Amateur Radio’s history, public service role, satellite program, utilization of computer and digital technology, and even its relationship to the Common Core education standards are on the forum menu Friday and Saturday at the ARRL National Centennial Convention. With ham radio notables such as Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, Martti Laine, OH2BH, Carole Perry, WB2MGP, Gordon West, WB6NOA, and Joe Taylor, K1JT, on the forum schedule, there’s something that’s bound to pique everyone’s interest. The Convention, to celebrate the ARRL’s 100th anniversary, takes place July 17-19 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The forum schedule includes 3 dozen presentations each day between 9 AM and 3 PM, with youth forums and other activities each day.

Among the Friday forums, Chris Codella, W2PA, will talk about the role of hams in “The Great War” and, later, on how we got our bands, while noted DXer Martti Laine, OH2BH, will relate his 50 years of Amateur Radio history. Alma Ripley will discuss “Amateur Radio and the Common Core Standards.” There will be a wide array of technical topics, ranging from HF digital operation and electronics kit building to PIC programming, digital voice, and the LINUX operating system. Tower law and safety will be featured at other forums. Representatives from AMSAT, WX4NHC, and the NCVEC will be on hand to talk about their programs.

The Centennial banquet’s keynote speaker Friday evening will be FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ.

Helping to kick things off on Saturday, former FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, will discuss “What We Owe the Amateur Service.” The Saturday schedule also features more youth-oriented programs, including scavenger hunt, plus a “peek behind the curtain” of propagation forecasting, an introduction to antenna modeling, working with the Raspberry PI computer for ham radio projects, radio frequency interference, “lightweight” DXpeditioning, repurposing surplus commercial radios, and operating on 160 meters. “Gazing into the Future — DXing with Weak Signals and Beyond” will be the focus of a presentation by Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT. Taylor is also the noontime speaker on Saturday.

The hard part is deciding which forums to attend. The easy part is being on hand at the ARRL Centennial National Convention. There is still time to register!