Fest prize list

Here are some of the prizes in the raffle:

ICOM R-75
Eton E1
Sangean WFR-20 (Wifi radio)
Sony ICF-7600
Eton E5
C. Crane CCRadio Plus
Kaito KA-2100 (2 of 'em!)
Grundig YB 300
Sangean PR-D5

We have other prizes and surprises as well...buy tickets early, buy them often!

Richard

Reminder: Registrations received after 2/28 are priced higher

Today (Tuesday, February 26th) is likely your last day for mailing your registrations in at the "pre-registration" prices. And that is the case only if it takes your mail no more than two days to reach Albany, New York.

Even if you plan to register on site on Friday of next week, you must have your registration complete and PAID FOR by 10 AM Friday 3/6 or you won't be able to sign up for the Saturday lunch and banquet.

The hotel needs us to finalize their meal count by then.

See everyone next week -

Please finalize hotel reservations soon

The Best Western tells me that there are rooms still available for the nights of the Fest, but be aware that we do release our assigned block of rooms back to the hotel a few weeks prior so they can fill them if Fest traffic can't.

A few years back this became an issue, and the hotel was actually sold out on Saturday night and several Fest participants (including John & I) were shut out.

So...if you haven't reserved your room yet, please do so without delay!

Muchas gracias.

Revised Fest Forum Schedule

Friday 7 March

0830 – Fest Orientation 101

For those who’ve never been here before (and those with developing memory retention problems who don’t remember being here), we present a tour of the Fest via the mind of Skip Arey and friends. (It may be too early to go there for some of us.)

0930 – eBay Trends – Fred Zalupski

This session explores the pricing and availability of modern shortwave radios in the used market with an emphasis on seller and buyer behaviors.

1100 – The Year in Review, Scanner Scum style

Can those last two words be used together under any circumstances? But we digress. Presenting one of our most popular forums-- the annual review of the scanning hobby.

1200 - Lunch on your own. (You get 90 minutes which is a heckuva lot more than you get at work.)

1330 – Linux and the SWL – Tim Lemmon

Easy and fun way to find $$$ to buy a new radio! What is Linux? Is it easy to install? Easy to use? What programs are available for the SWL? Can I still run my Windows programs? Live demonstrations. FREE Linux CD's at end of presentation!

1445 – Status of the Hobby in Europe – Risto Vähäkainu

A half hour report on developments in Europe including the recent jubilee celebration of the EDXC and European DX trends.

1530 – Domestic DRM – Bennett Kobb

A focus on the introduction of new U.S.-based HF stations using DRM to broadcast to domestic audiences. Not a technical talk about DRM, it concerns the steps by which the FCC can be persuaded to authorize experimental DRM operations and license new community, regional and national stations.

1645 – The Year in Review, Pirate Style

Can those last two words be used together…. Oh, never mind. Presenting the other most popular forum—the annual review of the pirate and clandestine radio hobby. George Zeller dons the ceremonial eye patch.

1745 - Dinner on your own.

1930 – Swap Meet

2030 - The Listening Lounge – David Goren

An informal, after hours celebration of the sounds of shortwave radio, its history, and influence on popular culture. This year's Lounge features live musical evocations of the radio spectrum with special guests including Saul Brody, Myke Weiskopf and Jack Widner. We'll also reprise the Interval Signal quiz (with prizes!), and present sonic marvels from our archives.

Saturday, 8 March

0900 - Offshore Radio 1584 (UK) – Andy Walker

An in-depth look at the world's first licensed offshore radio station which was granted a 28 day Restricted Service Licence by the UK authorities in 1992. The project was funded by the Caroline Movement who were the support club of the famous lady of the high seas, Radio Caroline.

1000 – Silent Auction opens.

1030 – Hidden Antennae – Skip Arey

Many swls and dxers face significant local restrictions in erecting antennae that can overcome the prodigious RF noise that modern home devices generate. This session will explore the ways some pretty sophisticated receiving wires can be deployed without appearing to violate those covenants.

1200 - Pizza and Salad Lunch

Remarks by Sheldon Harvey. President CIDX. Topic: “DXing and the Grim Reaper”

(Those choosing not to partake in the group lunch are welcome to return by around 1240 to participate in the discussion.)

1330 – Eton in 2008 – Shan Hassan

The new 2008 Grundig product line: Introduction to the Grundig Satellite 750, Grundig G4 world Recorder, and the Grundig G6 Aviator and their features. Plus a Q&A forum, at least part of which will involve the company’s popular E1 portable.

