Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, serves as the Director of Marketing and Innovation at the ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio. Bob has been a valuable member of the ARRL team since 1991, accumulating three decades of experience at the Newington headquarters. His extensive background uniquely qualifies him to provide insights into the organization's past and future trajectory. Bob is credited with developing the Five Pillars of the ARRL, which encompass Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology, and Membership. His unwavering commitment to the membership's best interests is evident. When addressing current questions and controversies regarding necessary changes at the ARRL, Bob consistently emphasizes the organization's effective promotion and protection of the amateur radio hobby.

There are many hams who can claim five decades of amateur radio but there are few who have been immersed in so many facets of the hobby as Gerry Hull, W1VE. Gerry is active throughout his native Canada with several VE callsigns, he's well known for his expertise in the remote ham radio space, he's consulted for and operated the AA7JV Radio-in-a-Box project, and was instrumental in creating the online contest scoreboard concept. He's a competitive contester, consummate DXer, technical writer, a long-time member of the Yankee Clipper Contest Club, and more. In this interview, Gerry talks specifically about his recent CQ WW CW multi-op contest effort at the Maine superstation, K1LZ, and then we do a speed round of questions that cover some of his nearly 50 years in ham radio.

Dan Craig N6MJ and Chris Hurlbutt KL9A are phenoms in the ham radio contesting world. They’ve competed 9 times at the World Radiosport Team Championships and have been on the podium together twice - Gold in 2014 and Bronze in 2018. I caught up with Dan and Chris just days after their 1st (N6MJ) and 2nd (KL9A) place finishes in the 2023 CQ Worldwide CW contest in the very competitive Single Operator High Power All Band category. For that contest, Dan traveled to ZF1A in Grand Cayman and Chris to TI7W in Costa Rica. They are open about their operating strengths and weaknesses but especially talk about the preparation and station excellence that are required to win. There is much to learn from Dan and Chris' commitment to ham radio, their high level of operating skills, and a reminder that at the end of the day we all share a fun and camaraderie filled hobby.

Kris Misa YL3JA has been interested in ham radio contesting since he was first licensed as a teenager. In fact, for years his only QSO's were in contests. Kris has trained with some of the best in Europe while watching them do their magic at multi-op efforts at D4C, ES5TV, ES7A and being mentored by giants such as Roly LY4A and Tonno ES5TV. When Kris attempted to qualify for the WRTC 2002 in Italy, and fell short, these same ham radio peers cheered him on and encouraged him to compete in the Youth category. Andrea IK4VET opened doors for Kris and his WRTC teammate Artem, UR5YKO, to come to Italy to train for the event. The rest is history as Kris and Artem went on to win the Youth category in WRTC 2022. Kris is an exemplar of the kind of young person, given the right support and encouragement, who can make a mark in ham radio today and far into the future. Let's advocate for more Kris Misa's.

Andy Cook, G4PIQ, got his start in amateur radio contesting with competitive weak signal VHF. In an operating category where a single dB can make or break success, Andy honed his skills in station design. He took those skills into HF when his friend, and operating buddy, Bob Carpenter G4BAH (SK), decided that the M6T contest station needed to be a reality. It’s no surprise that WRTC 2026 Chariman, Mark Haynes M0DXR, called upon Andy to be the Director of Sites and Stations for the first World Radiosport Team Championship to be hosted by England. In this interview, Andy talks about his formative years in ham radio and the specific, yet evolving, plans for WRTC 2026.

Dr. Scott Wright is a cardiologist with the Mayo Clinic and a member of the team that developed the use of convalescent plasma as one of the first treatments for Covid-19. That significant contribution to world health during the great pandemic, combined with his history as a DXer, serious contester, and stint as the editor of the National Contest Journal, earned Scott an induction to the CQ Hall of Fame. In this interview, we discuss Scott's first license at the age of 12, the Heathkit HW-101 that he started with, his newfound love for the Elecraft line of ham radio gear, DXpeditions to Chile and Turks and Caicos, the thrill and intensity of contesting and much more. When it comes to representing the ham radio hobby professionally and with enthusiasm, Scott has set a very high bar.

