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Author Topic: Ham Club table at Gun Show?  (Read 567469 times)

W8ATA

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #45 on: September 29, 2014, 09:47:32 AM »

Been going to hamfests for 57 years and gun shows for 50 years.  My conventional wisdom says keep them separate. Gun table at hamfest then . . .  then ham table at gun show . . . then you got two cans of worms open. Really no need for that smell.

73,
Russ
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N1GMV

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #46 on: October 09, 2014, 09:31:31 AM »

Wow, didn't realize there would be so much dialog on the subject. Perhaps I should clarify why I mentioned Gun Show.

My wife and I were at the Raleigh state fairgrounds and there was a HUGE line of people going to the gunshow. I though with that many middle aged attendees it would be a good opportunity to promote the hobby to those who never thought of Amateur Radio!

Since then it appears some of the lust of guns has dried up. But now I am seeing a huge interest in car shows so maybe there instead or as well. My point is, I think we need to try and reach out to the non-hams to let them see a simple station, give them an opportunity to operate it and provide them with literature on how they can become involved.

I have spoken with a few people around here and we are going to try this with Young Male and female ham ops to see how it works to get younger people into the hobby.  Special events, field day and other on-location operations are intended to bring attention to the hobby but it has been my observation that hams have been keeping to themselves and the stations are rather intimidating to the general public.

If anyone has any example of what they did at an outdoor amateur promotion activity please chime in. I would like to hear as many practical ideas as possible.  I was toying around the idea of a "Rest Stop" day where hams set up stations at rest areas and try and get as many visitors as possible to operate!
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N1DVJ

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #47 on: October 09, 2014, 09:43:23 AM »

I think it's great if ham radio is presented at other types of shows.  But, and this is important in my mind, it has to be 'low key'. 

At gun shows it's 'tech', but gun people tend to like machines, and guns are machines.  (I know of one gun club that has a ham station)  Then there's the preppers.

Car shows?  I'd be VERY careful and scream no if there was any possibility at all of people showing up with porcupines or whacker-mobiles. 

Other types of shows?  I think it's great, but remember to present it as low key hobby
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W4KVW

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #48 on: October 11, 2014, 09:11:02 PM »

Lots of PREPPERS at Gun Shows & many of them already have radios but most do not have a License.You can search the internet & see there are a bunch of them but not sure how many are interested in the radio part other than needing communications gear should it be needed & it's a good chance it will & the last thing anyone will worry about is a License because the Government will much to busy with more important issues I'm sure!  ;)

Clayton
W4KVW
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K4ISR

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #49 on: October 23, 2014, 11:02:26 AM »

A lot of preppers are getting the equipment, but depending on how severe their stance of the gov't is, a lot of them have it, know how to use it, many previously had a license and let it expire, but do not feel safe giving the gov't more of their personal info. With these new cheap HT models out there (which I have one), it is now cheap and easy for both the preppers to stock up, and to introduce a new method of communication to the younger generation who think texting is the only form of communication.
At the local gun shows, the local ARC's also show up. It is easy to spot them, just look for a few antennas in one area (and hope its not a bunch of CB antennas, which are still popular here). I haven't seen them with a table inside, but its usually 10-30 people hanging out chatting to one side of the parking lot, and have a sign on one of the larger vehicles with their club name.

Once you understand the issues we face today, guns and radios go hand in hand. If the preppers are right and it hits the fan anytime soon, those who try to distance hams from guns will be the ones in trouble. What good is a gun without a radio to know how close the danger lurks, and what good is a radio without a gun if that danger you heard on the airwaves shows up at your door?

So the question isn't how do we separate the 2, the real question is why isn't there more events combining the 2?
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de K4ISR

N3AEG

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #50 on: October 24, 2014, 05:25:20 AM »

KD5GR &

 in Tulsa?  Eleven air-conditioned acres of guns....I'm thinking special event station this November.  I got to meet Wayne LaPierre there, Jim Supica, Larry Potterfield, etc. and even managed to sneak in on American Rifleman's this old gun with a  Colt Buntline Scout.  Gee, I wish a ham table at a gun show had been my idea; hats off to you N1GMV.  Heck special event stations...we have the IDPA nationals here in September and then there is OFASTS in June and that would make for some really cool cards to send out.

