Hamvention 2018 is history. It was a rain-plagued event . . . until today. On Sunday, the Sun burst forth and the bargain hunters flocked to the Xenia Fairgrounds. A number of exhibitors commented that it was the largest Hamvention Sunday attendance that they had seen in a long time.

This Hamvention may also be remembered for the number of new products that debuted at the show. In addition to the new transceivers we reported in yesterday’s summary, there were many other new products ranging from CW keys, to digital mode interfaces, to audio processors, and RF power amplifiers.

Young attendees seemed to be in greater evidence this year, including teams of students interested in combining Amateur Radio with robotics. For example, the First Robotics competition teams were present and demonstrating their creations.

In the same area, the HamSCI exhibitors received considerable attention, both from veteran amateurs and younger amateurs alike.

The weather notwithstanding, the mood was clearly upbeat. The open layout of the Xenia Fairgrounds drew compliments as attendees found it much easier to navigate than the previous Hara Arena venue. The Dayton Amateur Radio Association also received kudos for their smooth management of the event.

And no Hamvention 2018 summary would be complete without a mention of the food trucks. The food vendors drew rave reviews with delights ranging from standard carnival fare to ethnic cuisines.

The last ARRL Audio News Extra Edition podcast from Hamvention will be posted Sunday evening for subscribers. You can also listen online here.