We got this e-mail in our Hamsexy mail sack today:
I have had a chance to review the Hamsexy web site on two separate occasions and in my capacity as Local Media Chairman for the Dayton Hamvention I can say with credibility that you or anything resembling Hamsexy is not wanted
back at any future Dayton Hamvention. The profanity that I found on your site and the photographs that you have altered by whatever means to show our participants in such a derogatory fashion is not only undesirable but repulsive as well. Please don’t bother submitting any applications for exhibit booths.
73, Sincerely,
Dave Dextradeur, W1GBA
Local Media Chairman
Dayton Hamvention
It seems that Dave W1GBA doesn’t approve of our site, and is speaking on behalf of the Dayton Hamvention executive in summarily banning us from the 2006 Dayton Hamvention (an event we still intend on attending and setting up a booth).
For the record, the booth was met with INTENSE appreciation and acclaim from almost everyone who came up and paid us a visit. We had many people tell us that the only reason that they came to the hamvention was to see us, and we had people from as far away as Australia say hello and get some of our giveaways for friends back home who asked for them. As well, several members of the ARRL delegation came over to say hi and let us know that they love the site (we have recieved e-mails from several high-ranking members of the ARRL, claiming to be closet fans of this site). Negative feedack was far and few between – in fact, we only had TWO people tell us that they dndi’t approve.
Another troubling part of Mr. Dextrauder’s letter was this allegation: “photographs that you have altered by whatever means to show ourparticipants in such a derogatory fashion alter photographs to demean Dayton Hamvention patrons”. I would like him to point out where we did this…. I would like to also mention that our legal team advises us that accusations such as this is considered libel, and should not be tossed around to iresponsibly, especially when speaking on behalf of an entire organization. Not a threat at all, just an observation. For the recod, the only “altering” we performed on the Dayton 2005 photos was cubing out identifying features, such as faces and callsign nametags.
By the way, the only way we will truly accept an official “ban” from next year’s Hamvention is on official Dayton Hamvention letterhead, signed in ink by a higher ranking member than some communications stooge, delivered via US Mail to our American mailing address. We can provide this if needed.
This story is developing, stay tuned to Hamsexy.com for any late breaking developments.
I actually didn’t hear any negative comments while I was at dayton.
me either. i smell a hamhump
You know, I would have thought they would have looked at the site before allowing Hamsexy to set up a booth. Just goes to show you they just wanted your $$$ beforehand so they could then ban you later.
Not that there’s anything wrong with the site. I just wonder if the guys at QRZ.com had anything to do with it…not that there is ever anything obscene at QRZ.com (yeah, right).
BTW, where were they in relation to the Hamsexy booth?
“Another troubling part of Mr. Dextrauder’s letter was this allegation: “photographs that you have altered by whatever means to show ourparticipants in such a derogatory fashion alter photographs to demean Dayton Hamvention patrons”. I would like him to point out where we did this…. I would like to also mention that our legal team advises us that accusations such as this is considered libel, and should not be tossed around to iresponsibly…”
Just a nicpic, you may want to change your legal team. It’s not libel because it was sent in a private communique. You made it public when you decided to post it on your website.
Also, more than likely, the altered photographs they refer to is those in you image gallery under the heading “Photoshops” located at http://www.hamsexy.com/4images/.
Da Woz
Is this the same Hamvention that lets the K0VD club send in a porno actress to promote ham radio to the atendees under 18?
And while I’m thinking about it, even if Hamsexy isn’t allowed to have a booth, how are they going to stop us from wandering about, taking photo’s and passing out keyrings or toothbrushes?
Haha, owned.
And for the record, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with using a porno actress to promote ANYTHING.
i smell… a covert hamsexy propaganda distribution mission at the next hamvention.
it smells kind of like b.o.
what an ashole
Ooo Noes! U R teh Banninated!
You better not go to Dayton – or else!
Next years T-shirts can read “Banned From Hamvention.”
Would that make us ‘too Hamsexy for our shirt?’
I am going to make a lot of people mad with my next comment. I have never been to Dayton, and I don’t know and frankly don’t care what other groups are there. What I do care about is seeing people bash amateur radio and its operators. You guys at HamSexy are the ones that give a bad name to amateur radio. People will look up ham radio on the internet and they find this site and then they will get discouraged. A disbabled man interested in public service gets online and looks up ham radio, he finds this site, and then he see’s the picture of the disabled man. I don’t care if you put that you were not making fun of his disability, but it looks to me like you were.
So hate me or not, but I cannot stress enough how much I hate it when people give a bad name to amateur radio and talk bad about the fellow hams. I don’t care if you guys are at Hamvention or not, but if I see your booth when I get to go, I will certainly not stop and support anything you jerks have to do.
+Steve/KD5OWO
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Hey, it’s your opinion, and you are entitled to it. you’re also welcome to disagree with it too. But calling us names? Calling us jerks? Come on now, kid. Let’s act with a little bit of maturity here. And you certainly don’t deserve to use our readerbase to further your site. Linkey removey!
Don’t worry kid – you’ll soon have your eyes opened to the realities of the world… It’ll happen! Spend less time in front of your radio and more time out with real people. You’ll see!! I promise!!
Although I disagree with W1GBA, his description may refer to images taken at other Dayton years, such as 2004. Thus it is not libel, IMO.
