QSO Today Podcast - QSO TODAY AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST

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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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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NW6S

4/20/2024

Episode 498 - Glam Ham - NW6S

Glam Ham, Natalie, NW6S, is a lot of things including actress, comedian, writer for both film and television, painter, and now an amateur radio operator. The awareness of amateur radio came to Natalie almost naturally and has become and enjoyable sideline in her life. As Glam Ham on TikTok, she has amassed almost one-hundred thousand subscribers who are interested in what she says and demonstrates about amateur radio. NW6S is my QSO Today.

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W6JLK

3/16/2024

Episode 493 - Jonathan Kramer - W6JLK

Dr. Jonathan Kramer W6JLK, transitioned into becoming an communications law attorney after a successful career in cable television engineering in a addition to his amateur radio activities. Kramer W6JLK stressed that amateurs should be very active in local government as a way to advocate for antenna and tower rights, especially in areas of strong HOA controls. W6JLK and I discuss the first Motorola simulcast radio system in Kern County, California, and his use of AREDN and portable radios for integrating ham radio with public service.

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VE1JMB

8/5/2023

Episode 462 - John Bignell - VE1JMB

John Bignell VE1JMB, makes a difference by serving his Halifax, Nova Scotia community for many years as a paramedic and EMT. While involved with two-way radio as part of his profession for many years, amateur radio seemed like the most natural next step to John’s radio life, but also to re-enforcing his community’s emergency response when everything else fails during a disaster. VE1JMB is my QSO Today.

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K1CE

3/18/2023

Episode 443 - Rick Palm - K1CE

Rick Palm K1CE is a well-known figure in the ham radio community, having spent a career at the ARRL and writing columns and articles that have been widely read and appreciated by fellow enthusiasts. With a particular interest in public safety radio and ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), Rick has dedicated his time and expertise to ensuring that these critical communication channels remain reliable and effective. Although now retired and based in Florida, Rick remains an active participant in the ham radio community, regularly checking in to nets and staying involved in his local ARES chapter. K1CE is my QSO Today.

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W1SEX

2/11/2023

Episode 438 - Paul Topolski - W1SEX

Paul Topolski, W1SEX, was my guest in Episode 133, in February 2017, six years ago. I wanted to reprise this interview as well as point out that Paul is always one of the first to help as a speaker or Expo moderator. Paul was just meters from ground zero working the communications center, when terrorists struck the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds of spectators and participants. Paul shares with me his ham radio story, his experience, and how he continues to make a difference to his community in this QSO Today.

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K6AQ

12/3/2022

Episode 428 - Mooneer Salem - K6AQ

Mooneer Salem, K6AQ, discovered that amateur radio provides plenty of opportunities for hams who also love computers and computer programming. K6AQ loves open source, contributing to HF digital voice development in the Free-DV Project, and improving on WinLink HF digital email gateways. Combine all this with Software Defined Radio and you have an active 21st century ham. K6AQ is my QSO Today.

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WB4GBI

10/8/2022

Episode 420 - Tim Berry - WB4GBI

On the final Sunday of the Dayton Hamvention, I was wandering around the Xenia fairground and needed to rest my feet. My guest this week was sitting at the table and was kind enough to let me join him. We struck up a conversation that ultimately led to this interview. Tim Berry WB4GBI has been a ham almost 50 years, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than a passing interest in repeaters, emergency communications, and has been a broadcast engineer for most of his life. Tim shares his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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KD7BBC

8/6/2022

Episode 412 - Richard Bateman - KD7BBC

Richard Bateman, KD7BBC, smitten by computers and programming from an early age, used this talent to solve problems. Combined with an interest in amateur radio, driven by his family, Richard developed Exam Tools amateur radio testing software now used by the majority of volunteer examiners today. The Covid Pandemic accelerated the evolution of Exam Tools for remote testing. KD7BBC tells the story in this QSO Today.

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N3DEZ

6/11/2022

Episode 404 - Desiree Baccus - N3DEZ

Desiree Baccus, N3DEZ, while a relatively new ham, has an infectious excitement and enthusiasm for amateur radio that cannot be underestimated. She is already a mover and shaker for advancing amateur radio to her community ,and she is a key player for NASA on the Air Event, NASA’s year long amateur radio celebration. N3DEZ is my QSO Today.

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W6WN

10/2/2021

Episode 369 - Alan Thompson - W6WN

Alan Thompson, W6WN, was a paid Subcontractor, assigned to help restore cell service during the disaster-recovery efforts after the Camp Fire in Northern California a few years ago. This experience made Alan an evangelist for the deployment and use of conventional radio communications and the training that saves lives and property, as a backup to the costly but fragile smartphone systems that suddenly do not work in a natural disaster. Alan tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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N6VI

6/5/2021

Episode 354 - Marty Woll - N6VI

Marty Woll, N6VI, found his way into amateur radio, along with other high school teens in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley in the late 1960s. Interested in CW, chasing DX, and contesting, Marty’s ham radio interests evolved to include VHF, UHF, and microwave contest “roving”, and now emergency communications. N6VI has always been a leader in our hobby and is my QSO Today.

