QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

One of the best ways to get some real hands on experience in electronics, especially as a beginner, is to build electronic kits. Even the seasoned veteran ham can enjoy even the more complex kits. In amateur radio circles, the kit building guru is Joe Eisenberg, K0NEB. Joe spends his free time, in addition to operating his favorite contests and attending hamfests, testing kits, making recommendations, and teaching others how to be successful in kit building. Joe is Eric, 4Z1UG's, QSO today.

With almost sixty years in our amazing hobby, Bob Epstein, K8IA, and his wife Sandy, N7RQ, pursue their love of the contest through their Arizona Outlaws Contest Club and their multi operator contest station, based in their home. Bob shares his story with me in this QSO Today.

Jack Falker, W8KR, has been a ham for over 60 years. He now divides his time between ham radio, rose gardening, and writing an international blog on rose gardening. Now that his tower and beam are retired, Jack uses phased vertical antennas above the rose garden to work DX around the World. Jack discusses amateur radio, vertical antennas, and the mystical side of amateur radio with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

Gregory Andracke, W2BEE, is an accomplished news cameraman and documentary cinematographer, with Academy and Emmy awards to his credit. He is also an accomplished amateur radio operator, with over fifty years in the hobby. His love for ham radio is as strong as it ever was. Greg joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

Jim George, N3BB is an active contestor, DXer, and rag chewer. Jim has many contest awards and was a team member in the 2000 World Radiosport Team Championship, or WRTC, in Slovenia. Now retired, Jim divides his time between ham radio, his wife, Diana, grandchildren, and authoring books. His most recent book, Contact Sport, about the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship, brings the excitement and suspense of this uniquely ham radio experience to the non-amateur radio audiences. N3BB is Eric’s QSO Today.

After a successful career in finance, Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, embarks on a new career as the ARRL’s new executive director succeeding the retiring David Sumner, K1ZZ. Tom joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today to discuss his ham radio story and his future role at the ARRL.

When it comes to home brew single side-band transceivers and test equipment, Ashhar Farhan, VU2ESE, is the master of building amateur radio equipment on a budget, with common parts. Ashhar is the designer of the BITX "open source" HF SSB transceiver, and has an international reputation as a home brewer, and is referred to as the “home brew hero” by Bill Meara, N2CQR, of the Soldersmoke podcast. Ashhar Farhan is Eric, 4Z1UG's guest on QSO Today.

If you wanted to homebrew QRP radios with vacuum tubes, or thermatrons, then the goto guy would be Grayson Evans, TA2ZGE, author of the book, Hollow State Devices. Grayson joins Eric, 4Z1UG, to discuss his ham radio life, thermatrons, home brewing, and operating QRP, from his QTH in Turkey.

Amateur radio was the early beginning for a career in radio for Art Bell, W6OBB, who became one of America’s number one late night talk show hosts. Art's audience on Coast to Coast AM grew to 15 million listeners in over five-hundred markets. Art discusses ham radio and his broadcast radio career in this QSO Today with Eric, 4Z1UG.

The local city dump was the source of parts for Peter Parker, VK3YE's first ham radio projects. This humble beginning made Peter one of the most prolific contributors of videos and articles on the art of amateur radio. Peter builds his own gear, operates QRP from the local beach, and gives valuable advice on how to be a successful operator. VK3YE is 4Z1UG's guest on QSO Today.

Jim Kutsch, KY2D, has enjoyed almost fifty years of amateur radio because a local ham club reached out to him as a teenager after a life altering accident. It was through this act of kindness and mentoring from the ham fraternity that started Jim's passion for amateur radio leading to a successful career as a computer scientist, professor, and CEO of a remarkable non-profit organization. He is Eric, 4Z1UG’s guest on QSO Today.

Keith Kaiser, WA0TJT, works every single day to bring kids into the Boy Scouts and amateur radio and has been doing it since 1988. He shares his love of digital modes, ham radio operations, high altitude ballooning, the Boy Scouts, and geocaching in this episode of QSO Today.

Propagation, especially in the HF bands still remains a mystery for many amateur radio operators. Eric is joined in this QSO Today by Tad Cook, K7RA, author of the weekly ARRL Propagation Bulletin to discuss our hobby and the effect of Space weather on low band propagation.

