In article ,
(known to some as Ken Finney) scribed...

The Puyallup hamfest was this past weekend (biggest hamfest in Washington
State). For the second year in a row, it seemed about the same size as the
year before. In previous years, it was shrinking about 20% a year or more.
Lots of boat anchors and other stuff that is expensive to ship, the lighter
stuff seems to all be going to Ebay. Impressions:

Speaking as a long-term buyer/vendor there, I would like to offer
some observations of my own.

1. There is only one store in attendance (HRO), and they were doing a lot
of business. Other stores should consider coming as well. I guess the last
"local" ham store has gone under, they weren't there.

Regrettable, but true. The fellow who owned the place was running
it out of Bremerton for a while, and then finally retired.

2. A couple of ham related from previous years organizations weren't there.

??? Did you check upstairs? Seems like all the club tables were up
there.

3. Most of the heavy smokers from 20 years ago, who were pushing their
oxygen carts around 10 years ago, aren't there anymore.

Also ??? I don't ever recall seeing more than 1 or 2 folks with
portable oxygen in the 12 years I've been attending the thing.

4. A lot of people were looking for newer stuff. Some "new technology"
vendors could make a killing. The first that comes to my mind is MPEG FTA
satellite TV. If someone had set up a demo outside, when would have been
sold out. There needed to be seminars like there was in the past. ICOM is
local, and while they had their normal nice booth, should have a D-Star
traveling road show.

Agreed. Icom didn't seem to be doing nearly as much with their
booth as last year. Only two people staffing it, too.

HOWEVER -- The downside to this trend is that it feels like the art
of tinkering is struggling for life. I had a pair of serial data
analyzers on display, and I got several questions about "What OS they
were running," and more than one assumption that they were simply odd-
looking computers.

That would not have happened, say, ten years back. Anyone skilled
enough to know about such gear would have recognized them for what they
were.

There are other signs. Boxes of parts that normally spark much
digging and probing barely rated a glance, and I saw a lot of sellers
going home with much of what they brought. Even I found myself (finally)
giving stuff away that would have easily sold, for at least a minimal
amount, some years ago.

5. The crowd lines up about an hour before the opening, the line winds back
and forth, and when the doors open, there is a mad rush from different parts
of the line. They really need to set up "velvet ropes" to organize the
line; one person saying "please stay in line" doesn't cut it.

Did you suggest this to the Mike & Key club staff? The best
suggestions on the planet (and I think this is a good one) won't ever
get a tryout if you keep it to yourself.

6. The snack bar needs to improve...

Essence, no argument there! $3.75 for a questionable hot dog? $2.75
for a bottled drink?!

FWIW, this has always been a sore point for the event.

7. The "talkin" repeater was pretty quiet. I think this is a bad sign for
future growth in ham radio.

I'm surprised you would make such a broad assumption from so little
evidence. The talk-in channel was very active early Saturday morning, at
the crack of dawn. I would also point out that the Puyallup swap has
become well known enough that many folks already know where it is.

Also, a clear map is provided on the flyer. Most of the hamateurs
I've met are pretty good at basic navigation.

I will say this much. I've noticed that the overall quality of the
Puyallup event, in terms of quantity and quality of stuff, tends to run
in three-year cycles (first year phenomenal, second year good, third
year mediocre), and 2007 was at the bottom end of one of these cycles.

With that said -- It wasn't actually as bad as the one in 2004
(which was another bottom-of-cycle event). In fact, this one reminded me
more of the mid-cycle swaps.

If the cycle continues to run true-to-form, 2008 should be amazing.

In conclusion, I would add that amateur radio is like a mirror. You
get back exactly what you put into it. If you truly care about the
hobby, do whatever you can to help it grow. Teach a license class,
volunteer at a club demo booth, participate in an event that's using
amateur radio for communications, etc.

Keep the peace(es).



--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
http://www.bluefeathertech.com -- kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t calm
"Salvadore Dali's computer has surreal ports..."