Rocky Mountain Ham Radio is pleased to announce the 2026 New Mexico TechFest, an ARRL-sanctioned operating specialty event, to be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the UNM Continuing Education Conference Center in Albuquerque, NM (1634 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102).
New Mexico TechFest is a hybrid event, offering both in-person attendance and live online participation via Zoom’s professional webinar platform for those unable to travel or attend in person.
Join fellow amateur radio operators from around the Land of Enchantment and beyond for a full day of quality presentations, demonstrations, and instruction delivered by some of New Mexico and Colorado’s most experienced technical hams. Topics will focus on emerging and relevant technical areas within amateur radio. TechFest is designed to be accessible to both experienced operators and newer hams who want to deepen their technical understanding and learn from one another while exploring emerging technologies in amateur radio. Prizes will be drawn throughout the event. Coffee, water, and light snacks will be available for in-person attendees, with an optional catered lunch available for purchase.
Mark your calendars, spread the word, and join us for TechFest 2026!
Who Should Attend
New Mexico TechFest is for:
- Amateur radio operators of all experience levels
- Hams interested in technical experimentation and learning
- Those who enjoy hands-on demonstrations and discussion
- Anyone wanting to connect with the broader New Mexico amateur radio community
Whether you attend in person or virtually, TechFest offers opportunities to learn, ask questions, and interact with presenters and other attendees.
Schedule & Presentations
(Times shown are MST. Schedule times and order of presentations are subject to change.)
- 8:00am: Doors open, in-person registration check-in (no walk-ins permitted)
- 8:30-9:00am: Welcome and opening remarks
- 9:00-9:50am: Heating up the Desert: Operating Microwave in the Desert Southwest (by Chuck Claver NJ6D of Tucson, Arizona and Robert Reynolds N7VD of Mesa, Arizona)
- 10:00-10:50am: Edge of Space Sciences’ (EOSS) Adventures and Accidental Science During the Last 12 years of High-Altitude Balloon Flights (by Nancy Koos KØNKK of Conifer, Colorado and Jim Langsted KCØRPS of Golden, Colorado)
- 11:00-11:50am: Dissecting the New FCC 60 Meter Allocation for Amateur Radio (by Jim Frazier KC5RUO of Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- 12:00-12:50pm: Lunch, attendee collaboration, demonstrations, and posterboards
- 1:00-1:50pm: Using ChatGPT and OpenSCAD to Generate 3D Printer STL Files (by Ed James KA8JMW of Edgewood, New Mexico)
- 2:00-2:50pm: Multicouplers and Why You Need One (by Brian Adams KD7BJF of Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- 3:00-3:45pm: Overview of Deep Space Exploration Society (DSES) and Support to NASA’s Upcoming Artemis Mission (by Bill Miller KCØFHN, DSES Vice President, of Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- 3:45-4:10pm: Final prize drawings, closing comments
- 4:15-5:15pm: Special Demonstration: 10 GHz Operating and Earth-Moon-Earth Demonstration (by Chuck Claver NJ6D of Tucson, Arizona and Robert Reynold N7VD of Mesa, Arizona)
POSTERBOARD TALKS:
- A First Look at the µSDX: an 8-band Low Power (QRP) HF Transceiver with Open Source Firmware (by Larry Goga AE5CZ of Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- Power Restrictions on UHF Operation in New Mexico (by Jim Lommen KC7QY of Socorro, New Mexico)
- C-SABS: The Central-Southern Arizona Beacon System (by Chuck Claver NJ6D of Tucson, Arizona; Robert Reynolds N7VD of Mesa, Arizona; Troy Hall WA7ELN of Oracle, Arizona; Albert Lambson KG7PTP of Chandler, Arizona; and Scott Swanson K6PYP of Tucson, Arizona)
- Interested in providing a posterboard talk at TechFest? Please contact us at techfest@rmham.org
DEMONSTRATIONS:
- Special Demonstration: 10 GHz Earth-Moon-Earth Demonstration (by Chuck Claver NJ6D of Tucson, Arizona and Robert Reynolds N7VD of Mesa, Arizona)
- A First Look at the µSDX: an 8-band Low Power (QRP) HF Transceiver with Open Source Firmware (by Larry Goga AE5CZ of Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- Interested in providing a demonstration at TechFest? Please contact us at techfest@rmham.org
»»» Click here for presentation, posterboard and demonstration abstracts and speaker biographies.
Registration Details
TechFest admission is $15, payable via online registration. Pre-registration is required (walk-up registrations cannot be accepted). A $1 PayPal processing fee is added at checkout so the full $15 admission supports TechFest.
