ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention

The ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention is being held on Saturday, September 22, 2007 at the Sheraton Independence Hotel at 5300 Rockside Rd., Independence, Ohio.

Sponsor tables and the sign-in table open at 9:00 a.m. Opening ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m. Prices for this event have been kept low due to the terrific support from sponsors like: Yaesu, Heil Sound, Stepp IR, DX Engineering, Coaxial Dynamics, Universal Radio, Solder It, Bulldog Battery, Finger Dimple, American Tower Company, The Daily DX and VE3SUN Dx Monitor.

Seminar only tickets are $25 for advance sale and $30 the day of the event. A full ticket including seminars, buffet, a free ticket for the prize drawing and Wouff Hong is only $50. Tickets can be purchased online at www.2007gldc.org You can pay by check or credit card online or follow directions for mailing your payment in.

The featured banquet speaker is Joel Harrison W5ZN, President of the ARRL. Bob Heil K9EID and Chip Margelli K7JA will host a Heil Sound Workshop to the entire audience.

Then the rooms will split and go into double seminar modes. Salon 1-2 will feature a extended seminar about DX and DXpeditions with speakers like Bob Allphin K4UEE, Bernie McClenny W3UR, Don Karvonen K8MFO, John Papay K8YSE and a Q/A panel moderated by Tedd Mirgliotta KB8NW that has the DX speakers about plus others.

Salon Three’s first seminar will feature a EmComm manager from the ARRL Headquarters. Next will be Bob Frey WA6EZV and Dick Arnett WB4SUV about Amateur Radio Direction Finding and last, but not least, Jim Sanford WB4GCS Eagle Project Manager from AMSAT.

Salons will be rejoined again for a antenna seminar by Tim Duffy K3LR. As the seminars close Jim Weaver K8JE will present the Great Lakes Division Awards. Currently nominations are being accepted for Division Awards at www.2007gldc.org. Following the banquet a Wouff Hong ceremony will be held.

Many great door prizes will also be given away. Yaesu donated a FT-857D valued at $750, Heil Sound donated a top-of-the-line Microphone Package valued at $642, Coaxial Dynamics donated a meter and element valued at $380, Bob Check W8GC donated a VX-150HT valued at $110 and VE3SUN DX Monitor donated two programs valued at $65.

A hospitality room courtesy of CARS, LEARA and NODXA will be open Friday evenings from 7:00 p.m. until midnight. Saturday it will re-open at 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Card checking will be available for DXCC, WAS, VUCC Low Bands and VHF. Jim Weaver K8JE can check 160 meter cards Saturday between 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. by reservation at www.2007gldc.org.

Even if your not a ARRL member, please attend the convention to see what ARRL has to offer. Discount coupons will be available to attendees for use at the Cleveland Hamfest being held Sunday, September 23rd.