QSO Today Podcast - QSO TODAY AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST

NI0K

12/14/2025

Episode 533 - John Simmons - NI0K

John Simmons, NIØK, like many hams who were licensed in the sixties and seventies, built his CW skills passing traffic on the NTS, or the national traffic system. Developing an interest in early mechanical teletypes, John gained a practical knowledge of RTTY. As an active contester and DXer, John regularly appears in major international contests and is currently expanding his station for SO2R (single-operator, two-radio) operation, reflecting his ongoing commitment to competitive operating and technical improvement. From his QTH in rural Minnesota, NI0K, has an antenna farm, with three towers and a completely remotely controllable station. With interests spanning vintage technology, modern SDR systems, logging integration, and the future direction of the hobby, John offers a thoughtful, experience-based perspective on what it means to be an engaged amateur radio operator today. John Simmons, NIØK, is my QSO Today.

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W1WEF

8/29/2025

Episode 530 - Jack Schuster - W1WEF

In this episode of QSO Today, we sit down with Jack Schuster, W1WEF, whose amateur radio journey spans more than 73 years. From building his first crystal set at age 10 to contesting at the highest levels around the world, Jack shares stories of innovation, DX adventures, CW mastery, and a lifetime of dedication to the hobby. His perspective offers both history and inspiration, making this conversation a must-listen for hams of every generation.

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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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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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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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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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4Z1AC

4/6/2024

Episode 496 - Irad Deutsch - 4Z1AC

Irad Deutsch, 4Z1AC, began his ham radio journey at the age of twelve. With a strong foundation in software development and a keen interest in the fusion of ham radio and digital technology, Irad has emerged as a leading voice in modernizing communication methods within the amateur radio sphere through his creation of VarAC digital mode. His dedication to preserving the human connection in ham radio while embracing the advancements of the digital age makes him an influential and insightful figure in the community.

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M0OXO

3/30/2024

Episode 495 - Charles Wilmott - M0OXO

Charles Wilmott, M0OXO, operates a private, self-funded, QSL management bureau, where he sorts and distributes both physical and electronic QSL cards for distribution around the World for the best known DXpeditions including 3YOK Bouvet and Peter I Islands, as well as for IOTA, or Islands on the air. We touch on Charles’ ham radio beginnings and his private career as a police officer in Sheffield, South Yorkshire , United Kingdom, made famous by its founding industries of steel and coal, and by the movie The Full Monty. M0OXO is my QSO Today.

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W4YRL

3/2/2024

Episode 491 - Paul Barnes - W4YRL

Paul Barnes, W4YRL, now a ham for over 65 years, enjoys FT8, CW, and getting on the air with modest wire antennas. Paul has traveled to over 50 countries and enjoyed operating from abroad. He credits the hobby for a happy career in electronics focused on simulators for space, military, and nuclear power plants, and for the life long friends that he has made along the way. W4YRL is my 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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VE6HQ

12/2/2023

Episode 478 - Don Westacott - VE6HQ

Don Westacott VE6HQ, believes that his early foundation in amateur radio contributed to his professional success through the multiple disciplines and out of the box thinking that is amateur radio. After a successful career and an expert in subsurface measurements and remote sensing for the petroleum industry, Don now likes to work 20 meters and refine his test equipment bench using the latest low cost solutions like the NanoVNA. VE6HQ 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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4X1MK_2

10/14/2023

Episode 471 - Ron Gang - 4X1MK

Ron Gang, 4X1MK, had his early amateur radio beginnings in Canada, and later immigrated, as part of a group, to Israel in the 1970s, where his amateur radio license, skills, and equipment were highly appreciated and valued. Always an active amateur radio operator, 4X1MK is willing to try every operating mode. Ron is also a musician and painter who shares his amateur radio story and his perspectives of the amateur radio service in Israel, past and present.

