We are pleased to have as our special guest presenter a well-known international DXer/Contester, Ned Stearns, AA7A. The DX/Contest Banquet will be held at the Best Western Hotel and Conference Center Marlborough, Massachusetts on Friday evening, August 22, 2025. Tickets for the banquet and other events can be purchased online at https://ticketing.hamxposition.org.
Title: Remote DXpeditioning
The Radio-In-a-Box (RIB) technology has made a big impact in the DX (and contesting) realm. Its use in high-profile DXpeditions has changed the DXing game forever. The use of RIBs in DXpeditions can provide numerous benefits such as reduced project costs, lower environmental impact and safer operations. The “Remote DXpedition” presentation will provide AA7A’s perspective on the nearly seven-year development effort of the RIB concept and other emerging technologies and how their application to DXing is an exciting step forward in amateur radio.
Bio:
Ned was first licensed in August 1963 at age 12 as WN8JWY. Ned currently lives in Phoenix, AZ and is active on all amateur bands up to 23 cm. He is active in DXing, contesting and VHF/UHF weak signal work. He has been on 30 DXpeditions on all continents including four to Top Ten Needed DX entities (Kingman Reef 2000, South Sandwich 2016, South Georgia 2016 and Baker Island 2018). He is a retired Systems Engineer with Motorola and General Dynamics. He is a Director of the Northern California DX Foundation and is the ARRL Southwestern Division Vice Director. Ned was inducted into the CQ Magazine DX Hall of Fame in 2020.
Ned led the development of requirements for the Fox/Hound protocol for FT8, supported its extensive testing and deployed it for the first time on the Baker Island DXpedition (KH1/KH7Z) in 2018. In a similar fashion, he was involved in the development, testing and the initial activation of the new SuperFox waveform targeted for use on DXpeditions in high demand. He is also the chief architect for an emerging, totally-remotely operated contest station, NA7TB, located in eastern Arizona. In an effort to help educate the ham radio community on the benefits of emerging technology in DXing and contesting, he hosted a first-of-its- king ‘Next Generation DXing’ program series at the 2025 Internation DX Convention in Visalia, CA.