Legendary is the word most often associated with the PJ2T contest station in Curacao. This ham radio station which is located 12 degrees north of the equator, in what is informally referred to as a magical propagation zone, has a very long and rich history of well known operators. The PJ2T story begins with hotelier Chet Brandon PJ2CC who is credited for first noticing the unique HF conditions in Curacao. Chet then convinced CW Contest Hall of Famer, John Thompson W1BIH, to build a house at Coral Cliffs. In his first contest from his new home, John’s team took the World #1 spot in the 1967 CWWW CW contest beginning a long tradition of multi-operator wins. The PJ2T story continued in 2001 when another CQ Contest Hall of Famer, Geoff Howard W0CG, took over stewardship of this world renowned station. Geoff not only rebuilt the house and the station but formed a unique consortium of contesters that would be instrumental in keeping the station active and winning contests. In this interview, Geoff W0CG provides an overview of the station history, the Curacao Contest Consortium, and the magic that has led to years of worldwide contesting wins.

When I first spoke to Mike Giannaccio W5REZ six months ago, he was at the very early stages of creating a new ham radio antenna company. REZ Antenna was more than just an idea, but not much more than that. Mike was working hard on creating a quality production plan, he had built some prototypes and even sold those prototypes to a few lucky operators. From the beginning, it was clear that Mike was on a specific mission to create a quality, successful, and sustainable company. So, I wasn’t surprised to recently see an announcement that REZ Antenna had teamed up with DX Engineering to distribute his antennas to their massive customer base. Checking in with him for this interview, Mike already has several hundred antennas in the field and has plans to expand his product line. Watch this video interview to get Mike's update on REZ Antenna and what the future holds. And, look for him in Dayton in 2024.

California QSO Party chairman Dean Wood N6DE is passionate about his state’s QSO party for good reason. With over 1200 submitted logs, the CQP easily tops the list of state QSO parties for participation. What’s their secret? Start with the fact that the CQP is sponsored by contesters - the Northern California Contest Club - making this one of the few QP’s run by a contest club. Their other unique characteristic is an Expedition class of operator (think “POTA meets Contester”) who fan out across California to activate even the hardest to get to counties. Non-California contesters have plenty of stations to log and many will work hard for a clean sweep of the 58 counties. Participants are split nearly equally between CW, Phone and Mixed Mode but, with no awards for single modes, those playing to win will operate mixed mode. Watch this interview with Dean N6DE to learn more about the October 7-8 2023 CQP and to see Dean's photo highlights from 2022.

Max George NG7M has many, many pursuits within ham radio but there is one consistent thread - an abiding love for CW. He can’t explain what it was about this mode back in his earliest memories of ham radio but his passion for morse code, and the thrill he gets from running stations, drives his choices. Whether learning contesting under the tutelage of W7CT, setting an Expedition Single Op record in the 7QP, honing his contesting chops at the famed PJ2T station in Curacao, or earning his DXpedition stripes on the J28MD Djibouti effort, Max is usually running CW. Watch this episode to learn more about Max George and his NG7M ham radio story

Within weeks, ham radio competitors hungry for one of only 50 team slots in the WRTC 2026 will have their first chance to earn qualifying points. The CQ Worldwide DX SSB contest in late October is the first of only fifteen contests over the next couple of years where points can be earned. In this interview with London area contester and WRTC chairman, Mark Haynes M0DXR, you'll learn more about how the best of the best contesters qualify, how various operating categories are weighted, and the meticulous planning that is required to make this 24-hour contest fair, efficient, and enjoyable. Mark estimates that several hundred people - competitors, referees, site managers, sponsors and spectators - will all converge in England in July 2026 to celebrate this milestone 10th World Radiosport Team Championship. If the conversation leaves you curious to learn more from a competitor's vantage point, look for my earlier interviews with recent winner Yuri VE3DZ, Randy K5ZD and Tim K3LR.

