memo-I did not realize it was just a flea market. I am glad I parked outside-it was free and it made it easy to leave. I did find some connectors, speakers and some newer stuff for really good prices. I spent the rest of the day visiting gun shops in search of elusive FGM large rifle primers. No luck with that but it was still an enjoyable day off.
Well, I was a bit underwhelmed to say the least. I was hoping for more dealers who sell radios and accessories. I just don't know enough yet to be able to spot stuff when I walk by.
I did meet a nice dealer from NJ. Picked up a book on D-Star. Will call him tomorrow. He didn't have the Heil adapter cables I need to go from the PR10 desk mic to my Icom. He said he carries them, but just didn't have them He wrote down the model numbers on his card and gave it to me. For that, I will call and order from him. He didn't have to do that...and I respect the fact that he was willing to give me the info full well knowing I don't have to buy it from him.
Picked up some ammo cans for a buddy. Bought another hardened power battery pack dealy. Those things are very cool. Bought a jumper for connecting my tuner to my HF rig. A couple barrel connectors. It wasn't a wasted trip, but I was just expecting something else. OH...and I got a Realistic 300 channel scanner for $20.
I did meet a nice dealer from NJ. Picked up a book on D-Star. Will call him tomorrow. He didn't have the Heil adapter cables I need to go from the PR10 desk mic to my Icom. He said he carries them, but just didn't have them He wrote down the model numbers on his card and gave it to me. For that, I will call and order from him. He didn't have to do that...and I respect the fact that he was willing to give me the info full well knowing I don't have to buy it from him.
Picked up some ammo cans for a buddy. Bought another hardened power battery pack dealy. Those things are very cool. Bought a jumper for connecting my tuner to my HF rig. A couple barrel connectors. It wasn't a wasted trip, but I was just expecting something else. OH...and I got a Realistic 300 channel scanner for $20.
I should have warned you, hamfests actually are terrible for radios. The best stuff at hamfests was always the oddball parts, connectors, cables, etc, that you couldn't find anywhere else. Kind of like when you go to a gun show and you find nothing you like but you always stop and get a bag of jerky or a bunch of those weird cleaning items you've never seen anywhere else kind of thing.
-Mike
Heh...lesson learned.
I talked to W1JXR (trustee of the Paxton Repeater Callsign) and he was saying how much more interesting the Ham Con is at Boxboro. Talks and what not...want to try and attend THAT if I can.
That is what I was expecting at N-F. Boxboro is pretty good. There are more vendors, exam sessions, lot's of talks and a fair amount of flea type stuff.... Bob, the current CMARA club president, sets up his RV with a tower in the parking lot. This year, it's September 9-11: http://boxboro.org/2016/index.html
By the way, the field day activities for CMARA are moving to a private location in Oakham (price increases at old site). Since it is a private site, I don't think it will be open to the general public. It's unfortunate. We had a good crowd last year, including local state officials.
If you're in central MA, you can still join the club before Field Day. Meetings are the third Thursday of the month. http://cmara.org/meetings/index.html. it is quite an active club.
If you're in central MA, you can still join the club before Field Day. Meetings are the third Thursday of the month. http://cmara.org/meetings/index.html. it is quite an active club.
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 22,924
- Likes
- 23,528
They do NEAR-Fest twice a year? That's cool, I should have a little extra cash this time to actually be able to buy stuff.
http://www.near-fest.com/
http://www.near-fest.com/
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 22,924
- Likes
- 23,528
Yeah, but from what I've been told, big vendors only go to the October show.![[sad]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/004.gif "Sad [sad]")
So then it would worth going in Oct, right?