1500 - C.M. Stanbury II: Imagining Short Waves to Pulp Fiction – Jack Widner

This is a history of C.M. Stanbury II's contribution to the shortwave hobby, who invited controversy in the shortwave hobby in the 60's thru the mid-80's with his interest in the political as well as "clandestine" side of SW broadcasting. He edited the obscure but fascinating "Shortwave News Service" and from this work moved himself into the Small Press movement of the 70's, culminating in a novel "Anti Matter" which may be the most interesting book.

1615 – Silent Auction ends. (Collect your treasures and pay the man.)

1800 - Dinner and Dancing (er, make that Drinking) -- Cash Bar – 1800, Dinner –1830.

After Dinner Remarks by Dr. Adrian Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio (AWR) and National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters (NASB) Board Member.

Followed by the Grand Raffle

(Those choosing not to partake in the banquet are welcome to return by around 2015 to hear Dr. Peterson’s remarks and participate in the raffle.)

Speaker Backgrounds

Skip Arey N2EI is the author of Radio Monitoring - A How to Guide. He is a contributing editor to Monitoring Times and has written extensively for the radio hobby press. More information about his radio hobby (and other) exploits can be found at www.tjarey.com and www.scannerscum.com

David Goren is a radio producer. He recently launched www.shortwaveology.com, a blog and podcast about his long distance radio obsessions.

Sheldon Harvey is President of the Canadian International DX Club (CIDX) and the originating co-producer of a weekly DX program on a Montreal community radio station.

Shan Hassan is a part of the Etón US Sales team and have been working with the Etón/Grundig product line for the past 3 years.

Bennett Kobb covered the FCC as a trade journalist, analyst and consultant for 20 years. He was editor of the first newsletter and magazine for the cellular telephone industry; the co-founder, with Apple Computer, of a trade association devoted to unlicensed wireless

devices; and he is the author of Wireless Spectrum Finder (McGraw-Hill), a handbook of U.S. frequency allocations, called the "bible of the wireless industry" by the Wall Street Journal.

Tim Lemmon, WK4U has been fooling around with computers for a long time. He has numerous technical certifications and has played with many different Linux distributions over the past four years. He enjoys learning how to better use computers and radios.

Dr. Adrian Peterson is a native of South Australia. Since 1944 he has written several thousand articles on radio history which have been published in 25 languages, and been a monitor for many broadcasters while stationed overseas. He is coordinator of international relations for Adventist World Radio, a board member of the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters. An avid collector of radio memorabilia, he has in his possession a 1902 radio card of Marconi believed to be the oldest known radio card.

Andy Walker was directly involved with the Offshore Radio 1584 project and helped prepare the ship for broadcasting. He also was part of the crew and one of the on air voices. He has many photos and lots of private video footage, plus hours of audio.

Jack Widner goes back to the early 60's of the shortwave hobby, and was a contributor to the Shortwave News Service from its inception to its end. He is a librarian at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Fred Zalupski is a lifelong avid radio collector and user. Fred has observed approximately 2000 eBay auctions of table top and premium portable radios over the past year. He undertook this project to learn the effects of diminishing programming and radio manufacture on the used radio market.

Check out the February PopComm...

Popular Communications editor Edith Lennon, who attended her first Fest in 2007, commissioned Rich D'Angelo to write a preview article about the Fest for PopComm. It's in the February issue; you can read an excerpt here.

Edith plans to join us again this coming March -- be sure to thank her for helping to promote the Fest!

Tentative SWL Fest Forum schedule

Here is the tentative forum schedule for the 21st (!?) Winter SWL Fest. This is subject to change, like most aspects of the Fest.

More detailed descriptions will soon follow.

Friday, March 7

9:30 - eBay Trends – Fred Zalupski
11:00 - Scanning – Scanner Scum
1:30 - Linux and the SWL – Tim Lemmon
3:00 - Tools for Portable Listening in a Digital World – Richard Cuff
4:30 - Pirate Radio – George Zeller

8:30 - Listening Lounge – David Goren

Saturday, March 8

9:00 - Offshore Radio – Andy Walker
10:30 – Hidden Antennae – Skip Arey

Lunch - DXing and the Grim Reaper – Sheldon Harvey

1:30 - Eton E1 – Adrian Camponera
3:00 - C.M. Stansbury—Jack Widner

2008 Registration form now posted to swlfest.com

The 2008 form is also available on letter-sized paper at its normal home, the swlfest website.

Please contact me with any questions...thanks!

Richard

2008 Fest registration form now online

Its temporary home is here; we'll have a copy posted to the Fest website soon. Stay tuned for additional information on the 2008 edition of the Fest!