Important registration deadlines:
- Walk-in registrations will not be accepted. All attendees must register online in advance.
- Optional catered lunch (in-person only): Available for purchase until 10:00 PM MST, Sunday, February 22.
- Online registration closes: 5:00 PM MST, Wednesday, February 25 (in-person registration may close earlier if venue capacity is reached).
What are New Mexico TechFest proceeds used for?
New Mexico TechFest is a nonprofit, volunteer-run event. Registration fees are used solely to cover event-related expenses, including full-day venue rental, professional Zoom webinar licensing to support the hybrid format, snacks and refreshments, prizes, and the shipping or delivery of prizes to winners when needed.
2026 TechFest Prize Lineup
>>> Click here for attendees’ randomly assigned prize drawing numbers
We are excited to give away a number of purchased and donated prizes at this year’s event. As TechFest is a hybrid event (in-person and virtual), prizes will be shipped or delivered to winners as needed. Note: Prize lineup is subject to change.
- ARRL – $50 and $25 gift certificate
- Alpha Antenna – $50 rebate coupons (Qty 5)
- Arrow Antenna – Arrow II 146/437-10WBP cross-element 2m/70cm handheld yagi
- Brian Adams KD7BJF – Electroline EDA 2802 8-port CATV drop-line amp
- COMPACtenna – 2M/440+ low-profile dual band antenna
- Digirig Ham Radio Equipment – $60 gift certificates (Qty 2)
- DX Engineering – $50 gift certificate
- Easy Way Ham Books – Various radio license and operating manuals
- Ed James KA8JMW – Programming with OpenSCAD book
- Electric Radio Magazine – 1-year subscription to America’s premier publication devoted exclusively to vintage amateur radio
- Ham Radio Outlet – $25 gift certificate
- Hammond Manufacturing – 1590GBH diecast project boxes (Qty 20)
- Heil Ham Radio – Heil Ham Radio Handbooks (Qty 2), T-Shirts (Qty 2)
- Mastrant – $20 gift certificates (Qty 2)
- M.E. Labs, Inc. – Programming trainer kit
- N3FJP Amateur Radio Software – Complete software package
- Paul Harden NA5N – MFJ-941E Versa Tuner 300 watt, switched-inductor HF antenna tuner
- Peak Printing, Inc. – Gift certificates for 250 Deluxe QSL cards (Qty 2)
- Penta Laboratories – Set of two 811WA vacuum tubes
- PowerFilm Solar – 12 watt foldable solar panels with adapters (Qty 4)
- Powerwerx – PowerpoleBag (crimping tool, assorted Powerpole connectors, case, nylon gear bag)
- The Wireman – $50 gift certificate
- Tim Henson W5TNM – $50 DX Engineering gift cards (Qty 2)
- Additional prizes will be added here.
2026 TechFest Prize Donors
Rocky Mountain Ham Radio and New Mexico TechFest thank the following organizations and individuals for their generous prize donations. Additional prize donors will be added below as the event nears.
Interested in donating a prize? Please contact techfest@rmham.org. Rocky Mountain Ham Radio is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible.
Event Flyer
A printable event flyer is available for sharing on email reflectors, in club newsletters, or on club websites. We appreciate your help spreading the word about this unique event within the amateur radio community.
»»» Download and help pass around the New Mexico TechFest flyer.
Call for Presentations, Posterboards, and Demonstrations
The New Mexico TechFest is seeking presentations, posterboards, and demonstrations on emerging and relevant amateur radio technical topics, techniques, and applications. If you are working on a special project, have knowledge of or researching a technical topic, or applying a new technology or technique within amateur radio, TechFest offers a casual and friendly venue to share your knowledge with the amateur radio community.
Presentation slots are 50 minutes, including time for questions and discussion. Posterboards and demonstrations are more informal, shorter in length, and take place during designated time slots throughout the day.
Hams interested in presenting are invited to submit a brief summary or abstract of their proposed topic for consideration by January 20, 2026. Multiple presentation, posterboard, or demonstration proposals may be submitted. Sales or promotional presentations are not permitted.
For questions or to submit a proposal, please email techfest@rmham.org
Important Dates & Deadlines
- December 15, 2025 – January 20, 2026: Call for TechFest presentations, posterboards, and demos
- Saturday, January 20, 2026: Deadline to submit presentation, posterboard, or demo summaries/abstracts
- Sunday, January 21, 2026: Submissions reviewed and presentation lineup finalized by the TechFest committee
- On or about January 25, 2026: Presentation lineup announced and posted on the website
- On or about January 25, 2026: Online registration opens