RSGB 2024 Convention speakers
Keynote presentation
“The future of amateur radio licensing and education”
by Rafal Lukawiecki, EI6LA
Although Rafal did an SWL stint as a teenager in 1980s Poland, he only got his licence in 2021, in Ireland. His reawakened
enthusiasm for amateur radio, and his professional qualifications and educational experience, were quickly put to good use. Having helped the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) prepare and win their latest bid for a new Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate (HAREC) exam contract, Rafal led the projects to modernise the Irish licence teaching curriculum, helped update the exam syllabus, edited and co-wrote the 400-page 4th edition of the IRTS Study Guide, and he started the National Short Wave Listeners Club (NSWLC). This is an online organisation that has trained over 360 students, of which 140 got their HAREC licences in Ireland in the last three years.
Rafal is also part of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1 working group tasked with modernising the IARU Ethics and Operating Procedures guide, and he also regularly participates in an international amateur radio EMF oversight group.
Rafal is an avid RTTY, CW and SSB contester, and although temporarily off-air, he is still ranking 3rd in Ireland’s WARCA standings.
Professionally, Rafal has worked in IT all his life, having studied at Imperial College, London, in the ‘90s. As a data scientist, he focuses on making advanced analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence easy and useful for his clients. Rafal is also known for his work in business intelligence, data protection with cryptography, enterprise architecture, and IT solution delivery.
He has been a popular speaker at major IT conferences since 1998, and has shared keynote platforms with Bill Gates and Neil Armstrong.
The speaker programme
We have a fantastic line-up of expert speakers to inform and inspire you over the weekend.
The RSGB Convention is renowned for assembling a unique collection of entertaining, intriguing and thought-provoking speakers. Following our request for ideas, we are delighted that we already have the beginnings of a fabulous line-up of speakers, organised into three streams:
- Getting started in… (aimed at those who want to try something new)
- Operating
- Technical
To give you a taste of the presentations confirmed so far…
- Chair of the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Steve Nichols, G0KYA will be talking about Solar Cycle 25 and comparing how predictions he made three years ago stack up against reality
- Continuing the propagation theme, if you are interested in Sporadic-E then Chris Deacon, G4IFX’s talk is one that you won’t want to miss
- John Hislop, G7OHO will be delivering a presentation about building radios with the Raspberry Pi Pico. This is sure to be popular as more and more amateurs use these devices to improve their experience of the hobby
- Building on his popular presentation about PCBs at last year’s Convention, John Linford, G3WGV will talk again about PCBs, but this time with the focus on getting to grips with surface mount technology and the challenges it poses for radio amateurs
- RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Prof Ian Neal, M0KEO will talk about “How to use your amateur radio skills and enthusiasm to engage others” in a presentation that we hope will lead to some great discussion and sharing ideas
- Graham Murchie, G4FSG will take a look at Bawdsey Radar in a presentation that will include both technical and historical information