What's it take to win the Ham Radio Olympics? Yuri, VE3DZ, would suggest that luck is a big factor and, at this level, he's likely correct. Then you learn that Yuri has participated in 8 of the 9 World Radio Team Championships telling us that experience and proficiency are also very important. When he explains that his WRTC teammate, Yarik, UW7LL is a technical wizard, one can easily see the competitive benefit of being able to analyze and correct a problem in the moment. Yuri says that he and Yarik did not have time to communicate during the contest, and had no specific strategy, yet they worked in lockstep with band changes and multiplier chasing. Yuri makes it sound easy, or a result of luck, but it's clear that there's a lot more to it. Watch this video interview with Yuri VE3DZ and decide for yourself.

The US Islands program is a nationwide initiative that promotes amateur radio operations from various islands across the country's inland waterways and coastal regions. The program encourages hams to set up stations on these islands and for others to contact them. The program maintains a comprehensive list of designated island reference numbers, aiding operators in identifying specific islands for activation. Hams earn recognition for island activations based on established rules and point systems. Through this initiative, the US Islands program fosters camaraderie among operators, public awareness about amateur radio, and reinforces the vital role of ham radio in disaster response and community connectivity. Join me for this conversation with Jay NS4J to learn more about the US Islands program.

On October 4th 2023, a band of ten experienced ham radio DXpeditioners will be QRV from Swains Island in the South Pacific. This is a much sought after QSO as Swains is ranked #27 on the Club Log most wanted DXCC list. DX Hall of Famer, and W8S teammate, Adrian Ciuperca KO8SCA explains their entire operation in detail including the team’s unique relationship with the island owners, the Jennings family, who are providing a significant amount of logistical support for the trip. Before you get on the air to make your contact, learn more about Swains and the effort being made to bring you this rare DXCC, IOTA and POTA contact.

Clipperton Island, the atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, has a storied history of presidential visits, castaways waiting to be rescued, government squabbles over ownership and, of course, ham radio DXpeditions. In January 2024, the Perseverance DX Group will add their names to the history of this rare entity that is #38 on the Clublog's most wanted list. In this conversation, PDXG co-founder and Clipperton co-organizer, Dave Lloyd K3EL, offers an overview of their activation plans as well as specifics about equipment, antennas, operating schedules and more. Learn about the team behind the 2024 Clipperton DXpedition in anticipation of getting this rare one in your log early next year.

Katie Campbell, KE8LQR, is 15 years old and clearly not the image of ham radio that has everyone worried about an aging hobby. Not only is she a licensed and active ham radio operator, Katie holds positions as the Assistant Youth Section Coordinator for Ohio, is a correspondent for the Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL), and is the assistant PR manager for Youngsters on the Air (YOTA). She has presented at many ham conventions working closely with the legendary youth educator, Carole Perry, WB2MGP. Most recently, Katie was one of a select group of young ham radio operators who took over the K3LR superstation for the RSGB IOTA contest. If you’re curious about attracting more youth to ham radio, you should get to know Katie Campbell KE8LQR and follow her work in promoting the hobby.

26,679. That’s the number of QSOs that teammates James Gallo KB2FMH, Hal Turley W8HC, and Yuri Sushkin N3QQ, put in the log over their 16 days in American Samoa as KH8RRC. From all accounts, it was a well-executed DXpedition with operations on multiple bands, in multiple modes, and providing credit for the DXCC entity, a Parks on the Air park and the IOTA island. Social media was alive with reports during those two weeks in July. James KB2FMH joined me for this conversation about what went right, what went wrong, and how they dealt with the problems that arose. In keeping with his inimitable style, James is very entertaining in his description of events on the ground in the American Samoa. He even hints at where their next DXpedition might be!

Michael Martens, KB9VBR, is on a “mission to inspire and educate the amateur radio community.” With over 545 videos that have been viewed nearly 7 million times, it appears that he’s accomplishing his goal. What distinguishes Michael’s content above most others is the high production quality so it wasn’t surprising to hear that he has a film and creative story telling background. In our conversation, we talk about Michael’s start with ham radio in 1999, his business venture called “J-Pole Antennas,” Parks on the Air activations, and, of course, his passion for creating content that inspires on his extremely popular YouTube channel, KB9VBR Antennas.