{"product_id":"software-defined-radios-101-introduction-to-rf-hacking-richard-shmel-dctlv2026","title":"Software Defined Radios 101 - Introduction to RF Hacking - Richard Shmel - DCTLV2026","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eName of Training\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Software Defined Radios 101 - Introduction to RF Hacking\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrainer(s)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Richard Shmel\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDates\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 10-11, 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e8:00 am to 5:00 pm PT \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVenue\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Las Vegas Convention Center\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e: \u003c\/strong\u003e$2,500 (USD)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardware:\u003c\/strong\u003e $620 \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e(optional) - Students wishing to keep their materials can purchase the hardware bundle, which includes a HackRF with an aluminum case, upgraded crystal, antenna adapters, an antenna, and a custom transmitting PCB designed and fabricated by the instructor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShort Summary:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSDR 101 is a course designed for cyber security professionals of all skill levels who want to start working with RF signals and SDRs. Students get hands-on experience with real hardware, learn the fundamentals of RF hacking, and walk away ready to start exploiting the RF attack surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCourse Description: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis class is a beginner's introduction to practical Software Defined Radio (SDR) applications and development with an emphasis on hands-on learning. If you have ever been curious about the invisible world of radio waves and signals all around you, but didn't know where to begin, then this course is for you. Students can expect to learn about basic RF theory and SDR architecture before moving on to hands-on development with real radios. Over the two-day course, the instructor will guide students through progressively more complicated RF concepts and waveforms, culminating in a small capstone exercise. Students will be provided with a HackRF SDR for the duration of the class but will need to bring their own laptop to interface with the radio. VMs will be made available to students to download before class, along with an OS setup guide for those that prefer a bare-metal install. The VM\/OS will have all the required drivers and frameworks to interface with the radio hardware, allowing us to jump right into hands-on exercises. My intent for this course is to lower the barrier of entry associated with RF hacking and give beginning students a practical understanding of RF and DSP applications with SDRs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCourse Outline: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis course is built on a hands-on, lab-first, methodology designed to bridge the gap between abstract RF theory and practical exploitation with a real SDR. The curriculum is structured to move rapidly from foundational concepts to live- signal interaction. Following a condensed primer on RF theory, students will use open-source tools for signal analysis before transitioning into GNU Radio to build custom digital signal processing (DSP) chains. The course progresses through increasingly complex waveforms and real-world system attacks, culminating in a comprehensive RF exploitation capstone that reinforces all key learning objectives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDAY 1\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHour 1:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction to RF theory, waveforms, and basic modulation schemes (AM, FM, FSK, PSK, OOK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNyquist sampling and aliasing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA brief overview of Euler and complex numbers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIQ Sampling Theory\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOverview of common Software Defined Radio architectures (Local Oscillators, ADCs, sample theory, etc.)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHours 2-4:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction to interfacing with the SDR\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 1: Watchtower\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBasic demodulation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 2: Soundtracks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction to spectrum scanning\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 3: Basic scanner\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 4: Advanced scanner with baseline\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHours 5-6:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntro to capturing raw signals with your SDR\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntro to inspecting raw signals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 5: Car key fobs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdvanced signals inspection using open source tools\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 6: Burst IoT modem\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHours 7-8:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction to GNUradio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKey GNUradio flow graph components:\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSources\/sinks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFilters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 7: Filters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemodulators\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 8: RF mixer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 9: AM\/FM demod and data exfiltration\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDAY 2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHour 1:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContinue GNUradio flow graph components\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReview filters, demodulation, sources\/sinks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResamplers and resampling theory\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 10: Putting it all together: User-built radio in GNUradio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHours 2-3:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction to Out-of-Tree (OOT) modules\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtending GNU Radio through scripting and custom blocks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUtilizing community OOT modules\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 11: OOT satellite demo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 12: OOT ADS-B interception guided exercise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 13: OOT custom waveform interception open exercise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHours 4-6:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction to transmitting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTypes of RF attacks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignal file (IQ) synthesis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 14: Replay attack\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 15: Jamming attack\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExercise 16: Targeted signals reverse engineering\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHours 7-8:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCapstone exercise: Custom RF PCB exploitation challenge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDifficulty Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeginner - The student has an interest in the topic presented and general technology knowledge that a power user or undergraduate student may have acquired.