QSO Today Podcast - QSO TODAY AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST

W6OBB

10/15/2022

Episode 421 - Art Bell - W6OBB (SK) RePrised

Art Bell, W6OBB, now a silent key, was my guest on Episode 85, in March of 2016 and the interview that follows is the remastered version. Art was a very active ham from his QTH in Pahrump, Nevada, and his 160 meter Rhombic antennas were legendary. He was also one of the most popular late night talk radio hosts for over 30 years, syndicated nationwide until his retirement in 2007. I was a great fan of Art’s and like many of his fans truly miss him on the radio.

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WA6CDR

4/2/2022

Episode 394 - Robin Critchell - WA6CDR

Robin Critchell, WA6CDR, had a profound influence on many young hams operating in the VHF and UHF bands in Southern California in the 70s’ and 80s. He and Alan Burgstahler, WA6AWD, at the time and now a silent key, created the Cactus Intertie, now the World’s largest full duplex radio linked amateur radio network. “Top band” or 160 Meters is Robin’s favorite band, and he has participated on DxExpeditions, had an incredible career in the communications industry, and can fix just about anything. WA6CDR, is my QSO Today.

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WB4KTF

2/29/2020

Episode 291 - Glen Jenkins - WB4KTF

Glen Jenkins, WB4KTF, grew up on US Marine bases in the 50’s and 60’s, and was no stranger to starting over in new places. Glen tells his ham radio story that includes a professional start in Israel, a stint in Moscow, a successful landing in Houston Texas, until Hurricane Harvey changed his retirement plans. Glen loved his early Heathkit HF Transceivers, collecting Collins gear, and working the digital modes on his modern station. WB4KTF is my QSO Today.

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VK5SFA

10/26/2019

Episode 273 - Steve Adler - VK5SFA

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 first prize in the 2018 QST Antenna Design Competition. The process of building this antenna and its documentation is representative of VK5SFA’s dedication and attention to all of his previous ham radio projects that he mentions in this QSO Today.

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K1HTV

6/15/2019

Episode 254 - Rich Zwirko - K1HTV

Rich Zwirko, K1HTV, was quickly bitten by the DX bug in the late fifties and has gone on to log just about every DX entity on every band. Rich made a career of radio serving as a teenage broadcast engineer in his hometown of New Haven, Connecticut, and later ended his career at the Voice of America in Washington DC. Getting on the air is Rich’s mantra that he shares with us in this QSO Today.

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W0GJ

6/8/2019

Episode 253 - Glenn Johnson - W0GJ

Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, began his ham radio journey as a teenager and from his love for chasing DX, has since been to many DX entities around the world including Heard Island, an attempt last year to land on Bouvet Island, and an upcoming DXpedition later this year to Pitcairn Island. Glenn’s interest and determination to provide these rare DX entities along with his DXpedition group, is worth the weeks at sea, sometimes in terrible conditions. Glenn was able to break from his preparations for Pitcairn to record with me this QSO Today.

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CE3CT

4/28/2018

Episode 195 - Roberto Ramirez - CE3CT

Picture with permission by EY8MM

Roberto Ramirez, CE3CT, from Chile, is a well known South American DXer and Contester who began his ham radio story as a short wave listener. Now an electronic engineer responsible for the local cell phone company microwave links, CE3CT chases DX across with World from his contest station using beverage receive antennas pointed into the Northern hemisphere. CE3CT is my QSO Today.

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KE7X

4/7/2018

Episode 192 - Fred Cady - KE7X (SK)

Fred Cady, KE7X, took his love of radio and electronics as far as he could go - that was to a PHD in Electronic Engineering where he settled into teaching at Montana State University. Now retired, Fred is the author of fourteen books on using and operating the Elecraft transceivers and accessories. Fred is also an avid contest operator and DXer. We will dig into this and more on this QSO Today.

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ZS4TX

2/24/2018

Episode 186 - Bernie van der Walt - ZS4TX

Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX, from Bloemfontein, South Africa is an active ham radio operator. Bernie loves to contest on HF, and operates two remote control EME or Moon bounce stations on two and six meters away from the noise pollution of his residential neighborhood. We discuss these subjects and more on this episode of QSO Today.

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W0CG

2/3/2018

Episode 183 - Geoff Howard - W0CG / PJ2DX

Many of us, especially when we are sitting at our work desk in the cold of Winter, long for tropical warmth, golden sands, and great ham radio that operating from the Caribbean could offer. My guest this week is Geoff Howard, W0CG / PJ2DX, who operates along with his ham friends the P2JT contest station in a villa on a cliff overlooking the sea in Curacao. Geoff shares his ham radio story and the history of P2JT in this QSO Today.

