The Stalking Show - no phone signal!

[NickJ]

If a signal booster will overcome the issues with queues and no signal on the day (I failed to meet up with a couple of mates and we lost @Selous for an hour!) then that sounds like it would be a great investment for the organisers.

I didn't have any issues with card payments on the Saturday, but then again only made two purchases

Other than that I enjoyed my first visit very much and will go again.

I hear from a retailer they are extending to three days next year, he wasn't happy, makes it a marathon for them

 

[Bowland blades]

People need to seriously consider bringing cash to such events and turning those phones off more . Cash really was king that weekend

 

[pendle]

If a signal booster will overcome the issues with queues and no signal on the day (I failed to meet up with a couple of mates and we lost @Selous for an hour!) then that sounds like it would be a great investment for the organisers.

I didn't have any issues with card payments on the Saturday, but then again only made two purchases

Other than that I enjoyed my first visit very much and will go again.

I hear from a retailer they are extending to three days next year, he wasn't happy, makes it a marathon for them

UKDTR where there. You could of asked for help finding Selous.

 

[NickJ]

UKDTR where there. You could of asked for help finding Selous.

I did see you and was going to come and say hello but every time you were deep in conversation, busy stand

 

[VSS]

I did see you and was going to come and say hello but every time you were deep in conversation, busy stand

He's always deep in conversation.
Even when he's on his own.


(Only pulling your leg @pendle. I always appreciate your company )

 

[Cyres]

Fall back position would be to have a cash machine on site. From what I heard nearest was 10 mins drivess as card machine away.
I shudder to think how much cash was used at the show.
I did hear one trader lost thousands of pounds of business as they could not take card transactions.
I negotiated great deals on 2x boxs of 75grn 6mm Vmaxs and 1000 Remmington 7.5 primers.
D

 

[Simpson Brothers Gun Shop]

We have had card machine issues here in previous years but this year we had 8 WIFI enabled machines across 4 stands, in two different halls that all worked fine.

Boosted WIFI is provided by the show, and there was an IT tech on site for the entire weekend to help traders with issues.

Some card machines are better at working on an internet signal than others however, so it can't all be blamed on the show. We learnt this last year and upgraded our older machines and this year none of them had any issues with the connectivity at all. One machine started going slow but we soon realised that it had jumped to 4G and not WIFI so definitely user error!


All in all, we had a great show and are looking forward to 2026. It is a pleasure to be surrounded by so many genuine, like minded people

 

[Rural Management Services]

We have had card machine issues here in previous years but this year we had 8 WIFI enabled machines across 4 stands, in two different halls that all worked fine.

Boosted WIFI is provided by the show, and there was an IT tech on site for the entire weekend to help traders with issues.

Some card machines are better at working on an internet signal than others however, so it can't all be blamed on the show. We learnt this last year and upgraded our older machines and this year none of them had any issues with the connectivity at all. One machine started going slow but we soon realised that it had jumped to 4G and not WIFI so definitely user error!


All in all, we had a great show and are looking forward to 2026. It is a pleasure to be surrounded by so many genuine, like minded people

I remember the first year when you were doing IOU’s with people for stuff.

 

[Simpson Brothers Gun Shop]

I remember the first year when you were doing IOU’s with people for stuff.

A few restless nights but we got every penny back!

 

[carthorse]

I work in the telecoms area. I spent a 4 years specifically deploying temp cells for one of the operators to event locations.
The mobile operators would not react to this event as it doesn’t have anywhere near the footfall required.
The solution for this event arena should request a small cell ,from the MNOs, to be deployed to their location to give a low cost permanent bubble of good quality signal, alternative solution is to speak out a supplier of neutral host equipment for the operators to use. Another option would be for the event organisers to have good quality carrier grade Wi-Fi that would cope with the data required. Sounds like this is a very easy to fix issue. I can help with my contacts to get it looked at.

 

[Bowland blades]

As a trader on site on those two days , We lost a lot of sales by being unable to take Cards or Bacs the first day . second day the Organiser got us sorted . Thing is there where thousands of people trying to contact friends and there is only so much traffic the local phone reception could take .
Here is the how to get a great deal next year ( BRING CASH !) I had people sleeping in their cars to try first thing the second day just to purchase what they wanted .
Next year i will likely bring my own wi-fi kit but its still likely to happen again! So Real money will get you some stonking deals , when it falls over again !

 

[carthorse]

As a trader on site on those two days , We lost a lot of sales by being unable to take Cards or Bacs the first day . second day the Organiser got us sorted . Thing is there where thousands of people trying to contact friends and there is only so much traffic the local phone reception could take .
Here is the how to get a great deal next year ( BRING CASH !) I had people sleeping in their cars to try first thing the second day just to purchase what they wanted .
Next year i will likely bring my own wi-fi kit but its still likely to happen again! So Real money will get you some stonking deals , when it falls over again !

As a trader you should complain to the event organisers, and the show ground, in this day and age it is inexcusable for event locations not to have top quality reliable connectivity, I wonder how many traders like you struggled or even lost business due to Wi-Fi or network connection issues.

 

[Bowland blades]

As a trader you should complain to the event organisers, and the show ground, in this day and age it is inexcusable for event locations not to have top quality reliable connectivity, I wonder how many traders like you struggled or even lost business due to Wi-Fi or network connection issues.

I did and they brought me and fitted a booster ! half way through day 2 though . The issue was still too many people on their phones for the area ( i suppose it shows how popular the show is ?)

 

[carthorse]

I did and they brought me and fitted a booster ! half way through day 2 though . The issue was still too many people on their phones for the area ( i suppose it shows how popular the show is ?)

The amount of users in the area could easily be managed with a modest investment in some radio equipment, that way they could offload the trade stands to a private network to guarantee your payment machines and internet is reliable. It’s all about user experience and from the sounds of it you had a rubbish experience and there is potential for lost revenue, that can’t be allowed to happen in event like the stalking show, people spend serious amounts of money there and for some traders it’s the best week of the year.

 

[carthorse]

As a trader on site on those two days , We lost a lot of sales by being unable to take Cards or Bacs the first day . second day the Organiser got us sorted . Thing is there where thousands of people trying to contact friends and there is only so much traffic the local phone reception could take .
Here is the how to get a great deal next year ( BRING CASH !) I had people sleeping in their cars to try first thing the second day just to purchase what they wanted .
Next year i will likely bring my own wi-fi kit but its still likely to happen again! So Real money will get you some stonking deals , when it falls over again !

Cash is always the best option!

 

[Bowland blades]

The amount of users in the area could easily be managed with a modest investment in some radio equipment, that way they could offload the trade stands to a private network to guarantee your payment machines and internet is reliable. It’s all about user experience and from the sounds of it you had a rubbish experience and there is potential for lost revenue, that can’t be allowed to happen in event like the stalking show, people spend serious amounts of money there and for some traders it’s the best week of the year.

Again Cash was king , buyers and sellers need to realise this will happen again . Thousands of visitors in the area your phones are likely going to go down

 

[Moray]

Well that saved me a fortune, must be a better place to do that for the retailers who are struggling with digital pay in there!

Has always been the same . Bad signal . Been doing other events over the last 10 years . Always take cash with you .as sometimes just doesn't work unless your in the middle of the car park .