QSO Today Podcast - QSO TODAY AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST

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.

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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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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AH6CY

5/4/2024

Episode 500 - Hiroki Kato - AH6CY

Hiroki Kato, AH6CY, was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, 20 miles from the epicenter of the atomic bomb blast in August 1945 that killed approximately 100,000 Japanese. Hiroki was fascinated with radio as a youngster and was first licensed in Japan. After moving to the USA, Hiroki continued to pursue amateur radio and began to research and collect the military radios that both the Japanese used to bomb Pearl Harbor, and the radios that were on the Enola Gay, the US bomber that dropped the Hiroshima bomb. AH6CY tells his ham radio story and about these radio restorations in this QSO Today.

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K5EF

4/8/2023

Episode 445 - Nick Tusa - K5EF

Nick Tusa, K5EF, embarked on his ham radio journey as a teenager in a New Orleans Jesuit high school, where he was introduced to the cutting-edge technology of a Central Electronics 10A SSB Exciter at the school's ham radio station. This early fascination sparked a lifelong friendship between Nick and Wes Schum, W9DYV, the co-founder and chief engineer of Central Electronics. Over the course of their 50-year friendship, Nick not only built a successful career in radio and communications but also became Schum's biographer. K5EF is my QSO today.

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KE7X

2/18/2023

Episode 439 - Fred Cady - KE7X (SK)

Fred Cady, KE7X, (SK) became a silent key. I thought that in Fred’s memory we should recall his love of radio and electronics that led him to a PhD in Electronic Engineering and found his love of teaching at Montana State University. Fred was the author of 14 books, when I interviewed him in April of 2018, including many on how to operate and use Elecraft transceivers. Fred loved to operate contests and work DX. So this we we will go back and remember Fred Cady, KE7Z, in this QSO Today.

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VE6TL

1/28/2023

Episode 436 - Jerry Spring - VE6TL

Jerry Spring, VE6TL, like many hams got an early start in amateur radio as a teen, but stepped out of the hobby to nurture a career and family. Upon returning Jerry revisited his love of vintage WW2 gear, vintage transceivers in general, and a love of CW and contesting to make enough contacts for DXCC. ForJerry, both hamshack and workbench are fully operational and busy. VE6TL is my QSO Today.

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K1QAR

11/26/2022

Episode 427 - Ted Robinson - K1QAR

Ted Robinson, K1QAR, was a speaker in the last QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo on the subject of magnetic loop antennas, especially in noisy urban areas, HOAs, and urban lots. Ted has a long ham radio history, a love of surfing, aviation, restoring Collins Equipment, and now expertise in the construction and use of high power magnetic loop antennas. K1QAR tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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ZL1BPU

10/22/2022

Episode 422 - Murray Greenman - ZL1BPU (SK)

Murray Greenman, ZL1BPU, now a silent key, was my guest in Episode 71 more than 5 years ago. Murray was famous in amateur circles for the development of many popular digital modes. I spoke to Murray over Skype from his home in New Zealand. The body of Murray’s work, spanning over 20 years, includes a book, Digital Modes For All Occasions, and on-line content that is very detailed and complete. Murray passed away in April 2022. May his memory be for a blessing.

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WA2EJT

8/20/2022

Episode 414 - Joe Long - WA2EJT

Joe Long, WA2EJT, has been a frequent contributor to ham radio magazines for decades including 73 and Electric Radio magazine. Joe loves vintage military transmitters and receivers as well as the best tube type rigs. Like many hams of his generation he was early into computers, PCs, and programming where his knowledge contributed to his career advancement and his enjoyment of amateur radio. WA2EJT tells his story in this QSO Today.

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AF7YQ

7/30/2022

Episode 411 - Eric Anderson - AF7YQ

Eric Anderson, AF7YQ's ham radio interest led him to advanced degrees from MIT and to become Chief Architect and Camera software manager at Apple’s Advanced Technology Group, creators of the first LCD based cameras, Chief Technology Officer at FlashPoint, and owner of more than 140 patents. Now retired, Eric creates unique ham radio CW transceivers for his new company, Preppcomm. AF7YQ is my QSO Today.

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K9AF

6/25/2022

Episode 406 - Jerry Arnold - K9AF

Jerry Arnold, K9AF, is a long time commercial broadcaster and amateur radio operator, originally from Southern California, and now living in Terre Haute, Indiana. While Jerry likes to operate CW, he also has a restored AM Broadcast transmitter on 160 meters to transmit that warm AM sound we like to hear. K9AF and I discuss a whole range of ham radio topics in this QSO Today.

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NN4U

1/21/2022

Episode 385 - Chip Lohman - NN4U

Chip Lohman, NN4U, was introduced to amateur radio during an early stint as a US Marine stationed next to an Army MARS station. Fascinated by the technology that could connect him to his family around the World, Chip got his first license. NN4U has reinvented himself a few times over his career, and he tells this story in this QSO Today.