If you were stranded on a desert island with Mike Rainey, AA1TJ, and a compact fluorescent light bulb, the chance is good that Mike could build you a low frequency QRPP transceiver to send your distress messages. Eric, 4Z1UG, discusses with Mike his approach to amateur radio and the satisfaction that he gets from his home brew projects and operating at the 50 milliwatt level.

Bob Allphin, K4UEE, has traveled to 126 countries and has gone on forty DXpeditions to the far corners of the Earth to active exotic and remote locations. Bob discusses his early amateur radio beginnings, his love of our hobby and DXing, and provides some advice on how to attract new hams to the hobby in this episode of QSO Today.

Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC, joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today about the importance of ham radio Elmers, especially in the lives of kids, and how to pay it forward to future generations of hams. Bob is an active elmer with kids through the New Jersey Boy Scouts of America as well as creating opportunities for kids to speak to astronauts first aboard the Space Shuttle and now to the International Space Station.

Radio kit design for the Four State QRP Group is one of the passions of Dave Cripe, NM0S. As a amateur radio generalist, with a strong discipline and technical background, Dave enjoys a wide range of operating modes and power levels, and home-brewing in addition to mentoring prospective hams through the Boys Scouts of America. NM0S is Eric, 4Z1UG’s guest on QSO Today.

Doug Crompton, WA3DSP’s, interest in ham radio began as a kid in Pennsylvania in the ‘60s. Doug’s careful attention to detail and documentation of his projects make him an Elmer’s Elmer. Doug joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today about boat anchors restoration, Allstar linking using the Raspberry Pi, and WSPRnet.

What is a DX contact on 10 Ghz? Paul Wade, W1GHZ, tells his ham radio story, about his ham radio operations in the amateur radio frequencies above 1 Ghz, and how these contacts are made. Paul is a regular contributor on amateur radio microwave subjects to both QST and QEX magazines. He joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this week’s QSO Today.

Don Greenbaum, N1DG, comes from a ham radio family and started in the hobby as an eleven year old Novice, over fifty years ago. A veteran of the some of the most challenging DXpeditions and co-founder of CW Ops organization, Don shares his insight and experience on amateur radio, with Eric, 4Z1UG, on this episode of QSO Today.

Alan Wolke, W2AEW, is a master mentor and elmer who uses YouTube to produce and share his electronic and ham radio educational videos. This is in addition to being a an active ham, volunteer examiner, and advisor to the “maker movement” of things. He his Eric, 4Z1UG’s, guest on QSO Today.

Bob Heil, K9EID, is no stranger to ham radio, as a pioneer in audio systems, not only for the rock and roll stars in the 60’s and 70’s, but for ham radio as well. As the founder of Heil Sound, Bob’s injection of audio experience and know how has raised the bar of what is acceptable for good sounding voice communications on amateur radio. Bob shares his ham radio story with Eric, 4Z1UG, on this episode of QSO Today.

HF digital modes are synonymous with Murray Greenman, ZL1BPU, creator of MFSK, WSQ, DominoEX, MFSK16, FSK-Hell and S/MT-Hell, and most recently FSQ. Murray is a ham’s ham, who creates, contributes, and shares in exhaustive detail the developments and discoveries that he has made during his 49 years in amateur radio. Murray joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

Bill Tippett, W4ZV’s ham radio journey is a series of firsts. He was the first USA Novice licensee to achieve DXCC, first teenager to achieve DXCC Honor Roll, first 160 meter DXCC from “0” land, and the first amateur operator Worldwide to work 300 DXCC countries on 160 meters. Bill shares his ham radio story with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today.

If you wanted to operate two meter EME or “moon bounce”, then you're Elmer should be Howard Sherer, AE3T, who has made over 700 contacts with a modest station and antenna array. Howard discusses his ham radio journey, travel and ham radio, and EME, with Eric, 4Z1UG, on this episode of QSO Today.

