ARRL National Centennial Convention program sessions for both Contest University (CTU) and DX University (DXU) on Thursday, July 17 — the Convention’s opening day — have been announced. The CTU and DXU forums are part of the daylong Thursday Training Track sessions, which get underway at 8:30 AM. Tim Duffy, K3LR, will be the CTU facilitator. Confirmed CTU topics and presenters include:

• “Contesting Hints & Kinks” — Ward Silver, N0AX
• “Ergonomics for Contest Stations” — Doug Grant, K1DG
• “Low-Band Receiving Antennas for Small and Mid-Sized Lots” — Frank Donovan, W3LPL
• “Multioperator Contest Planning” — Tim Duffy, K3LR
• “Tips for Being a Better Single Operator” — Randy Thompson, K5ZD
• “The Essentials of RTTY Contesting” — Dennis Egan, W1UE

Wayne Mills, N7NG, and Dave Anderson, K4SV, will share DX University facilitator duties. Confirmed DXU topics and presenters include:

• “DXCC Awards and Some DXing History” — Wayne Mills, N7NG
• “Station and Antenna Considerations” — Joe Reisert, W1JR
• “How to Find and Work DX; Listening and Internet Resources” — Bernie McClenny, W3UR
• “RTTY DXing” — Dennis Egan, W1UE
• “How to Work DX: Pileups with Some Thoughts from the DXpedition End” — Dave Anderson, K4SV
• “Propagation: Where to Point Your Antenna “ — Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
• “Modern QSLing Concepts, Procedures, and Funding” — Wayne Mills, N7NG

The Thursday lunch, included for all “Thursday Training Track” registrants, will feature ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR. Other Thursday Training Track forums include “Leadership and Training Tools for Amateur Radio,” “Public Service Communications Academy,” “RFI-101,” and “An Introduction to Amateur Satellites.” Many other presentations on a wide variety of topics are set for Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19. Topics range from contesting and propagation to technology, public service, and vintage radios.

The Centennial Convention banquet speaker Friday, July 18, will be FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ. Nobel Prize laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, will speak at noon on Saturday, July 19.

The ARRL National Centennial Convention is July 17-19 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Click here for Convention registration and more information.