The following speakers have been confirmed for the 2026 convention.
Frank Donovan W3LPL
Frank Donovan, W3LPL, is one of the most celebrated contest operators and station builders in amateur radio. Frank’s connection to ham radio traces back to 1923, when his grandfather built single-tube receivers for friends and family — an early introduction to electronics that would shape his lifelong passion for the hobby. Over the decades, that passion grew into the construction of an impressive contest superstation, located at his home in Glenwood, Maryland.
Frank’s focus on the technology and engineering of great station design and performance has made W3LPL a benchmark for high-performance amateur radio operations. His dedication to the craft has paid off competitively. He is also a long-time member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC), where he has contributed to the contesting community for many years.
Frank is equally well regarded as a writer and technical thinker. His article “What to Expect During the Rising Years of Solar Cycle 25” earned the QST Cover Plaque Award for May 2021, and he co-authored “The Beverage Antenna, 100 Years Later” with Ward Silver, N0AX, which took the same honor in November 2021. His presentations are known for blending deep technical knowledge with practical insights that operators of all experience levels can take home and apply.
Gregg Marco W6IZT
Gregg Marco, W6IZT, is a passionate DXer and expedition operator with a remarkable track record of activating rare and coveted entities from around the world. Gregg has participated in some of ham radio’s most well-known DXpeditions operating from far-flung corners of the globe. In recent years, he has become one of the hobby’s most dedicated advocates for bringing young operators into the world of DXpeditioning.
Gregg’s commitment to youth involvement is best illustrated by the expeditions he has organized and led in partnership with Youth on the Air (YOTA). Following the success of remote station operations at the CB0ZA Juan Fernandez DXpedition, Gregg brought two of his custom-built NexGenRiB remote stations to the 3D2Z Rotuma DXpedition, with the goal of having 75% of remote contacts made by young operators. That model of mentorship through hands-on experience has become his signature approach.
Most recently, Gregg led the PJ6Y DXpedition to Saba Island in October 2025, organized by the Pacific Island DX Group in partnership with Youth on the Air. Over fourteen days, the team completed over 56,000 QSOs, with nine first-time DXpeditioners on the island team and an additional 30–40 young hams participating as remote operators worldwide. Gregg’s vision that every new DXpedition can also be a training ground for the next generation is reshaping how the DX community thinks about its future.
Kevin Thomas W1DED
Kevin Thomas, W1DED, has one of the more compelling stories in amateur radio today — a ham who was first licensed in 1977, stepped away for four decades, and came back swinging. Licensed as a teenager, Kevin grew up around Heathkit gear built by his father, WA1YOA, before life, career, and family pulled him away from the hobby for decades. Yet he carried his radios, logbooks, and QSL cards through every move, convinced he would someday return. That return came in 2022, when he earned his Extra Class license.
Living on a small island community in Maine without room for towers, Kevin discovered Parks on the Air and immediately connected with the simplicity and accessibility of portable operating — grab a radio, head to a park, and get on the air. What began as casual activations soon expanded into contesting and DXpedition-style operations in the Caribbean. Most notably, Kevin operated as VP5/W1DED and VP5E from Providenciales Island in the Turks and Caicos, earning an unofficial top-six finish in North America in the Single Operator High Power category at CQ WPX SSB.
Beyond his own operating, Kevin is a respected voice in the amateur radio community as the creator and host of Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Q5 sets a new standard in amateur radio media through long-form interviews, technical insight, and global storytelling, exploring the people and ideas shaping the future of the hobby. Kevin also serves as one of the newest board members guiding Parks on the Air through its next chapter, bringing the perspective of someone who discovered POTA as a returning ham and never looked back.
John Sweeney K9EL
John Sweeney, K9EL, is an accomplished and influential figure in the world of DXing. An accomplished DXer with many years of experience both chasing DX and being DX. John operated from a variety of rare locations during the course of a nearly 30-year career with Motorola before becoming a telecommunications consultant. He has worked more than 300 countries on each of the major HF bands and has recently achieved the 3000 level of the DXCC Challenge. That depth of experience on both sides of a pileup gives him a uniquely practical perspective on what it takes to succeed in the pursuit of DX.
