Sunrise came late on July 19th 2025 for some. It was a hot and humid morning but that didn’t stop the dedicated members of the Sumner County Amateur Radio Association from jumping into action under the cover of the pre-morning darkness to support the Wilson Amateur Radio Club at the 10th annual installment of The Greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee Hamquest. A hamfest was about to begin and work was in order!
The day before the SCARA crew delivered the club Communications Trailer to the James Ward Ag Center/TN State Fairgrounds Lebanon, TN and started the set up. In less than 60 minutes the trailer was fully operational as if it was a real deployment. Anytime the trailer is set up it is done as if it was an emergency deployment. Train the way you fight and fight the way you train is the motto. After everything was checked and confirmed to be in working order the trailer was shut down and secured.
This morning we started over and brought the communications trailer fully online again and ready to showcase for all the people attending the event.
The hamfest was a fun event and it was filled with lots of treasures. Most people found something they needed or wanted to bring home. Richard, WA4YQC picked up some Motorola desk mics along with a Baofeng HT, an Alpha Delta 3 position antenna switch along with a new Marine VHF radio for the Communications Trailer and some other doo dabs. Steve, KI4ZDF scored a smoking deal on two TYT dual-band mobile radios. I was jealous of that deal. Mike, K4VVA, got his hands on a boat load of dual band antennas along with a great deal on an HF vertical. I was lucky enough to find 100’ of 300 ohm twin lead for 15 bucks. The kind used for old school analog TV antennas. Hard to find these days. I do not think they even make it anymore. Mike, NZ4K, grabbed a deal on a couple older Motorola Spectra radios for a project he is working on along with some coax, wire and ground braid. Tom, W4UWO, got the best deal of all. He grabbed an Icom IC-718 for less than I have ever seen in the last few years. Jason, KN4VCW, picked up an older Rockford Fosgate car audio amplifier for a friend who is building a period correct audio system in his 90s era Hinda Civic. This is Tom’s 1st HF radio. It is a solid well-performing radio that will bring him years of great service. Steve, I almost forgot about Steve, W4STX. Steve picked up a piece of equipment that compliments his Heathkit Radio. He grabbed a Heathkit SB-620 “scanalyzer’ to go with my Heathkit SB-303 and SB-401 twins! Something for everyone!
SCARA Members Mike, K4TCE, Ricky, KA4JXY, and Steve, AA8TJ, all had tables to sell some unneeded gear and pass it along to a fellow ham that can put it to good use.
We met up with and talked to other hams we have not seen in some time. We met new hams. Me sat and spoke with ham friends. We made new connections with clubs and people we would not have otherwise. Jon, W4JDM, the SCARA President made great contacts with the presidents of a few others clubs and they are scheduling some club to club interactions or participations.
SCARA had an info table along with the trailer. While the trailer was an amazing conversation piece and showed a small portion of the club capabilities the info table did as well. We had some member build radio gear that brought lots of curiosity and discussion. Also on the table were information flyers about the club but more importantly there were flyers about the upcoming Ham Club CO-OP event on October 11th, 2025. This is an event sponsored by the Sumner County Amateur Radio Association in cooperation with the Nashville Amateur Radio Club and the Robertson County Radio Club. You can find out more about this event on our website, www.SCARA.net Lots of ham intrigue and good public relations took place at the info table which was manned by Jon, Brian and Paul, KF4VOY.
If you go to a hamfest for nothing other than picking up some used gear at great prices then you are missing the best parts. Lots of hams go to hamfests for the social aspect. Ham clubs and groups go for networking and recruiting new members. Hams themselves go for to meeting up with friends, old and new. Having conversations with people off the air, discussing their shacks or radios, getting new ideas for their own gear and installations.
Let us not forget about the seminars. This year a large portion of the SCARA members that attended spent at least some time gaining knowledge from the numerous seminars. Some of the highlights were the Satellite Communications, Winlink and Meshtastic presentations.
As with any good hamfest there were raffles and door prizes. No one from the SCARA group won anything until the second to last raffle. Your author, Brian, NG2S, was lucky enough to win the BTECH UV-PRO ht. It must have been fate as this HT does APRS and SCARA just started an APRS Special Interest Group 2 weeks ago about learning and deploying APRS.
Also in attendance were Jennifer, KS4ANE, along with Vincent, K4OZE, Ben, KR4DXL, Kevin, K4TNR, Kendall, K5KRJ, Tony, W1VS, Danny, KD4GON and Jack, K0BW, to name a few. I could not keep track of all the club members who attended and supported the event, if I missed anyone I apologize.
As the event winded down numerous SCARA members that were still in attendance gave a helping hand to the Wilson club by assisting in table and chair clean up. Clubs helping clubs and hams helping hams!
With all that said let me reiterate one more time, a great time was had by all! We are already looking forward to the 11th annual Hamquest event in 2026!
