For those travelling to Friedrichshafen, Germany in June for the largest Amateur Radio event in Europe and second only to Dayton world-wide, you will see that SOTA is now a growing part of the event with lectures occurring this year on Saturday rather than Friday. Jürg HB9BIN (AM Switzerland) is arranging the SOTA presentations.
I want to gauge interest in possibly having a SOTA dinner on the Friday evening (Saturday evening is too busy for a large group). Friedrichshafen is VERY busy for the HAM RADIO event and finding a restaurant in the centre is likely to be difficult, so if there is interest in having this dinner together (all pay your own costs - a la carte menu), I will be looking to reserve tables at a restaurant outside of the centre (so you will need to arrange your own transport) and most likely the restaurant will be a normal German restaurant with “solid” food (meat and three veg, style). Most restaurants have vegetarian options as well these days but for those with very special needs, I cannot promise anything. All rstaurants have Alcohol free drinks, not just sodas but also A-F beer and sometimes wine also, so for those driving you can avoid problems, while still enjoying a drink with your meal.
Please reply to this post with if you are definitely coming to FN (i.e. already booked accomodation) or just considering it and if you are interested in coming along to a dinner. Please say how many will be in your group.
If you are only considering Friedrichshafen at the moment, you need to make your mind up quickly as most of the reasonably priced hotel rooms in the centre are already booked out. The more expensive ones are still available. A tip - also look at appartments - they start as 2 person studio appartments and go up to multi-room appartments for larger groups. These are normally outside of the centre, so you will need to have a car, but often the price works out a lot cheaper than a hotel (you have to self-cater of course). Most appartment owners speak English.
I will ask Andy to close this thread in two weeks time, to give me time to search for a restaurant where I can make a reservation, based on the responses I have received up until that point.
Yep, Saturday at noon Emil DL8JJ will be dangling from the ceiling again in the main central area to demonstrate climbing to some hard to reach SOTA summits - it certainly gets visitors attention!
I will be going to Friedrichshafen, but we will probably have a dinner with our friends in the camp we are staying. But I would like to meet you and say hello. Are we going to do the QSL wall meeting again?
I think the QSL Wall meet is ideal. It’s somewhere where we can meet, say hello, swap QSL cards, take group photos, and then people can go off in groups etc. for their lunch, have a beer, activate summits etc.
It sounds (so far) as interest is only from a limited number of attendees for a SOTA Dinner at Friedrichshafen.
As originally stated I will ask Andy to close this thread in 7 days time and then see what the total number of responders was. I hope that those interesting in meeting up will let me know either via this thread or if you prefer, directly to my email address which is EdDD5LP (at) gmail (dot) com.
If I get a large number of people responding, I will need to book the restaurant very soon. If there are only a few interested, this makes things simpler and easier to get a table (then) in the centre. I would also book this early to be sure.
I hope we don’t get the situation where only a few people show interest now but actually at Friedrichshafen a lot more people wish to come along as the restaurant will not have the capacity.
So please if you would like to come along to a SOTA Dinner at Friedrichshafen, please let me know in the next seven days - THANKYOU.
DF9IR and me (DB7MM) are happy to join the dinner. Please put us on the list. Luckily we have already made our reservation for accomodation as in April the best offers are already gone.
I wonder how many readers the somewhat vague title attracts. I estimate much more are interested but have not discovered the thread up to now. Perhaps changing the topic to something on spot like
"Ham Radio 2016 SOTA dinner reservations"
would improve this?
As I stated previously I’d love to join you for dinner, but I will be traveling as part of a non-sota group and I am actually the driver, so I am already busy Friday night. However I would like to meet you in person and say hello, would you please PM me your contact details, so that we don’t miss in the crowded halls?
Thanks for the info on the SOTA dinner Friday 24th.
I will be attending the rally, arriving 23rd evening by air and leaving 28th morning.
Staying at the Holiday Inn Express with 5 fellow radio hams - already booked!
We would like to join you at any restaurant that can be booked, so a table for 6 people please.
Hope to be at the rally for all 3 days, so can meet up Friday if possible.
We have not hired any transport as yet but would think a large taxi for 6 people is possible?
Hi Peter,
Places noted for the dinner. There are larger taxis, you’ll just need to tell reception at the Holiday Inn that you need one. The hotel may even take you in their airport transfer bus if it’s available.
I’ll let everyone know the location once I close off the numbers and see what is possible - obviously a large table or tables in a restaurant in the centre of Friedrichshafen would be the best but if numbers are high, this could be difficult and we will probably end up out in the countryside.
Have you stayed at the Holiday Inn at Friedrichshafen before? If so what is it’s restaurant like? If I can’t find somewhere nicer, a hotel restaurant may be a good “fall-back” option, but booking this soon I hope I can get something with a little more atmosphere.
I will be there.
I thought about a suitable restaurant in the vicinity of Friedrichshafen without success.
Live some 30 km from F. but rarely visit it outside of HAMRADIO days.
Thanks for your reply and yes, we might be able to use any airport transfer bus!
Have not stayed at Holiday Inn before so cannot advise on the restaurant - the reviews are quite good for the hotel and the breakfasts recommended!
Ed, I already have other arrangements so wont be able to make this.
OT: Just trying to plan which airport to fly to and some summit activations between the airport and the rally. How do you guys plan road trips without Google StreetView to show you where you can park and what the roads are like?