Florida is a busy place for Ham Radio in January and February. Here is a quick list of events with links to more information from the sponsoring amateur radio organizations -
Tampa Amateur Radio Club [TARC] will be holding their annual January TARC-fest radio & electronics tailgate flea market on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the TARC Clubhouse on N. 22nd St., starting around 7 AM. Be sure to get there early so you don't lose that special gizmo to an earliy-bird shopper. Admission is $3/person, parking is free, and this is a don't-miss event if you are in the area.
Amateur Radio Assn. of SW Florida is holding their first annual Naples Ham Radio and Electronics Fest on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the Naples Tree of Life Church. Start time is around 6 AM, with free admission and parking for lookers and buyers. Tailgate spaces are $2/vehicle. Scroll down the page link to find the hamfest bulletin.
The UCF Amateur Radio Club is holding its semi-annual radio tailgate flea market on the Univ. of Central Florida Campus, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, starting at 6:30 AM. No admission charge is noted. Check the link for maps and more information.
Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club has scheduled the Southwest Florida Hamfest and South Florida ARRL Convention on Jan. 19, 2013 at the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy on Michigan Ave. in Ft. Myers. General admission is $5/person, with no start time noted. Check the club site for more information and repeater frequencies.
DeSoto Amateur Radio Club is holding their annual "Hamfest in Arcadia" at the Turner Civic Center on Roan St., Jan. 26, 2013, starting around 6:30 AM. Admission is $5/person with free tailgating. Check their site for maps, directions, and vendor information.
The Dade Radio Club of Miami is once again holding the Miami Hamfest after a 10 year hiatus. The event is scheduled for Friday, February 1, & Saturday, February 2, 2013 at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center on the Florida International University Campus at SW 24th St. and SW 107th Ave., on the far west side of Miami. This used to be the biggest amateur radio and electronics event in the SE US, ahead of the Orlando Hamcation, but was discontinued due to club personnel changes and re-organization about 10 years ago. Be sure to check out their web site for opening times, maps, information, admission fees, and other information. If you are coming from out-of-town, lodging is available nearby along with shopping, malls, restaurants, and other attractions. We wish them success with their renewed operation - it promises to be a whopper.
Orlando Hamcation - Amateur Radio Flea Market and ARRL Southeast Division Convention on February 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2013, will be held at the Central Florida Fairgrounds on Colonial Drive [SR-50] just west of Downtown Orlando. Admission tickets are $12/person, with free parking on the fairgrounds. This is the big one in Florida, and is worth the drive over to Orlando. Lodging, restaurants, and many attractions are all located within a few miles of the Hamcation and can easily be found on the internet. Be sure to check the links at the top of the Hamcation web site linked again here for maps, directions, repeater information, and Hamcation details.
Brooksville Hamfest, February 16, 2013 - The Hernando County Amateur Radio Association is holding their annual hamfest at the Sand Hill Scout Reservation on Cortez Blvd., [SR-50] in Brooksville, FL. Check the ARRL link for more information and map. No starting time or other information is noted.
Highlands County Amateur Radio Club will be holding their hamfest on Feb. 16, 2013 at the First Baptist Church of Lake Josephine in Sebring, FL. No start time or admission information is noted. Check the ARRL link for a map and more information.
Information on the upcoming amateur radio events for March, April, and May 2013 will be published late February.
