Our 2010 Hamfest will include the following which will be held in a separate room upstairs
above the main entrance ticket sales area.

A Hamfest admission ticket is required for attending the Forums.


9:30 AM DuPage ARES - Mike Schulz W9MJS

10:30 AM History of WLS AM890 - Scott Childers W9CHI

11:30 AM APRS - Dragan Dragojevic NN9L and Greg Beat W9GB

12:30 PM Digital VHF/UHF Voice Featuring D-STAR - Mark Thompson WB9QZB

Each forum will have open seating 15 minutes before its start time.

Forums will start on the half hour and end at quarter past the next hour, e.g., 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM. The last forum ends (1:15 PM) after the official close of the hamfest sales floor (1 PM).

Bios



Michael Schulz W9MJS

Michael is an avid amateur radio operator and is very active in the amateur radio emergency communications arena. Some of his benchmarks achieved during the pursuit of his chosen hobby of amateur radio include: Amateur Extra Class, ARRL Life Member and Diamond Club Member, ARRL VE, ARRL Official Emergency Station, ARRL Certified Emcomm Levels I II and III, ARRL Mentor, ARRL Certified Instructor, ARRL Certified Examiner, Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) for the DuPage County Illinois Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).

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Scott Childers W9CHI

Scott has been an amateur operator since he was 13, originally licensed as WD9FXP. In the late 1980's, he produced and hosted the CSRA-1 and ChicagoLink information nets.

Scott was born and raised in Chicago, and has reported traffic and news at several different radio and television stations around metro Chicago, including WBBM-AM, WMAQ-AM, WBBM-FM (B-96), WLS-AM and WGN-AM. Scott was also an on-air personality at WWBZ-FM, WXLC-FM (Hot 102.3), WTMX-FM (The Mix) and WPNT-FM (FM-100) and WERV-FM "95. 9 The River." He was also Assistant Program Director and Imaging Director for WERV-FM. He recently moved over to WSSR-FM "Star 96.7" in 2009 where he hosts afternoons, and is the webmaster and IT Director, for WJOL-AM's websites.

He has written the book titled "Chicago's WLS Radio 1924-2007," which hit store shelves in October 2008. He is also a freelance voice-over talent, whose work can be heard on everything from radio and television commercials to corporate telephone on-hold messages.

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Dragan Dragojevic NN9L

Born and raised in Eastern Europe, Dragan got bit by the "ham" bug early. As an amateur radio operator since 1983 (former YT7MTX), the idea of merging radio with computers always fascinated him. Integration of different components into a functioning system, with it's challenges and processes is what he loves to do. To this day, this fascination directs his career and his life. His professional field of expertise covers local and wide area networks, converged technologies and global radio and telephone communication. While he can't imagine doing anything else for a living, he is looking forward to teaching his two kids about amateur radio and electronics.

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Greg Beat W9GB

Greg Beat, a business and technology consultant, is the past Vice-President of the York Radio Club and a regular contributor to QRZ.com's Questions & Answers forum. First licensed in 1973 as WN9MKT, he has held an Amateur Extra class license since 1989. Greg’s interests include antennas, VHF/UHF, 40 meter CW / digital modes, new technologies and repairing/building equipment. He is a life member of ARRL and AMSAT-NA.

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Mark Thompson WB9QZB

Mark, licensed since 1975, has worked in the computer industry and in management consulting. He is a member of the North Shore Radio Club (NSRC), Fox River Radio League (FRRL) and the Chicago FM Club (CFMC), a Life Member of both the ARRL & the QCWA, serves on TAPR Board of Directors and is a member of the Central States VHF Society.

He has written & recorded editorials for the Radio Amateur Information Network at www.rainreport.com produced by Hap Holly, KC9RP, and currently writes a digital column for CQ VHF. Since the spring of 2006 he has given over five dozen D-STAR presentations at ham club meetings & hamfests in Northern & Central Illinois, Southern Wisconsin and Northern Indiana

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