QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Arnie Shatz, N6HC, began his amateur radio journey over 64 years ago, loves to work DX, on CW, and has participated in 14 major DXpeditions, including the ill fated 3Y0Z to  Bouvet Island a few years ago.  N6HC believes that amateur radio is the best hobby for developing critical thinking and problem solving skills, and he is my QSO Today.

Corey Ruth, KD3CR, was a speaker in last August's QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo,  with a presentation titled, HF in an HOA: The BBTD Attic Antenna.  His presentation captured my attention because Corey is a relatively new ham, living in an HOA, an immigrant to the United States, and using an antenna that for all intents and purposes, was too good to be true.  You will hear in this interview that my c...

Callum McCormick, M0MCX, is YouTube's DX Commander and maker of a line of antennas of the same name.  Callum says that he has the best business in the world,  is an active ham, on the air, always testing and fine tuning his antenna creations.  M0MCX shares his discoveries with antennas and ham radio on regular YouTube postings, growing his audience to over 42,000 subscribers.  Callum McCormick, M0...

Dave Jensen, W7DGJ, found his way into amateur radio from volunteering to help disabled Korean War veterans, who were active amateurs,  in a Cleveland, Ohio, Veterans Hospital.  From that interaction grew a love of radio and communications that has lasted a lifetime.  Dave likes to work CW on 17 meters and build his own equipment.  W7DGJ is my QSO Today.

Chip Lohman, NN4U, was introduced to amateur radio during an early stint as a US Marine stationed next to an Army MARS station.  Fascinated by the technology that could connect him to his family around the World, Chip got his first license.  NN4U has reinvented himself a few times over his career, and he tells this story in this QSO Today.

Geoffrey Mendenhall, W8GNMs,  early interest in electronics, germanium transistors, and later high power triodes led him to a career, as an engineer,  designing, building, and managing broadcast transmitters projects for Gates Radio and later Harris Broadcast.  Geoff made a presentation in the last QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo on Beverage Antennas, urging us to try building Beverages  even if condit...

Vince d'Eon, VE6LK, has taken hold of the many amateur radio opportunities on HF SSB, VHF/UHF mobile operation, repeater building and maintenance, and supporting events with his Calgary based amateur radio club.  Vince is a regular contributor to the bi-weekly Ham Radio Workbench Podcast and made a presentation at the last QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo on Disaster Communications and Leadership Impera...

Charlie Brown, NJ7V, is three times a mountain goat, a title that comes from over 3000  SOTA activation points.  Of course this means achievement and expertise operating portable from mountain tops across Arizona and the West.  NJ7V will share his amateur radio story, secrets to SOTA success, and some ideas on how to build a local SOTA organization in this QSO Today.

Kirk Kleinshmidt, NT0Z, has spent most of his professional life working in amateur radio as an editor, author, and contributor to the amateur radio magazines that we have grown to love including QST, ARRL Handbook, Spectrum Monitor, and others.  His own book, Stealth Amateur Radio, continues to advise us how to get on the air and enjoy our hobby, even when our living situation is against it.  NT0Z...

Dr. Jack Purdum, W8TEE, licensed since 1954, is a prolific author of at least 17 books on computer programming languages and microprocessor projects for amateur radio and is now the Microcontroller Editor at CQ Magazine. This episode is part of my series of interviews to introduce you to QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo Speakers. Jack and Al Peters, AC8GY, are now prolific creators of Arduino projects a...

Julian White, OH8STN, operates outdoors in Finland's Arctic Circle and records, on his popular YouTube Channel,  his expeditions with his compact but sophisticated simulations of grid down communications.  Julian is a natural teacher and his channel may be one of the best ways to understand how and what to pack and take into the wild.    OH8STN is my QSO Today.

Pablo Lewin, WA6RSV, has an interest in radio astronomy and scans the heavens with his hydrogen line radio telescope using an SDR or software defined radio.  Pablo had an interesting aviation career where amateur radio weaved in and out of it since the late seventies.  Now in aviation retirement, he does stand up  comedy and creates content for the film and television industry.  WA6RSV tells his a...

