We Swap Ham Radios At DAWN!

[@k9gcpradio424]

06:15? Almost as bad as Walmart on Friday after Thanksgiving. A coffee and donut vendor would make a killing.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Oh for real. The hotel had these carts they could have used to sell that!

[@xxmrrickxx]

I've still had great luck selling gear at swap meets because I price it to get it gone. I don't remember the last time I bought anything though because most sellers are trying to get 80% of new prices. Then I watch them box it all up and and bring it back home at the end, like they weren't that serious about selling it 😀

[@blackhawk65589]

I feel this. I always hear "buy used radio gear" but it marked up that it's just better to spend say $50 more to buy it new

[@katz551]

Living in the middle of BFE, Ham swap meets are as rare as hens teeth. The nearest one is 120 miles away, then out from there.

[@Dusty_Ham]

6:31 That table's holding on for dear life!

[@SteelWolf13]

So this is how Josh gets his new radios without his wife finding out. :) Dark back alley sketchy deals call "Ham swap". :) We have one that happens a couple times a year.

[@SaltBayGull]

That straight key called out and came home with me, with it sitting on my desk shaming me, I’ll definitely learn code now

[@e7yu]

You can always find treasures at the HAM swap meets.🤠

[@randymclaughlin7676]

What a candy store! I'd go broke. 😂😂

[@DavidPaxton-tj1wt]

It kind of worries me a bit when I go to any Fleamarket and I see boxes or crates full of boxed new products. Either they are stollen or someone actually trying to make a living off of a makeshift store with none of the costs like insurance, taxes, storefront rent, etc. etc. etc. fly by night buy at your own risk kind of thing. Used equipment is always a gamble but new, boxed from manufacturer always bothers me.

[@alanb76]

We generally keep the original boxes, so used gear may have original boxes.

[@Kq4hcuDan]

That magnetic loop antenna back at five minutes and some seconds into the video

[@hazer72]

lol feels shady in the dark 🤣

[@MarkSmith-wq8eq]

I have been wanting to go to Hamfest or a swap meet if i can find one. One thing I am interest as currently a tech is a 10 meter radio. Is it worth getting one for 10 meter or should I get a better radio with a VFO and just watch band limits.

[@KenPiper]

Definitely get an HF rig that can do multiple bands if your budget allows for it, because you can learn that radio while minding your band limits, and when you feel the time is right to upgrade to General or Extra, that same radio you're already familiar with can now be used on lots of other bands!

[@MarkSmith-wq8eq]

@@KenPiper Thanks for the reply. I was looking at the President Richard 50watt AM/FM radio to put into a pack. I like to go back packing, camping and fishing while I am at work. I thought make some contacts while fishing. The one thing I was thinking about is how effective is a 10 meter radio when I would be stuck with what ever frequencies are programmed to the 40 channels.

[@KenPiper]

@@MarkSmith-wq8eq if you can swing around $450, a Xiegu G90 would be a good option, it's 10 meter to 160 meter, all-mode instead of just AM/FM, and it's not channelized. It's only 20 watts instead of 50 watts but that's still enough to work around the world as long as you've got a good antenna. Since it's all-band HF, it will grow with you as you grow your hamming, plus the built-in automatic antenna tuner it has is ridiculously good and can practically tune up a piece of wet string if you ask it to.

[@MarkSmith-wq8eq]

@@KenPiper I have a G90 but I wasn't sure about 20 watts. I picked up a 5-50mhz center fed windcamp Gipsy dipole I just haven't started to learn how to use it yet.

[@Dennis-tf2cs]

Nice swap meet but MAN!! TOO EARLY

[@seanwieland9763]

Yeah, if you need a flashlight to see the merchandise, it’s too early! 🔦

[@alanb76]

flea markets are always early. you can come later, but good deals are gone.

[@xxmrrickxx]

Hahaha. Through the 90s, when hamfests were the main way to buy gear, it was the norm. I remember car pooling with hams and leaving at 4:30am to drive a few hours. But at that time every major city had an arena-sized hamfest so it was worthwhile.