When it comes to hams making their own kind of music, one has to think of Don Huff, W6JL, who notes on his QRZ page that people who make things are happier than those who buy them. Don operates a completely modular home-brew HF station and power amplifier that is continuously variable in output power from 50 mw to 550 watts. Don loves to rag chew and share, and this is why he is Eric, 4Z1UG’s guest on QSO Today.

According to Nick Kennedy, WA5BDU, we live in the “golden age” of home brewing in amateur radio. Nick explains how this golden age is possible, what he does with a former AT&T long-lines microwave site, and highlights his amateur radio journey, with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today.

If you want to meet a ham that works every contest and operates every mode, from 160 meters to 1296 Mhz, then John Thompson, K3MD, would come to mind. With over 350,000 contacts in his logbook since 1991, John is just a guy that loves operating, especially contests. At the same time, he collects classic rigs, writes articles, and mentors hams, and is active in many ham organizations. John joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this week's QSO Today.

From the hills of Tennessee, Kirk Pickering, K4RO, operates a SO2R, single operator 2 radio, contest station and makes over ten-thousand contacts a year. Using Beverage antennas, Kirk is able to operate 160 meters, the “top band”, as solar cycle band conditions fade. Kirk is Eric, 4Z1UG’s, guest on QSO Today.

Amateur Radio and The Boy Scouts of America merged in a new and strong partnership under the leadership of Jim Wilson, K5ND, through his promotion of the annual Jamboree on the Air, the largest single scouting event in the World. Jim is Eric, 4Z1UG’s, guest on QSO Today.

When Craig Thompson, K9CT, wanted a place to spend a contest weekend with his amateur radio friends he built a multi operator contest station on a rural property, not far from his home in the city. Drawing on the experience and expertise of other multi operator contest station owners, Craig built his ultimate man cave. Craig discusses his amateur radio story and the details of building this station with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a QRP CW operator, founder of the “Skeeder Hunt”, an outdoor QRP contest, and a blogger with many stories to tell and observations to make about amateur radio. Larry joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this episode of QSO Today.

Phil Anderson, WOXI, founded Kantronics in 1971 to build wiring harnesses for automobiles. The company morphed over time to become one of the premier manufacturers of terminal node controllers or TNCs for amateur packet radio. Now retired, Phil is as active as ever pursuing new avenues in ham radio. Phil joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this episode of QSO Today.

Maybe the ultimate home-brew project is to build the modern “KWM4” based on the Collins KWM2, then soup it up, like a hotrod, with an Arduino microprocessor, a digital synthesizer, and a digital display. This was and is Pete Juliano, N6QW’s dream rig. Pete joins Eric, 4Z1UG, for a conversation on home-brewing, construction technique, and ham radio on QSO Today.

Lance Collister, W7GJ, has had a fascination with VHF, six and two meters, for over fifty years, when he had a Heathkit Twoer and a three element yagi. Now Lance travels to the far corners of the Earth with his Elecraft KX3 to bounce his six meter signal off of the moon. Lance tells us how he does it in his conversation with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today.

Chuck Adams, K7QO, is working the world with his single channel 20 meter transceiver just to show that he can. CW is Chuck’s mode of choice because of its efficiency and as a gateway to making ham radio affordable to anyone. Chuck shares his ham radio life, his Manhattan Muppet board construction method, and how to copy call signs at 140 words a minute, with Eric, 4Z1UG, on this episode of QSO Today.

Who could imagine that an offer to build fifty experimental SDR radios called the SDR1000 would turn into an order for five-hundred units in the first year launching Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR, into the SDR business. FlexRadio Systems was launched, in 2003, on the kitchen table of K5SDR's Austin, Texas house to become the premier ham radio supplier of turn-key SDR radios. Gerald joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this episode of QSO Today.

The book, SOS at Midnight, by Walker Thompson, inspired Glenn Elmore, N6GN, to become an amateur radio operator. Son of a Caltech physicist, Glenn follows in the family’s tradition of careful research and documentation of his experiments in WSPRnet for VHF and UHF propagation, and his use of quad-copters as a sky hook for his surface wave transmission line experiments. Join N6GN and Eric, 4Z1UG, in a fascinating discussion on QSO Today.

