Friday was damp at the Dayton Hamvention, but the rain showers did little to deter the crowds. In fact, many seemed to even prefer overcast conditions to the alternative: sun and heat.

Perhaps as a consequence of the rain, the indoor exhibit areas were packed. At times the crowds revived memories of Hamvention at Hara Arena when movement was next to impossible with human traffic jams in the aisles.

ARRL Expo saw a considerable number of visitors. All the booths were active with the ARRL Store particularly well attended. Attendees also appreciated the ARRL stage where talks here held on a regular basis. And despite the popularity of ARRL’s Logbook of the World, the DXCC card checkers were kept busy throughout the day.

During the morning, ARRL and The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations that spells out how they will work together in disaster and emergency responses. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, signed the MoU on behalf of ARRL. SATERN National Liaison Bill Feist, WB8BZH, represented SATERN at the signing and delivered a copy of the MoU already signed by The Salvation Army.

Compared to previous Hamventions, this year has seen the introduction of what may be a record number of new Amateur Radio products, including new transceivers and amplifiers. In the August issue of QST, we’ll publish a roundup of the new items that debuted this year.

You can listen to the ARRL Audio News Extra Edition podcasts recorded at Hamvention. If you are already a subscriber to the Audio News podcasts, the Extra editions will arrive automatically today, Saturday, and Sunday. If you are not a subscriber, you can listen online here.