{"id":26048,"date":"2017-05-26T08:41:48","date_gmt":"2017-05-26T12:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=26048"},"modified":"2017-05-26T08:41:48","modified_gmt":"2017-05-26T12:41:48","slug":"back-from-xenia-my-2017-hamvention-spoils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/back-from-xenia-my-2017-hamvention-spoils\/","title":{"rendered":"Back from Xenia: My 2017 Hamvention spoils"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m finally back from a week of travels which included the 2017 Hamvention<\/a> held a the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio.<\/p>\n

As an inside exhibitor, I was quite busy at Hamvention–indeed, my voice is only now recovering.<\/p>\n

I did manage to sneak away from our table on several occasions to visit with vendors, friends, and check out new innovations (thanks to ETOW volunteers Eric McFadden, Miles McFadden and Robert Gulley!). I also attended the NPOTA (National Parks On The Air) forum on Sunday.<\/p>\n

This year, I posted hundreds of photos of the event here on the SWLing Post<\/em>: both inside exhibits<\/a> and flea market booths<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’ve also already started a re-cap\/review of the 2017 Hamvention which I plan to post in the next few days. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, though, a number of readers have asked what I brought home from the Hamvention. Though I had no intention to buy stuff\u00a0this year–seriously–I did manage to come home with a few treasures.<\/p>\n

Panasonic RF-2200<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you’ve been reading the SWLing Post<\/em> for a while, you’ll know I’m a big fan of the ‘2200<\/a>. On the shortwaves, it’s a great performer even though the analog tuning can be a bit squirrelly.<\/p>\n

Where it really shines is on mediumwave, though. It’s easily the best AM portable I own.<\/p>\n

My buddy, Eric (WD8RIF), pointed out this RF-2200 (see photo above) in the flea market. Since I already own an RF-2200, I had no intention of buying one.<\/p>\n

While taking a photo of it, the seller started telling giving me details. He said he’d never used batteries in it, and only used a small external wire antenna connected on the back (his homebrew connector was still attached). He then mentioned that he also had the original box, manuals, accessories and packing materials.<\/p>\n

I put my camera phone away and picked it up to take a closer look. It had obviously been taken care of over the years. The battery compartment was immaculate and the telescoping whip didn’t have any bends or missing sections–it was straight, clean and original.<\/p>\n

Out of curiosity, I asked how much he wanted for it.<\/p>\n

He wanted $70.<\/p>\n

Sold!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

With absolutely no hesitation, I reached for my wallet. Sure, I’ve already got an RF-2200, but one can never have too many RF-2200s. Right?<\/p>\n

I took a few photos of the RF-2200 this morning:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Without a doubt, this was my exciting 2017 flea market find.\u00a0.<\/p>\n

MFJ-8121 Analog Shortwave Portable<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While browsing the inside exhibits late afternoon on Saturday, I spotted this analog portable from MFJ Enterprises.<\/p>\n

In truth, I didn’t realize MFJ even had a shortwave portable in their product line.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This particular unit was on the clearance table and was labeled as a “factory second.” The sales person told me it was likely due to the damaged box (the unit inside had no visible blemishes).<\/p>\n

At $12, I decided to purchase it.<\/p>\n

You see, I get a lot of requests from readers asking for recommendations of simple analog portables. I thought I might eventually review this MFJ unit.<\/p>\n

Last night, I popped some AA batteries in the radio and, sadly, it produced no audio. The tuning indicator works, but the speaker doesn’t even produce a hiss. I suspect this is the real reason it was being sold on the clearance table.<\/p>\n

I might contact MFJ and let them know about this, or I might simply pop the radio open and see if it’s a broken connection.<\/p>\n

HamSource flashlight<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And finally–while not a terribly exciting purchase–I did also pick up this CREE LED flashlight at the Ham Source booth. It’s small, bright and runs on one AA battery. It has three settings: high, low and flashing. It appears to be very durable and the beam can be focused. For eight bucks, it’s the perfect flashlight to live in my new Tom Bihn Synapse 25 backpack.<\/p>\n

That’s all, folks!<\/h2>\n

Looking back, I’m quite impressed with my self-control. I really didn’t want to return home with any new finds. If anything, I’m trying to downsize right now.<\/p>\n

But a Panasonic RF-2200? \u00a0I always<\/em> have room for another FR-2200!<\/p>\n