Stephen Houser, N1SH, was essential to helping Rex Harper, W1REX, present his Build-A-Thons at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expos with multi-camera coverage of Rex's project demonstrations.  Stephen had early exposure to amateur radio and  was no stranger to our hobby years before he got his first license. Stephen has a strong interest and expertise in computers, programming, building projects, and h...

Michael Johnson, WO9B's ham radio career has evolved through a number of phases over the last 50 years that now include CW and QRP operation, with his dog, during CWOPs weekly tests from local parks in Milwaukee.  Mike's park operation has  become a weekly meetup for his local radio club.  WO9B also enjoys DMR and HF digital modes and is my QSO Today.

Nelson Farrier, NF7Z, is a relatively recent new ham, a retired middle school teacher of STEM learning to children, and a graduate of the ARRL Teacher Institute. He has some refreshing insight into what we as an amateur radio community do better to relate to children and strengthen our numbers with younger hams.  NF7Z is my QSO Today.

Courtney Duncan, N5BF, has humble amateur radio beginnings in Texas where he earned a degree in musical piano performance.  Destiny intervened, allowing Courtney to get a degree as an  electronic engineer and a career at JPL, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, associated with NASA and CalTech in Pasadena, California  working on flight radio systems for spacecraft that go to Mars and beyond.  Now retir...

Paul Mower, VA6MPM, treks across the Canadian Rockies, often for days at a time.  Amateur radio connects Paul to the outside world when he is far beyond his cellular telephone coverage.  Paul enjoys working Summits on the Air from some of the most remote outposts in the world.  VA6MPM is my QSO Today.

Andy Mitchell, VA3CW, as an eleven year old Boy Scout, participated with his small troop in Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air, in 1974. This exposure changed the course of Andy's life, profession, and interests.  Getting on the air and working DX are the simple ham radio pastimes that contribute to his free time enjoyment.  VA3CW is my QSO Today.

Dr. Brian Callahan, AD2BA, has a background in music, anthropology, Japanese video arcade games and open source software leading him to amateur radio and his Extra Class license.  As a new and younger ham, as well as a college professor to younger potential hams, AD2BA shares his experience and insight on how we might involve young people in our hobby.  Brian is my QSO Today.

Dr. Robert Nash, G4GEE, discovered early on that amateur radio is a social hobby that makes him a citizen of the World with friendships on every continent.  Working DX and dedicating time to his local club, the Coventry Amateur Radio Society, is his formula for ham radio success.  G4GEE is my QSO Today.

Alan Thompson, W6WN, was a volunteer rescuer to the Camp Fire in Northern California a few years ago.  This experience made Alan an evangelist for the deployment and  use of conventional radio communications and the training that saves lives and property, as a backup to the costly but fragile smartphone systems that suddenly do not work in a natural disaster.  Alan tells his ham radio story in thi...

Mark Beckwith, N5OT,  grew up in Southern California, with amateur radio's most famous television producer, Dave Bell, W6AQ, who was his amateur radio mentor in the 1970s.  Dave opened a lot of doors to Mark, allowing Mark to build up his contesting and DX on-the-air skills. Mark was a professional opera singer for over 30 years, leading to some interesting conversation both on and off the QSO Tod...

Augie, "Gus" Hansen, KB0YH,  always had an interest in radio, but did not get his first ticket until he was in his mid-thirties.  Gus enjoys operating the 80 meter nets and building antennas, now especially STL or Small Transmitting Loop, also known as magnetic loop antennas.  And as this is the 20th Anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Gus has his own story in this QSO T...

Jim Condon, AD4YM, listens for the most rare DX, signals from outer space as a radio astronomer, and keeps his fingers in the gear by collecting and restoring the best ham radio boat anchors, including Collins, Drake, Hallicrafters, and Hammarlund.  AD4YM is my QSO Today.

Tony DePrato WA4JQS had an early love of radio and a junior high school mentor who helped him get on the air in the early 1960s.  An 80 meter DX contact from his native Kentucky to Australia ignited a passion for DX that resulted in Tony leading two DXpeditions to the most sought after DX entities in the World.  WA4JQS tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.