10-4! Biggest turnout yet for Loomis Hamfest

In this day and age where most people prefer to use social media to connect with family, friends and others, there is still a group of people who enjoy communicating through a device other than their cell phone. The ninth annual Loomis Hamfest was held Saturday at the Historic Loomis Train Depot Plaza. The Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club (W6EK) hosted the event. Ham radio, also known as amateur radio, is a hobby and service that allows licensed operators to communicate using radio frequencies. There are various reasons for this preference of communication, such as enjoyment, experimentation and emergency. The event was scheduled from 7 a.m. until noon, according to Mike Smith, who goes by his nickname Smitty and is public information officer for the Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club. But several of the 320 people who attended were already lined up near the entrance of the plaza at 6 a.m. to see what the 36 vendors were selling while setting up their tables in the parking lot, according to Aaron Jones, who is also part of the radio club. Club President Aaron Bond said the hamfest crowd included about 50 new people. "I would absolutely say that this is the biggest turnout we've ever had," Smith said. "Last year, we did over 300, close to around 350." Ham radio enthusiasts were not disappointed by the large number of gears, from electronic to analog. This included old radio gear dating to the 1980s that can still be used today. "A lot of radio gear," Smith said. "If you're into electronics, this is definitely the place to be." One highlight of the hamfest was the club giving away an FT 710 high-frequency radio worth $1,100. John Schwartz won the prize. More than 2,000 tickets for the grand prize raffle were sold, Smith said. "One of the biggest prizes we have given away in the club's history," Smith said. "We were very lucky and very fortunate to have a lot of different club members that helped donate." Smith said there are 328 members in the club, most of whom reside in Placer County, plus El Dorado and Sacramento counties. There are also club members from other parts of the United States and other countries. "One of the biggest clubs in the region," said Smith. Smith feels the popularity of the group, which is mostly people in their 30s to 60s, has grown because the club launched a radio show titled "The Coffee Break Net" shortly after the start of the pandemic in 2020. People went on the show to give their call signs and tell listeners what they were doing. "Basically, it's kind of like a morning radio show, for amateurs to come out," Smith said. "Kind of like a social gathering" Smith said there were around 150 people in the club at the start of the show. Membership climbed above 300 during and after the pandemic. "That ended up being one of the biggest recruiting tools we could ever imagine," Smith said. The ham radio, Smith pointed out, can be helpful in emergency situations. This includes wildfires in recent years, as users would station themselves in their vehicles and be in contact with local law enforcement and animal control regarding people needing to evacuate and transport larger animals out of danger. "We help with communications," Smith said. "To keep everybody talking, together." Ham radio is not an expensive hobby to start, Smith said. It costs $20 to purchase a radio. An Elmer tour also took place at the Loomis Hamfest. That is where an experienced operator mentors and guides new or less-experienced ham users by providing personal instruction and assistance to help them learn and grow in the hobby. Saturday's annual event was better thanks to the weather, Smith pointed out. "The weather gods were very helpful," Smith said. "The past two years, we've had excellent weather." For more information about the group, visit https://www.w6ek.org/. The group also has a Facebook page. "Almost a thousand followers on our media channel," Smith said. "We've got a very active website." The group is planning more events this spring and summer.