so im finally making the trip out to Xenia for Hamvention this may, first time going and honestly dont really know what to expect. heard the flea market is massive but also heard parking is a nightmare. anybody been recently that can tell me what to actually bring or what to watch out for? im mostly hoping to score some older HF gear and maybe find a decent antenna tuner that isnt overpriced. my local club is doing a carpool thing but id still love to hear from people who've done this more than once

been going almost every year since like 2011 and yeah the flea market is the whole point honestly, show up early friday morning if you can because the good stuff moves fast. bring cash, like more than you think you need, and wear comfortable shoes because youre walking way more than you expect. the parking situation has gotten a little better since they moved venues but its still a thing. oh and the inside vendor hall is worth walking through but prices in there are usually retail so i mostly stick to outside

our club does a meetup breakfast saturday morning at a diner nearby if you want to tag along, we usually post the details on our repeater before we leave. its a good way to meet people and honestly thats half the reason i go at this point, the gear shopping is fun but running into guys you only talk to on the air is pretty cool