It depends. The process is already in motion to get those flights approved, but they are super expensive compared to normal. Like $2k more.
My ideal scenario would have been to be there the weekend before, then my free weekend in town would have been the 7th-8th, but my kids have some stuff going on the weekend before.
So, we’ll see if it gets kicked back or not
So, I have a 4ft wide lr4 packed up ready for me moving house (which should of happened last Friday but didn’t) with a smaller workshop.
I’ll be 90 mins drive or train from Manchester once I’m moved.
I’m happy to get some more conduit and scale it down for SMRRF demoing purposes if that helps?
Just need to sort out logistics with space to work on it etc.. Will hopefully be back up and running in time 
Yep, help sourcing stuff would be a huge help.
I just reached out to the Manchester makerspace (after first emailing the one in Manchester, New Hamshire- what a dummy !).
If I get a table at the event, I’ll go in a couple of days early if I can find a space to set up a machine. I’d also plan to donate whatever I do build at the end; no way to bring a LR4 of any size back with me in a cost effective way.
I’ve reached out to both SMRRF and the Manchester makerspace, but neither have answered so far.
I’ll give it a few days and if there’s no interest by either group I may just go as a visitor or may skip it entirely and maybe look for something else maybe in Germany or even Norway.
Well, it looks like my moving plans have been delayed 3-4 weeks 
So it’s unlikely I can have some space/tooling available in time for this. I can and will help out though should something come to fruition!
Man, 14-18hr flight. I would love to go. Being on a plane that long I would prefer to make it a real trip of a week or two. Then the prices and logistics start to get overwhelming. I am on the wrong coast to make this a “quick” trip.
Can always pop in at my place in Germany. 
@bitingmidge came from Australia. 
Yep. It’s a ride.
I heard back from SMRRF, the still have a small table they are offering, but it’s no power available. If I take the table, I’m going to throw down the challenge to build/bring a battery powered display machine.
I’m attaching the poster, and awaiting the full deck of details for participants.
Hmmm a layover in Germany sounds rather nice, actually.
It might be just an extended layover to go grab a meal somewhere; I don’t think I can spare an extra day or two.
Let me chew on that a bit- I’ve been noodling what to do if I do a build challenge.
Turns out I know a guy that sells plates and printed parts sets. 
SMRRF 2026 Poster.pdf.zip (641.0 KB)
Battery powered is easy, it is getting and transporting it when you are done…
Yeah, I have already run a machine with an 18V battery trim router and an additional 18V battery powering the controller and motors.
It’s getting the batteries transported or buying locally that is the potential issue.
If I build up any kind of LowRider then it’s going to get donated or given away when done.
I thought that you can take up-to 20 batteries under 100Wh as carry-on.
Just a rule of thumb here - allow one day for every hour of time difference to fully recover from the jetlag! Of course when one is working one doesn’t have time for that nonsense, but sadly as one ages it does become more real!
If you live where I live, if you’ve only got 14 hrs to go, you’ve just completed the first 8 hour leg!
I’m sure about that limit, as I’ve thrown out (!!) a 6Ah Ryobi 18V battery once because a TSA agent at Newark, NJ thought it looked too big. Technically it is, 108Wh.
The qty 20 thing I’m iffy about- I’m not sure about filling up my carry on luggage with 20 4Ah batteries
I cap them with these, makes them useful in transit as battery bank and also serves as battery charger for the tool battery on arrival.
I went to Ireland and Germany a long time ago and my takeaway was that there are a lot of neat places a lot closer that I should visit before going back. But we really want to go to Europe with the kids. I guess I have forgotten that lesson. Probably not this year. It’s tempting to just say F-it and go alone for a short trip. I have an invitation to go on a boys trip in September for a week. It’s very tempting.
Still looking into options.
I’m considering an itinerary flying into Hamburg arriving in the morning on the 4th of March, with a layover and then take a flight or Eurostar to get to Manchester by the morning of the 5th. It might be crazy agressive from a jet lag point of view, but not the worst I’ve ever done.
This adds a day for me on the front end, but probably worth it.
I haven’t heard anything from the Manchester makerspace, so am starting to look around for other options to find someplace to put a quick build machine together on the 5th/6th and then be ready to take that over to SMRRF on the 7th / 8th.
I’m still debating how best to do that.
I’m going to go ahead and confirm the table with SMRRF and I’ll get that paid for.
So you’ve got a day to pop in. Oldenburg is 1.5 hours from Hamburg.
I really like this idea.
I’m now thinking I’m going to work on March 2nd and then run to the airport early evening and fly out of Denver that evening. It’s a bit longer air time but means I would be arriving in Hamburg on Tuesday AM 03 March. That gives me time to sort out the trains and get over to Oldenburg with time for a visit and then a return train to an airport hotel.
I’d then leave early on the 4th getting to a Manchester hotel late in the day on the 4th.
This gives me a day more jet lag recovery time, time for a quick visit, and two full days on the 5th and the 6th to prep for the show.
Some questions for the locals:
@Tokoloshe - Have any opinions about convenient hotels at the Hamburg airport? Looks like there are 4 hotels that are physically at the airport.
@ChrisB - or others near Manchester:
I haven’t got the foggiest. I wouldn’t even know about hotels in Oldenburg. 
So, I have a stack of 18v Makita batteries + chargers we can use over the weekend. I will need these back though when done! I actually have a battery router somewhere to although I’m assuming we won’t be erm doing anything of this nature.
There’s one in Leeds which I keep meaning on going to, that’s about a hour away from Manchester.
I use wickes.co.uk for sheet goods. Screwfix is easiest for galvanised conduit, 25mm is the size they stock. I had to go to a more specialist mail order place when upgrading to LR4.
I just put you in our shared calendar so my wife can’t block it with something else. I’ve got school until 13:15 and could pick you up from around 14:00.