QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio
A "QSO" is a conversation between amateur radio operators, or "Hams". Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, interviews a new guest every week on the subject of amateur radio, their history, and the specific areas of technical and operating interest in amateur radio or ham radio. These interviews also serve as an oral history of amateur radio since WW2.
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Episode 511 Jim Halfpenny K9YNP
07/19/2024
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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Episode 510 Mike Padron N1CC
07/12/2024
Episode 510 Mike Padron N1CC
Mike Padron, N1CC, had an early love for amateur radio that was eclipsed by aviation leading Mike to become the longest serving captain pilot at FEDEX. Returning to ham radio during the Covid 19 Pandemic, Mike rediscovered his love for CW through the Long Island CW Club and remote controlling his FlexRadio home station while traveling the World. N1CC is my guest in this QSO Today.
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Episode 509 Will Harris KI4POV
07/06/2024
Episode 509 Will Harris KI4POV
Will Harris, KI4POV, followed in his father’s footsteps, from his junior workbench along side his dad’s to become a licensed ham at age 12. While Will did not pursue and engineering career, he has become a prolific homebuilder in the tradition of Doug DeMaw, W1FB, and Wes Hayward, W7ZOI. KI4POV discussed his 5 band homebrew transceiver and the rest of his ham radio story in this QSO Today.
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Episode 508 Bob Wertz NF7E
06/30/2024
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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Episode 508 Bob Wertz NF7E
06/30/2024
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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Episode 507 Bob Phinney K5TEC
06/22/2024
Episode 507 Bob Phinney K5TEC
Bob Phinney, K5TEC, created a new and dynamic afterschool science and amateur radio program called New England Sci-Tech, Inc, after his private school, where Bob taught, closed his program from their lack of vision. K5TEC refocused his energies and built an amazing after school program for kids that re-enforces STEM learning and makes new and exciting amateur radio operators. Bob, K5TEC, tells this fascinating story on this QSO Today.
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Episode 506 Stuart Watchman ZL2TW
06/14/2024
Episode 506 Stuart Watchman ZL2TW
Stuart Watchman, ZL2TW, hails from New Zealand where he began his early career working for the New Zealand Post Office on telephone exchange equipment, then made the transition to medical school, becoming a physician. Ham radio was an early passion leading Stuart to work in technical positions to pay for medical school and later to leadership positions with the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitter (NZART), New Zealand’s “League”. ZL2TW shares his amateur radio experience in this QSO Today.
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Episode 505 Rex Moncur VK7MO
06/07/2024
Episode 505 Rex Moncur VK7MO
Rex Moncur VK7MO, holds the world record for the longest 10GHz EME contact using a 50 watt transmitter to a 70CM satellite TV dish. Since his retirement over 20 years ago, Rex has garnered expertise, contacts, and equipment for operating VHF and above for EME, meteor, aircraft, and now lighting scatter from his modest home in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. VK7MO tells his ham radio story and his microwave exploits in this QSO Today.
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Episode 504 Ian Kahn NV4C
05/31/2024
Episode 504 Ian Kahn NV4C
Ian Kahn, NV4C, with the encouragement of his father in law joined the amateur radio ranks in his mid-thirties. He hit the ground running, operating on his local club’s repeater and involving himself in the North Fulton Amateur Radio League to aid its resurgence the the introduction of new programs attracting new and old hams. NV4C discusses his ham radio journey, his operating passions, and what excites him about our hobby in this QSO Today.
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Episode 503 Todd McKinney KN4TPG
05/24/2024
Episode 503 Todd McKinney KN4TPG
Todd McKenney, KN4TPG, found his way into amateur radio through a teenager’s deep dive into YouTube and discovering meteorological balloon launches leading to Bill Brown WB8ELK and Pico Ballooning. Todd’s entry into ham radio may be the key to attracting young people into amateur radio by using our hobby as a tool to complement and extend the usability of their other STEM or Maker projects and hobbies. KN4TPG tells his ham radio story through his high school ballooning interest leading to graduate work at the University of Alabama, Huntsville in this QSO Today.
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Episode 502 Louis Hammer 4Z5OT
05/17/2024
Episode 502 Louis Hammer 4Z5OT
Louis Hammer, 4Z5OT, is a good friend here in Israel and has taken outdoor and park operations to a new level. Faced with antenna challenges and inflexible neighbors at home, operating events, like lighthouses on the air, and other portable operations has opened new opportunities for Louis to be active, gain better operating experience, and to be ready with his portable rig in a flash when necessary. 4Z5OT is my QSO Today.
