QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Tim Duffy, K3LR operates one of the most prestigious amateur radio contest stations in the United States with twelve operating positions, two for each band. Tim shares his ham radio journey, from his early entry into ham radio as a twelve year old, to a career in cellular telephony, and culminating in his position as COO of DX Engineering. Join Tim and Eric, 4Z1UG in their QSO Today.

Amateur radio was the key driver that led Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, to a MSEE in Electrical Engineering and then a career as an RF design engineer with both Motorola and later Magnavox. When the hobby bites us at an early age, doors open to a bright and successful future. Carl has written hundreds of articles on the propagation of radio signals over the years. He shares this knowledge with Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today. #QSOTODAY

Sixty years in the hobby hasn’t diminished Frank Fahrlander’s, N7FF, enthusiasm for amateur radio and the exploration of new technologies and operating modes. With a solid foundation in electronics that began in grade school and through a career in computers, Frank continues to build projects and kits, elmer new hams, lead his DX club, and volunteer in his community. N7FF joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

In California, San Bernardino County Fire has a unique program that includes over 200 amateur radio volunteers to provide auxiliary communications to the county during disasters and special events. Tracy Lenocker, WA6ERA, heads this group of ham radio volunteers that is one of the most comprehensive public services by hams to the largest county in the United States. Tracy joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

After spending a career working on the railroad, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, is sending satellites into space with AMSAT, as their new VP of Engineering on the FOX-1 cube satellite project. Amateur radio opens doors to new experiences and opportunities. Jerry shares his amateur radio story and his busy ham radio life with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this episode of QSO Today.

Amateur radio has its renaissance men that include Greg Latta, AA8V. By day, Greg is a university physics professor and lecturer, an avid homebrewer of vacuum tube transmitters and receivers, and metal fabricator. By Night, he is an award winning musician and folk artist. An attention to detail and organization, in perfect harmony, is the successful formula that Greg discusses with Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

Ron Milliman, K8HSY, has spent over 60 years in ham radio only to still find satisfaction, connections, and opportunity from the hobby he has loved all this time. As a boy who lost is sight, Ron was fortunate to have a father, friends, and schoolmates who supported his ham radio projects and interests. Join Ron and Eric, 4Z1UG, in their QSO Today.

Beginning at the age of five, when his father could get him inside a Gates broadcast transmitter to change out the bypass capacitors in the final amplifier, to a childhood of radio and audio repair, Kevin Custer, W3KKC, has gone on to make radio his life’s work. Kevin’s Repeater Builder website has become the go to Internet resource for information on surplus land mobile radios, equipment, and test gear for building and maintaining amateur radio repeaters. Kevin joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

Greg Lane, N4KGL, tells us how amateur radio adds to his enjoyment of his other outdoor hobbies that include Rocketry and model airplanes. As one of the key US proponents of RaDAR, or rapid deployment amateur radio, Greg is the master of foot portable HF operation in the Southern forests and swamps, to the Gulf’s beautiful Florida beaches. Greg Lane, N4KGL joins Eric, 4Z1UG in QSO Today.

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 and his amateur radio journey that includes his authoring many books and articles on ham radio. He also offers practical advice to new and returning hams.

When Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE, created “shack in a sack” as a working concept for portable operation, in South Africa's great outdoors, for ham radio activity and contests, he had no idea it would become an international ham radio phenomena he renamed RaDAR, or rapid deployment amateur radio. RaDAR, could be ham radio's "iron man" contest that combines outdoor activity with ham radio. Eddie joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

Amateur Radio opened many doors for David Larsen, KK4WW, that began in high school, with the US Navy, a front row seat to the burgeoning computer industry, a career at Virginia Tech, World travel, and a visit to the White House. David joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today to discuss his ham radio life and all of the wonderful opportunities and relationships that amateur radio created. Now as the historian and curator of the Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum, David has his perfect vehicle for preserving his unique past for future generations.

Scott Andersen, NE1RD, has evolved a system, over the years, that combine a family vacation and a serious DXpedition, especially during contests that he calls the 100 pound DXpedition. In this episode of QSO Today, Scott shares his secrets that include how to plan and execute the perfect combination of ham radio contesting and vacation in an exotic location. Some of this simple wisdom and experience might surprise you.

Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, is one of the most prolific bloggers about ham radio on the Internet today. As an advocate for ham radio and as a teacher of ham radio, both with his study guides and the local classes that he teaches, Dan practices what he preaches. Join the QSO Today between Dan and Eric, 4Z1UG, on the amateur radio topics that most interest them.

Dan Walker, WG5G, works DX and has worked almost every country in the World, except four, with a simple Kenwood TS-130V and five watts of power. All QRP. Dan joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today to discuss his ham radio story and what it really takes to be the best QRP DX operator in the World. His answers might surprise you.

