DX Engineering Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary in Four-Wheeled, Mobile-Ready Style
The final figures are in—a whopping 36,814 people (this article’s author included) attended Dayton Hamvention® held May 16-18 at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. A huge debt of gratitude goes to the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) and the more than 700 volunteers who worked countless hours to make this event truly memorable. You all deserve a well-earned rest, though we know planning for next year begins pretty much after gates close on Sunday at 1 pm.
Kudos to everyone involved. You are all a tribute to the amateur radio service.
While our attention has shifted to helping hams prepare for ARRL Field Day (June 28-29), OnAllBands thought a wrap-up of Hamvention 2025 was in order. Here are a few quick impressions about this year’s mega-celebration of everything amateur radio:
Big Crowds
If you build it* they will come.
Judging from the DX Engineering booth—and just about everywhere else you looked—it was apparent that hams had turned out in droves for the event. A glance at the parking lot revealed vehicles with call-sign license plates from Montana to Florida and most spots in between. We saw lots of smiles as hams—many of them first-timers who crossed Dayton Hamvention off their bucket lists—got a close look at the latest amateur radio gear, asked technical questions of the DX Engineering team, caught up with old friends, made eyeball QSOs, attended forums and the flea market, and went home with enough equipment to build their own “Field Day” of Dreams.
*Ham radio gear
Jeep Gladiator Roars into Xenia
One of the highlights of the show was the Summit Racing/DX Engineering Jeep Gladiator project vehicle dubbed the “Roamin’ Gladiator.” The already rugged vehicle had been upgraded into an off-roading beast with gear from Summit Racing Equipment (DX Engineering’s parent company) along with three mobile transceivers and antennas that provided VHF/UHF, HF, and GMRS coverage.
The typical reaction from attendees upon entering Building One and seeing the Gladiator: “Whoa! Sure wish I had one of those.”
We’ll be highlighting a Dayton Hamvention video featuring the Carlson Drive-On Mast Mount Car Stand and the company CEO James Carlson, KE8ULJ, in an upcoming post.
Read much more about the Gladiator mobile radio installation in this OnAllBands article, get tips on performing your own mobile communications upgrade by viewing the Jeep transceiver installation in action, and watch Jim Cessna, founder and owner of Airwaves GPS (the company that did such a superb job with the mobile radio installation) discuss the project with Summit Racing/DX Engineering’s own Jeep enthusiast (note call sign) Paul, KJ8EEP.
DX Spanning Generations
We met up with hams who participated in 2024’s 3D2Y November/December Rotuma Island DXpedition: Iowa State student Kees, W0AAE, who served as YOTA remote operator lead/coordinator, and Nathan, K4NHW, who operated on the island. The DX Engineering-sponsored Rotuma venture by the Pacific Islands DXpedition Group featured a multi-national off-island team assembled in partnership with Youth on the Air (YOTA). Hearing Kees’ enthusiasm for his next operation (more about that in a later post) was infectious—yet another indication that the future of amateur radio is in very good hands.
Massive Flea Market (As In, Many Vendors—not Giant Fleas)
This year’s flea market was an impressive collection of a little bit of this, a little bit of that—row after row of ham radio gear (we even saw a DX Engineering NCC-2 Receive Antenna Phasing System), electronics of all kinds, Atari cartridges and gaming systems, old “QST” magazines and call-sign directories, and plenty of oddities for discerning shoppers who braved hot opening-day temperatures.
One member of the DX Engineering team pointed out that in addition to classic equipment, there were also some great deals on newer rigs.
Watch this video of the Hamvention flea market. Take our word for it—you won’t want to miss it next year.
POTA, POTA Everywhere
It’s no secret that Parks On The Air is the hottest ticket in amateur radio. This was evident everywhere at Dayton Hamvention. In fact, DX Engineering devoted a special section of its booth to the fun and excitement of portable operating. Appropriately located outside, the Parks On The Air® Pavilion was a hub for POTA enthusiasts throughout the event.
Four Days in Mayhem
Four Days in May’s Vendor Night, May 15, saw a frenzy of activity as QRP enthusiasts packed the room at the Holiday Inn Fairborn. DX Engineering’s table featured a range of gear for portable and low-power operating, including Armoloq protective radio mounting frames, RigExpert antenna analyzers, the VE2DX two-inch Icom digital meter and TruCIV interface, Chelegance portable antennas, Chameleon portable antennas, and other QRP-friendly equipment.
Contest University
A packed house of contesters once again took home valuable insights at Contest University held May 15 at the Hope Hotel in Dayton. If you missed it, you can watch a livestream of the event from DX Engineering’s YouTube channel. Then make sure CTU is on your calendar for the next edition, Thursday, May 14, 2026. You can get a head start by making early reservations for rooms at the Hope Hotel starting June 16, 2025. Also, view slide decks of all 2025 Contest University presentations here.
Look for much more on Dayton Hamvention 2025 on OnAllBands, including interviews with many manufacturers who graciously sat down with us to discuss their latest offerings during the event. Can’t wait for next year’s bash? Hamvention 2026 will be May 15-17. Hope to see you there!
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