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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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K1ZZ_2

9/2/2023

Episode 466 - Dave Sumner - K1ZZ

As I have my head down in the QSO Today Academy before its opening, I wanted to bring back the interesting interview that I had back in November of 2017 with Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, former CEO and General Manager of the ARRL. Dave retired in 2016 after 44 years with the league, beginning as an intern. Dave shares his ham radio outlook, operating practices, and reflections on his years in the ARRL headquarters and is my 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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OH2UDS

5/13/2023

Episode 450 - Baris Dinc - OH2UDS

Baris Dinc, OH2UDS, has a passion for amateur radio that has shaped his life and career in remarkable ways. Growing up in Turkey with a father who loved tinkering with electronics, Baris was exposed to the world of radio communication early on through articles in the Turkish Amateur Radio Society Magazine, which further ignited his love for the craft. Baris was the only child under 18 to hold a Turkish amateur license with the call sign TA7W. This early achievement set the stage for an illustrious career, which included earning a BSEE from Ankara University and spearheading the ambitious communications projects, QO-100 earth stations and the Mars on Earth project to interest kids in radio and satellites. OH2UDS is my QSO Today.

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K0NR

2/25/2023

Episode 440 - Bob Witte - K0NR

Bob Witte K0NR is the active ham that you want in your community. Bob lives in the Colorado Rocky mountains, operates SOTA on the “fourteeners”, maintains and operates the local repeaters, and mentors new hams. K0NR is a frequent contributor to the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo and will be a presenter next month. This interview is one that I conducted with Bob more than five years ago, and I am delighted to play it again with the help of Ben Bresky, who edited and remastered the audio.

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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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K8QS

1/14/2023

Episode 434 - Quin Schultze - K8QS

Quin Schultze, K8QS, began his ham radio journey as a teenager with modest means and found his calling in college where he majored in communications, leading to a doctoral degree. Through Quin’s looking glass we discuss the uniqueness of our ham radio hobby, the communities that form within it, and the real estate in the ether that we tend while on the air. K8QS is my QSO Today.

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W0CP

12/24/2022

Episode 431 - Walt Stinson - W0CP

Walt Stinson, W0CP’s love of shortwave listening, amateur radio, and electronics led him to a career as an entrepreneur and founder of ListenUp, in Denver, Colorado. Walt remained on the cutting edge of the consumer electronics industry leading to his induction into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame. W0CP enjoys working DX, contesting, and now Summits on the Air from the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Walt is my QSO Today.

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N2WL

12/17/2022

Episode 430 - Bill Levy - N2WL

Bill Levy, N2WL, operates from his apartment in New York City, and from a remotely controlled FlexRadio station in Colorado, as part of a network of remotely controlled stations available for hire. As a kid, Bill paid for his ham radio hobby by running Wall Street, and he did a stint as a wildlife photographer for Time-Life and Partridge Films, while operating as a DX entity from Africa. N2WL tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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W0LD

10/1/2022

Episode 419 - Lauren Libby - W0LD

Lauren Libby, W0LD, was my guest on the QSO Today podcast, five years ago this month, and because of a confluence of events including the ham expo and the holidays of the Jewish new year, I decided this week to go back into the QSO Today catalog and remaster an amazing interview I had with Lauren. What’s more, I got to meet Lauen in person at the Dayton Hamvention last May helping me to better choose the now remastered episode of Episode 161. Lauren’s love of radio broadcasting brought him to amateur radio, his interest in DXing by meteor scatter and EME moon bounce. Lauren made his career in radio broadcasting and is the CEO of the World’s largest International shortwave broadcasting network. W0LD is my QSO Today.

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K1KA

7/23/2022

Episode 410 - Dave Mackey - K1KA

Dave Mackey, K1KA, like many amateurs of his generation, was influenced by broadcast radio, broadcast hosts like Jean Shephard, and the magic of radio in the late 50’s and 60’s. Dave went on to work with companies like Multitone, Microwave Associates, and Cushcraft before spending a generation in his own manufacturing company. Amateur radio played a serious role in Dave’s career choices and personal successes. K1KA tells his story in this QSO Today.

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