Hamfest

The 2012 Des Moines Hamfest will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Elwell Family Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds (enter at the Grand Avenue gates, take a right, and follow signage). Doors will open at 8 a.m. Admission is $6, kids 12 and under are admitted free. The Elwell Center boasts convenient parking, concessions provided by Campbell’s, restrooms, handicap access, and climate control.

Check this page often as we finalize information for this year’s event!

Door prizes!

The grand prize for this year’s hamfest will be an MFJ-269 VHF/UHF/HF antenna analyzer and counter, a value of $390! Covers 1.8 to 170 MHz and 415 to 470 MHz — an MFJ-269 exclusive! Large easy-to-read two line LCD display and side-by-side meters clearly display your information Built-in Ni-Cad/Ni-MH charger circuit, battery saver, low battery warning, smooth reduction drive tuning. Use as signal source for testing/alignment. Built-in CoaxCalculator — calculates coax line length in feet given coax length in electrical degrees and vice versa for any frequency and any velocity factor. New 12-bit A/D converter gives much better accuracy and resolution than common 8-bit A/D converters. Super easy to use! Just set the bandswitch and tune the dial — just like your transceiver.

The winner of the MFJ-269 will also receive a handy antenna adapter kit to use with the analyzer!

The runner-up prize will be a Wouxun dual-band VHF/UHF handheld radio and a gain antenna to use with the radio.

Gift certificates to the ARRL’s online store will also be given out. These gift certificates can be used on any merchandise in the ARRL’s online store, including books, kits, videos, clothing, and more!

Table reservations

Tables are available at the DMRAA Hamfest for $20 for the first table, and $10 for subsequent tables. Payment is due upon entry to the Hamfest venue. Buying a table does not grant free admission — vendors will still need to purchase a ticket for admission. The DMRAA reserves the right to not accept table reservations that are purely commercial interests and not amateur radio-related. Cash or check is accepted — make checks payable to the Des Moines Radio Amateurs’ Association. Fill out the form below to reserve your tables! No tailgating is allowed at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

All questions are required unless otherwise noted.

Your name:

Your callsign (if applicable):

Your e-mail:

What's the best phone number to reach you at, including area code?

How many tables would you like to reserve?

Do you need electricity at your tables?
 Yes No

Please enter any questions or comments below. (optional)

To make sure you're not a spambot, please enter the letters/numbers captcha into the box below:

Testing

Testing for all classes will be available in the nearby Maytag Family Theater. Testing fee is $15. Contact Rick Allen N0CFL, with any questions: n0cfl@arrl.net.

Registration begins at 9 a.m., and no examinees will be admitted after 9:30. Testing will begin at 9:30 and end at approximately 11:45.

Talk-In

Talk-in will be available on the club’s W0AK Des Moines repeater, 146.940 (negative shift), PL tone 114.8. In addition, several hams at the event monitor and chat on 146.520 during the event.

Award presentations

Two awards will be presented at this year’s DMRAA Hamfest.

Each year, the DMRAA officers and board selects an area amateur radio operator that has provided exemplary service to the central Iowa amateur radio community to be a recipient of the Bob Evans Award. The ideal candidate would possess thorough understanding of amateur radio and also possess traits of respect, caring, elmering, and overall support of the hobby.

The ARRL Iowa Section will also be awarding the 2012 Iowa Ham of the Year award at the DMRAA Hamfest. Information on the award and nomination information can be found by clicking here.