FrostFest 2009

This past weekend I drove up to Richmond to attend their hamfest, which they call FrostFest. There was certainly no frost on the ground, as temperatures were easily in the 70's and clear, blue skies prevailed. It wouldn't have mattered if the wx was bad, the real excitement was inside.

This was my second visit to FrostFest, having attended last year's event as well. Judging from the crowd, which was pretty substantial when I arrived, I was surprised to see it thin out pretty quickly by noon time. By early afternoon, one could easily maneuver around without bumping into someone. I think attendance was down a little from last year, but not by much. There were definitely fewer tables occupied, but still some nice items.

Unlike last year, however, I didn't blow a bundle on something that I thought I needed at the time, but didn't. Last time, I walked away with a Yaesu FT-857D. And while that's a very nice radio, perfect for portable use and even as a second rig, I needed it like I needed another hole in the head. I had a bit more restraint this time and only bought some cables, an older IDE hard drive for a junker computer I have, and a few 8-pin mic connectors, and some other odds and ends. Saw some nice equipment, Yaesu had a booth again this year, and Elecraft had a small presence as well. Spoke with those guys a bit and got to see the K3 up close.

All in all, a nice way to spend a weekend.