I attended the planning meeting for the 2009 Hamcon Colorado this morning. This event is the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention, held in Colorado every three years as it rotates between Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. In 2009, it will be held on May 29-31 in Estes Park, a super vacation spot.
Hamcon Colorado’s main feature is a strong set of technical and operating forums covering a wide range of amateur radio topics. The common complaint is that there are too many attractive forums and they run in parallel, so you can’t attend them all. The list of forums is still being finalized, but it is looking really good for next year and will likely include APRS, D-STAR, APCO Project 25, DXing, QRP, VHF antennas, electronic test equipment, satellite operating and much more. Keep an eye on the Hamcon Colorado web site as the technical program is finalized. The weekend has plenty of other activities, including saturday night banquet, QLF CW contest, transmitter hunt and VE testing.
For hams within driving distance of Colorado, Estes Park makes a great vacation spot for the entire family. This little mountain town sits at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the nation’s best scenic parks.
If you are looking for a great weekend (or week long) getaway filled with amateur radio fun, plan on attending Hamcon Colorado in 2009.
– 73, Bob K0NR