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo specific skills or experience required.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuggested Prerequisites:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a beginner course. Students do not need to have any prior knowledge of RF theory or SDRs. We will do some programming in Python, so a basic understanding is helpful (but not required). Before the course, the instructor will send out some pre-reading and video lectures for students to ensure everyone is starting at the same level, as well as a guide to set up your course VM. This material should take about 4 hours to complete.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Students Should Bring: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eStudents will need to bring a laptop capable of running a VMware or VirtualBox VM (VMs will be sent out before the class).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eRecommended specifications for the laptop are:\u003cbr\u003e- 4 core processor\u003cbr\u003e- 8 GB of RAM\u003cbr\u003e- at least 35 GB of free HDD\/SSD space\u003cbr\u003e- two free USB2.0 (or higher) ports for the SDR and the capstone PCB (Note: Students with USB-C only laptops must bring a compatible USB-A hub\/adapter)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eStudents should also bring a pair of headphones for listening to their laptop during the course; this is necessary in a classroom setting to keep the volume at a reasonable level. All students will be provided with a HackRF radio for the duration of the course. Owning your own SDR is not required. In the past, some students have wanted to use their own radios for parts of the course - as a way to get hands-on experience with their own hardware. Students are free to bring any SDR they own. The instructor will happily help students troubleshoot their particular SDR.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat the Trainer Will Provide:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eStudents will be provided with a VM with all course material and drivers necessary to interface with the SDR. Students will also be provided with a HackRF to use for the duration of the course. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStudents wishing to keep their materials can purchase the hardware bundle, which includes a HackRF with an aluminum case, upgraded crystal, antenna adapters, an antenna, and a custom transmitting PCB designed and fabricated by the instructor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTrainer(s) Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard Shmel is an experienced research and development engineer focusing on radio communications and digital signals processing applications. He has over a decade of experience as an RF engineer and embedded software developer working on prototype radio systems and DSP frameworks. Disappointed by the lack of introductory SDR material he could give to new engineers, he decided to write his own training courses to help fill the gap. Richard has had the privilege of teaching SDR workshops and training at various local and national cyber security conferences - including DEF CON - for many years now. He is passionate about teaching RF\/DSP and wireless technology, and will happily talk for hours on the subject if given the chance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProficiency Exam Option:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis course has the option for a proficiency certificate add-on. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe proficiency exam includes multiple-choice and short-answer questions covering topics from every course module, and is given during the final 45 minutes of class. A passing score is 70%. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePlease reach out to training@defcon.org for any questions related to the proficiency exam and certificate option.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegistration Terms and Conditions: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTrainings are refundable before July 11, 2026, minus a non-refundable processing fee of $250.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBetween July 11, 2026 and August 5, 2026 partial refunds will be granted, equal to 50% of the course fee minus a processing fee of $250.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll trainings are non-refundable after August 5, 2026.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTraining tickets may be transferred to another student. Please email us at training@defcon.org for specifics.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf a training does not reach the minimum registration requirement, it may be cancelled. In the event the training you choose is cancelled, you will be provided the option of receiving a full refund or transferring to another training (subject to availability).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFailure to attend the training without prior written notification will be considered a no-show. No refund will be given.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDEF CON Training may share student contact information, including names and emails, with the course instructor(s) to facilitate sharing of pre-work and course instructions. Instructors are required to safeguard this information and provide appropriate protection so that it is kept private. Instructors may not use student information outside the delivery of this course without the permission of the student.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy purchasing this ticket you agree to abide by the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/defcon.org\/html\/links\/dc-code-of-conduct.html\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDEF CON Training Code of Conduct\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and the registration terms and conditions listed above.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeveral breaks will be included throughout the day. Please note that food is not included.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll courses come with a certificate of completion, contingent upon attendance at all course sessions. Some courses offer an option to upgrade to a certificate of proficiency, which requires an additional purchase and sufficient performance on an end-of-course evaluation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Las Vegas 2026","offers":[{"title":"Course only - Aug 10-11 \/ Borrow","offer_id":47667876724954,"sku":null,"price":2300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Course only - Aug 10-11 \/ Keep","offer_id":47709243310298,"sku":null,"price":2920.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Course + Proficiency Exam - Aug 10-11 \/ Borrow","offer_id":47667876757722,"sku":null,"price":2600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Course + Proficiency Exam - Aug 10-11 \/ Keep","offer_id":47709243343066,"sku":null,"price":3220.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0629\/2088\/4442\/files\/SDR101_course_logo.png?v=1773335219","url":"https:\/\/training.defcon.org\/products\/software-defined-radios-101-introduction-to-rf-hacking-richard-shmel-dctlv2026","provider":"defcontrainings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}