The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) is again sponsoring an Amateur Radio Pavilion (ARP) at the upcoming Dayton Mini Maker Faire (https://dayton.makerfaire.com/), Aug 4-5 at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton. Show hours (same as Carillon Park hours) will be Sat 9:30a-5p and Sun 12p-5p.
Our goal with this event is to expose the Make Faire audience to amateur radio activities and to encourage them to learn more about our service/hobby.
The ARP have four 20’x20′ tents:
– Solderless kit building (AM and FM radios)
– RTL-SDR.com branded USB SDR dongle vending ($10 for dongle/antenna set) and demos
– Miami Valley Mesh Alliance system demo along with Hamvention/ARRL info
– Homebrew radio/electronics projects
DARA is also co-sponsoring with RealArt/Proto BuildBar a “learn to solder” area (LED badges and FM transmitter kits).
[At the “Thursday Night Group” at the DARA Clubhouse (6619 Bellefontaine Rd, Dayton) this Thursday (26-Jul) starting around 7pm, we will be reviewing and practicing building the FM transmitter soldering kits. If interested, please bring your own soldering iron.]
The DARA communications van will be onsite and will be operating a Flex SDR HF transceiver w/ large television display.
There will also be a one day technician license course starting at 8:30a on Saturday with free technician and higher license testing in the afternoon. Please encourage friends/family/neighbors to sign up at: https://dayton.makerfaire.com/amrad-1-day-tech-class/
We are looking for volunteers in all of the ARP tents and soldering area along with homebrew project demonstrations. In exchange for an hour or two of your time, you’ll get a lanyard that will provide FREE admission to the show both days. If you’re interested/available please let me know at which times/areas you’d like to help out. The Carillon Park admission counter will have a list of volunteer names from which they’ll hand out the lanyards.
The park has also authorized us to put up wire antennas between the large trees so portable radio operating is encouraged. I’ll have an Arrow satellite antenna/HT and will attempt some satellite contacts. If you’d like to demonstrate DMR/D-STAR/System Fusion digital modes and/or analog repeater operation, that is also encouraged. If you can bring it, you’re welcome to operate it!
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Eric Vinande
KG6NFJ
303-241-9057 (cell/text)
303-241-9057 (cell/text)