America’s Voice

Thousands of hams go to Ohio each year for the Dayton Hamvention®. But as WB2UDC shares, there are other attractions of interest to radio hobbyists as well, including the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting at the station’s former Bethany relay site.

For me, at least the during the last 15 years, one weekend each May has been reserved for the annual pilgrimage to the Dayton, Ohio, area for the Hamvention ®. This celebration of hamdom is something that I share with my youngest son Kevin, KC2KFP. We get together for the drive from New Jersey, through Pennsylvania, to Dayton, and most recently, Xenia, Ohio. Every trip has its stories and they become the talking points of the true believers every time we gather.

On Friday, the Hamvention’s opening day, we visited the exhibit buildings and attended many excellent presentations on the diverse aspects of our hobby. Early on as we traveled through an exhibit hall, we came upon the booth run by the West Chester Amateur Radio Association. On their table was a stack of flyers stating: “The National.”