QSO Today Podcast - QSO TODAY AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST

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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K6VHF

8/3/2025

Episode 528 - Alex Nersesian - K6VHF

Alex Nersesian K6VHF is a US immigration success story. Hailing from the Republic of Georgia after the fall of the former Soviet Union, Alex credits amateur radio with finding work, career,family, and community in his new country. Now successfully living the American dream, K6VHF loves to chase DX on HF, VHF, and Microwave using FT-8, SSB, and CW and is an avid DXpeditioner. In addition, Alex makes EME, microwave, and rover contacts all of the way up to 122 GHz. K6VHF is my 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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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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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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K1LEC

1/27/2024

Episode 486 - Lanny Aldrich - K1LEC

Lanny Aldrich, K1LEC, began his professional career as a third generation commercial dairy farmer in Vermont. Amateur radio was his hobby that he pursued at a steady pace to pursue DX, build operating skills, and contribute to the hobby by just being involved. Just his advice on antennas is a prize from our conversation. K1LEC 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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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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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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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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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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NP4G

9/24/2022

Episode 418 - Otis Vicens - NP4G

Otis Vicens, NP4G, grew up in Puerto Rico, with an appreciation for radio, a love of learning, and an eventual career in orthodontics. NP4G has enjoyed ham radio from his teenage years and now is one of the 3Y0J DXpedition crew members to Bouvet Island in January 2023. Otis joins me to tell his ham radio story and about his preparations for Bouvet.

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WA6CDR

4/2/2022

Episode 394 - Robin Critchell - WA6CDR

Robin Critchell, WA6CDR, had a profound influence on many young hams operating in the VHF and UHF bands in Southern California in the 70s’ and 80s. He and Alan Burgstahler, WA6AWD, at the time and now a silent key, created the Cactus Intertie, now the World’s largest full duplex radio linked amateur radio network. “Top band” or 160 Meters is Robin’s favorite band, and he has participated on DxExpeditions, had an incredible career in the communications industry, and can fix just about anything. WA6CDR, is my QSO Today.

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N6HC

2/19/2022

Episode 389 - Arnie Shatz - N6HC

Arnie Shatz, N6HC, began his amateur radio journey over 64 years ago, loves to work DX, on CW, and has participated in 14 major DXpeditions, including the ill fated 3Y0Z to Bouvet Island a few years ago. N6HC believes that amateur radio is the best hobby for developing critical thinking and problem solving skills, and he is my QSO Today.

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N5OT

9/18/2021

Episode 368 - Mark Beckwith - N5OT

Mark Beckwith, N5OT, grew up in Southern California, befriended by amateur radio’s most famous television producer, Dave Bell, W6AQ, who was his amateur radio mentor in the 1970s. Dave opened a lot of doors to Mark, allowing Mark to build up his contesting and DX on-the-air skills. Mark was a professional opera singer for over 30 years, leading to some interesting conversation both on and off the QSO Today microphone. N5OT is my QSO Today.

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WA4JQS

8/28/2021

Episode 365 - Tony DePrato - WA4JQS

Tony DePrato WA4JQS had an early love of radio and a junior high school mentor who helped him get on the air in the early 1960s. An 80 meter DX contact from his native Kentucky to Australia ignited a passion for DX that resulted in Tony leading two DXpeditions to the most sought after DX entities in the World. WA4JQS tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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3D2AG

7/24/2021

Episode 361 - Antoine De Ramon NYeurt - 3D2AG

Antoine De Ramon NYeurt, 3D2AG, is one of three hams in paradise, who holds up the CW representation from Fiji, the largest Island in the South Pacific and the second largest island in the World next to Australia. Antoine gave an excellent presentation last March at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo about operating from Fiji and Rotuma, another island 600 KM North of Fiji. 3D2AG shares his Fiji and ham radio life in this QSO Today.

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W1AB

7/11/2020

Episode 310 - Al Brogdon - W1AB

Al Brogdon, W1AB, was licensed almost 70 years ago, has made significant contributions to our hobby through his writing for QST magazine over the years including the “100, 50, and 25 Years Ago” column, and articles for both 73 and Ham Radio Magazines. W1AB can head copy CW at 55 words a minute and is my QSO Today.

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K0IR

9/7/2019

Episode 266 - Ralph Fedor - K0IR

Ralph Fedor, K0IR, has participated in at least 15 DXpeditions to the most remote parts of the World. Ralph shares his amateur radio story leading up to his DXpeditions, the opportunities, the lessons learned, and the avoidance of fate off of Bouvet Island in 2018. K0IR took a break from preparing for the upcoming Pitcairn DXpedition in October for this QSO Today.

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W0GJ

6/8/2019

Episode 253 - Glenn Johnson - W0GJ

Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, began his ham radio journey as a teenager and from his love for chasing DX, has since been to many DX entities around the world including Heard Island, an attempt last year to land on Bouvet Island, and an upcoming DXpedition later this year to Pitcairn Island. Glenn’s interest and determination to provide these rare DX entities along with his DXpedition group, is worth the weeks at sea, sometimes in terrible conditions. Glenn was able to break from his preparations for Pitcairn to record with me this QSO Today.

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