Qso Today - A Conversation For Amateur Radio Operators

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 tens of articles to professional and amateur radio publications, and is the consummate radio mentor, volunteer and ham radio elmer. W0MH is my QSO Today.

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 Association Hall of Fame.  W0CP enjoys working DX, contesting, and now Summits on the Air from the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Walt is my QSO Today.

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.

Mike Crestohl, W1RC, is the benevolent dictator and founder of Near Fest, New England Amateur Radio Festival, a collector of WW2 spy radios, a journalist with contributions to amateur magazines, and a lover of Collins boat anchor gear.  Mike likes to operate a remote station while on the road and is my QSO Today.

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.

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.

Michael Fluegemann, KE8AQW, is a next generation ham, active on HF and CW.  Michael is an engineer at Ford, likes the Long Island CW Club, and made a training video on the popular Morserino Arduino training device on this YouTube channel.  KE8AQW provides some insight into how we might attract the next generation of hams in this QSO Today.

Hayden Honeywood, VK7HH, is a Ham Radio YouTuber, with an interest in VHF, UHF, and microwave amateur operations using multiple modes including WSPR.  Hayden operates a remotely controlled station, as well as maintains the repeater network that serves his island State of Tasmania, Australia.  VK7HH shares his knowledge, expertise, and his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Lee Finkel, KY7M, honed his operating skills passing CW messages for the  Nation Traffic System in the 60s.  His membership in the  with Central Arizona DX Association, after moving to Phoenix from Chicago,  led KY7M to an interest in DX, DXpeditions to West Africa, and contesting.  Lee is now a trustee of the NA7TB Milt Jensen N5IA Memorial Station, a remotely controlled multi-band station that includes a 160 Meter 8 circle antenna in the Arizona desert.  KY7M is my QSO Today.

David Trachtenberg, N4WWL’s ham radio journey started with shortwave listening as a young teen growing up on the East Coast,  and once licensed, matured to operating Air Force MARS in the service of his hobby and country.  David appreciates the variety of new equipment and technology as well as making new friends on the air.  N4WWL is my QSO Today.

Murray Greenman, ZL1BPU, now a silent key, was my guest in Episode 71 more than 5 years ago.  Murray was famous in amateur circles for the development of many popular digital modes.  I spoke to Murray over Skype from his home in New Zealand.  The body of Murray’s work, spanning over 20 years, includes a book, Digital Modes For All Occasions, and on-line content that is very detailed and complete.  Murray passed away in April 2022.  May his memory be for a blessing.

Art Bell, W6OBB, now a silent key, was my guest on Episode 85, in March of 2016 and the interview that follows is the remastered version.  Art was a very active ham from his QTH in Pahrump, Nevada, and his 160 meter Rhombic antennas were legendary.  He was also one of the most popular late night talk radio hosts for over 30 years, syndicated nationwide until his retirement in 2007.   I was a great fan of Art’s and like many of his fans truly miss him on the radio. 

Tim Berry WB4GBI has been a ham almost 50 years, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than a passing interest in repeaters,  emergency communications, and has been a broadcast engineer for most of his life.  Tim shares his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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.

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.