DEF CON 29
Thank you for participating in DEF CON 29!
Thanks to everyone for participating, and a very special thank you to all of our speakers, presenters, and village staff, who put in countless hours of work to make everything run smoothly.
Village Information
This year the village was organized on BOTH the DEF CON Discord server and in-person, with live presentations, demos, and talks streaming over Twitch. Discord channels:
| Channel | Description |
|---|---|
| #hrv-announcements-text | Announcements of talks, demos, and other pertinent village info. |
| #hrv-ask-an-elmer-text | General chat and "hang-out" space in the village. Have a ham radio question? Ask experienced "elmer" hams here for help! |
| #hrv-presentation-text | Discussion and Q&A for live talks / presentations / demos. |
| #hrv-k3k-special-event-station-text | Spots and chat about special event callsign K3K. |
| #hrv-exams-text | Discussion around ham exams, test questions, studying, resources, etc. |
| #hrv-get-on-the-air-voice | Voice/video channel for practicing good operating skills, practice nets, hanging out, etc. |
| #hrv-ask-an-elmer-voice (Human Plus only) | Ask experienced "elmer" hams here for help! |
Schedule
Friday, August 6th
Village Opening Remarks — 10:00–10:15 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation-text
Welcome to Ham Radio Village @ DEF CON 29.
Ham Radio USA License Exams (In-Person) — 09:00–16:00 PT — Ham Radio Village (Bally's Bronze 1)
Come get your amateur radio license during our free license exams! Online registration required.
"Ask a Ham" Q&A — 11:00–11:30 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation
Got a question about anything ham radio? Come ask us in this open forum!
Spectrum Coordination for Amateur Radio — 12:30–13:30 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation-text
The basis for coordination of repeater and other stations in the amateur radio service, focused on practices used in Florida but generally applicable elsewhere.
About Bryan Fields: Bryan Fields, W9CR, is a founding member of the Florida Amateur Spectrum Management Association ("FASMA") and operates wide-coverage repeaters in the Tampa Bay region. First licensed in 1995 at age 10, he is a founding member of AllStarLink and a senior consulting engineer with a major router vendor.
Discord Practice Net — 14:30–14:45 PT — #hrv-get-on-the-air-voice
A practice "net" (ham-speak for on-air meeting). All persons, even non-hams, are invited to become familiar with expected etiquette.
Ham Radio USA License Exams (Remote via Zoom) — 16:00–18:00 PT — #hrv-exams-text
Remote ham radio exams for those participating in DEF CON remotely. Study and register online via ham.study.
Saturday, August 7th
Amateur Radio Mesh Networking: Enabling Higher Data-rate Communications — 11:00–12:00 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation-text
What mesh networking (such as AREDN) is, how amateur radio operators are using it, and how to get started — at a low entry cost.
About Tyler Gardner: Tyler holds a General class license, first licensed in 2017. He enjoys ARES, contesting, public service events, and digital modes, and participates in the Miami Valley Mesh Alliance in Dayton, Ohio.
Ham Radio USA License Exams (In-Person) — 12:00–17:00 PT — Ham Radio Village (Bally's Bronze 1)
Free license exams; online registration required.
Amateur Radio Digital Modes Primer — 13:30–14:30 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation-text
Jon Marler, K4CHN, introduces digital modes for voice and data, hardware options, a simple Raspberry Pi interface, and an SSTV demo.
How to Contact the ISS with a $30 Radio — 15:00–15:30 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation-text
The basics of listening to the International Space Station with a handheld, using the ISS repeater, and capturing SSTV images.
About Gregg Horton: Gregg, K6XSS, is a security professional who got his General license in January 2021 and is interested in digital modes like JS8CALL.
Getting started with low power & long distance communications — QRP — 16:00–16:30 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation-text
Hardware, software, and configuration for a shack that fits in a backpack — and just how far 5 watts will go.
About Eric Escobar: Eric is a Security Principal Consultant at Secureworks. His team won first place at DEF CON 23, 24, and 25's Wireless CTF. Amateur operator W6WD.
Ham Radio USA License Exams (Remote via Zoom) — 17:00–19:00 PT — #hrv-exams-text
Sunday, August 8th
Ham Radio USA License Exams (In-Person) — 11:00–14:00 PT — Ham Radio Village (Bally's Bronze 1)
An Introduction to RF Test Equipment — 11:00–12:30 PT — Twitch / #hrv-presentation-text
Common RF/ham test equipment — oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers — plus dummy loads and attenuators.
About Kurtis Kopf: Kurtis is a software engineer and video game industry veteran who has been taking interesting things apart since childhood.
Village Closing Commentary — 14:00–14:15 PT — Ham Radio Village
As our village wraps up for this year, a huge thank you to everyone for participating!