I'm actually planning a trip to visit my sister in Dallas in November that's timed so I can go to the show in Tulsa.  It's hard to pass up a gun show of that size.  In Maryland, we're lucky if our gun shows have 20 tables of guns.  We do get a lot of takes of jewelry, socks and beef jerky.

Leo - N3AEG
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N1DVJ

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #51 on: October 24, 2014, 07:09:41 AM »

I read just last night that there is going to be a special event station at Gunsite coming up.
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KD8GTP

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #52 on: October 24, 2014, 04:45:27 PM »

Ham radio booth at a gun show, good idea.  And how about an ARES booth as well.  Mix guns, radios, and ARES and you have the making of an........ American Wacker  ;D
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K4ISR

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #53 on: October 25, 2014, 03:04:47 PM »

Ham radio booth at a gun show, good idea.  And how about an ARES booth as well.  Mix guns, radios, and ARES and you have the making of an........ American Wacker  ;D

ARES/RACES is perfect for this... Radio is faster than a gunman... and if it hits the fan it makes perfect sense.
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de K4ISR

K6CPO

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #54 on: October 26, 2014, 09:41:54 AM »

With the current attitudes regarding guns in this country, it would be best for ham radio if we kept our distance.  If individual hams want to have guns, fine, but organizationally we should keep ourselves aloof.  The last thing we need is to be inextricably linked with the pro-gun movement...
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N1DVJ

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #55 on: October 26, 2014, 10:45:57 AM »

While I can see some concern about the image of guns, does that mean to ignore them?  Come on, if anything, I think hams appreciate the 'machinery' of guns more than would be the norm of the average population.  While there will always be hoplophobes, that doesn't mean you have to fear offending their sensibilities.

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W8AAZ

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #56 on: November 04, 2014, 01:39:35 PM »

I was browsing a gun show once and a guy had a table with scattered holsters, firearms related items, and a couple of big vintage glass transmitting tubes.  He said he brought them to see if there was interest as he had inherited them and had a lot more back home.  I never did get a chance to hook up and get to see what else he had.  I guess you can try showing off ham radio at any sort of reasonable venue where a lot of potential interested parties might show up.  Model train show. County fair. Boat show. Woodworkers convention. School science fair. Gun show. Arts and crafts show. Octoberfest.  Street festival. Car show. Field day. Etc.  Lord knows, I never see public demos of ham radio anywhere.  Except hamfests.  We preach to the choir.   Maybe the members that find the thought of a gun show too scary(all those guns just lying there, waiting to go off!) can stay home and let only the brave venture inside. 
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N4TTS

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #57 on: November 04, 2014, 06:33:18 PM »

<snip> The last thing we need is to be inextricably linked with the pro-gun movement...

Just because some people are freaked out about the mention or sight of a gun shouldn't dictate to the rest of us what we should or shouldn't do.
My guns have never hurt anything other than a target at the range. Folks need to chill out. Firearms are just another hobby. It's like golf only louder.

You can use a hammer to off another human being but I don't see people spazzing out over hardware stores.

Jeeze, how about a little perspective.

Don N4TTS
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W4KVW

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #58 on: November 06, 2014, 11:25:30 AM »

Well I like Guns & I like Ham Radio & make use of both.I run a Kilowatt on all of the HF Bands & 6 meters with nice yagi antennas so that I'm at least a medium sized Gun on the air when I'm on & can work anyone the Big Guns can & usually get the same signal report as them. Guns come in many types so I guess I'm a medium sized Gun on the air with many Guns of many sizes & calibers but they are all fun & have a place when used properly & after 30 years in State Law Enforcement I've had plenty of training in their proper use & handling. ;D   ;)   :D  :)

Clayton
W4KVW
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AA4HA

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RE: Ham Club table at Gun Show?
« Reply #59 on: November 06, 2014, 11:50:53 AM »

I set up a gun club and ham radio club table at our local zombie convention.

Lots of interest.

The rest of the convention center, kinda dead.
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Ms. Tisha Hayes, AA4HA
Lookout Mountain, Alabama
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