SAINTCON Info & Resources

We will help you experience the fun of ham radio

Ham radio has been considered the original group of hackers, launching before computers, integrated circuits, and even the transistor! Hams of all generations have a hacker mindset, solving problems their own way regardless of what the manual says. Continuing this pioneer spirit, the Ham Radio Community supports the advancement of the hobby with a cybersecurity slant.

Everything we do today involves wireless communications of some sort, and a basic knowledge of how radio works is crucial. In the Ham Radio Community you can learn hands-on: how to legally use a radio to send commands to a satellite, communicate around the globe when no other methods exist, and send/receive real-time location data without relying on cellular networks. Put your skills to the test by finding hidden transmitters in the Ham Radio Fox Hunt, and by transmitting memes over the airwaves to SAINTCON attendees.

We provide license testing for those looking to become licensed or upgrade, as well as guidance on how to hack on the medium to achieve the best results and have the most fun!

SAINTCON Hours

Join Us!

This is a community for all things amateur radio. 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 who would love to share what they've learned.

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're willing to exchange callsigns. If you prefer to just listen along, put a red tag on your antenna so folks know not to bother you.

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, 420–450 MHz) will work. If you don't have a radio yet and want a cheap but reliable option, we recommend the Retevis RT-85.

Get your ham radio license!

While you don't need a license to own a radio or listen in, you do need one to transmit! We provide FREE license testing at SAINTCON. All are welcome — register online and study with ham.study.

Register for exams here (required)

Want to give DMR a go? We will be running a duplex hotspot on 449.250(−) with Color Code 6 and Talk Group 31671. Request your ID well in advance. If you don't have a DMR radio yet, we recommend an Anytone radio or one supported by the OpenGD77 firmware — many of us like the Retevis RT-3S. Avoid the cheap COTRE or GOCOM radios unless you're confident.

Advanced Users

If you're interested in P25 radios and/or business-band operation with encryption, reach out to @cleeb, who plans to bring an experimental P25 trunked system and keyloader to the con.

Special thanks to the Home Labs community for hosting our hotspots and providing connectivity, and to the Young Amateurs Radio Club for letting us borrow their talkgroup.