Post<\/em> readers<\/strong>: Have you acquired any flea market finds recently? \u00a0Please comment!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m finally back from a week of travels which included the 2017 Hamvention held a the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. As an inside exhibitor, I was quite busy at Hamvention–indeed, my voice is only now recovering. I did manage to sneak away from our table on several occasions to visit with vendors, friends, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4199,373,3,26,43],"tags":[5290,1142,1935,1150,6206,2639,2643],"class_list":["post-26048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-accessories","category-am","category-news","category-radios","category-shortwave-radio","tag-2017-hamvention","tag-dayton-hamvention","tag-dayton-hamvention-flea-market","tag-hamvention","tag-mfj-8121","tag-panasonic-rf-2200","tag-rf-2200"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-6M8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25740,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/2017-hamvention-photos-flea-market\/","url_meta":{"origin":26048,"position":0},"title":"2017 Hamvention photos: Friday Flea Market","author":"Thomas","date":"May 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"We had a rather long day here at the 2017 Hamvention, but we had a fantastic time. It was especially fun meeting so many SWLing Post readers and contributors in person! Thank you for stopping by our booth at 6508. Below, I've posted well over one hundred photos I took\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Last-Import-1-of-154-1-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Last-Import-1-of-154-1-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Last-Import-1-of-154-1-150x150.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Last-Import-1-of-154-1-150x150.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Last-Import-1-of-154-1-150x150.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25670,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/2017-hamvention-setup-day-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":26048,"position":1},"title":"2017 Hamvention: setup day photos","author":"Thomas","date":"May 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"We've arrived at the 2017 Hamvention--the first year at the new venue at Greene County Fairgrounds in\u00a0Xenia, Ohio. By request, I'm posting photos taken today of the new site while exhibitors are setting up. Since the Greene County Fairgrounds lack the number of\u00a0indoor exhibitor space, they are using large white\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_20170518_103635033-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_20170518_103635033-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_20170518_103635033-1024x576.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25445,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/going-to-the-hamvention-stop-by-our-booth\/","url_meta":{"origin":26048,"position":2},"title":"Going to the Hamvention? Stop by our booth!","author":"Thomas","date":"May 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"For the eighth\u00a0year in a row, fellow volunteers and I will be representing the charity Ears To Our World (ETOW), at the Hamvention\u00a0now in Xenia, Ohio. Note that this is the first year the\u00a0Hamvention will take place in Xenia--a major change for the largest amateur\u00a0radio convention in the world. Please\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hamvention-Inside-Exhibits-53-576x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hamvention-Inside-Exhibits-53-576x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hamvention-Inside-Exhibits-53-576x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43365,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/massive-photo-galleries-of-the-dayton-hamvention\/","url_meta":{"origin":26048,"position":3},"title":"Massive photo galleries of the Dayton Hamvention","author":"Thomas","date":"May 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the first year I've missed the Dayton Hamvention since 2009. As I mentioned in a previous post--besides hanging with my friends--I really enjoy browsing the flea market and inside exhibits looking for deals and cool innovations. In 2016, I took loads of photos of both the Hamvention Flea\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37395,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/going-to-the-2019-hamvention-stop-by-booth-6510\/","url_meta":{"origin":26048,"position":4},"title":"Going to the 2019 Hamvention? Stop by booth 6510!","author":"Thomas","date":"May 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"For the tenth year in a row, fellow volunteers and I will be representing the charity Ears To Our World (ETOW), at the\u00a0Hamvention\u00a0now in Xenia, Ohio. You can find us at\u00a0booth 6510. (Click here for a map.) I always enjoy meeting\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0readers who stop by our booth\u00a0to introduce themselves! If\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Photos-Sunday-83-of-83.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Photos-Sunday-83-of-83.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Photos-Sunday-83-of-83.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Photos-Sunday-83-of-83.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32117,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/going-to-the-hamvention-stop-by-booth-6509\/","url_meta":{"origin":26048,"position":5},"title":"Going to the Hamvention? Stop by booth 6509!","author":"Thomas","date":"May 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"For the ninth year in a row, fellow volunteers and I will be representing the charity Ears To Our World (ETOW), at the Hamvention\u00a0now in Xenia, Ohio. You can find us at booth 6509. (Click here for a map.) I always enjoy meeting\u00a0SWLing Post readers who stop by our booth\u00a0to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Hamvention-FoodCourt-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Hamvention-FoodCourt-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Hamvention-FoodCourt-1024x576.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26048\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}