QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Michael, Mike, Ritz, W7VO, left the big city for rural Oregon to build his dream contest station. Mike uses his station to help new and local hams to learn the skills necessary to become lifetime contestors and HF operators. In addition to his leadership

Guy Lemieux, VE2BWL, built his dream contest station, including a one-hundred ten foot self supporting tower, from metal stock delivered to his bard, in a rural area of Southern Quebec.  while attempting to relax in the evenings and weekends from a stressful career. Guy shares this project and the stories behind his seven tower contest station in this QSO Today. 

Fred Schramm, K2HA, visited Israel a few weeks ago and contacted me to meet with him in Jerusalem.  Howard, 4X1ZZ, and I visited Fred at his hotel and recorded this interview with him. Fred tells his ham radio story, his life in Fairbanks, Alaska, and his thoughts on keeping old hams connected when they can no longer get on the air.

Michael, Mike, Foerster, W0IH, loves to ragchew with his friends on 80 meters in the evening.  Mike is a frequent contributor to QST magazine including articles on finding and solving electronic noise problems  and remote control of your HF station while on the road. We also discuss his broadband adjustable 80 meter dipole in this episode of QSO Today. 

George Byrkit, K9TRV, was first licensed in 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin.  He returned to amateur radio as a licensee many years after letting that Novice license expire.  George has since jumped back into amateur radio with both feet that include a board position in TAPR, projects in TAPR, including software development, work with HamSCI, and his local radio club and emergency groups.  We touch on...

Michael, Mike, Murphy, WU2D, separates his professional and his personal radio and electronics life by building, using, and working with vintage radios made no later than the early 1960s. As a collector and builder of old time and military surplus radios,

Ward Silver, N0AX, author of the QST magazine column, ·Hands-On Radio·, editor of ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications, and author of many books on ham radio joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today. In the podcast, Ward describes his ham radio beginnings

Andrash Bato, HA6NN, or "Andy" is coming up on his 50th anniversery as an amateur radio operator in Hungary, growing up in what is now the Former Soviet Union, or "FSU". Andy is active at every level of amateur radio from his involvement in Hungary's national radio club and as a representative of Hungarian hams at the IARU. 

If you want to get stuff done, you give it to a busy person. Yoram Rotbach, 4Z1YR, is the busy ham who has become the repeater tzar for Israel Amateur Radio Club. Now retired from the Israeli military, but now full time with an international corporation,

Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, had a love for radio and electronics as a boy growing up leading to a career as an electronic engineer for ATT. It was not until much later in Fred·s life that he officially joined the amateur ranks. Along with his wife Antia, AB1QB

Bob Dixon, W8ERD, retired after 49 years as an Ohio State University radio astronomer working on SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and supporting the electronic and communication needs of the University.  Now Bob is one a key member of the Delaware Amateur Radio Club's deployment of a radio mesh network. 

This week I joined Denny Johnson, K5DCC, in his Digicomm Cafe, the name of his amateur radio podcast, where he has a ham radio guest almost every night to discuss our hobby.  Denny invited me to a conversation over virtual coffee about our lives, both ham radio and personal. This show is "off the rails" from the traditional QSO Today format and is simulcasted in Denny's podcast.

Clark Stewart, W8TN, started in amateur radio over 55 years ago, has worked every country but North Korea. He began working EME or moon bounce on two and six meters years ago making CW contacts.  Clark is the consummate amateur radio mentor and was awarded the outstanding West Virginia Amateur of the Year in 2015. W8TN is my QSO Today. 

Kate Hutton, K6HTN, a retired Seismologist at CalTech in Pasadena, California, discovered CW, CWOPS, and passing traffic through the National Traffic System. Kate would agree  that amateur radio is a great way to spend time and that getting on the air with NTS is the best way to hone operating skills and to be ready for the next natural disaster. 

Bob Logan, NZ5A, enjoys the simple pleasures of exploring new modes as well as mastering old modes, as well as ultra-low frequency bands. Bob is a collector and restorer of old ham radio gear and old broadcast radios. Bob reminds us that we hams are a com

Andrew Barron, ZL3DW, is an active ham, loves to discover what's new in ham radio, and is the author of four amateur radio books, one on SDR or software defined radio, and 3 user guides on the latest Icom transceivers.  In addition, we discuss the Russian Sputnik ham satellites and amateur radio's diversity in this QSO Today. 

Steve Adler, VK5SFA, is a lifelong lover of radio and electronics, worked in the broadcast industry, and has recently retired. Steve developed a skill set and relationships that helped him to create a 160 and 80 meter magnetic loop antenna that won him fi

Ganesh Subramaniam, VU2TS, began his ham radio journey in 1959 trying to find someone, anyone, somewhere in his native Bangalore, India, who could provide basic information about the amateur radio service in India. Ganesh has been a ham over 50 years and is the editor of the Amateur Radio Society of India's magazine,  Ham Radio News. VU2TS shares his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Richard Factor, WA2IKL, joined the amateur radio ranks 60 years ago, and was inspired by the technology dreams of the popular science fiction writers of that era.  His interest in radio, electronics, and science led WA2IKL to establish his own technology business, now fifty years old. WA2IKL tells his ham radio story and how he uses is Toyota Prius as a backup power supply for his house. 

Frank Howell, K4FMH, has a love for radio and electronics that goes back over 60 years, but is only a recent licensee.  Frank serves as the ARRL Assistant Director of the Delta Division, and avid ham radio journalist, and podcaster. He makes a great case for recruiting retired people into the hobby by the energy, volunteerism, and technical devotion that he discusses in this QSO Today. 

Dennis Kidder, W6DQ, is an amateur radio renaissance man, a collector of the game changing radios from pre-World War 2  to the present. He enjoys 80 meter AM on his Collins broadcast transmitter and working 10 Ghz SSB with the San Bernardino Microwave Society.  Dennis is the co-author of Arduino Projects for Amateur Radio and a sought after speaker at ham radio events. W6DQ is my QSO Today

Paul Andrews, W2HRO, re-entered amateur radio, after a 35 year break,  by working FM satellites with a Yaesu portable and a dual band antenna.  Experimentation with a simple moon bounce array led to bigger and better antenna arrays, power amplifiers, low noise preamplifiers, higher frequencies, and more QSOs.  

Burt Fisher, K1OIK,  raised a stir and perhaps the ire of many hams with a 2008 YouTube video critical of amateur radio operators and their operating practices. While it is easy these days to have conversations with anyone who shares our opinions and beliefs,  it is more difficult to have conversations with people who do not share our views. K1OIK tells his ham radio story and shares his opinions...

Ralph Fedor, K0IR, has participated in at least 15 DXpeditions to the most remote parts of the World. Ralph shares his amateur radio story leading up to his DXpedidions, the opportunities, the lessons learned, and the avoidance of fate off of Bouvet Island in 2018.  K0IR took a break from preparing for the upcoming Pitcaryn DXpedition in October for this QSO Today.

Eric Sears, ZL2BMI, who joins me from New Zealand,  is famous for this 80 meter QRP double sideband rig that he designed and documented in the 1980s for his personal use when "tramping"  in the forests and mountains of New Zealand. Eric's stated design philosophy and rigs proved to be robust and foundational for other QRP rig builders, especially in the southern hemisphere through the years.