[Ground-station] DEFCON 26 report

[Michelle Thompson]

Amateur Radio and Amateur Satellite activities at this past week's DEFCON
were a huge hit!

Multiple talks across the somewhat daunting schedule provided plenty of
opportunities to hear about amateur radio, open source satellites,
modulation and coding, and ground station work. Phase 4 Ground had an
opportunity to present at Cyberspectrum, and then helped host a Q&A the
following day.

Open Research Institute had a booth in the WiFi Village Friday-Sunday.
Services provided were the DEFCON ham radio license exam
information/encouragement, SatNOGS information/handouts/stickers, Libre
Space Foundation information/handouts/stickers, GNU Radio demonstrations
and quick tutorials, FaradayRF information/handouts,  SDR demonstrations,
Trans-Ionospheric badges, Phase 4 Ground updates/recruitment/promotion, and
more.

The landscape of amateur radio in space is diverse, interesting, and
active. The audience at DEFCON is enthusiastic, positive, technical, and
generally unafraid to build things and try stuff.

ARRL - the National Association for Amateur Radio was there this year, and
they are thinking about coming to GNU Radio Conference as well.

We met several university researchers and put them in touch with the right
support networks to get their cubesats "off the ground".

It's hard work to be part of a event as large, loud, and busy as DEFCON.
The attendance was estimated at 27,500 by Sunday. However, it's very much
worth it! It was great to meet so many people in person for the first time
that we've met here or on Twitter or via email.

We are solidly in the black on Trans-Ionospheric badge sales and are well
on our way to funding the development board for Phase 4 Ground radios.
Support and information here: http://openresearch.institute/badge/

We'll be selling them online shortly. All proceeds go directly to support
the non-profit ORI, and specifically for Phase 4 Ground project.

Next up: finding out how to improve representation for amateur radio on
interplanetary missions from NASA. We'll be at the Interplanetary Cubesat
Workshop this week at Goddard Space Flight Center. We'll have a poster
session on open source satellite and ground station work, specifically
allowed under ITAR 120.11.

Thank you to everyone that helped make this trip rewarding and fun with the
encouragement, support, and materials.

More soon!
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