Nearly 38,000 hams representing more than 40 countries and every U.S. state took the trip to slightly chilly, sometimes rainy, and occasionally sun-drenched southern Ohio for Dayton Hamvention® 2026, a gathering worthy of a Cecil B. DeMille epic (so let it be transmitted, so let it be done).
The total of 37,924 visitors set a new attendance record. Watch the video of Hamvention chairman Brian Markland, N8UDQ; spokesperson Michael Kalter, W8CI; and DX Engineering CEO Tim Duffy, K3LR, providing a recap of another great year in Xenia.
An enormous debt of gratitude goes to the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) and the more than 600 volunteers who worked tirelessly to make an event of this scope and complexity possible. The sheer number of hams traversing the buildings and grounds of the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center once again give us pause to reflect on the ongoing impact amateur radio has on our communities and world.
The OnAllBands team talked with a long list of manufacturers and amateur radio’s movers and shakers. We’ll be getting to those interviews in future posts. While our attention has shifted to helping hams prepare for ARRL Field Day (June 27-28), OnAllBands thought a wrap-up of Hamvention 2026 was in order.
Here are a few quick impressions about this year’s mega-celebration of everything amateur radio.
DX Engineering Booth Fills Up Quickly
It didn’t take long for the DX Engineering booth to become “ham radio central” after gates opened at 9:00 on Friday, May 15. Operators flooded in to check out the latest gear, make eyeball QSOs with the DX Engineering team, get their technical questions answered, and purchase upgrades for their stations.
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