Theme: Hack the Ether: Education, Ingenuity, Connection
Hack the Ether celebrates the experimental DNA of amateur radio—where education meets invention and community meets curiosity. The 2026 conference invites participants to push beyond nostalgia and build the hobby’s next chapter through practical learning, creative collaboration, and purposeful leadership.
This is not just a conference; it’s a living experiment. Attendees will solder, script, and strategise their way through 1½ days of keynotes, panels, sessions / talks, and hands-on sessions designed to connect amateurs, makers, communicators, and educators.
Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026 is the meeting point of experimenters, educators, and storytellers.
It’s where education becomes exploration, ingenuity sparks collaboration, and connection builds the future.
Hack the Ether isn’t just a theme—it’s a mindset: tune in, build boldly, and transmit the future.
Four sections to the conference:
1. Hack the Mind – Education and Learning Futures
2. Hack the System – Ingenuity and Experimentation
3. Hack the Culture – Engagement and Connection
4. Hack the Future – Leadership and Purpose
LOCATION: Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre – University of Tasmania Sandy Bay Campus
WHEN:
Friday 6th November 2026 – Pre-Conference Events
- Afternoon (~1-3:30pm Start and finish at the REAST Clubrooms – Top of Queen’s Domain ) – Mystery History Radio Tour of Hobart – we all get on a bus around 1pm and you are taken on a tour (with running commentary) around Hobart taking in the many historic radio related sights. We stop a few times along the way where you can explore the radio sites and sounds of Hobart. (Moderate amount of easy walking involved).
- Afternoon (~3:30pm onwards) Tours of the Tas Maritime Radio Operations Centre – https://tasmaritime.au/
- BBQ dinner at the REAST Clubrooms for conference attendees and partners. Location: REAST Clubrooms – Top of Queen’s Domain from 5pm
Saturday 7th November 2026 – Conference
- Speakers from across VK and the World with presentations and talks.
- Partners Activities – Salamanca Market, TMAG, MONA
- ALARA is organising a group dinner for YLs and partners on the Saturday evening, 7 November:
- The dinner will be held at the Shamrock Hotel, corner of Liverpool and Harrington Streets in Hobart. This will be a convenient walk for those staying in the city, and there is street parking available.
- A 6.30pm start will give time to get there from the Conference, which finishes at 5.00pm.
- Food is between $20 and $40, so you can choose to your taste and budget, and pay on the night.
- All YLs are welcome, whether members of ALARA or not, and please bring your OM/husband/partner as well.
- Please let Jane VK7JN (janewelch77@gmail.com) know if you would like to join us, so we can make a booking for the right number of people. Jane is familiar with the venue so feel free to ask her if you have any questions about the dinner.
Sunday 8th of November 2026 – Morning – Conference
- Speakers from across VK and the World with presentations and talks.
- Partners Activities – Hobart Farmers Market, TMAG, MONA
Sunday 8th of November 2026 – Afternoon – Post-Conference Events
- Summits on the Air (SOTA) Activation of VK7/SC-001 Mt Wellington (an easy 10 points) on HF and VHF.
- Microwave contacts on 23cm, 9cm, 6cm and 3cm using our passive reflector – Mt Wellington
Conference Preliminary Program (Subject to Change).
| Hack the Mind Education and Learning Futures | Presenter |
| KeyNote: AMSAT Cube Sat Simulators and Educator Guide | AMSAT NA VP Education – Alan Johnston KU2Y |
| From curiosity to call sign: building clear learning ramps from Foundation through Advanced in unlikely places! | Paul Hoffman VK5PH |
| Teaching, assessment and mentoring: the “I Do – We Do – You Do” scaffold for learners. | Prajwal Bhattaram VK4MPB/VK7MPB & Kiri Bhattaram VK4KLB/VK7KLB |
| ALARA & HEART: Diversity – engaging women, Scouts, and Guides | Linda Luther VK7QP & Michael Sweeney VK7MRS & Brian Marriot VK7BM |
| Hack the Culture Engagement and Connection | Presenter |
| KeyNote: Gamifying Amateur Radio | Dr. Paris Buttfield-Addison VK7SYN |
| Sisters Akousmatica – Our Amateur Radio Journey | Dr. Julia Drouhin VK7HAG & Phillipa Stafford VK7SEA |
| Inter-club collaboration: engagement, sharing and reuse for reinvention | Richard Hinsley VK2ARH/ VK7CG |
| Inclusion Interview: Neurodiversity in amateur radio and accessible club practices. | Ben Short VK7BEN & Warwick Bonney VK7WOZ |
| Hack the System Ingenuity and Experimentation | Presenter |
| KeyNote: Meshcore and LoRa: local low-power networking experiments – pathway into Amateur Radio | TBA |
| Cubesats & SatNOGS: Satellite telemetry, tracking, and the learning potential of space | John Bews VK4JBE |
| SDR’s for VHF and Above using GNU Radio | Matt Cook VK5ZM |
| Aircraft Scatter Propagation Mode – New Research | Rex Moncur VK7MO |
| Hack the Future Leadership and Purpose | Presenter |
| KeyNote: Leadership, Motivation and Encouragement in a volunteer organisation | John Maizels VK4JPM |
| Club revitalisation: moving beyond “running a club” to “supporting a community” | Bob Stephenson VK7BS & Greg Manning VK7GM + |
| “True South” Panel: helping individuals and clubs define their direction and purpose with strategic planning to build longer term plans and measuring success | TBA |
Please note this is a cash-less event. Squares are available during the event for credit card payments.
Raffle Prizes:
There will be many wonderful raffle prizes that will be drawn on the Sunday. Raffle tickets are only available to those who attend the conference in person.
Accommodation:
Need accommodation in Hobart – this list provides some starting options. Check with the venue to confirm $ and to book.
Event Hosts:
 |
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania Inc. https://www.reast.asn.au/ |
Event Sponsors:
Gold Sponsor: ICOM Australia
Silver Sponsor: ComTek
There are many sponsorship opportunities.
Please take a look at the Tassie Ham-E-Con Sponsorship Levels document for more information and contact us to discuss at: tassiehamconference@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions:
The following is an ever-expanding list of questions and answers about the conference. If you cannot find an answer to your question then send through an email to the Organising Committee.
Tasmanian Ham Conference 2024:
The presentations from our last VK7 Ham Conference presentations are available on the Ham Radio DX YouTube channel playlist.
Tasmanian Ham Conference 2022:
The presentations from our last VK7 Ham Conference presentations are available on the Ham Radio DX YouTube channel playlist.
See you in Hobart in November…
73 Tassie Ham Conference Organizing Committee
tassiehamconference@gmail.com