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AD4YM

9/4/2021

Episode 366 - James Condon - AD4YM

Jim Condon, AD4YM, listens for the most rare DX, signals from outer space as a radio astronomer, and keeps his fingers in the gear by collecting and restoring the best ham radio boat anchors, including Collins, Drake, Hallicrafters, and Hammarlund. AD4YM is my QSO Today.

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WA1JXR

6/26/2021

Episode 357 - Greg Algieri - WA1JXR

Greg Algieri, WA1JXR, began his ham radio journey by asking his dad for a Gillette Blue Razor Blade to make this first receiver, leading to amateur radio licenses, higher electronics education, and an entire career with Raytheon, where he worked in radio and antenna design. WA1JXR is active in his amateur radio community as a teacher of new and existing hams, restoring boat anchor vintage radios, and getting on the air. He is my guest in this QSO Today.

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VE7PS

4/24/2021

Episode 348 - Peter Shilton - VE7PS

Peter Shilton, VE7PS, became a lifelong chaser of meteor scatter and EME contacts because of a very early acquisition of a Drake receiver and a transverter, at the beginning of his ham radio career. Since the very beginning, Peter has collected and restored just about every radio made by the RL Drake company. VE7PS tells this story in our QSO Today.

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W0IH

1/25/2020

Episode 286 - Michael Foerster - W0IH

Michael, Mike, Foerster, W0IH, loves to ragchew with his friends on 80 meters in the evening. Mike is a frequent contributor to QST magazine including articles on finding and solving electronic noise problems and remote control of your HF station while on the road. We also discuss his broadband adjustable 80 meter dipole in this episode of QSO Today.

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WU2D

1/11/2020

Episode 284 - Michael Murphy - WU2D

Michael, Mike, Murphy, WU2D, separates his professional and his personal radio and electronics life by building, using, and working with vintage radios made no later than the early 1960s. As a collector and builder of old time and military surplus radios, Mike is convinced that the magic of radio is at the fingertips of any operator who has a love and fascination with early equipment. Mike is a prolific writer and contributor to Electric Radio magazine, QST, and may vintage radio forums.

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W6DQ

9/28/2019

Episode 269 - dennis Kidder - W6DQ

Dennis Kidder, W6DQ, is an amateur radio renaissance man, a collector of the game changing radios from pre-World War 2 to the present. He enjoys 80 meter AM on his Collins broadcast transmitter and working 10 Ghz SSB with the San Bernardino Microwave Society. Dennis is the co-author of Arduino Projects for Amateur Radio and a sought after speaker at ham radio events.

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KL0S

7/13/2019

Episode 258 - Dino Papas - KL0S

Dino Papas, KL0S, leads the Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club in Williamsburg, Virginia, using the leadership skills that he acquired after 26 years in the US Army. Dino is a frequent contributor to amateur radio magazines, including QST, offering his unique and needed perspective on our ham radio hobby. Along with his wife Toby, KL0SS, Dino provides a ham radio maker space in his garage to share his knowledge and resources with his fellow hams.

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G4NSJ

7/6/2019

Episode 257 - Ray Heffer - G4NSJ

Ray Heffer, G4NSJ, commandeered the family shortwave radio, as a kid, to further his interest in shortwave listening and ultimately amateur radio. Ray made his career as a television, radio, and audio visual equipment repairman, and now specializes in the repair and restoration of 1940’s vintage AM radio sets. I found this endeavor to be fascinating and Ray has created some clever and novel solutions to keep these radios entertaining their owners in the QSO Today.

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KE8RN

4/27/2019

Episode 247 - George Misic - KE8RN

George Misic, KE8RN, is an RF and analog engineer by training, a collector of vintage American amateur radio equipment, and an early pioneer in the development of MRI or magnetic resonance imaging machines and whose name is on 38 patents around this technology. George is a frequent author of articles for QST and Electric Radio Magazines, and is my QSO Today.

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WB2UZE

4/6/2019

Episode 244 - Howard Bernstein - WB2UZE

Howard Bernstein is the co-founder of the Long Island CW Club along with Rich Collins K2UPS, where they train amateurs of every age to be CW operators over Zoom video conferencing. Howard has a long history in ham radio extending back over 50 years. WB2UZE still has his first Drakeline and is a collector of vintage things including old radios and automobiles. Howard is my QSO Today.

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W6AWO

2/9/2019

Episode 236 - Richard Dillman - W6AWO

Richard Dillman, W6AWO, is the founding member of the Maritime Radio Historical Society, where they preserve the skills, traditions, and folklore of maritime telegraph operators, from the California Bay Area coastal station, KSM. The “Summer of Love” brought Richard to California, in the Sixties, to pursue broadcast engineering and a 30 year career with Greenpeace. W6AWO is my QSO Today.

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KD6RM

11/17/2018

Episode 224 - Phil Sittner - KD6RM

Phil Sittner, KD6RM, has a ham radio story that goes back over 50 years, from childhood. Still living in Northern California, Phil builds his own radios and test equipment, operates CW on 80 and 40 meters, using his fence mounted 80 meter end-fed Zepp and a pair of phased 40 meter verticals in an HOA neighborhood where antennas are forbidden. We harness Phil’s extensive technical expertise and hear his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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