Video may have killed the radio star, but it did not silence the amateur radio network.
Plant City will host the annual Tampa Bay Hamfest for the first time Dec. 6 and 7. Ham operators will share their transmissions and technologies at the event, which will take place at the Florida Strawberry Festival Agricultural Center.
Also known as ham radio, the hobby utilizes a designated radio frequency spectra for recreational communication, such as self-training and emergency-service announcements. About two million people worldwide are involved with amateur radio regularly.
For years, it was hosted in Tampa before moving to the Manatee Civic Center. But, when costs began to rise, organizers looked for a new venue.
“We’re very excited about moving to Plant City,” organizer Warren Elly said.
Outside, more than 100 tailgaters from throughout Florida and neighboring states are invited to tailgate. There the tailgaters can show off their gear and radios and share stories and tips.
Inside, about 35 commercial vendors will be lined up for browsing.
There also will be a variety of forums and seminars by notable speakers. Elly is interested in a forum hosted by the Florida AM Group called “Pang-Jin: From Hong Kong to the 1939 New York Worlds’ Fair or Bust.” The forum tells the story of three adventurous Americans who wanted to sail a Chinese junk from Hong Kong to the New York World’s Fair. The junk sank, but the transmitter was saved.
Other topics include lightning protection, air operating events and SKYWARN, a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
“Public service is a huge part of ham radio,” Elly said. “Even though we’ve got new technologies, the Internet can go down, cell phones can go down. But hams always work. A lot of hams devote themselves to public service.”
Guest speaker Ken Rand is the senior technical consultant of lightning protection of Times Microwave Systems. Rand will cover the statistical nature of lightning events, including current and voltage wave shape analysis, effects of lightning-induced voltage and other topics.
There are hundreds of Hamfests througout the United States. Many are on a smaller scale, with a simple tailgating event. The Tampa Bay Hamfest is among the larger gatherings. Jacksonville, Melbourne, Miami and Orlando also host large-scale festivals.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
Tampa Bay Hamfest
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 6, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 7
WHERE: Florida Strawberry Festival Agricultural Center, 2508 W. Oak Ave.
INFORMATION: For a full schedule of forums or more information, visit fgcarc.org.