Dennis Blanchard, K1YPP, started his ham radio journey in 1962 at the age of twelve, after discovering an old Hallicrafters receiver in the attic of the family home. Ham radio became a passion that eventually pulled his father and brother into the hobby. In 2007, Dennis combined his love for backpacking and ham radio when he started a 6 month trek of the 2100 mile Appalachian Trail. Dennis joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today to discuss his ham radio life and hiking the trail.

In 1980, when the hospital where she worked had a phone system failure, April Moell, WA6OPS, gave a call to local hams to come provide support. She discovered that hospitals in every community frequently have communications failures that risk the lives and safety of patients. Thirty years after founding the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System, April and her group now provide emergency communications to over 34 hospitals in her area. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today with WA6OPS.

Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today with Eric Manning, VA7DZ. Eric and Eric discuss the Reverse Beacon Network and the use of the CW Skimmer software as tools for contesting and understanding of real time low band openings. VA7DZ has a lifetime of amateur radio beginning in 1948, in his 5th grade classroom. His ham radio journey led him to a career in computers and computer science, culminating as a professor of computer science and electrical and computer engineering, and to his current ham radio operation at the University of Victoria. Even in retirement, Eric’s ham radio life is rich with experiences and new projects.

After 60 years in the hobby, Martin Huyett, K0BXB, loves ham radio as much as he did when he first started. After a career in electronic engineering, inspired by ham radio, and an operating career that included homebrew slow scan television, 2 meter FM on surplus mobile equipment, and packet radio, Martin has gone back to his ham radio roots and now enjoys a simple CW QSO on a straight key. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today with K0BXB.

Join Eric, 4Z1UG in his QSO Today with Dean Mertz, K0MKT. Dean and Eric have been friends for almost 40 years after meeting at the local ham radio club, in Southern California. While their lives have taken them around the World, there is always an opportunity, a few times a year, to catch up on ham radio projects and personal lives. As a software engineer and hardware tinkerer, Dean always has an inspiring project to discuss. This time its a web based audio adjustment meter, using the Beaglebone Black, for the local DMR mobile radio system.

Is is possible for ham radio operators to have a broadband wireless network for the transmission of voice, video, and data as a backup, to the Internet and the commercial infrastructures, that we depend upon? Jim Kinter, K5KTF, thinks it is. Jim is the chief evangelist for the Broadband Hamnet group in Austin, Texas. Ham radio broadband mesh networks is the topic of conversation in Eric’s, 4Z1UG, QSO Today with Jim Kinter, K5KTF. Ham radio mesh networking began with the conversion of Linksys home routers, with special firmware, into a robust wideband data network to allow voice, video, and data between hams in the amateur bands. Join Eric and Jim in their QSO Today.

Bob Wolbert, K6XX, owns and operates a multiple position contest station in the coastal hills of Northern California. According to Bob, you need every dB to get contacts in your log during a contest. As the team leader for the US in the World RadioSport Team Championship 2010, he is especially qualified to speak about what it takes to be a great contest operator. As an employee of Elecraft, Bob gets to be a professional amateur radio operator in addition to his hobby operating ham radio. Join, Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today with Bob, K6XX.

Scott Zimmerman, N3XCC, founder of the W3WAN repeater network in Pennsylvania, joins Eric, 4Z1UG, on the QSO Today podcast, to discuss the FM world of repeaters above 50 Mhz. Coming to amateur radio from a commercial two-way radio background, Scott applies his expertise to maintain a network work of interconnected amateur radio repeaters that provide wide area coverage, international access through the Allstar linking network, and public service in times of emergency. Scott is also a contributor to the Repeater Builder website, the one-stop for any ham who wants to reassign commercial land mobile radios to amateur service.

Bruce Perens, K6BP, is a self described evangelist for amatuer radio. As the creator of the Open Source Definition used for the free exchange of software code, Bruce has appled this to amateur radio towards the development of Codec2 and FreeDV, digital modulation schemes for HF and VHF. Through his new company, Algoram, Bruce hopes to create the ultimate open source handheld software defined radio. As an evangelist, Bruce founded No Code International, where he successfully eliminated the Morse code requirement for amateur radio licenses Worldwide.

You can still build a beautiful tuna can transmitter, especially if it uses vacuum tubes instead of solid state components. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today with Steve Johnston, WD8DAS, where they discuss Steve’s ham radio journey that includes experimentation in the 630 meter band, restoration of Chinese military radio gear, and the love of amateur radio.

The right elementary school teachers who challenged their students with the Morse Code was just the beginning of Hap Holly’s, KC9RP’s, ham radio career leading to the RAIN Report and The Dayton Hamvention’s 2002 Amateur of the Year. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, and Hap in their QSO Today.

The team of Sharon and Wayne Spring, K6IRD and W6IRD, make a powerful combination, not only in amateur radio, but as a lesson in commitment, hard work, and attention to detail. This has led both to not only a successful 50 year marriage, but to a rich, hands on amateur radio life. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in this inspiring conversation with both Wayne and Sharon Spring on QSO Today.

