February 14, 2001
Ham radio buffs hog wild about Swap and Shop
200 attend 28th annual event
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
The hum and buzz that could be heard last Saturday morning in Immaculate Conception Middle School's gym was the sound of some serious scavenging going on.
As 200 some attendees at the 28th Annual Swap and Shop wandered among the tables, they traded parts and equipment with zeal, while advice, stories and greetings swirled in the background.
Tom Mang of Traverse City, a 10-year amateur radio operator, attends the swap every year, renting a table to sell off old equipment he no longer uses. Mang brought a personal computer from a few computing generations ago and a variety of ham radio equipment he has since replaced with more modern technology.
"I come every year and get a table because I have so much stuff at home," said Tom Mang, a member of the Cherryland Amateur Radio Club, who sold everything he brought by 8:30 a.m. "My wife said, 'Clean it up.'"
The swap, sponsored by the Cherryland Amateur Radio club, offered everything from an old filmstrip projector and 10-year old computers components (marked $3-20) to the latest and greatest in amateur radio equipment. Trace oscilloscopes, antenna and power meters shared table space with transceivers and microphones of every shape, size and vintage.
Kicking off the amateur radio swap season in Michigan, the 28th Annual Swap and Shop is a chance for amateur radio operators to clean out the basement and attic of unused and unwanted equipment. Not to mention an excuse to bring home some more fun stuff, that may eventually wind its way to the attic or basement.
"The swap is an opportunity to swap old equipment and buy other junk you probably don't need or use and can then sell again next year," said Tom Shikoski, president of the Cherryland Amateur Radio Club.
"The bottom line is you upgrade," added Gary Bosnak of Houghton Lake, who brought a table full of equipment to sell.
For many attendees, the social aspect of the Swap and Shop is just as important as the bargains to be had. Putting a face to a voice on the radio provides much of the day's fun, not to mention constant discussions abound of unusual bounces, satellites and remote contacts around the world.
"By this time of the year, people are chomping at the bit to get out and see some of the people they talk to on the radio," said Joe Novak, a member of the Cherryland Amateur Radio Club who helps organize the event every year.
After starting in amateur radio more than 40 years ago, Shikoski terms amateur radio operators as extroverts who are civic minded. He points to how hams help local law enforcement and emergency management officials. Locally, the Cherryland Amateur Radio Club's office is at the Red Cross building on 14th Street, reflecting their close working relationship with the organization. Every year, the club also conducts an Emergency Preparedness Day to ensure that local amateur radio operators are ready to assist in the event of a major emergency.
"The executive director of the Red Cross is extremely supportive and extremely cooperative with us," he said. "We network with hams all over the region and on a smaller scale we have helped with events such as the Torch Lake Race."
The hobby of amateur radio is booming in the United States, especially since new licensing requirements make it easier for novices to break in. Men, women and children from all walks of life participate around the world. The membership of the local club includes everyone from a doctor and lawyer to a drywaller and electrician. The language of bandwidths, power or equipment set up is a universal one for hams.
"This is a hobby that is very, very multi-faceted," Shikoski said. "The international space station will have an amateur radio station on it and the astronauts will talk to schools. Teachers can work it into their curriculum."