QSO Today Podcast - QSO TODAY AMATEUR RADIO PODCAST

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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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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K1WHS

4/29/2023

Episode 448 - Dave Olean - K1WHS

Dave Olean K1WHS, and his brother, started with modest and simple surplus and homebrew VHF rigs, modified and upgraded over a long period of time to operate EME or moon-bounce, meteor scatter, and bouncing signals off of the Aurora Borealis that appears in the Northern skies. Dave demonstrates that one can make a ham radio career out of very modest equipment to solve complex problems leading to real expertise. K1WHS is my QSO Today.

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W3CFE

4/22/2023

Episode 447 - Bob Vinikoor - W3CFE

Bob Vinikoor W3CFE, was inspired to become an amateur radio operator by his father David, who held first license W3CFE in 1935. Bob followed this technology and media interest into the satellite TV business then later he became the owner of AM broadcasting stations in the New England states. Always active and on the air, Bob operates his remote Vermont ham radio station from around the World, and now from Israel. W3CFE is my QSO Today.

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4Z1JJ

4/15/2023

Episode 446 - Rich Gussow - 4Z1JJ

Rich Gussow, 4Z1JJ, discovered ham radio in high school and finally got his amateur radio ticket in his first year at Brooklyn College in 1976, where he quickly built up his operating skills and amateur theory to upgrade to Advanced within a year. Single Side-band is Rich’s favorite mode, and now Rich enjoys working amateur satellites in voice and packet modes from his QTH in Modiin, Israel. 4Z1JJ is my 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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AB4OJ

4/1/2023

Episode 444 - Adam Farson - VA7OJ / AB4OJ

Adam Farson, VA7OJ and AB4OJ, began his ham radio journey over 60 years ago as a youngster inspired by electronics and eventually ham radio in his native South Africa. Pursuing a career in the broad science that surrounds telephony World wide, Adam has adapted telephony methods and test equipment to evaluate amateur radio transceiver performance. Adam shares his ham radio and professional journey in this 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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W6BI

3/11/2023

Episode 442 - Orv Beach - W6BI

Orv Beach, W6BI, has had a love of electronics and radio since his pre-teen years. Orv has always preferred the digital modes of operation, starting first with CW, ham radio’s first digital mode, then proceeding on to RTTY, packet radio, Pactor, Winlink, and now AREDN. W6BI built and maintains a comprehensive AREDN mountain top network in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in California, but lectures extensively to amateur radio clubs, around the World, on getting on this latest digital mode. Orv Beach, W6BI, is my QSO Today.

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W1IS

3/4/2023

Episode 441 - Robert Glorioso - W1IS

Robert “Bob” Glorioso, W1IS had early beginnings in electronics and radio, encouraged by his father, led Bob to advanced degrees in engineering, a stint in the US Army, and opportunities to be on the cutting edge of technology throughout his career with major corporations and his own startup. The consummate teacher, Bob has developed new hams through courses at the local ARES. W1IS has been a frequent contributor to ham radio publications for over 50 years, is a contributor to the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, and my guest in this 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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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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NO1PC

2/4/2023

Episode 437 - Jim Aspinwall - NO1PC

Jim Aspinwall, NO1PC, was the fly on the wall, as a kid growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, listening to his dad and friends talk about electronics, radio, and television repair. This led to a “hands on” electronics education that kept him employed from junior high school to this day. As a public safety volunteer, Jim believes that giving back to the community is key to a happy life. Amateur radio, and all of its benefits, is the icing on Jim’s cake of life. N01PC 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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WD5AGO

1/21/2023

Episode 435 - Thomas Henderson - WD5AGO

Thomas, “Tommy” Henderson, WD5AGO, has always found EME or Moonbounce operation on the bands above 6 meters fascinating and worthwhile, making thousands of contacts by phone or CW. Building his own EME rigs has led to deep technical expertise and ham radio success. As a teacher and now department head of the Electronics Technology program at Tulsa Community College, he uses amateur radio to enhance his full curriculum while demonstrating its utility. WD5AGO is my 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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VK5PAS

1/7/2023

Episode 433 - Paul Simmonds - VK5PAS

Paul Simmonds, VK5PAS, now a retired South Australia Police detective, is a relatively new ham, along with his wife, Marija, VK5MAZ. They have taken the hobby to new heights by operating in the great outdoors of South Australia, participating in WWFF, SOTA, POTA, and other outdoor amateur radio operating events. He collects certificates, QSL cards, and new friends, around the World, in pursuit of amateur radio. VK5PAS is my QSO Today.

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W0MH

12/31/2022

Episode 432 - Mark Persons - W0MH

Mark Persons, W0MH, was a recent speaker at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo where he presented “How to build a Broadcast Engineer’s Version of a HF Amateur Radio Station, detailing his home ham radio shack installation meeting broadcast standards. Broadcast radio ran in Mark’s family, and he spent a long and successful career as a broadcast engineer, contributing over 200 articles to professional and amateur radio publications, and is the consummate radio mentor, volunteer and ham radio elmer. W0MH 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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W1RC

12/10/2022

Episode 429 - Michael Crestohl - W1RC

Mike Crestohl, W1RC, is the benevolent dictator and founder of Near Fest, the twice yearly New England Amateur Radio Festival, a collector of WW2 spy radios, a journalist, by profession, with contributions to amateur magazines, and a lover of Collins boat anchor gear. Mike likes to operate his Icom IC-705 remote station while on the road. W1RC is my 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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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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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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