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Nov. 4, 2023 was the annual Papa Jack's Trade Day in Tupelo, MS.  In contrast to previous years, the weather was dry, and the crowd was maybe a bit larger than in recent years.  The event began being populated around 7:00 in the morning, officially opened at 8:00, and wrapped up around noon.  As usual, the host club provided tables, doughnuts, and coffee.  This year one of their members also brought a wonderful, steaming hot bean soup, and passed out bowls of that, which was a treat on a chilly day. 

Hamfests are a lot of fun; buying and selling seeing old friends, making new friends, putting faces with call signs, and attending various forums and gatherings keep hamfests fun and busy for amateur radio operators. Here is the most complete list I have for hamfests in the North Mississippi area during 2024.  (Tuscaloosa is not on the list, as that hamfest has gone the way of all things. Sad, yet there it is.) Be sure to mcontact the hamfest folks directly, as dates and details sometimes change.  If I am missing a North Mississippi area event, please contact me at...

This is a basic guide to using the Icom IC-7300 as a shortwave receiver.  It works great as a receiver, and this should get you started, and maybe broaden what you can do with your Icom radio.  

Years ago when changing the frequency of a transmitter meant swapping out a crystal, amateur operators kept a box of crystals handy so they could swap out on the fly.  These days, most operators don't have a box of crystals handy.  Those of us who enjoy tinkering with older technology radios often will acquire a radio that once had a crystal in it, but those have long since disappeared, and all that is left is two holes where the crystal once lived.  These images were taken from order forms and and a catalog sheet from JAN Crystals of Ft. Meyers,...

The Huntsville Hamfest is one of the hamfests everyone needs to attend at least once in their radio life.  It's a two-day hamfest, and there is so much to see that it will take two days to cover it all (or maybe just most of it). This first thing to see is the commercial displays.  This is the first area one sees after entry.  It's where MFJ, HRO, and the other commercial outfits set up shop for the weekend.  New products are on display, favorite products are available (sometimes with hamfest special prices), and new vendors can be discovered. Second,...