08/26/2021

The annual Huntsville Hamfest this past weekend, August 21 - 22, served as host
for the 2021 ARRL Southeastern Division Convention. Convention visitors were
able to meet with many ARRL officials and staff, including President Rick
Roderick, K5UR; Chief Executive Officer David Minster, NA2AA; Director of
Membership, Marketing, and Communications Kathleen Callahan, KC1MBY, and
Product Development Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. Also on hand at the ARRL
booth were many Southeastern Division officials, Section Managers, and Field
Organization volunteers.

The convention, held annually at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, had to be
canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "For many of us, this was our
return to a large in-person convention after nearly 18 months," Inderbitzen
said. "The crowds were big, but the organizers had spread out the exhibits and
widened the aisles, allowing for plenty of physical distancing. It was nice to
have eyeballs on so many members and friends I've missed seeing."

ARRL author Glen Popiel, KW5GP, presented a forum on the Arduino and various
ham radio applications using this microprocessor prototyping platform. Popiel's
recent book, More Arduino for Ham Radio[1], is now available from ARRL and its
dealers[2]. Other forums included an update from principals for Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS[3]), an ARRL Membership Town Hall,
and an opportunity to hear from ARRL Alabama Section leaders regarding key
areas of volunteer activity, including the Amateur Radio Emergency Service¿
(ARES¿).

Volunteers from the North Alabama DX Club (NADXC) hosted a sold-out banquet on
Saturday night that included a presentation from DXpeditioner Adrian Ciuperca,
KO8SCA. He shared stories and photos from his 2019 DXpedition to Bhutan, where
he operated as A50BOC, A50BPC, and A5B. Just ahead on his travel agenda,
Ciuperca will be a member of DXpedition teams to Swains Island[4] and Bouvet
Island[5] in 2022. NADXC members were also on hand throughout the convention to
help check applications for DXCC and other ARRL Awards.

A Youth Lounge at the Convention included opportunities for young hams and
future hams to listen and get on the air. There were also demonstrations of
robotics, 3D printing, and activities that included a radio direction finding
"foxhunt" and kit building.

ARRL CEO David Minister, NA2AA, and ARRL Instructional Designer Steve Goodgame,
K5ATA, organized a YouTube Meet Up with many content producers for popular ham
radio-themed YouTube channels - an opportunity to thank the community for its
part in nurturing active radio amateurs with information and learning.

ARRL has produced a YouTube video[6] chronicling the Convention. 

[1] http://www.arrl.org/shop/More-Arduino-for-Ham-Radio/
[2] http://www.arrl.org/arrl-publication-dealers
[3] https://www.ariss.org/
[4] https://swains2020.lldxt.eu/
[5] https://www.3y0j.no/
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE_ukGrHjaQ

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