[CQ-Contest] Dayton Forum Rooms for DX/Contesting

[Jimk8mr@aol.com]

I guess one's perspective is highly dependent on whether one drives to Dayton 
or flies.  And also perhaps whether one has a room at the Crowne Plaza or 
not.  

This is the one weekend of the year that we 8's have the geographical 
advantage. For me it's about a 3.5 hour drive to Dayton.  And I quit trying to stay 
at the Crowne Plaza a few years back after the fiasco when they sold out all 
the rooms in less than an hour. Life is too short to have to grovel for a hotel 
room. 

If you fly and can't take back much of anything (now more than just a 
size/weight issue, but what hassle TSA will give you with some of the stuff one can 
find at Dayton!), the K1AR approach makes sense.  But if you want to see all 
that is for sale in the flea market and what the inside dealers have to offer 
(and buy some of it!), lots of luck in getting it all done in one day.  And if 
it rains on Friday but not on Saturday, and you'll never see anything outside.

The great thing about the old (big) rooms at HARA was that one could duck out 
from a boring presentation (for me, the story of how ****** spent thousands 
of bucks going to the Buttfuck Islands for CQWW) but still get back for the 
truly interesting stuff (like N6AA's insights into contesting).  That won't be 
possible downtown.

I agree that the Crowne Plaza will have much better forum accomodations than 
HARA's Room 4.  But I hope DARA will get the big on site forum area back for 
2006. Perhaps this move in 2005 will help DARA get their priorities straight.


73  -  Jim   K8MR

p.s.  From this driver's perspective, the worst thing about HARA is the 
parking, particularly if it rains!
 


In a message dated 4/27/05 9:21:03 AM Central Daylight Time, K1AR at aol.com 
writes:


> 
> In a message dated 4/27/2005 8:17:02 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> k5zm at comcast.net writes:
> 
> Ya know,  I've been a ham for 30 year now (yikes!) and a semi-serious
> contester on  and off for perhaps the last 10 or so. This marks the very
> first time my  schedule is permitting me to make Dayton and I want everyone
> -including  those who made such unpopular and unfortunate decisions  
> regarding
> Dayton/ARRL logistics this year- that I'm truly beginning to  wonder if I'm
> going to come away from this experience with anything  resembling a desire 
> to
> go back again. 
> 
> 73, 
> 
> Ian, K5ZM..   Catch me this year as it may be your only shot ;) 
> 
> 
> 
> All--
> 
> This is really easy. For a very long time, and even when the Contesting and  
> 
> Antenna forums had "real rooms," the HARA venue was and is a dump -- pure 
> and  
> simple. Frankly, it doesn't matter who did what to whom in the  
> planning/logistics process; the bottom line is that K1DG and K3LR have 
> secured a  great 
> location at the Crowne Plaza for our favorite forums that is down the  hall 
> from 
> the contest dinner and evening suites.
> 
> So, Saturday's scenario has now become: 1) wake up; 2) have a nice  
> breakfast 
> upstairs; 3) attend antenna forum; 4) take a break and have a quick  
> sandwich 
> somewhere; 5) attend contest forum; 6) go get cleaned up for dinner; 7)  do 
> the suites; 8) head to airport the next morning. In my book, that sure 
> sounds  
> like a winner! No HARA, no smelly hams, no sucky AV, comfortable seating for 
>  
> all, no hassle getting to and from a place you don't want to be at anyway,  
> etc.
> 
> Ian (and others) -- this will be one of the best Dayton events ever! Lucky  
> you to have it be your first.
> 
> My two cents.
> 
> 73 John, K1AR
>