Amateur radio clubs hosting Spokane Hamfest next Saturday

For some people, cellular telephones with digital cameras and text messaging and broadband Internet connections that deliver streaming video and information on demand just isn’t that interesting.

And some of them will be at University High School next Saturday.

Six of the area’s amateur radio clubs will host Spokane Hamfest, a gathering of some 500 enthusiasts, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“The school, as part of their curriculum, does have a class in amateur radio,” event coordinator Betsy Ashleman said. “For the last 10 years or so, maybe even 15 years, we’ve had Hamfest at the school to help support them. The students get involved and they have their own station.”

Contrary to popular opinion, ham radio is not some dinosaur left over from the age of the cold war supplanted by deluge of new means of communication. In fact, five amateur radio clubs call Spokane home and host Hamfest: Kamiak Butte Amateur Repeater Association, Spokane Radio Amateurs, NW Tri-State ARO, Inland Empire VHF Club and Spokane DX Association. A sixth club, Palouse Hills ARC, also helps put on the daylong conference.

“We’ll be talking about all the different aspects of the hobby: emergency communications, contesting, different systems and about the issue of broadband over power lines — power companies have proposed sending information over their power lines — and how that could affect amateur radio,” Ashleman said.

But it goes farther than that.

First, Hamfest is a great opportunity to get an introduction to the hobby and a chance to pick up some quality used equipment.

“We have an open-cry auction,” Ashleman said. “And we have a number of tables sold for people with equipment for sale. And we have seminars on a number of different aspects of the hobby, from building your own antenna on down.”

And of course, there will be food and prizes, including three impressive raffle prizes.

“We have a lot of door prizes,” Ashleman said. “I think just about everyone who attends will come home with something.”

And there will be contests, as well, including “Bunny hunting.”

“That one is fun,” Ashleman said. “That’s where there’s a hidden signal out there and you have to find the hidden transmitter.”

The various clubs are young and vital, she said — a good sign for the hobby’s health.

“We’re seeing young kids getting into the hobby,” she said. “I think the youngest member we have is 9 years old, and we have members as old as 70 or 80.”

And ham radio has embraced the Internet, as well.

“We’ve incorporated that into our communications,” Ashleman said. “You can use your computer to tap into the Internet and connect with radio in another city, worldwide, even. You can talk to people there over your radio or over your computer.”