Qso Today - A Conversation For Amateur Radio Operators

Clark Stewart, W8TN, started in amateur radio over 55 years ago, has worked every country but North Korea. He began working EME or moon bounce on two and six meters years ago making CW contacts.  Clark is the consummate amateur radio mentor and was awarded the outstanding West Virginia Amateur of the Year in 2015. W8TN is my QSO Today. 

Kate Hutton, K6HTN, a retired Seismologist at CalTech in Pasadena, California, discovered CW, CWOPS, and passing traffic through the National Traffic System. Kate would agree  that amateur radio is a great way to spend time and that getting on the air with NTS is the best way to hone operating skills and to be ready for the next natural disaster. 

Bob Logan, NZ5A, enjoys the simple pleasures of exploring new modes as well as mastering old modes, as well as ultra-low frequency bands. Bob is a collector and restorer of old ham radio gear and old broadcast radios. Bob reminds us that we hams are a com

Andrew Barron, ZL3DW, is an active ham, loves to discover what’s new in ham radio, and is the author of four amateur radio books, one on SDR or software defined radio, and 3 user guides on the latest Icom transceivers.  In addition, we discuss the Russian Sputnik ham satellites and amateur radio’s diversity in this QSO Today. 

Steve Adler, VK5SFA, is a lifelong lover of radio and electronics, worked in the broadcast industry, and has recently retired. Steve developed a skill set and relationships that helped him to create a 160 and 80 meter magnetic loop antenna that won him fi

Ganesh Subramaniam, VU2TS, began his ham radio journey in 1959 trying to find someone, anyone, somewhere in his native Bangalore, India, who could provide basic information about the amateur radio service in India. Ganesh has been a ham over 50 years and is the editor of the Amateur Radio Society of India’s magazine,  Ham Radio News. VU2TS shares his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Richard Factor, WA2IKL, joined the amateur radio ranks 60 years ago, and was inspired by the technology dreams of the popular science fiction writers of that era.  His interest in radio, electronics, and science led WA2IKL to establish his own technology business, now fifty years old. WA2IKL tells his ham radio story and how he uses is Toyota Prius as a backup power supply for his house. 

Frank Howell, K4FMH, has a love for radio and electronics that goes back over 60 years, but is only a recent licensee.  Frank serves as the ARRL Assistant Director of the Delta Division, and avid ham radio journalist, and podcaster. He makes a great case for recruiting retired people into the hobby by the energy, volunteerism, and technical devotion that he discusses in this QSO Today. 

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. W6DQ is my QSO Today

Paul Andrews, W2HRO, re-entered amateur radio, after a 35 year break,  by working FM satellites with a Yaesu portable and a dual band antenna.  Experimentation with a simple moon bounce array led to bigger and better antenna arrays, power amplifiers, low noise preamplifiers, higher frequencies, and more QSOs.  

Burt Fisher, K1OIK,  raised a stir and perhaps the ire of many hams with a 2008 YouTube video critical of amateur radio operators and their operating practices. While it is easy these days to have conversations with anyone who shares our opinions and beliefs,  it is more difficult to have conversations with people who do not share our views. K1OIK tells his ham radio story and shares his opinions that led to the controversial video and the rest of the story in this QSO Today.

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 DXpedidions, 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 Pitcaryn DXpedition in October for this QSO Today.

Eric Sears, ZL2BMI, who joins me from New Zealand,  is famous for this 80 meter QRP double sideband rig that he designed and documented in the 1980s for his personal use when “tramping”  in the forests and mountains of New Zealand. Eric’s stated design philosophy and rigs proved to be robust and foundational for other QRP rig builders, especially in the southern hemisphere through the years.

Gordon West, “Gordo”WB6NOA, may be one of ham radio’s most well known ambassadors and promoters of our amateur radio hobby today.  Through his books and courses over the years, Gordo, has licensed thousands of individuals to become amateur radio operators. Gordo tells me that this is the first time that he has told his ham radio story from the beginning in this episode of QSO Today.

John Nowacki, W3NA, was a teenager in the early sixties when we won a contest to name a popular amateur radio line of antennas that are still sold today.  John shares his ham radio story that began with a friendship more that sixty years ago that continues to this day. Now a retired physics teacher, W3NA, chases DX shares his ham radio activities with his fellow NERDS.

Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, is the 2019 Dayton Ham of the Year because of this contribution to the amateur radio art though his combined professional interest in ionospheric physics and the amateur radio modes, such WSPRnet and FT-8,  that build big data bases of propagation data. HamSCI is an organization founded by Nathaniel on this concept. Nathaniel tells his ham radio story leading through Svalbard and McMurdo Station in Antarctica, to a National Science Foundation grant to HamSCI that arrived during the recording of this QSO Today.

Philip Lazar, K9PL, is the editor of the K9YA Telegraph monthly newsletter, a wonderful journal of technical articles and ham radio history.  Like many budding amateurs, Philip’s story began with the gift of a shortwave radio receiver and listening to the shortwave bands. A ham operator for over 40 years, Philip likes CW, vintage equipment, QRP, and kit building.  Getting on the air is key to Philip’s ham radio success and is the subject of this QSO Today.

Jeanne Socrates, VE0JS, who, once her current voyage ends hopefully at the end of August,  will have the distinction of being the oldest person to sail solo around the World without touching land or getting any help of any kind while underway. This interview conducted by satellite phone to Jeanne somewhere in the South Pacific near Tahiti. Ham radio has been key to Jeanne’s voyages and this one especially. VE0JS shared her ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Phil Erickson, W1PJE, sits on a million watt UHF transmitter at the MIT Haystack Observatory, where he studies the atmosphere and radio propagation.  Phil is a long time radio guy but a newcomer to amateur radio. As you will hear in this QSO Today, the tools, modes, and technology of amateur radio are complimenting the research achievements of scientists like Phil, W1PJE.

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.