so ive been trying to plan this out for a few weeks now and still not 100% sure if im making the trip. last year i picked up a barely used ts-590 in the flea market for way less than i expected so im kind of hooked on going back. wife is less enthusiastic lol. anybody else from the midwest planning on heading out? also curious if the outdoor swap meet area is still worth getting there early for or if most of the good stuff is gone by like 9am anyway

yeah get there early, like embarrassingly early. im talking gates open and you're already walking around with a flashlight early. the good rigs disappear fast, seen guys practically running to tables they scoped out the day before. i went two years back and missed a nice drake by maybe 10 minutes, still bothers me. the indoor vendor hall is fine but the flea market is where its at if you want deals on older gear

our club is renting a van and driving up together which should be fun. never been to hamvention before so mostly just excited to see what its all about. not really looking for anything specific just want to browse and maybe find some cheap connectors and coax stuff. is there usually a lot of beginner friendly stuff or is it mostly higher end equipment