Just got back from the banquet - food was really tasty and service was prompt and professional (unusual for 600 people).
The keynote speaker was Ben Moses - he got his start with ham radio at the age of 10, got jobs in radio and television stations, was working in the US side of a Cuban spy ring when in the military and was then shipped over to Vietnam where he met Adrian Cronauer who was the character in the movie Good Morning Vietnam. Ben wrote the story.
Funny speaker - lots of great anecdotes both ham and non-ham related.
Got two more items to pick up tomorrow - a nicely designed portable case for my radios and an analysis tool for my new radio set. Met lots of great people, one guy (W3FF) was operating from a recumbent tricycle and getting solid contacts from New York state, Delaware, Japan and Hawaii - a photo of his rig:
His dad was a ham operator, he is one and his son is in business manufacturing the Buddistick - this is the portable antenna I purchased earlier today. It comes in a bag and can be set up in 15 minutes. Great for emergency operations.
Fun stuff - a nice mix of old and new technology. Mostly older people (80%) but enough fresh faces to keep the flame alive. It was disturbing to see how many people were downright obese - sitting in a chair can do that to you...