John is perhaps best known for his stewardship of the CQ DX Marathon, the year-long competition in which operators chase as many entities and CQ zones as possible before resetting to zero each New Year’s Day. When CQ Magazine reinstituted the DX Marathon in 2006, John was appointed as its manager, and he led the program for 17 years before stepping down at the end of 2022. His tenure transformed the Marathon into one of the most popular DX programs in the hobby. John also serves as the Central Division representative to the ARRL DX Advisory Committee (DXAC), which advises on the DXCC program, where he has been an active voice on issues ranging from Honor Roll reform to the future of entity qualification.
Beyond his administrative contributions, John is a sought-after presenter on the practical side of DX operating. His presentations shared with the broader DX community pull back the curtain on the software tools and techniques he uses to maximize his score year after year. Whether you’re chasing a new entity or chasing a top-ten finish in the Marathon, John’s insights are the kind that only come from decades of hard-won experience at the radio.
Bob Ronk W9AP
Bob Ronk, W9AP, is an accomplished DXer and expedition operator with an impressive resume of operations spanning the globe. He has been a regular operator with the TO9W team, joining fellow DXers for multi-band activations from Saint Martin that have put tens of thousands of contacts in the log. In March 2023, Bob was part of the nine-operator 9G4X DXpedition to Ghana, hosted by the Accra Amateur Radio Club, where the team logged more than 17,000 QSOs on 160 through 6 meters and through the QO-100 satellite, including a multi-two entry in the CQ WPX Phone Contest.
Bob’s DXpedition ambitions extend to some of the most challenging destinations on Earth. He has played a key role in the 3Y0K Bouvet Island expedition, one of the most ambitious DXpeditions ever achieved, involving travel by icebreaker and helicopter to one of the rarest DXCC entities. Bob has co-presented on the 3Y0K effort at the Hamvention DX Forum, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the immense planning, logistics, and equipment challenges involved.
Closer to home, Bob is a cornerstone of one of the Midwest’s most beloved amateur radio gatherings. He serves as Convention Chair for W9DXCC, the annual convention organized by the Northern Illinois DX Association that draws DXers from across the region and beyond. Whether he’s chasing rare entities, activating entities from remote corners of the world or helping organize a world-class DX convention, Bob brings the same passion and commitment to every facet of the hobby.
Otis Vicens NP4G
Dr. Jose “Otis” Vicens, NP4G, is one of the most accomplished and respected DXers, with a story that spans from teenage ham radio beginnings to leading some of the most significant DXpeditions of the modern era. Born and raised in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Otis was first licensed at the age of 16 and went on to study biology at Purdue University, where he became active with the W9YB Amateur Radio Club. He later graduated from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine and completed a specialty program in Pediatric Dentistry, returning to Humacao in 2008 to practice orthodontics. His DXpedition resume includes operations from Easter Island, Bermuda, Saint Martin, Bouvet Island (3Y0J), and more.
Otis’s most defining recent achievement is serving as Team Leader for the KP5/NP3VI Desecheo Island DXpedition of 2026. Desecheo Island, ranked as the 14th most wanted DXCC entity worldwide and unactivated since 2009, was brought back on the air in what represented the first Puerto Rican–led DXpedition to Desecheo in 48 years. The operation deployed two self-sustained Remote Deployable Units, allowing operators from Puerto Rico and around the world to participate without physical presence on the island in a groundbreaking approach that may redefine how DXpeditions are conducted at environmentally sensitive locations.
Beyond his work on the air, Otis is a pillar of the global DX community in leadership. He is a past President of the Puerto Rico Amateur Radio League and currently serves as President of the International DX Association (INDEXA). His amateur radio service also extends to emergency communications — he helped coordinate amateur radio emergency communications across eastern Puerto Rico following the devastating 2017 hurricane disasters. In 2026, his contributions were recognized with the Dayton Hamvention Amateur of the Year Award.