Topband: IDXC Top Band Dinner History

[wb6rse1 at mac.com]

The IDXC Top Band Dinner History

From 2008 through to 2019, I hosted the Top Band Dinner at the annual IDXC in Visalia, California.
These Friday night dinners were co-located at the convention hotels. There were door prizes and presentations featuring recent DXpeditions that made an effort on 160M.

That first dinner at the then Holiday Inn was in a small hotel ballroom that was absolutely packed. 90 people. You could barely walk between tables. By 2019 attendance had grown to 150 - a significant percentage of the overall convention attendance.

Over those 12 years there were some $50K total worth of donated door prizes. Yes, $50K. Antennas, radios, accessories, test equipment, books, magazines and discount certificates from: Alpha Power; Array Solutions; ARRL; Balun Designs; CQ; The Daily DX; Dog Park Software; DX Engineering; The DX Store; Elecraft; Flex; Force 12; Hi-Z Antennas; HRO; Icom; Idiom Press; Kenwood; NCDXF; Palomar Engineering; Photo QSLs; Steppir; Ten-Tec; US Tower; Vibroplex; West Mountain Radio; Yaesu - to name a few!

These prizes were a big hit and the generosity of those companies, vendors and organizations went a long way in helping make the dinners successful.

My thanks to the volunteers who helped with logistical details to keep things moving smoothly. 

With an emphasis on Top Band these were the programs:

2008 - Eric. K3NA - 3B7C Saint Brandon.

Eric set up stereo speakers to demonstrate pileup management. We learned the meaning of the term "Listening up 5 and 10." Eric really saved the day as this was my first time hosting the dinner and I was initially at a loss for a presentation. Thank you Eric.

2009 - Glenn, WØGJ - K5D Desecheo.

2010 - Bruce, W6OSP - K4M Midway; George AA7JV - TX3A Chesterfield.

2011 - Ned, AA7A - The Voodoo Contest Group, The Low Bands from West Africa.

2012 - Bob, K4UEE - HKØNA Malpelo.

2013 - Les, W2LK - ZL9HR Campbell Island.

2014 - Craig K9CT - FT5ZM Amsterdam Island.

2015 - Bob, K4UEE - K1N Navassa Island. 

Fred, K6SSS, and Joe, W1JR, in the 1950s were W2IWC and W2HQL respectively, and they put Navassa on the air back then on just a shoestring. They were able to hitch a ride home courtesy of the US Navy. Quite an adventure in itself. By way of introducing Bob, Fred and Joe surprised him with a test to see if Bob could prove that the team indeed had been on the island. Questions like: "How many steps to the top of the lighthouse?" Bob was, as always, his gracious self going along with the gag. Great fun.

2016 - Jared, N7SMI - VK9WA, Willis; Ned, AA7A - VP8STI, South Sandwich and VP8SGI, South Georgia.

2017 - Glenn, WØGJ - 3YØZ, Bouvet Preview; Steve, WB6RSE - 160M DXCC from a Los Angeles city lot.

2018 - Don, N1DG -  The upcoming KH1 DXpedition; Glenn, WØGJ - 3YØZ Bouvet Island "Successful Failure"; Lee, KY7M & Ned, AA7A - The Milt Jensen, N5IA,  Memorial Station NA7TB.

2019 - Chris, G3SVL - The 6 Gs at VK9XG Christmas Island; George AA7JV - KH1/KH1Z Baker Island.

Lots of memories, enduring new friendships and overall great times.

73 - Steve WB6RSE