QSO Today Podcast - QSO TODAY AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST

AB4WS

5/5/2025

Episode 525 - Jack Prindle - AB4WS

Jack Prindle AB4WS, had an early interest in AM broadcast radio, evolving to scanner listening to public safety in his native Florence, Kentucky, and a stint in Citizens Band before coming to amateur radio. Jack made a career in law enforcement, landing in computer forensics. Jack likes to contribute to his ham radio community by mentoring new hams, getting on the air, and finding success in operation and giving back. AB4WS is my QSO Today.

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WA2JMG

11/16/2024

Episode 524 - Charles “Pete” Corp - WA2JMG

Charles “Pete” Corp, WA2JMG, operates simple rigs into wire antennas, using low power. His primary operating mode is ragchewing on CW for meaningful and reliable communications. At the urging of his grandfather, Pete pursued the power system management side of electrical engineering side of his four year degree as a way to satisfy the market demand for power engineers in industry, when there is a scarcity of supply. WA2JMG tells us his ham radio story, beginning in 1960, in this QSO Today.

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WA7GIL

11/9/2024

Episode 523 - Ron Taylor - WA7GIL

Ron Taylor WA7GIL, while having a love for HF CW, boat anchor restoration, and kit building, still stays current with home brew equipment using Arduino controllers, the latest ham radio software, and the NanoVNA. His beautiful ham shack and carefully appointed workbench and parts inventory allow Ron to build and fix just about anything. WA7GIL is my QSO Today.

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W4CMG

11/2/2024

Episode 522 - Cathy Goodrich - W4CMG

Cathy Goodrich, W4CMG, is an enthusiastic contester and dedicated DX chaser. Known for her meticulous scheduling, Cathy ensures she dedicates time each day to amateur radio, honing her operating techniques and CW rag chewing skills. In her retirement, Cathy continues to make an impact as a Red Cross Coordinator in Nashville, TN, applying strategic insights gained from her extensive experience as a project manager in the pharmaceutical industry. In our conversation, we delve into how amateur radio operators can engage in and contribute their expertise to Red Cross operations, as well as improving on the air operating skills. W4CMG is my QSO Today.

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K4OGO

10/26/2024

Episode 521 - Walt Hudson - K4OGO

Walt Hudson, K4OGO, has always lived by and had a love of the sea, pursuing a career in ship building, beginning in Portsmouth, Virginia. While he always had an interest in radio, including Citizens band radio, it wasn’t until just a few years ago that Walt became a ham radio operator. Since he is always near the shore, operating portable QRP SSB from the water’s edge and making DX contacts is what excites him. K4OGO loves to experiment with vertical antennas on the beach to fine tune his technical and operating skills. K4OGO is my QSO Today.

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WD8DAS_1

9/28/2024

Episode 520 - Steve Johnston - WD8DAS

Steve Johnston, WD8DAS, was my guest in Episode 14, 10 years ago this October. I urge you to go back to that episode to get Steve’s ham radio story. A lot can happen in ten years, especially in this age of ham radio and the Internet. So in this episode we catch up with Steve to find out what contributions he has made and is making since the last time we spoke. WD8DAS is my QSO Today.

K6ARK

9/21/2024

Episode 519 - Adam Kimmerly - K6ARK

Adam Kimmerly, K6ARK, discovered amateur radio almost by accident through his participation in the San Diego Mountain Rescue organization. Adam’s ham radio interests evolved from VHF to HF SOTA, or Summits on the Air, learning CW, and reaching SOTA Mountain Goat status. The need for light weight kits to carry to the most difficult to reach summits demanded new expertise in antenna design and construction with 3D printing. K6ARK tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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N7HQ

9/14/2024

Episode 518 - Dan Quigley - N7HQ

Dan Quigley, N7HQ, is a true veteran in the world of ham radio and technology. Like many of us, Dan's passion for radio began early, with a crystal radio, and earned his license while delivering newspapers to pay for his new hobby. Dan’s professional career evolved based on the specific needs of clients and customers, creating long and successful stints through Microsoft and Amazon before joining FlexRadio as their Director of Strategic Solutions. N7HQ is a kindred spirit, perhaps to many of us, and tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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OE1Wkl

9/7/2024

Episode 517 - Willi Kraml - OE1WKL

My guest this week is Willi Kraml, OE1WKL, creator of the Morserino CW code practice machine . Willie discovered amateur radio as a boy in Lindz, Austria, but had to wait until the legal age of 16 to get his license. With his doctorate in linguistics, Willi pursued a career in IT security with KPMG. When his local maker-space needed an Arduino project around amateur radio, the Morserino code practice system was born. OE1WKL discusses the delivery of over 10,000 Morserinos, his projects, and his contributions to amateur radio in this QSO Today.