[@Dennis-tf2cs]

@@alanb76 Guess I'm not that dedicated. I rarely get up before 10 or 11 on days that I don't work.

[@Dennis-tf2cs]

@@xxmrrickxx Yeah, I miss the big hamfests. They are few and far between now.

[@spaceshantynow1851]

Thanks Josh! Got my psyched for next year! Will bring headlamp and wagon 😜

[@jameski5oeb668]

That was a pretty good Spread for a swap meet.

[@johnbagwell5871]

Just took, and passed, my technician and general test this morning, just waiting for the email from the FCC to get my callsign.

[@JaimeLopez-my2zf]

Can't really hear prices with that music playing were is it at what state

[@seanwieland9763]

0:33 One of VideoBob’s proton packs? Give him some support right now after the robot pool cleaner burned his house down. 🏠🔥

[@GBRyker61]

No, that was me selling the proton pack. It's a Spirit Halloween proton pack with a 3D printed switch on the side and an Alice pack frame mounted to it.

[@45auto]

$200 for a D-72? I didn't think Adam/Dennis got up that early.

[@johnkatakowsi9907]

Reminds me of the hundred or so times I hit the computer 🖥️ trade shows!!!🎉

[@johnkatakowsi9907]

Oh I ordered 😮my ARRL books 📕 get all three licenses 🪪 I’m Cet from long ago !!! Have made and repaired my fair share of radio and amplifier equipment!!!

[@escomag]

Was that an unlicensed nuclear accelerator?

[@oncomics1128]

I have to leave my wallet home when I go to these....

[@timel64]

Was that a Ghost Buster Proton Pack?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yes.

[@timel64]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse I bet that puppy puts out a mean Spark Gap. ⚡️

[@kaboom4679]

Which means ironically you could it against Marconi himself .

[@davenewmyer3735]

Can't say I have ever seen a ham swap in the dark before! 73 de n0km

[@batica81]

Are they doing it at 6am just for the vibe? Nice background music btw, adds to the cyberpunk feel :)

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It started at 6:00. That’s where the deals are!

[@3henry214]

The biggest thing for me at swap meets is... I don't know what 1/2 the stuff is, what its used for and whether or not it's worth buying. I'm pretty sure I walked by some stuff that would have been deal, if I had been able to recognized that... still too much the newbie. The Pacificon swap meet was better than what I was expecting, other swap meets I've driven to...meh.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Ask the seller what is it, what’s it’s used for and the price. 👍

[@newsles2]

Not sure I want a shirt made of ham. It would attract flies.

[@sproutpits]

It looks like you managed to crash the ARRL website with people searching for local hamfests lol.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

😳

[@alanb76]

We're famous on youtube. :) (the antenna launcher guy) w6akb

[@johnkatakowsi9907]

Like a kid in a candy 🍭 store 🏬!!!

[@KD9ZHF]

Was that Smitty talking int he background?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yes indeed!

[@Kq4hcuDan]

I been seeing lots on mobile transceivers, rigged up into old computer towers at the last swamp meet I attended too wished I had the spare change cause, I already spent 400 that day but I'd use it in my home a few months ago back. Kq4hcu

[@ericwolf5874]

The hamfest organizers should be ashamed of starting an outdoor swap meet in the dark. You can't even see the items. I realize that some of them old f$%ks have been up for 2 hours by 6 am... But give me a break. That is just stupid. But cheap a$$es are always going to be cheap. It is probably the same people who would be trampling someone to get the "black friday deal". That's okay, I'll just buy it at their estate sale for what they told their spouse they paid for it... And in many cases in this hobby it won't be too long of a wait.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

No one is ashamed. It was fun. Relax.

[@hollowbuilt]

Those old f$%ks? They are called Elmers. And they were probably up at 4 a.m. when they were young f$%ks too. It’s called ambition.😅