{{Short description|Annual Indian amateur radio event}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}} {{Multiple issues| {{more footnotes needed|date=October 2019}} {{Third-party|date=May 2024}} {{Original research|date=May 2024}} * dead links }} '''Hamfest India''' is an annual amateur radio convention held in India since 1991. The event typically includes technical{{ambiguous|date=October 2024}} sessions, presentations, exhibitions, demonstrations, sales of radio equipment, and a flea market aimed at ham operators. It also seeks to promote interest in ham radio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About – HAMFest India 2023 |url=https://hfi2023.com/about/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |language=en-US}}</ref>

The venue for the next event is decided by the General Body of the previous event.

== History ==

A series of meetings organised by the All Kerala Amateur Radio Clubs' Coordination Committee in Kerala, lead to the idea of a yearly convention. In August 1991, a net featuring discussions on technical{{Ambiguous|date=September 2024}} topics named Hinet was launched.<ref group=note>The Net frequency was 7065&nbsp;kHz, and the timing was 8 AM to 8.30 AM on all Sundays, </ref>

The hinet discussions lead to the idea of organizing a "Hamfest" where HAMs{{jargon inline|date=October 2024}} and SWLs{{jargon inline|date=October 2024}} could meet and share ideas and techniques. The Kerala Amateur Radio Clubs Coordination Committee organized the first Hamfest on 28 and 29 December 1991 at Government Guest House, Kuttikkanam. The meeting had 38 participants.

==Host cities with Convenors== <!-- Use named references. --> {| class=wikitable |+ Host cities with Convenors ! Year !! Place !! Convenor name !! Convenor call sign |- | 1991 || Kuttikkanam || Joseph Mattappally || VU2JIM |- | 1992 || Aluva || K. N. Gopinadhan || VU2EGM |- | 1993 || Salem || Premchand K. || VU2RPC |- | 1994 || Mysore || K. R. Madhukar || VU2MUD |- | 1995 || Mumbai || Adolph Shephard || VU2AF |- | 1996 || Kolkata|| Avinash Misra || VU2EM |- | 1997 || Kochi (Cochin) || S. Suresh || VU2SUO |- | 1998 || Bangalore || Ramachandra || VU2RCR |- | 1999 || Mysore || M. T. Kesari || VU2MTK |- | 2000 || Hyderabad || Chalam Chivukula || VU2CLM |- | 2001 ||Nagpur || Shrikant Jichkar || VU2SJA |- | 2002 || Chennai || M. Saravanan || VU2MSS |- | 2003 || Gandhinagar || S. K. Nanda<ref group=note name=IAS>related to IAS{{ambiguous|date=November 2024}}</ref> || SWL<ref group=note name=SWLcall>(no call sign)</ref> |- | 2004 || Mumbai || Nilesh Rathod || VU2NLF |- | 2005 ||colspan=3 | not held |- | 2006 || Kollam || K. G. Nadarajan || VU2KGN |- | 2007 || Guntur || R. Sarath Babu || VU2RS |- | 2008 || Gandhinagar || Dr S. K. Nanda<ref group=note name=IAS/><ref group=note>Secretary to Govt. of Gujarat </ref>|| SWL<ref group=note name=SWLcall/> |- | 2009 || Bangaluru || M. R. Sampath Kumar || VU2YZ |- | 2010 || Pollachi || S. Vijayan || VU2WDP |- | 2011 || Kochi (Cochin) || K. G. Girish Babu || VU2KGB |- | 2012 || Chennai || K. M. Devadas || VU2DH |- | 2013 || Gwalior || Jayant Bide || VU2JAU |- | 2014 || Hyderabad || Ashaar Farhan || VU2ESE |- | 2015 || Rajkot || S, K. Nanda, I.A.S<ref group=note name=IAS/> || SWL<ref group=note name=SWLcall/> |- | 2016 || Mount Abu || Yeshwant Patil || VU3YOR |- | 2017 || Kolkata || Mohammad Ariff<ref name="HF17">{{cite web |url=https://hfi2017.hamconvention.net/ |title=HAMFEST India 2017 |website=hfi2017.hamconvention.net }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> || VU2HRF<ref name="HF17"/> |- | 2018 || Bangalore || Dr S. Sathyapal<ref name="HF18">http://hamfestindia2018.com/</ref> || VU2FI<ref name="HF18"/> |- | 2019 || Kanyakumari || P. A. Kumarasamy Raja || VU2PAJ |- | 2020 ||colspan=3 rowspan=2 |not held |- | 2021 |- | 2022 || Mysore||Shankar Prasad<ref name="HF22">{{Cite web |last=Saquib |date=2022-10-10 |title=Hamfest India 2022 |url=https://itshamradio.com/hamfest-india-2022/ |access-date=2022-10-17 |website=It's HAM RADIO |language=en-GB}}</ref> || VU2SPK<ref name="HF22"/> |- | 2023 || Ahmedabad || E. Radhakrishna||SWL<ref group=note name=SWLcall/> |- | 2024 || Kolkata || Nilkantha Chatterjee || VU2OII |- |- | 2025 || [https://hfi2025.in Goa] || [https://vu22dx.com Sandesh Bhat] || [https://www.qrz.com/db/VU22DX VU22DX] (ex [https://www.qrz.com/db/VU3FGJ VU3FGJ]) |}

==Notes== <references group=note/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.hamfest-india.com/ HAMFEST INDIA - HFI official interactive website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210224732/http://www.hamfest-india.com/ |date=10 December 2017 }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081119143425/http://www.hfi2008.com/ Gujarat Gandhinagar Hamfest of 2008] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081207012647/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/12/15/stories/2007121552200300.htm The Hindu] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090203185909/http://qrz.vu2ukr.com/ HAM RADIO CallSign Directory of India qrz.vu2ukr.com ] * [https://vuhams.in/ Amateur Radio Social Network (for CallSign Holders)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630175940/https://vuhams.in/ |date=30 June 2020 }} * [https://itshamradio.com/hamfest-india-2022/ Hamfest India 2022]

Category:Amateur radio in India