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W5HRH

8/24/2024

Episode 516 - Rudy Hardy - W5HRH

Rudy Hardy, W5HRH, was introduced to electronics and radio at a young age by a favorite uncle. His interest in the hobby deepened through his experiences with CB radio and the influence of mentors in college. Rudy pursued a career in federal law enforcement, eventually teaching criminal justice at a community college in Houston. He's also a skilled sports photographer. In this episode, we explore Rudy’s journey with Parkinson’s disease, his successful treatment, and how amateur radio can benefit retirees and those facing complex health challenges. W5HRH is my QSO Today.

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LA0CY

8/17/2024

Episode 515 - Susan Gayle Nordskog - LA0CY

Susan Gayle Nordskog, LA0CY, was practically born into ham radio. She learned Morse code from her mother and grew up in Los Angeles, surrounded by her parents' ham radio friends. After college, Susan developed a deep love for the sea and a passion for crewing large vessels, even during a time when American ships rarely hired women. Undeterred, she immigrated to Norway, completed a three-year ship’s officer course, and started a family. Her career took her across the world’s oceans on some of the largest ships afloat. Now, LA0CY is back on the air, actively participating in the local ham radio scene on two meters and always ready for a chat on any topic with fellow operators. LA0CY is my QSO Today.

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N5BZM

8/10/2024

Episode 514 - Steve Corley - N5BZM

Steve Corley, N5BZM, discovered ham radio, almost by accident, by the intervention of his mother with an FCC official attempting to scare a teenager out of operating a CB radio improperly. Steve loves the range and variety of amateur radio opportunities and started a Ham Radio Auctions business to aid amateurs to find buyers and the heirs of deceased ham radio operators to properly dispose of their equipment. N5BZM stresses the importance of HF to amateur radio and tells his story in this QSO Today.

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K7NM

8/3/2024

Episode 513 - Lee Barrett - K7NM

Lee Barrett, K7NM, has had a wonderful career, in broadcast radio, military projects, command and control, spacecraft, and medical device development. His early initiation into amateur radio set in motion all that came later in both professional and amateur radio life. From early in his ham radio career, Lee published papers on vertical antenna beam tilt for repeater networks, and well as his most recent “C-Match Method of Phasing HF Vertical Antennas. He was a presenter at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, speaks to radio clubs all over the United States, and at the Dayton Hamvention. K7NM is my QSO today.

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K5EM

7/27/2024

Episode 512 - Justin McAllister - K5EM

Justin McAllister, K5EM’s early interest in ham radio in high school, set him on a professional path to electronic engineering for industry, startups, and entrepreneurship. In ham radio, Justin adopted a few favorite areas of special interest. Justin likes to operate satellites with his portable full duplex rig, operate the digital modes both actively and passively, creating new antennas designs, and getting out in nature to operate POTA and SOTA. K5EM is my QSO Today.

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K9YNP

7/20/2024

Episode 511 - Jim Halfpenny - K9YNP

Jim Halfpenny, K9YNP, spent his career in the great outdoors tracking wildlife, educating and leading groups into the wilderness all around the World and in Yellowstone National Park. Ham radio has always been a parallel track of interest and education. For K9YNP, serving his community with Montana Tour bike race and mountain marathon support through the Rocky Mountains keeps his ARES team at the top of their game. K9YNP is my guest in this QSO Today.

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N1CC

7/13/2024

Episode 510 Mike PaDron N1CC

Mike Padron, N1CC, had an early love for amateur radio that was eclipsed by aviation leading Mike to become the longest serving captain pilot at FEDEX. Returning to ham radio during the Covid 19 Pandemic, Mike rediscovered his love for CW through the Long Island CW Club and remote controlling his FlexRadio home station while traveling the World. N1CC is my guest in this QSO Today.

