Qso Today - A Conversation For Amateur Radio Operators

Michael Kalter, W8CI, became infatuated with radio as a young boy growing up in rural Ohio in the days of Sputnik and President Kennedy’s race to the moon. It wasn’t until many years later that Michael joined the amateur radio ranks, becoming a leader in the Dayton Amateur Radio Association sponsors of the Dayton Hamvention. W8CI tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Rod Hardman, VA3ON, is one of the hosts of the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast,  and while a relatively new ham, has a love for hands on radio, technology, and tools that goes back to the 1970s. Rod played an interesting role with his company in New Orleans just after Hurricane Katrina that renewed his interest in amateur radio, finding his community, and eventually building his own tribe.  VA3ON tells his story in this QSO Today.

Bill Jordan’s, AE4S, love of electronics and radio paralleled his professional career as college professor. As a founding member of the Tallahassee Amateur Radio Society and the AE4S repeater, Bill is connected and communicates with the lifelong friends he has made through ham radio.  AE4S tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Joe Long, WA2EJT, has been a frequent contributor to ham radio magazines for decades including 73 and Electric Radio magazine.  Joe loves vintage military transmitters and receivers as well as the best tube type rigs.  Like many hams of his generation he was early into computers, PCs, and programming where his knowledge contributed to his career advancement and his enjoyment of amateur radio.  WA2EJT tells his story in this QSO Today.

While many of us "old timers" may think we know what drives youth interest in amateur radio, a discussion with Conner Black, W4IPC, and CJ Pokowitz, WW0CJ, today's amateur radio youth leaders, may lead us to believe that old timer "value propositions" for ham radio do not resonate with today's youth.  Join Eric and his guests in this discussion of how to potentially increase our numbers in this QSO Today. 

Richard Bateman, KD7BBC, smitten by computers and programming from an early age, used this talent to solve problems.  Combined with an interest in amateur radio, driven by his family, Richard developed Exam Tools amateur radio testing software now used by the majority of volunteer examiners today.  The Covid Pandemic accelerated the evolution of Exam Tools for remote testing. KD7BBC tells the story in this QSO Today.

Eric Anderson, AF7YQ's ham radio interest led him to advanced degrees from MIT and to become Chief Architect and Camera software manager at Apple’s Advanced Technology Group, creators of the first LCD based cameras,  Chief Technology Officer at FlashPoint, and owner of more than 140 patents.  Now retired, Eric creates unique ham radio CW transceivers for his new company, Preppcomm.  AF7YQ is my QSO Today.

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.

Frank Roman, KC8VKA, was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, enlisted in the Navy, and served in Vietnam. Frank is a successful business entrepreneur, now retired, who has continued to leverage his education and experience both professionally and in his pursuit of amateur radio. KC8VKA enjoys mentoring hams in Cleveland, Puerto Rico, and in Panama City, Florida in conjunction with the Panama City Amateur Radio Club.  Frank is my QSO Today.

Will Ravenel, AI4VE, like many of us,  returned to amateur radio after raising a family.  Will is active in the QRP-ARCI, as its treasurer, and takes leadership positions in his ham clubs.     Will loves to operate ham radio’s first digital mode, CW, using either hand, at low power.  AI4VE shares his operating expertise, running low power, in the field and on the beach, in this QSO Today.

Arun Kumar, W8ARU, builds most of the gear that he uses on the air, based on a skillset that he learned from becoming an amateur radio operator in India in the 1960s.  This skill set combined with advanced degrees in engineering has put Arun on the cutting edge of solar and battery technologies used in big equipment as the World is going green.  Arun was also Ashhar Farhan, VU2ESE’s original mentor, one of his many major contributions to our hobby.  W8ARU is my QSO Today.

Jerry Arnold, K9AF, is a long time commercial broadcaster and amateur radio operator, originally from Southern California, and now living in Terre Haute, Indiana.  While Jerry likes to operate CW, he also has a restored AM Broadcast transmitter on 160 meters to transmit that warm AM sound we like to hear.  K9AF and I discuss a whole range of ham radio topics in this QSO Today.

Herb Goodluck, N7HG, is a member of the Navajo Nation and son of one of the famous World War 2 heros called the Navajo Code Talkers.  Herb keeps the Code Talkers memory alive with an annual special event at Window Rock, Arizona.  N7HG is also an active amateur radio operator and my QSO Today.

Desiree Baccus, N3DEZ, while a relatively new ham, has an infectious excitement and enthusiasm for amateur radio that cannot be underestimated.  She is already a mover and shaker for advancing amateur radio and a key player for NASA on the Air, NASA’s year long amateur radio celebration.  N3DEZ is my QSO Today.

Tracy McKim, VE3TWM, believes in the effectiveness of low power communications to communicate across town or around the World.  Tracy uses his YouTube Channel, Outdoors On The Air, to first demonstrate the use of fiberglass poles to install wire antennas, and then to successfully demonstrate outdoor ham radio operation using those full size antennas to operate QRP single-sideband.  VE3TWM is my QSO Today.

Geoffrey Mark, KM6TVJ, is one of the new kids on the block, a recent new amateur radio licensee.  Geoffrey has some fresh ideas and our QSO around his career in the entertainment industry, a pilot, and “maker” caused me to think of some non-traditional ways that we hams can communicate.  KM6TVJ is my QSO Today.

Bruce Prior, N7RR, loves to operate SOTA in Washington State’s great outdoors where he has cataloged for SOTA all of the available mountain peaks in the state.  I had the great pleasure of spending an afternoon last week with Bruce in Washington, activating Mt. Walker in Washington’s  Olympic Mountain range.  My first SOTA activation where I learned the basics of SOTA activation.  This was a great opportunity to get to know my guest in this week’s QSO Today.

Jim Wilson, K5ND, returns to interview QSO Today Podcast host Eric Guth, as Eric reaches the 400th episode milestone of QSO Today.  Jim and Eric discuss the changes to QSO Today that have evolved since the 200th episode milestone include the four QSO Today Virtual Ham Expos and the upcoming, soon to be announced QSO Today Academy for the advancement of amateur radio expertise.

John Raydo, K0IZ, had a great mentor at the beginning of his ham radio story that laid the foundation for John’s approach to operating amateur radio and building radio equipment from scratch. John shares this story and how he now remotely controls and has the noise benefit of his rural Colorado rig when operating from his QTH in Missouri.  K0IZ is my QSO Today.

John Fallows, VE6EY, when faced with an urban HF noise problem, applied this knowledge, expertise, and background from his years of experience in amateur radio to find a solution.  This solution, John presented, last March,  in the last QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo.  Every problem leading to a solution has a story, and VE6EY tells it in this QSO Today.