Technical papers are sought for the Proceedings of the (second annual) Zero Retries Digital Conference (ZRDC) 2026, to be held at the Roundhouse Conference Center in San Ramon, California, USA on Friday, October 16, 2026. This coincides with the first day of Pacificon 2026.
ZRDC 2026 is being hosted by the Zero Retries newsletter. Papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings of the ZRDC. Authors do not need to present at the conference to have their papers included in the Proceedings, although presenters are highly encouraged to submit a separate technical paper (for the Proceedings). (All presenter presentations will also be published in the Proceedings.)
A typical technical paper for ZRDC is a short (typically 5-10 pages) but in-depth explanation of a project, experiment, or new technique. A technical paper typically includes the problem(s) to be solved and how the solution was built and tested, and what was learned. Diagrams, data, and code are often included. The intended audience for technical papers are not just the attendees of a particular ZRDC – they’re intended to help others implement or enhance the subject of the technical paper.
A ZRDC technical paper is different from a presentation slide deck:
- A technical paper is self-contained – all of the needed detail is in the text of the technical paper. A presentation slide deck provides speaking points – the detail is in the presentation narration.
- A technical paper explains the idea in depth for the long term. A presentation slide deck is a “snapshot” of an idea at that moment in time.
- Very generally, a technical paper explains the details of how you did something. A presentation slide deck explains (generally) what you did to expose the idea to those who aren’t familiar.
ZRDC 2026 Paper Submission Details
- Paper submission deadline is Monday, September 28, 2026 23:59 UTC. Submissions received after this date will not appear in the Proceedings.
- Submit papers via email to zrdcpapers@zeroretries.net
- Papers must be submitted as a .PDF format, with sufficient resolution for print publication. (Export or Save As… PDF).
- It is requested that ZRDC papers not use inline web hyperlinks. (Hyperlinks often do not persist through format changes.) In lieu of inline web hyperlinks, simply type out the full URL of the link. For longer URLs, please use footnotes with the full URL in the footnote.
- Papers will be published exactly as submitted.
- Paper authors retain all rights.
- Papers with multiple authors are encouraged.
- Papers are limited to 12 pages (letter-size).
- In addition to ZRDC archives, ZRDC technical papers will be archived for posterity in the Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications (DLARC), a project of the Internet Archive.
Technical paper topic areas include, but are not limited to digital radio, radio networking, mesh networks over radio, Software Defined Radio (SDR), digital voice/data systems, digital satellite communication, use of LoRa in Amateur Radio, digital signal processing (DSP), HF digital modes, Spectrum Management, Global Positioning System (GPS), Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS), Linux in Amateur Radio, AX.25 and other protocols, mesh and peer-to-peer wireless networking, emergency and homeland defense backup digital communications in Amateur Radio.
Zero Retries is an independent newsletter promoting technological innovation that is occurring in Amateur Radio, and Amateur Radio as (literally) a license to experiment with and learn about radio technology. Radios are computers – with antennas! Zero Retries is now in its sixth year of publication, with over 3500 subscribers.
The latest information on ZRDC 2026 will be maintained at https://www.zeroretries.org/p/conference, or just click the Conference link on the top bar of the Zero Retries web page (https://www.zeroretries.org/).
Source: Zero Retries Digital Conference
Amateur Radio Daily