According to Joe Shupienis, W3BC, a “real ham” is an active ham, who takes part in any aspect of the hobby. Joe is the founder of the Quad Counties Amateur Radio Club, over 40 years ago, and he continues to lead the hobby with his ham radio blog and contributions to the club newsletter. Besides being active on the air, Joe is the ARRL WPA club coordinator under Section Manager, Tim Duffy, K3LR. W3BC joins 4Z1UG on QSO Today.

Becoming a top contester in the World of amateur radio is about skill, practice, experience, and a great station according to Pat Barkey, N9RV. Pat combines all of these attributes, including his SO2R, single operator two radio, station, to be one of the top contesters in the World. Now he is the editor of the National Contest Journal, a professor at Contest University, and Eric, 4Z1UG’s, guest on QSO Today.

For some hams, amateur radio provides an opportunity to not only work DX, but to travel the world on DXpeditions of all kinds. My guest on QSO Today, has visited over 60 countries during his ham radio career. Wayne Mills, N7NG, was also inducted into the CQ DX Hall of Fame and is the founder of DX University. He is Eric, 4Z1UG’s guest, this week, on QSO Today.

Like many of us who got interested in radio as kids, Doug Grant, K1DG, got his start with a crystal radio kit from an ad in the back of Boy’s Life magazine. Receiving signals on a wire strung across the back yard was the beginning of Doug’s amateur radio journey that led him, this year, to his induction into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. Contests are Doug’s passion, and he operates a Single Operator Two Radio (SO2R) contest station. He shares the details with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today.

When it comes to introducing amateur radio to kids, there is no better elmer than Carole Perry, WB2MGP. Carole captured the imagination of almost nine-hundred Staten Island, New York, public school kids a year, for almost thirty years. With this experience and and knowledge, Carole is still a leader in ham radio education through a number of national organizations. She joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

Bill Meara, N2CQR, rediscovered his love of homebrewing while on professional assignment for the American Foreign Service, in the Azores. He has since traveled the World with his family and ham radio while at the same time building homebrew transceivers using the Manhattan method. Bill joins, Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

When it comes to building ham radio projects using the Arduino microcontroller, the best person to call is Glen Popiel, KW5GP, author of Arduino for Ham Radio, published by the ARRL. Like many hams, Glen was into computers early and now applies those computer skills to new and fascinating ham radio projects. KW5GP is Eric, 4Z1UG’s, guest on QSO Today. #qsotoday

When the need to operate portable arose on a family vacation, Budd Drummond, W3FF, fashioned a temporary antenna mast from a painters extension pole and some PVC pipe fittings. A little more innovation led to the Buddipole system for portable antennas. A ham for more than sixty years, Budd, W3FF, founder of Buddipole, is Eric, 4Z1UG’s guest on QSO Today.

Volunteering to ham radio organizations and interesting kids in amateur radio is the center of Bob Sterner’s, KB0BS, ham radio activity on the Front Range of Colorado. Bob shares his insight, with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today, gained from his hundreds of hours a year as a volunteer examiner, ham radio mentor, radio club organizer, and leader in the Colorado ham radio community.

After a career in electronics engineering, Tony Parks, KB9YIG, returned to ham radio, after thirty years, to find it very different than when he first started in the 1950s. Upon returning in 2000, Tony discovered software defined radio or SDR, where he saw an opportunity to build starter kits for HF SDR receivers that became the Softrock SDR kits. Tony joins Eric, 4Z1UG to discuss SDR and Softrock.

When attempting to activate a new mountain peak, in Colorado, for SOTA, Summits on the Air, Steve Galchutt, WG0AT, uses goats to act as his “sherpas” to carry his gear to the top. His goats allow him to make it to the top of the “teeners”, to set up and make contacts. Join WG0AT and Eric, 4Z1UG on the QSO Today podcast.

Combining the software development skills from his thirty-five year career in the US Coast Guard and his hearing loss drove David Freese, W1HKJ, into the early HF digital modes and eventually to support GMFSK software. Building on this popular platform, David then went on to develop FLdigi, one of ham radio’s most popular software programs for encoding and decoding digital transmissions. David discusses his ham radio journey that led to the “FL” line of open source software products with Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.