04/22/2026

Dayton Hamvention 2026 features a wide range of forums to appeal to amateur radio operators of all interests, experience levels, and ages. The Hamvention Forums Committee has assembled a diverse lineup covering technical topics, operating skills, and emerging interest areas.�

On opening day, Friday, May 15, there are 22 forums beginning at 9:15 AM with HamSCI: The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation. Learn about the Large Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbance Project, a version of the Personal Space Weather Station that you can build from scratch, Meteor Scatter QSO Party Results, and an upcoming collaboration with a NASA mission. The moderator is Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF.





Another forum on Friday morning is�Lightning Protection, Generators, Inverters and RFI,�moderated by Jim Bacher, WB8VSU, and Gary Bishop, NQOV.�

At 11 AM,�ARRL[1]�The National Association for Amateur Radio� is sponsoring Salty Walt's Portable Antenna Forum. "Salty Walt" Hudson, K4OGO, will�cover simple, effective, antennas you can build and take to a park, beach, or summit, and make contacts around the world! He'll also be signing copies of his newest book in the ARRL exhibit area.

Among the other forums on Friday is�TAPR - Topics in Digital Radio, the�Antenna Forum�moderated by Tim Duffy, K3LR, and�Arduino and Microcontrollers - Going the Distance,�with popular ARRL author Glen Popiel, KW5GP.

Young hams will want to start off Saturday morning with the�Youth Forum, sponsored by the Radio Club of America, at 9:15 AM. Student presenters include Webelos Scout Adam Grubb, KF8EKW, who is currently building a 70-centimeter EME station for his school science project. Carsten Glasbrenner, KQ4SJM, will share his interests in satellites, home brew antennas, and simple soldering kits. Other young presenters and panelists include Haley Pendell, KE2EVX; Maggie Dill, KR4FTN; Anderson Ray, K4RAY, and Violetta Latham, KN2P.

Young hams can also join in some Saturday afternoon fun with the�ARRL Youth Rally Activities�scheduled from 1 - 4 PM.�Advance registration[2]�is recommended for those students ages 11 to 21 who want this year's Youth Rally T-shirt and badge. An�ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Meetup�will follow the Youth Rally at 4 PM.

An�ARRL Membership Forum�on Saturday at 11 AM will include updates on outreach to students and educators, momentum behind the Year of the Club, ARRL's partnership with America250, and current legislative advocacy efforts shaping the future of amateur radio. The forum will be moderated by ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Scott Yonally, N8SY, with presentations from ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA.

A handful of DX-themed forums on Saturday include�The 3Y0K Bouvet DXpedition, Desecheo 2026 DXpedition: First All Solar-Powered Unattended DXpedition, and a forum with Brian Bathe, AD8FD, and Paul Ewing, N6PSE, exploring the lessons learned from DXing in adverse conditions.

Among the forums on Sunday is�POTA Hacks: Little Things Add Up to Big Success, moderated by Michael Martens, KB9VBR, who will share some of his favorite Parks on the Air operating tips and hacks. Other forums will cover 3D printing for ham radio uses, the HF digital modes, and mastering CW.

Hamvention[3]�2026 runs May 15 - 17 in Xenia, Ohio, and many more forums are spread throughout the weekend. See the entire lineup and schedule at hamvention.org/event-details/forums[4].

The�ARRL�Events app[5]�will include the full Hamvention program by the end of the month. Use it to browse the schedule of forums, find affiliated events, and preview the extensive list of exhibitors. Get ready by downloading the app at www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl[6]�or use the�web version[7].�

See what ARRL has planned for exhibits and activities at Hamvention at www.arrl.org/dayton-hamvention-2026[8].


[1] https://www.arrl.org/dayton-hamvention-2026
[2] https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zNTk3OTg5JnA9MSZ1PTUyNTgxODI4NCZsaT00MjQwNTg5Mw/index.html
[3] https://hamvention.org/
[4] https://hamvention.org/event-details/forums
[5] https://www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl
[6] https://www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl
[7] https://www.tripbuilder.net/html5/arrl
[8] http://www.arrl.org/dayton-hamvention-2026
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