Daily Events Planner 

for Saturday, May 17, 2008

Next Club Meeting:  

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Mesa Utilities Office, 640 North Mesa Drive, Mesa, AZ

Arizona Time:  7:05 am  MST (UTC -0700) Watch this space for upcoming meetings and nets!


VE TESTING - License Exams on Monday at 6:00 pm
CLUB Meeting is Tuesday at 7:00 pm 
 

SUPERSTITION
HAMFEST 2008

We will try to book the same classrooms for VE Testing, the ARCA meeting and seminars used in 2007:  We used Classrooms SC-21 and SC-22, with Seminars and ARCA meeting in one and VE Testing in the other.  These rooms are in the Security Center building of Mesa Community College, made distinctive by the blue Security entryway awning cover.

Superstition Hamfest -- Mesa, AZ -- December 6, 2008

Superstition Hamfest is an annual swap meet specifically for amateur radio station equipment and accessories, including compuiters, peripherals, and related accessories.  We have vendors who will have connectors, antennas, and remanufactured printer cartridges available, and almost everything in between.

The 2008 Hamfest will happen with very likely few changes from the 2007 information presented here.  As flyers and finish details become available, this page will be updated accordingly.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

6:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday, December 6

Daybreak is about 6:48, sunrise at 7:15 AM.  Weather may be chilly morning, warming up during the day.  Dress accordingly.  December is a part of the winter rainy season, as last year's event proved with the late showers around 10 AM.  Interestingly enough, it was pouring rain in the early morning in parts of the Phoenix Metro area, around Sun City, New River and Apache Junction, for instance, but it skirted southwest Mesa, and then we only got some light showers.  Most years we either miss the rain entirely, or maybe have a shower on Friday, clearing out overnight.

Mesa Community College
Mesa, Arizona

MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE -- Mesa, AZ

We are just north of US 60 Freeway on Dobson Road, Exit 177, in the Southwest Parking Lot of Mesa Community College, in southwest Mesa.

See Driving Directions further down the page.

Half-Hourly Drawings
and a Main Prize Drawing

FREE ADMISSION, FREE PARKING

There is no charge to get in or to park.  We have Friday overnight parking on the grounds, but there are no sewer hookups -- you must be self-contained.

Please stop by the club booth, which doubles as the announcement stand, and consider buying a drawing ticket to help us offset our costs.  We have half-hourly drawings and some good prizes to give away at our main prize drawing.

Main Prizes in 2007 were:
1st:  Yaesu FT-857D Mobile HF
2nd:  Yaesu FT-7800 Dual-Bander
3rd:  Yaesu FT-60R Handheld

In 2008 I hope to get a list of the winners so that information can be posted here.

VENDORS: $10:00 per space

We define a space as two adjacent parking spaces.

Full Breakfast and Lunch

Food!  Food!  Food!  (Till her Daddy Took The T-Bird Away)

Last year's rain made our food vendor a no-show, and we will work on that issue.  Evidently, the heavy rain falling in some areas translated into a likely washout of our Hamfest in the vendor's thought process.

EVENT SCHEDULE
SEMINARS

Seminar Schedule

It is anticipated that given the same classrooms used in 2007, that in one of Classrooms #SC-21 or SC-22, the first seminar will run from 9 till 10 AM, followed by the second seminar from 10 till 11.  The ARCA meeting will follow from 11 till 12.  The other classroom will hold the VE Testing (see further down this page for details).  The classrooms are in the Security Center building with the Blue Awning.

ARCA MEETING

ARCA Meeting at 11:00 am

The meeting of the Amateur Radio Council of Arizona begins at 11:00 am in one of the college classrooms, as noted above.

VE Testing (Get your amateur license)

VE Testing (Get your amateur license)

Register at 8:00-9:00 am, test from 9:00 am till noon in the other one of the classrooms.  (This classroom ambiguity will be clarified once we know which rooms we have available.)  For license exam details, please see below.

No drugs, alcohol, firearms

Drugs, Alcoholic beverages, firearms prohibited on campus

Drugs, including over-the-counter medicine for sale, firearms and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on the MCC Campus.  Violators are subject to removal or prosecution.

Besides, too much buzz interferes with radio reception!

Driving Directions and Talk-in

Driving Directions

The Hamfest is located just north of U.S. 60 Exit 177, Dobson Road in southwest Mesa. 

From Phoenix and points west

Take I-10 to southeast Phoenix, then exit to U.S. 60, Superstition Freeway.  Go east through Tempe to exit 177, Dobson Road in Mesa.  This exit comes just after the Loop 101 freeway exit ramp takes off, but before incoming Loop traffic merges with U.S. 60.

At the end of the ramp, turn left onto Dobson and go a quarter mile north of the freeway.  Make a right at the first traffic light onto the MCC campus and follow signs.

From Apache Junction and points east:

Follow U.S. 60 west, through Mesa to Dobson Road, Exit 177.  At the top of the ramp, turn right on Dobson and go a quarter mile north of the freeway.  Make a right at the first traffic light onto the MCC campus and follow signs.

From Loop 101 North or South

Take Loop 101 from Scottsdale or from Chandler to U.S. 60 Superstition Freeway eastbound.  Take the first exit off of U.S. 60, Alma School Road, Exit 178, and make a U turn back westbound on the freeway. 

Take the first exit, 177, Dobson Road.  At the top of the ramp, turn right on Dobson and go a quarter mile north of the freeway.  Make a right at the first traffic light onto the MCC campus and follow signs.

Talk-in

Talk-in is done on 147.12 MHz, with a Plus 600 kHz transmit offset and 162.2 Hz access tone.  Last year, this was a forgotten task, as it had been filled by Jim, KA7BGY year after year.  Jim moved away and there was no one assigned.  We learn from our mistakes, and we will have someone on the talk-in channel this year!

Contact Information

More Hamfest Information Contacts

For more information, please contact Hamfest Chairman Ron McKee, AJ7T, at 480-510-3025 or by email at aj7t@cox.net.

For more information you may also send email to hamfest2007@wb7tjd.org.

On-Site VE Testing Details

VE Testing at the Hamfest - Walk-ins only

Location is the Security Center, the building with the blue awning.  VE Testing will be in one of these rooms, SC-21 or SC-22, with the Seminars and ARCA meeting in the other room.

Registration: 8:00 till 9:00 AM

Testing:  9:00 till 12:00 Noon

You must have original and one copy of your license and any CSCE.  Photo ID Required.  $14.00 Fee (exact change Please.)

VE Testing further info

Please see the VE Team page for more information regarding amateur license testing in general and for team contact information, if you have further questions.

Area Hamfests

If you would like your Hamfest listed here, please email the webmaster on our contact page with the details.