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Ham Radio Community

Brought to you by Ellie and InkRF

Basic knowledge of how radio work is crucial to understanding how all of the wireless devices around us work.

Community Details and Information

This is a community for all things Amateur Radio, original “hacker” community. See someone with a radio? Introduce yourself and exchange callsigns. Got your ticket years ago but never been on-air? Make your first QSO with a friendly con attendee. You’d be surprised how many attendees are amateur radio enthusiasts and would love to share what they have learned. Who knows, maybe there is a flag for the hackers challenge somewhere around here. Everything we do today involves wireless communications of some sort, and a basic knowledge of how radio works is crucial, so swing by the Ham Radio Community & get hands on with RF!

How do I get involved?

Getting involved is easy! Find someone with a radio and introduce yourself!

Carry your radio on your belt / clipped visibly if you are willing to exchange callsigns and/or make an introduction. If you prefer to just have your radio and be listening along, put a red tag on your antenna so folks know not to bother you (look for people with the community patch, or swing by the Ham Radio community to pick one up).

How do I reach out via radio?

During the convention, we will be using these simplex frequencies:

146.580 MHz (primary, “ConHam”)
447.800 MHz (backup, SSTV)

Any amateur radio that supports FM on the 2m and 70cm bands (144-148 MHz, 420-450MHz) will work. If you don’t have a radio yet and are looking for a cheap but reliable option, we recommend the Retevis RT-85.

What to do at the Ham Radio Community

Even if you’ve never heard of ham radio, or used a radio before, we will have a myriad of offerings this year at SAINTCON! Come visit us and try the following

  • Learn how to send memes over RF with slow scan television (SSTV)
  • See local hams in your area with APRS
  • Get on the air at SAINTCON with our live demo station
  • Learn how to build a directional antenna (kits available, build class on in classroom 2 at 3pm on  Wednesday)

Get your Ham Radio License!

While you don’t need a license to own a radio or listen in on ham radio frequencies, you will need a license to join the fun and transmit! We are providing FREE license testing at SAINTCON for all those who want to get their license! All are welcome to try and get their license, just register online at the links below. Examinees are encouraged to check out ham.study to study for their respective exam.

Exam Windows:
Wednesday, 14:00 to 16:00
Thursday, 12:00 to 14:00

Location: Hyatt meeting room 4

Click here to signup!

More info:

Got questions before/during/after the conference? Swing by the Ham Radio Village Discord server at discord.gg/hrv or check out our website for resources: hamvillage.org/resources

MiniBadge Details

Come get powerups at the Ham Radio Community by completing the following tasks:

  1. Send a meme/photo with SSTV and ham radio
  2. Tell us three things you’ve learned about ham radio
  3. Take a ham radio exam

Have questions on any of the powerup tasks? Come ask in our space!