Elecraft’s co-founder and CTO, Wayne Burdick, N6KR, joins Eric, 4Z1UG, on another QSO Today. Waynes fascination with home brewing from an early age combined with his love of QRP led to the development of some of the best amateur radio transceivers on the market. Wayne and Eric’s conversation reveals some insights into what makes a successful ham radio product.

Stan, WB2LQF, does more with less in his 50 year ham radio journey starting with a single tube transmitter loaded in to his bed springs to the Elecraft KX3 and an attic antenna. Always a CW operator, ham radio played a major role in Stan’s professional and personal life. Stan joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

John Portune, W6NBC, may have more hams to his credit due to his teaching methods and one day amateur radio licensing courses than any of his peers. John joins Eric, 4Z1UG, on the QSO Today Podcast to discuss this and John’s other ham radio interests from Amateur Fast Scan Television to residential disguise antennas for antenna restricted neighborhoods.

One of the original founders of the Amateur Radio Service in Israel, Amnon Bar Giora, 4X1DF, joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in a conversation about his early beginnings as a radio operator for the pre-Israel Haganah, his training of Yugoslav partisans in the use of radio behind the Nazi lines, his pursuit of the Nazi doctor of Auschwitz across South America, and his co-founding of the Amateur Radio Service in Israel. At 91 years of age, Amnon has a rich history of radio, service to his country and people, and entrepreneurship.

Yehuda, 4X1TQ, survived the electic shock of his life at the tender age of 13, while working on the high voltage power supply for his homebrew transmitter. Fortunately, for all of us, this led Yehuda on a life of innovation, teaching, and paying forward on his ham radio journey. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, on his QSO Today with Yehuda Cern, 4X1TQ.

Eric Nichols, KL7AJ, has Plasma dreams and chanrges up the ionosphere using high power transmitters based upon his years of experience in ham and broadcast radio. Starting in 1972, as a high school senior in Southern California, Eric first earned his Novice Class Amateur Radio license, WN6TEE. Upgrading to General Class, two years later, and adding a First Class Radio Telephone license, Eric made his way to North Pole, Alaska where he spent over 20 years as a broadcast engineer. He shares his ham radio journey through his contribution of over 150 published articles in QST, QEX, eHam and other publications, and even a ham radio novel, Plasma Dreams. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today, with Eric Nichols, KL7AJ.

Ron, W6OM, carries on the tradition of “paying it forward” by “Elmering” neighborhood teenagers, Donnie and David to their Extra Class ham radio licenses. Beginning in the Summer of 1957, at 10 years of age, Ron started his ham radio journey under his Elmer, the original W6OM, George Hutchins. Going on for his Novice license the following September, Ron’s first contact on 15 meters was another 10 year old, Andy Chesnioff, UA3AB, of the former Soviet Union. That original contact created an international friendship that has lasted over 50 years and survived the “Cold War”. His second contact was Stan, F05IW, another ham to become a lifelong friend and business partner. Follow with me on Ron’s ham radio journey.

Rich's ham radio journey began, in the suburbs of Detroit, on a bicycle, when he was sixteen years old, in search of the source of ham radio conversations heard on his portable all band radio. Looking for "big" antennas on the neighborhood houses, he found his Elmer, Charlie, W8LVR, who led him through his first Novice license in 1964. This led Rich on a 40 year career through General Motors, slow scan televsion, working DX, and developing antennas. Rich is the developer of the "fractional wave loop antenna", a theme and variation on the magnetic loop antenna. Listen in on Eric's, 4Z1UG, QSO Today with Rich, K8NDS.

Angel Santana, WP3GW travels around the World, from his home on the island of Puerto Rico, not by ship or airplane, but on the wings of ham radio. Angel says, “the magic for me is speaking to people in other countries”. He likes to meet people, make connections from different countries, from different backgrounds. Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO with Angel about his beginnings in ham radio, his “wall paper”,and the contributions he has made and continues to make to amateur radio as the Public Information Office in his ARRL section for Puerto Rico.

Bob Greenberg, W2CYK, is a third generation ham radio operator, whose "Elmer", was his grandfather, Art Greenberg, the original W2CYK. Follow Bob's ham radio journey from its beginnings almost 40 years ago.

Join Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO with Arie Kliengold, PA3A on QSO Today. Arie discusses his early beginnings in radio as a Merchant Marine radio operator and how he went on to do DXpeditions in Africa in conjunction with Mercy Ships, hospital ships that bring advanced medical care to Africa. See the show notes at www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/pa3a

This is the first podicast of the new QSO Today weekly program where Amateur Radio operators are interviewed by Eric, 4Z1UG. Our audience are prospective, new, and returning members of the ham radio community who wish to learn more about the hobby though conversations, or QSOs, with experienced hams. The goal of the podcast is to introduce the wide range of ham radio options by experts in these areas.