Ham radio comprises a very fractured group, in which the over-fifties are seeking meaning in a hobby that has real problems and is undergoing radical changes–morphing to ‘amateur wireless’ from ‘amateur radio’. If one view hamsexy as self-parody, then it both makes sense and even adds some value to our self-defining role. OTOH, the folks so featured are real people, with real lives and real pains and joys. I think as long as we don’t add to the pain, then we all can share the joy.
Clyde:
I don’t know what your purpose of this site is, but from what I see it appears like you are doing this to make fun of amateur radio operators. Calling REACT “Wannabe Cops”.. making fun of ARES. Both services play a vital role in the communications during emergencies. A graphic I saw on hamsexy depicts ARES as “getting in the way”. Yet one of the big things ARES does is handle health and welfare traffic so that emergency traffic can be passed through public service frequencies. During am emergency public service frequencies can easily get jammed with a lot of traffic, so hams come in and help relay information, and hams play a vital role in security. I have noticed that hamsexy makes fun of some of the various set-ups that are used for emergency communications, including storm chaser set-ups. Some may be overboard, but they certainly do have their roles. Anyone who does not see what good amateur radio does needs to be enlighted. With amateurs themselves decide to bash others they are being jerks.
+Steve/KD5OWO
You’re just a kid who hasn’t been a ham for very long. You’ve got absolutley no idea what you’re talking about. I saw your site – it’s vile and digusting.
Go away. You are mad because *you* are the type of person that this site makes fun of, and it’s hitting too close to home.
Go to a hamfest.. see if you can stand the smell. Go to a REACT meeting, and see if you can see anyone there who genuinely wants to help out and not “play cop”. I’ve been around a LOT longer than you, kid, and I think I know what I’m talking about.. Our thousands of readers and fans agree.
Clyde is right. You have no clue. No idea. You just got your ticket and you’re already an expert, huh? Don’t worry.. you’ll be back in a few years when you see that we’re right. Until then, go out side. Get some sun. Get laid. Get drunk. Live your life. Don’t ruin your life with HAM.
God you’re annoying. Just go away. Clueless twit.
Globus:
Sure you guys have been a ham longer then me, I have only been licensed for about four years. As for my site being vile and disgusting, well everyone can have their own oppinions. Just like I have my oppinion about hamsexy.
As for me being the kind of person this site makes fun of, that is very true. That is because I am a ham. Now given I have no clue what hamfests you guys attend, since I don’t seem to have the problem at the hamfests around here with people smelling bad. I also don’t have a problem with REACT, I am not a member.. but I know many of the members and the ones around here are not trying to “play cop”. The ones around here offer services and work along side public service agencies.
Also I don’t care if you have a thousand or a billion fans, a trillion people can be wrong. Many people are! People think ham radio and the services hams provide are a joke, and its not. So was it these “nasty hams who are trying to play cop” who provided communications during 9/11. Who provided communications in Florida. Who provided communications in india and from india to America. How about these “nasty hams who are trying to play cop” being the eyes and ears for the NWS. Jarrel, Texas tornado was a big one, and lives were saved because trained NWS storm spotters (and I am one myself) relayed the information to the NWS and they got a warning out. Their billion dollar technology could not see the tornado, and would not have untill it was too late. Thanks to the hams many people in Jarrel, Texas were saved.
I am not an expert, but I hope to continue to learn and be a part of this great hobby. I am not worried, I will never agree with you or hamsexy. Amateur radio has become a passion for me, a lifestyle. I look forward to 40 years down to the road. While you guys are pushing up daisies, I will be enjoying myself on the bands.
As for getting sun, I do that. I enjoy portable operations and look forward to some sunny DXpeditions. As for getting laid, I have a very nice YL friend who is interested in ham radio. Though I don’t feel like posting my sex life all over the internet. Getting drunk is a waste of my time and ham is not an acronym..
Perhaps the reason I annoy you is because I am right?
+Steve/KD5OWO
The whole libel thing aside, I find the “bannation” funny. It sounds like some low level hamvention worker got self-inflated and decided to try to throw his weight (which I’m sure there is a lot of, literally) around.
Frankly, ARES days as “emergency communications” are over. I’ve been involved in the public safety field, with a heavy hand in county and now state communications, for many many years, and I have never had to pick up the phone and call ARES for emergency communications.
Maybe someday when the Chinese invade, and the satellites fall from the sky, ARES can come save the day. Until then, they should stick to providing services that are needed (Storm spotting, 5k run/walk management, etc) and stay out of the way of the services that they can never replace (The fire service, law enforcement).
HiddenHam:
I read an article at one time about how RACES helped during a fire at an nursing home. The fire was very large and so it required all the manpower possible to put out the fire so they called in RACES. The RACES team were trained EMTs and without overloading the radios being used by the public safty agencies the hams went in and got out the residents of the home.
In Houston, Texas an amber alert went out. ARES groups around the state were notified. I remember this because I relayed information to local hams on the statewide link system. I don’t know if it was a ham that found the girl, but getting the information passed over out stateside link was certainly a help.
If you don’t consider these things “emergency communications”.. then I don’t know what yo consider to be am emergency. I could go back and pull up many more stories where ham radio saved the day. This was made possible by having trained communicators and that is what we hams are.
+Steve/KD5OWO
Wow.. you’re pretty annoying.
and you’re not?