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Episode 501 Ron Hranac N0IVN
05/10/2024
Episode 501 Ron Hranac N0IVN
Ron Hranac, N0IVN, is not only a long time ham radio operator but a 50 year pioneer in the cable television industry, author of hundreds of articles and presentations for the Society of Cable Television Engineers. We discuss the crossover of amateur radio and cable television technology, interference to amateur radio from leakage, and the potential opportunities for young people who want to enter the industry on the ground floor. N0IVN is my QSO Today.
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Episode 500 Hiroki Kato AH6CY
05/04/2024
Episode 500 Hiroki Kato AH6CY
Hiroki Kato, AH6CY, was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, 20 miles from the epicenter of the atomic bomb blast in August 1945 that killed approximately 100,000 Japanese. Hiroki was fascinated with radio as a youngster and was first licensed in Japan. After moving to the USA, Hiroki continued to pursue amateur radio and began to research and collect the military radios that both the Japanese used to bomb Pearl Harbor, and the radios that were on the Enola Gay, the US bomber that dropped the Hiroshima bomb. AH6CY tells his ham radio story and about these radio restorations in this QSO Today.
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Episode 499 Chris Rutkowski NW6V
04/26/2024
Episode 499 Chris Rutkowski NW6V
Chris Rutkowski, NW6V, had the best radio elmer and teacher for life in his father, a career Navy radio officer, who taught life·s lessons and the proper way to handle a CW key with methods that challenge the current conventions. Chris shares this histor
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Episode 498 Glam Ham NW6S
04/19/2024
Episode 498 Glam Ham NW6S
Glam Ham, Natalie, NW6S, is a lot of things including actress, comedian, writer for both film and television, painter, and now an amateur radio operator. The awareness of amateur radio came to Natalie almost naturally and has become and enjoyable sideline in her life. As Glam Ham on TikTok, she has amassed almost one-hundred thousand subscribers who are interested in what she says and demonstrates about amateur radio. NW6S is my QSO Today.
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Episode 497 Steve Shorey G3ZPS
04/12/2024
Episode 497 Steve Shorey G3ZPS
In this episode of QSO Today, we are joined by Steve Shorey, G3ZPS, who shares his captivating journey through the world of amateur radio. Starting with his early days of constructing tube transmitters from found parts, to securing electronics apprenticeships fueled by his passion for the hobby, and taking a hiatus to focus on family life, Steve's story is one of passion and dedication. Now back in the fold, he finds joy in revisiting old operating modes and refurbishing the vintage equipment that once seemed unattainable in the 1960s. Join us as G3ZPS delves into his ham radio adventures and reflects on the profound impact this hobby has had on his life, right here on QSO Today.
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Episode 496 Irad Deutsch 4Z1AC
04/05/2024
Episode 496 Irad Deutsch 4Z1AC
Irad Deutsch, 4Z1AC, began his ham radio journey at the age of twelve. With a strong foundation in software development and a keen interest in the fusion of ham radio and digital technology, Irad has emerged as a leading voice in modernizing communication methods within the amateur radio sphere through his creation of VarAC digital mode. His dedication to preserving the human connection in ham radio while embracing the advancements of the digital age makes him an influential and insightful figure in the community.
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Episode 495 Charles Wilmott M0OXO
03/29/2024
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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Episode 494 Fred Hopengarten K1VR
03/22/2024
Episode 494 Fred Hopengarten K1VR
Fred Hopengarten K1VR, and his wife Betty, were guests in my home after an afternoon of touring with me the unusual sites around Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, where I live a few years ago. Fred has a long history in amateur radio and took to the law rather than engineering as a profession specializing in communications law and antenna regulations for both commercial broadcasting and amateur radio. His book, Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur, is a must read for hams that need and want external antennas at their QTH. K1VR discuss antenna law, contesting, and his elaborate station in this QSO Today.
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Episode 493 Jonathan Kramer W6JLK
03/16/2024
Episode 493 Jonathan Kramer W6JLK
Dr. Jonathan Kramer W6JLK, transitioned into becoming an communications law attorney after a successful career in cable television engineering in addition to his amateur radio activities. Kramer W6JLK stressed that amateurs should be very active in local government as a way to advocate for antenna and tower rights, especially in areas of strong HOA controls. W6JLK and I discuss the first Motorola simulcast radio system in Kern County, California, and his use of AREDN and portable radios for integrating ham radio with public service.
