Ham Radio Village at HOPE 26

Ham Radio Village has been invited to host at HOPE 26 (Hackers On Planet Earth) in New York City this August. HOPE is one of the original hacker conferences — organized by the team behind 2600: The Hacker Quarterly — and draws a crowd that's deeply into hardware hacking, security, RF, and building things. If you've staffed HRV at DEFCON, you already know the vibe. This is a great opportunity to bring ham radio to a new audience on the East Coast.

We need volunteers to help staff the village. Read on for the details.

The Conference

HOPE is returning to Manhattan for the first time in eight years. The conference features talks, workshops, hands-on villages, and performances across the full weekend. Ham radio is explicitly listed as a topic of interest — they want us there.

Why You Should Come

• New audience — HOPE attendees are hackers, tinkerers, and builders who are naturally curious about RF and radio. Many are one conversation away from getting licensed — and we can put them in the chair for a free exam on the spot.
• Free license exams — We're planning to offer free ham radio licensing exams at the village through Laurel VEC, but only if we have enough volunteer examiners (more on that below).
• Manhattan in August — The venue is one block from Penn Station with easy access from anywhere in the NYC metro area and Amtrak corridor. If you're on the East Coast, this is close to home.
• Historic venue — The New Yorker Hotel was Nikola Tesla's final residence. You'll be slinging RF in a building where Tesla lived. Enough said.
• The hacker community — HOPE draws a passionate, technical crowd. Expect great conversations, interesting people, and a weekend you won't forget.

What We Need

We need HRV members to help staff the Ham Radio Village throughout the conference. Specific needs will be firmed up as we get closer, but expect the usual:

• Setting up and tearing down the village space
• Running demos and operating stations
• Offering free ham radio license exams to attendees
• Engaging with attendees — answering questions, sparking interest, helping people get on the air
• Representing HRV and the amateur radio community

You don't need to staff the village the entire weekend. We'll work out shifts so everyone gets time to explore the conference, catch talks, and visit other villages.

Calling All Volunteer Examiners

One of the best things we can do at a hacker con is put newly inspired people straight into a license exam. We want to offer free exams at the village through Laurel VEC — but we can only do that if we have enough certified VEs on hand. If you are a Laurel VEC accredited Volunteer Examiner, we especially need you. Even if you can only make it for part of the weekend, your presence could make the difference between someone walking away curious and someone walking away licensed. If you're a VE through another VEC and interested in getting accredited with Laurel, reach out — we can help you get started.

Logistics

Tickets

HOPE does not provide free tickets/badges for volunteers, including village staff. Every volunteer needs their own HOPE ticket: $250. Tickets are available at https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope-26. During April 2026, 10% of every ticket sold goes to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Hotel

The New Yorker Hotel is offering a discounted rate for HOPE attendees. Book through the conference link below — the standard $40/day facility fee is waived, and rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi, long-distance calling, and fitness center access. Charges are deferred until checkout.

Booking link: https://newyorkerhotel.book.pegsbe.com/promo?offerCode=08132026HO

Getting There

The hotel is on the corner of 34th Street and 8th Avenue — one block from Penn Station. NJ Transit, LIRR, Amtrak, and multiple subway lines put you right at the door. If you're driving, you're in midtown Manhattan, so plan on garage parking.

Interested?

If you want to help staff Ham Radio Village at HOPE 26, apply below. Whether you can commit to the full weekend or just a day, we'd love to have you.

Links

• HOPE 26 website: https://www.hope.net
• HOPE 26 tickets: https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope-26
• Hotel booking (discounted rate): https://newyorkerhotel.book.pegsbe.com/promo?offerCode=08132026HO