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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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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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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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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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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NW6V

4/27/2024

Episode 499 - Chris Rutkowski - NW6V

Chris Rutkowski, NW6V, had the best radio elmer and teacher for life in his father, a career Navy radio officer, who taught life’s lessons and the proper way to handle a CW key with methods that challenge the current conventions. Chris shares this history and his learning in his book, The CW Way of Life, and with us in this episode. This will be an especially valuable opportunity for any ham who wants to learn the proper use of the straight key, and how to make the Morse code flow from mind through hand and back. I am delighted to speak to NW6V in this QSO Today.

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NK8O

2/10/2024

Episode 488 - Charles Powell - NK8O

Charles Powell, NK8O, would argue that an early interest in radio and communications aided him in making a transition from professional French Horn player to pediatric doctor rather than suffer the mid-life crisis. Charles likes just about everything that ham radio offers including POTA, CW, kit building, old rigs, and operating his own DXpeditions from exotic locations around the world. NK8O and I discuss these topic and more in this QSO Today.

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K1RFD

2/3/2024

Episode 487 - Jonathan Taylor - K1RFD

Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, has reached his 50th year has a ham radio operator, is the creator of Echolink, one of the first amateur radio Voice over Internet Service linking amateur radio stations, the receiver of technical innovation awards, and author of "VoIP: Internet Linking for Radio Amateurs", now in its second edition. K1RFD checks all of the ham radio boxes for operating, homebrewing, software development, radio restoration, and is my QSO Today.

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VU2JXN

12/30/2023

Episode 482 - Ram Muthukrishnan - VU2JXN

Ram Muthukrishnan, VU2JXN, while growing up in India, had a difficult time finding any information about amateur radio in the libraries and magazines. It was not until Ram attended university that he met licensed amateur radio operators and could pursue the hobby. CW is Ram’s favorite operating mode, especially after attending CW Academy. He modified his SSB only BitX transceiver to operate CW and to use it for CW practice. As a software engineer by trade, Ram has a keen interest in software defined radio, SDR, homebrewing radios, and CW. VU2JXN is my QSO Today.

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VA2BBW

12/9/2023

Episode 479 - Ante Laurijssen - VA2BBW

Ante Laurijssen, VA2BBW, enjoys the simple amateur radio art of chasing DX and making contacts on CW, and operating QRP, from Gatineau, in Southwest Quebec, Canada . When operating POTA, Ante taught himself to send CW with his left while recording his log with his right hand. VA2BBW is the Radio Amateurs of Canada Awards Manager, enjoys giving back to the hobby, and is my QSO Today.

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4Z4DX_2

10/21/2023

Episode 472- Dov Gavish - 4Z4DX Reprise

Dov Gavish 4Z4DX is one of Israel’s best known amateurs outside of Israel, and avid DXer and DXpeditioner. Even before Parks on the Air or Summits on the Air, Dov had a rig in the car ready to go on a moment's notice. While CW is his favorite operating mode, Dov prefers whatever mode works to make the contact. 4Z4DX is my QSO Today.

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K5TR_2

9/30/2023

Episode 469 - George Fremin - K5TR

Today's podcast is a reprise of my interview with George Fremin, K5TR in April of 2017. George is a world class contester and DXer, with years of experience building and maintaining first class multi-operator contest stations. George gives some important advice on tower safety and working on antenna towers. We also touch on the “flow state” that is achievable during intense contesting rounds in this QSO Today.

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K1VT_2

8/26/2023

Episode 465 - Jack Mandelman - K1VT

Dr. Jack Mandelman, K1VT, was my guest in 2018, after meeting him on a DMR talk group. As my head is down in preparation for the upcoming QSO Today Academy Event, I wanted to bring back this great interview with Jack. Jack is on the short list for holding the most patents, over 700 Worldwide, in the area of semiconductor physics, while at the same time a successful ham radio operator working DX and CW. Jack is exploring satellite communications and DMR. K1VT shares his ham radio story episode of QSO Today.

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KD9FPC

8/12/2023

Episode 463 - Thomas Langer - KD9FPC

Thomas Langer, KD9FPC, grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child, he was introduced to his father's amateur radio and developed a passion for electronics and radio. Years later, after a successful entrepreneurial career, and only after facing a major health issue, which changed the course of his life, that Tom fully embraced amateur radio. Tom believes that this hobby is not only mentally stimulating but also serves as a way to connect with others, especially when chronic illness often threatens human relationships outside of immediate family. KD9FPC is my "QSO Today."

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K1NSS_2

6/24/2023

Episode 456 - Jeff Murray - K1NSS

Jeff Murray, K1NSS, draws cartoons and tells stories about ham radio and the people who use it. He shares his funny pictures and tales on his website, dashtoons.com. Like many cartoonists, Jeff makes ham radio social commentary using Dash the dog, to poke fun at amateur radio and us. K1NSS is my QSO Today.

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WB2UDC_2

6/10/2023

Episode 454 - Bob Hopkins - WB2UDC

Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC, agrees that having an elmer was the fastest way to ham radio success, and being an elmer and paying it forward benefits everyone including the elmer, the new ham, and the hobby. WB2UDC loves to make large public demonstrations for kids by making contacts to the ISS, the International Space Station, and the US Space Shuttles when they were flying. This reprise of my conversation with Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC, from January 2016, is my QSO Today.

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VE3VN

5/6/2023

Episode 449 - Ron Schwartz - VE3VN

Ron Schwartz, VE3VN, maintains his enthusiasm for participating in CW contests using his SO2R station and tower farm. For more than five decades, Ron has been an avid ham radio operator and ham radio blogger with an enduring passion for climbing towers and rigging antennas. In recent years, Ron has pursued an interest in EME - moon bounce , Tropospheric ducting, and meteor scatter. VE3VN is my 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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KE8AQW

11/19/2022

Episode 426 - Michael Fluegemann - KE8AQW

Michael Fluegemann, P.E., KE8AQW, is an active ham, now an engineer at the Ford Motor Company. He caught my attention from his leadership in the University of Michigan amateur radio club and a YouTube video on using the Morserino CW trainer that I just purchased and assembled. Michael brings an interesting younger perspective on amateur radio in this QSO Today.

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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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AI4VE

7/9/2022

Episode 408 - Will Ravenel - AI4VE

Will Ravenel, AI4VE, like many of us, returned to amateur radio after raising a family. Will is active in the QRP-ARCI, as its treasurer, and takes leadership positions in his ham clubs. Will loves to operate ham radio’s first digital mode, CW, using either hand, at low power. AI4VE shares his operating expertise, running low power, in the field and on the beach, in this 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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W7DGJ

1/29/2022

Episode 386 - Dave Jensen - W7DGJ

Dave Jensen, W7DGJ, found his way into amateur radio from volunteering to help disabled Korean War veterans, who were active amateurs, in a Cleveland, Ohio, Veterans Hospital. From that interaction grew a love of radio and communications that has lasted a lifetime. Dave likes to work CW on 17 meters and build his own equipment. W7DGJ is my QSO Today.

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