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Episode 492 Linas Balsys LY2H
03/09/2024
Episode 492 Linas Balsys LY2H
Linus Balsys, LY2H, dives into the fascinating realm of field operations in his native Lithuania, QRP techniques, Morse code, digital modes, and much more. Linus talks about his exploration of the great outdoors with park activations, hillfort castles, chases awards, and delves into satellite communications. From his Renault Trafic campervan equipped with cutting-edge ham radio gear like the Icom IC-705 and the QRP-Labs QMX. Linus showcases the innovation and affordability of modern equipment. In addition, Linus shares how ham radio skills have practical applications in daily life, from repairing electronics to enhancing relationships. Hear about his efforts to rejuvenate the ham community in Lithuania, attracting young enthusiasts through contests, digital operations, and educational classes. Linus also highlights the dual thrill of ham radio: the leap in technology with Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and the invaluable role of amateur radio in emergency communications, echoing its historical significance. Tune in for a journey through the intriguing and impactful world of ham radio with Linus Balsys, L2YH. in this QSO Today.
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Episode 491 Paul Barnes W4YRL
03/01/2024
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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Episode 490 HRWB Podcast 201 with Eric Guth 4Z1UG
02/24/2024
Episode 490 HRWB Podcast 201 with Eric Guth 4Z1UG
Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, was a guest at the celebration of the 200th Ham Radio Workbench Podcast. Eric joined George, KJ6VU, Vince, VE6LK, and Mark, N6MTS in a special episode of their podcast that became HRWB episode 201. This recording of that HRWB episode is added to the QSO Today "official record" for posterity.
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Episode 489 John Rusciano NG0Z
02/17/2024
Episode 489 John Rusciano NG0Z
John Rusciano, NG0Z, knew that eventually living in an HOA would meet he and his family’s needs, even if it meant not having a ham radio station and outside antennas. The state of the art and ubiquitous Internet connectivity made it possible for John to build his ultimate remotely controlled amateur radio station at his vacation home, away from the city's electronic noise and the restrictions of HOA. NG0Z allows me to interrogate him about all of the aspects of building his remote station in this QSO Today.
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Episode 488 Charles Powell NK8O
02/10/2024
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 topics and more in this QSO Today.
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Episode 487 Jonathan Taylor K1RFD
02/02/2024
Episode 487 Jonathan Taylor K1RFD
Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, has reached his 50th year has a ham radio operator, is the creator of Echolink, one of the first amateur radio Voice over Internet Service linking amateur radio stations, the receiver of technical innovation awards, and author of "VoIP: Internet Linking for Radio Amateurs", now in its second edition. K1RFD checks all of the ham radio boxes for operating, homebrewing, software development, radio restoration, and is my QSO Today.
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Episode 486 Lanny Aldrich K1LEC
01/27/2024
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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Episode 485 Martin Buehring KB4MG
01/20/2024
Episode 485 Martin Buehring KB4MG
Martin, Marty, Buehring, KB4MG, discovered amateur radio in private high school growing up in Chicago, Illinois, and went on for a career in electronics engineering following the development of semiconductors from basic transistors to Large Scale Integrates circuits and ASICS. Marty believes that ham radio clubs are key to ham radio success. KB4MG is my QSO Today.
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Episode 484 Richard Gutknecht NZ2I
01/13/2024
Episode 484 Richard Gutknecht NZ2I
Richard Gutknecht NZ2I, is a second generation amateur radio operator, catching the bug at an early age and getting the Novice license at age 15. Answering his country’s call to duty, Rick joined the Air Force and became an active ham while stationed in Germany. Now retired, Rick enjoys getting on the air, volunteering for his amateur radio club, and now producing and co-hosting a podcast on current events and American history. NZ2I is my QSO Today.
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Episode 483 William Thomas WT0DX
01/06/2024
Episode 483 William Thomas WT0DX
William Thomas, WT0DX, was inspired by an early interest in electronics, amateur radio, building Heathkits, to spend a career as an engineer and inventor, with over 150 patents, in the electronics and ultimately the cable television industry where he was given the Cable TV Pioneer award by the National Cable Television Association. Bill is the co-inventor of the Interactive Program Guide still found on most cable television systems. Now retired, WT0DX, spends his time giving back to amateur radio through mentoring, contributing, and testing, and he is my QSO Today.
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