Still thinking about getting a table inside the new building at HamQuest 2023??? If so, don’t wait or you may be out of luck as we only have 3 table left inside. They are only $15.00 each. If you would like to reserve your table please email reservations@midtnhamquest.com and include your telephone number and how many tables you would like and we will give you a call to confirm and finalize the booking.

HamQuest 2023 is only 21 days away!  We are looking forward to seeing everyone again this year and having everyone in the same area with no more having to go from building to building and missing any of the great items that will be available again this year.    

Tables & Tailgating

Booth reservations are now being taken for the remaining tables in the exhibit hall area.  As of this writing, we only have 19 booths left (two 8’x10’ outer wall booths and 17 8’x8’ booths in the middle of the exhibit hall floor.)  All booths along the outer wall have electricity available as do many of the booths in the middle of the exhibit hall.  We do not supply extension cords or power strips so you will need to bring your own if you need power.

Tailgating will be on the back row of the parking lot behind the Made in Tennessee Building and along the paved drive alongside the building.  We will have someone outside to guide you to the proper parking area when you arrive.  We will be able to accommodate up to approximately 60-80 total vehicles (tailgating and indoor vendors) in the back parking area.  Tailgate spaces will remain $10.00 each and include one General Admission/Door Prize ticket as well.

Commercial Vendors

We will have five commercial vendors at HamQuest 2023 offering a wide variety of new ham radio equipment, accessories, and novelties.  The commercial vendors planning to be at HamQuest 2023 are:

• TN07 Engineering (TN07.com) – Eagleville, TN
• Chatt Radio (chattradio.com) – Chattanooga, TN
• Silver Needle Embroidery – Harrisburg, IL
• William Perry Company – Louisville, KY

Be sure to visit our commercial vendors and pick up that new radio, antenna, hat, or those little “odds and ends” you need to make that repair, finish a project, or just sport your call sign on a nice new hat.

Parking

The main parking area for HamQuest 2023 will be in the grass just outside the white fence that runs next to the Made in Tennessee Building.  You will park in the grass, much like when attending the Wilson Co./Tn State Fair.  There will be a walk-through opening in the fence where you will come in at the front entrance to the building.  The entrance will be the main fairgrounds entrance on Sparta Pike just as in years past.

Parking for those who have tables inside as well as tailgaters will be in the parking lot directly behind alongside the Made in TN Building.

There will be a limited number of handicapped parking spaces for those in need of them and having a state issued Handicapped hangtag, license plate, or license plate decal.

Once you have entered the main gate, you will need to  turn right at the stop sign in front of the Expo Center.  Turn left just past the side parking area for the Expo Center and you will see the Made in TN Building just inside the white gate.  General parking will be in the grass outside the white fence on the hill on your right.

Talk-in

Talk-in will once again be on the WC4AR repeater (147.105, + offset, TSQL 156.7).  The talk-in operator will make announcements periodically regarding any changes to the which entrance to use when arriving at the Ag Center, provide directions to arriving guests, or to provide any other needed information to our visitors.

We are pleased to announce that we will have t least one of the TN ARRL DXCC Card checkers present at HamQuest 2023. The card checker(s) will be at the ARRL Tables Along with the TN ARRL Staff.

HamQuest 2023 June Update

Tables & Tailgating

With our move into the new Made in Tennessee Building at the Ward Ag Center comes a few important changes to HamQuest.  First and probably most important is the ability to have everyone under one roof and in the same room.  This makes it easier for you to see everything we have at HamQuest and no more maneuvering through a couple of hallways or having to go outside to another building to take in all the flea market.  We also now have the much-needed room to continue growing without having to spread out even more than we were in years past.  The 18,000 square foot exhibit hall gives us more flexibility and the ability to easily add more tables as needed.  While not the most important or needed, it also allows us to avoid having to raise our prices, keeping it a very affordable hamfest for even the most frugal attendee with booths $15.00 each (includes one 8’x’30” table, two chairs, and one General Admission/Door Prize ticket), Admission $5.00 for adults (17 years and older), FREE for children & youth (16 years old and younger), and FREE for ANYONE passing their license exam with our onsite VE team including new applicants and those hams upgrading to either General or Extra.

Booth reservations are now being taken for the remaining tables in the exhibit hall area.  As of this writing, we only have 22 booths left (two 8’x10’ outer wall booths and 20 8’x8’ booths in the middle of the exhibit hall floor.)  All booths along the outer wall have electricity available as do many of the booths in the middle of the exhibit hall.  We do not supply extension cords or power strips so you will need to bring your own if you need power.