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K4IU

11/11/2017

Episode 171 - Fred Regennitter - K4IU

Fred Regennitter, K4IU, is a DXer and contester, who in this recent period of low sunspots, has discovered the digital modes including the new FT8 mode as his way to continue to work DX. Living in a no-antenna neighborhood, Fred has demonstrated his ham radio ingenuity by building his stealthy wire antennas in the forest behind his house. K4IU is my QSO Today.

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W8ZR

10/14/2017

Episode 167 - Jim Garland - W8ZR

Inspired by one of his home brew elmers, Jim Garland, W8ZR, uses his electronics and metal fabrication workbench to create beautiful ham radio projects (a few displayed in QST magazine) and he restores old vintage boat anchor transmitters and receivers that he rotates through his three operating positions at his QTH in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jim tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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NQ4I

8/13/2017

Episode 159 - Rick Dougherty - NQ4I

When Rick Dougherty NQ4I isn’t operating single side band at 51 thousand feet in a Gulfstream jet, he may be preparing for the next big contest at this super multi-multi station in Griffin, Georgia. A career jet pilot and ham radio contester, NQ4I shares his amateur radio story with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

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AA4XX

4/13/2017

Episode 141 - Paul Stroud - AA4XX

Paul Stroud, AA4XX, went from being a QRO, high power operator, to a QRP operator, testing the bottom limits of power output to distance. Paul approaches ham radio now, as almost a meditative experience, where he operates from his solar powered ham shack deep in the woods near his house, under his wire antennas. Paul takes us on his ham radio journey in this QSO Today.

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G3BJ

3/30/2017

Episode 139 - Don Beattie - G3BJ

Don Beattie, G3BJ, is a former president of the Radio Society of Great Britain, past chairman of BARTG, or the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group, past president of the CDXC, the British DX foundation, board member of the RSGB, and its acting general manager for two years. The list goes on and on. Don is currently the President of the IARU, or the International Amateur Radio Union for Region 1. G3BJ is a leader in British amateur radio and is my QSO Today.

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K1ZM

2/25/2017

Episode 134 - Jeff Briggs - K1ZM

Jeff Briggs, K1ZM, is the author of DXing on the Edge- The Thrill of 160 meters, and he operates an amazing DX station on Prince Edward Island on Canada's Atlantic shore. Jeff is a veteran of a number of DXpeditions and the World Radiosport Team Championship. Eric, 4Z1UG, and Jeff discuss 160 meters, DXing, building and maintaining a super station. This and more on this episode of QSO Today.

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VA3MPM

1/27/2017

Episode 130 - Mike Myers - VA3MPM

My QSO Today with Mike Myers, VA3MPM, was the result of one of your suggestions from my recent listener survey. Mike is a very active ham in Ottowa, Canada, and enjoys ham radio through rag chewing on 80 meters, collecting vintage rigs, participating in his ham clubs, and helping new radio amateurs become successful hams. Mike is also a musician, a member of the Myer Brothers Band, and shares his interest in tube type guitar amplifiers.

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G3ROO

1/9/2017

Episode 128 - Ian Keyser - G3ROO

Ian Keyser, G3ROO, has a 1600 square foot “maker space” or shop that he uses for all of his projects, including ham radio, and shares this space with his Dover Construction Club. Ian works “top band” with wire antennas and a superb grounding system. He collects and refurbishes vintage World War Two spy radios that he displays in his GB2SPY Museum. G3ROO is Eric, 4Z1UG’s QSO Today.

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W7LR

8/13/2016

Episode 106 - Bob Leo - W7LR

Bob Leo, W7LR, began his ham radio journey in the 1930s as a kid growing up in California. He went on to become a member of the first commercial DXpedition to Africa and later a co-founder of the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand. Bob had a rich career as an electrical engineer and Professor of Electrical Engineering at Montana State University. Now, his 90’s, Bob resides in Bozeman Montana with Cobi, his wife of over 60 years. Bob is my QSO Today.

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W9SR

7/29/2016

Episode 104 - Richard Stroud - W9SR

Dick Stroud, W9SR, took his first ham radio test in 1938 that began a ham radio and professional journey as an electronic engineer. This journey, over 75 years, included witnessing the hydrogen bomb tests in the 1950, a successful engineering career, and numerous contributions to the amateur radio hobby of articles on homebrewing, antennas, and propagation. W9SR is my QSO Today.

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W6OBB

3/19/2016

Episode 085 - Art Bell - W6OBB

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 radio 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.

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W4ZV

12/5/2015

Episode 070 - Bill tippetT - W4ZV

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 radio operator Worldwide to work 300 DXCC countries on 160 meters. Bill shares his ham radio story with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today.

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