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K7REX

4/9/2021

Episode 346 - Dan Marler - K7REX

Dan Marler, K7REX, owes much of his professional opportunities and success to his amateur radio background. A "people person", K7REX, likes to give back to the amateur radio community as an ARRL Section Manager and founder of the RATPAC, a group that does not include Sammy, Dean, and Frank. Dan tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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W7VO

2/15/2020

Episode 289 - Michael Ritz - W7VO

Michael, "Mike", Ritz, W7VO, left the big city for rural Oregon to build his dream contest station, and uses his station to help new and local hams to learn and build necessary skills to become lifelong contestors and HF operators. Mike is a leader in the Oregon amateur radio community, serves as the ARRL Northwest Division Director, and is a new board member of the ARRL Foundation. W7VO shares his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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W8ERD

12/7/2019

Episode 279 - Bob Dixon - W8ERD

Bob Dixon, W8ERD, retired after 49 years as an Ohio State University radio astronomer working on SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and supporting the electronic and communication needs of the University. Now Bob is a key member of the Delaware Amateur Radio Club’s deployment of a radio mesh network to support the club's ARES organization.

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K6HTN

11/16/2019

Episode 276 - Kate Hutton - K6HTN

Kate Hutton, K6HTN, a retired Seismologist at CalTech in Pasadena, California, discovered CW, CWOPS, and passing traffic through the National Traffic System. Kate would agree that amateur radio is a great way to spend time and that getting on the air with NTS is the best way to hone operating skills and to be ready for the next natural disaster.

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WB6NOA

8/24/2019

Episode 264 - Gordon West - WB6noa

Gordon West, “Gordo”, WB6NOA, may be one of ham radio’s most well known ambassadors and promoters of our amateur radio hobby today. Through his books and courses over the years, Gordo, has licensed thousands of individuals to become amateur radio operators. Gordo says that this is the first time that he has told his ham radio story from the beginning, in this episode of QSO Today.

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N6CL

3/16/2019

Episode 241 - Joe Lynch - N6CL

Joe Lynch, N6CL, began his ham radio story over 50 years ago in Bonita, California. After a stint in Vietnam, a career as a minister, and an amateur radio journalist for CQ Magazine focused on VHF and above, Joe, is now the director of religious education at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Both he and his wife, Carol, are active ham radio operators. N6CL has always been active in amateur radio emergency services, including at the site of the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. N6CL is my QSO Today.

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AA6RV

11/24/2018

Episode 225 - David Malin - AA6RV

David Malin, AA6RV, spent over 20 years working for the City of Los Angeles as its Emergency Coordinator and Emergency Administrator for the Port of Los Angeles. Now retired, David a lot to say about emergency preparedness and the minimal steps that we should all take to be ready in case of disaster in this QSO Today.

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KC0BS

12/30/2017

Episode 178 - Brian Short - KC0BS

Brain Short, KC0BS, is a busy amateur radio operator in Kansas City, Missouri. He is actively involved in teaching ham radio and getting new hams involved in the many amateur radio activities that Kansas City hams enjoy. In this episode, we discuss tower climbing and safety, APRS, emergency services, building up code speed, and Brian’s participation in the emergency efforts around the Joplin Missouri tornado that destroyed much of the city in May 2011.

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W0AIB

11/4/2017

Episode 170 - Larry Staples - W0AIB

Larry Staples, W0AIB, is the publisher of Larry’s List, a regular email message center that updates Kansas City amateur radio operators with the latest news, events, and rigs for sale. As an active amateur radio operator for almost sixty years, Larry believes that the ultimate goal of ham radio is to get to know people, face to face, for the “eyeball” contact. W0AIB is my QSO Today.

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W8AJR

8/5/2017

Episode 157 - Dave Prestel - W8AJR

Someone said some place, that if you want to get stuff done, give it to a busy person. My guest this week is Dave Prestel, W8AJR. Dave is a busy person who as a volunteer for many ham radio organizations in Howard County, Maryland, just gets stuff done to the benefit of the amateur radio community and his larger community. W8AJR is my QSO Today.

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W1SEX

2/17/2017

Episode 133 - Paul Topolski - W1SEX

Paul Topolski, W1SEX, was just meters from ground zero working the communications center, when terrorists struck the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds of spectators and participants. Paul shares with Eric, 4Z1UG, this experience, his ham radio story, and how he continues to make a difference in his community in this QSO Today.

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KB0H

2/10/2017

Episode 132 - Gary Hoffman - KB0H

Beginning as a scanner listener, Gary Hoffman, KB0H, discovered amateur radio and shares his love of it with his wife, Nancy, N0NJ. Gary is focused on emergency communications where he is the Assistant Emergency Coordinator, operations for St. Louis County ARES. He writes about amateur radio and the human condition on his blog, The Amateur’s Amateur. KB0H is Eric, 4Z1UG’s QSO today.

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