Tailgating will be on the new paved area alongside and behind the Made in Tennessee Building.  We will be able to accommodate up to approximately 60-80 vehicles in the tailgate area this year without it being spread out and inconvenient to walk through and take in all the great tailgaters.  Tailgate spaces will remain $10.00 each and include one General Admission/Door Prize ticket as well.

Commercial Vendors

We will have five commercial vendors at HamQuest 2023 offering a wide variety of new ham radio equipment, accessories, and novelties.  The commercial vendors planning to be at HamQuest 2023 are:

• TN07 Engineering (TN07.com) – Eagleville, TN
• Chatt Radio (chattradio.com) – Chattanooga, TN
• Silver Needle Embroidery – Harrisburg, IL
• William Perry Company – Louisville, KY
• “Satellite” Sam Adams – Lynchburg, VA

Be sure to visit our commercial vendors and pick up that new radio, antenna, hat, or those little “odds and ends” you need to make that repair, finish a project, or just sport your call sign on a nice new hat.

Parking

The main parking area for HamQuest 2023 will be in the grass just outside the white fence that runs next to the Made in Tennessee Building.  You will park in the grass, much like when attending the Wilson Co./Tn State Fair.  There will be a walk-through opening in the fence where you will come in at the front entrance to the building.  At this time, we anticipate that all visitors will come in through the main gate at the Ag Center, just as in the previous years.  If there are any changes to this plan, we will send out an email to the HamQuest Newsletter subscribers and post it both on our Facebook Page and Web site.  Please monitor for any changes to this when arriving by tuning in to our talk-in station.

There will be a limited number of handicapped parking spaces for those in need of them and having a state issued Handicapped hangtag, license plate, or license plate decal.

Once you have entered the main gate, please watch for and follow the signs pointing you to the HamQuest Parking area.  You may also call in to the talk-in station for directions.

Talk-in

Talk-in will once again be on the WC4AR repeater (147.105, + offset, TSQL 156.7).  The talk-in operator will make announcements periodically regarding any changes to the which entrance to use when arriving at the Ag Center, provide directions to arriving guests, or to provide any other needed information to our visitors.

We have the following minimum table availability at HamQuest 2023: 5 8’x10′ booths along the wall with easy access to power and 18 8’x8′ booths throughout the exhibit hall floor some with easy access to power as well. All booths include on 8’x30″ standard rectangular banquet table, 2 folding chairs, and one admission/door prize ticket. To reserve your booth, please email reservations@midtnhamquest.com. Please let us know if you have any special requests/needs such as near power outlets, assistance due to disability, etc. and we will do our best to make sure your needs/accommodations are met.

The issue with the flyer not downloading when you click the button has been fixed. If you experience any further issues with it, please email info@midtnhamquest.com.

The 2023 HamQuest General Information Flyer is now available for download. Please feel free to download it and share with your club, group, and anyone interested in ham radio. To download, simply click the “Download 2023 Flyer” button on the right hand side of the web site page.

Everyone who had one or more tables at a previous HamQuest should have received an email on 4/15/2023 letting you know pre-registration was open. Several have already replied wanting to get tables again at HamQuest 2023 and should soon see an invoice for your requested table(s) in your e-mail. If you did not receive an e-mail or would like to get a table for the first time, you can get your name on the list by emailing us at reservations@midtnhamquest.com. Please be sure to include the following information:

• First and last name
• Call Sign (if any)
• Telephone Number
• How many tables you want
• Special requests (near a power outlet, next to a particular person or group, handicapped accommodations, etc.)

We will get you registered on a first come, first serve basis and accommodate your requests/needs as much as possible.

We have completed the move to a new platform to manage our Newsletter/HamQuest Updates e-mails. If you were still subscribed to our e-mail list as of 9:50 AM 3/24/2023, you should have received an email to confirm your subscription to our HamQuest Newsletter. Anyone who had previously opted out through the Mailchimp system and known bad addresses were not imported into our new mail list.

If you had previously opted out or simply no longer wish to receive the latest information on HamQuest, you can simply not confirm your subscription and you will not be added back to the list.

If you wish to continue receiving e-mails from us about HamQuest, please follow the instructions in the confirmation e-mail you received and you will receive our Newsletter and important updates.