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ki4pov

7/6/2024

Episode 509 - Will Harris - KI4POV

Will Harris, KI4POV, followed in his father’s footsteps, from his junior workbench along side his dad’s to become a licensed ham at age 12. While Will did not pursue and engineering career, he has become a prolific homebuilder in the tradition of Doug DeMaw, W1FB, and Wes Hayward, W7ZOI. KI4POV discussed his 5 band homebrew transceiver and the rest of his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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nf7e

6/29/2024

Episode 508 - Bob Wertz - NF7E

Amateur Radio operation for Bob Wertz, NF7E is a family affair, beginning with regular round table rag chews with his brother and father. Bob likes to chase DX confirming over 340 DX entities with the latest, Bouvet Island 3YOJ his crowning achievement. His Flagstaff Arizona ham radio club special events, including Route 66 and Quartzfest provide ample opportunities to get out and meet the hams. NF7E tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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k5tec

6/22/2024

Episode 507 - Bob Phinney - K5TEC

Bob Phinney, K5TEC, created a new and dynamic after-school science and amateur radio program called New England Sci-Tech, Inc, after his private school, where Bob taught for many years, closed his program from their lack of vision. K5TEC refocused his energies and built an amazing after school program, and home school resource, for kids that re-enforces STEM learning, through the study of amateur radio, computers, electronics, and astronomy to make new and exciting amateur radio operators. Bob, K5TEC, shares the story and the ingredients that make his program a success.

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zl2tw

6/15/2024

Episode 506 - Stuart Watchman - ZL2TW

Stuart Watchman, ZL2TW, hails from New Zealand where he began his early career working for the New Zealand Post Office on telephone exchange equipment, then made the transition to medical school, becoming a physician. Ham radio was an early passion leading Stuart to work in technical positions to pay for medical school and later to leadership positions with the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitter (NZART), New Zealand’s “League”. ZL2TW shares his amateur radio experience in this QSO Today.

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Vk7mo

6/8/2024

Episode 505 - Rex Moncur - VK7MO

Rex Moncur VK7MO, holds the world record for the longest 10GHz EME and terrestrial contacts using a 50 watt transmitter to a 120 cm dish. Since his retirement over 20 years ago, Rex has garnered expertise, contacts, and equipment for operating VHF and above for EME, ducting, meteor, aircraft, and now lighting scatter from his home in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. VK7MO tells his ham radio story and his microwave exploits in this QSO Today.

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NV4C

6/1/2024

Episode 504 - Ian Kahn - NV4C

Ian Kahn, NV4C, with the encouragement of his father in law joined the amateur radio ranks in his mid-thirties. He hit the ground running, operating on his local club’s repeater and involving himself in the North Fulton Amateur Radio League to aid its resurgence the the introduction of new programs attracting new and old hams. NV4C discusses his ham radio journey, his operating passions, and what excites him about our hobby in this QSO Today.

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KN4TPG

5/25/2024

EPISODE 503 - TODD MCKINNEY - KN4TPG

Todd McKenney, KN4TPG, found his way into amateur radio through a teenager’s deep dive into YouTube and discovering meteorological balloon launches leading to Bill Brown WB8ELK and Pico Ballooning. Todd’s entry into ham radio may be the key to attracting young people into amateur radio by using our hobby as a tool to complement and extend the usability of their other STEM or Maker projects and hobbies. KN4TPG tells his ham radio story through his high school ballooning interest leading to graduate work at the University of Alabama, Huntsville in this QSO Today.

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4Z5OT

5/18/2024

Episode 502 - Louis Hammer - 4Z5OT

Louis Hammer, 4Z5OT, is a good friend here in Israel and has taken outdoor and park operations to a new level. Faced with antenna challenges and inflexible neighbors at home, operating events, like lighthouses on the air, and other portable operations has opened new opportunities for Louis to be active, gain better operating experience, and to be ready with his portable rig in a flash when necessary. 4Z5OT is my QSO Today.

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N0IVN

5/11/2024

Episode 501 - Ron Hranac, Jr - N0IVN

Ron Hranac, N0IVN, is not only a long time ham radio operator but a 50 year pioneer in the cable television industry, and author of hundreds of articles and presentations for the Society of Cable Television Engineers. We discuss the crossover of amateur radio and cable television technology, interference to amateur radio from leakage, and the potential opportunities for young people who want to enter the industry on the ground floor. N0IVN is my QSO Today.

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