Qso Today - A Conversation For Amateur Radio Operators

  When it comes to introducing amateur radio to kids, there is no better elmer than Carole Perry, WB2MGP.  Carole captured the imagination of almost nine-hundred Staten Island, New York,  public school kids a year, for almost thirty years.  With this experience and and knowledge, Carole is still a leader in ham radio education through a number of national organizations.  She joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

  Bill Meara, N2CQR, rediscovered his love of homebrewing while on professional assignment for the American Foreign Service, in the Azores. He has since traveled the World with his family and ham radio while at the same time building homebrew transceivers using the Manhattan method. Bill joins, Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

  When it comes to building ham radio projects using the Arduino microcontroller, the best person to call is Glen Popiel, KW5GP, author of Arduino for Ham Radio, published by the ARRL. Like many hams, Glen was into computers early and now applies those computer skills to new and fascinating ham radio projects. KW5GP is Eric, 4Z1UG’s, guest on QSO Today. #qsotoday  

When the need to operate portable arose on a family vacation, Budd Drummond, W3FF, fashioned a temporary antenna mast from a painters extension pole and some PVC pipe fittings.  A little more innovation led to the Buddipole system for portable antennas.  A ham for more than sixty years, Budd, W3FF, founder of Buddipole, is Eric, 4Z1UG’s guest on QSO Today.

Volunteering to ham radio organizations and interesting kids in amateur radio is the center of Bob Sterner’s, KB0BS, ham radio activity on the Front Range of Colorado.  Bob shares his insight, with Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today,  gained from his hundreds of hours a year as a volunteer examiner, ham radio mentor, radio club organizer, and leader in the Colorado ham radio community.

  After a career in electronics engineering, Tony Parks, KB9YIG, returned to ham radio, after thirty years, to find it very different than when he first started in the 1950s.  Upon returning in 2000, Tony discovered software defined radio or SDR, where he saw an opportunity to build starter kits for HF SDR receivers that became the Softrock SDR kits.  Tony joins Eric, 4Z1UG to discuss SDR and Softrock.

  When attempting to activate a new mountain peak, in Colorado,  for SOTA, Summits on the Air, Steve Galchutt, WG0AT, uses goats to act as his “sherpas” to carry his gear to the top. His goats allow him to make it to the top of the “teeners”, to set up and make contacts.  Join WG0AT and Eric, 4Z1UG on the QSO Today podcast.

  Combining the software development skills from his thirty-five year career in the US Coast Guard and his hearing loss drove David Freese, W1HKJ, into the early HF digital modes and eventually to support GMFSK software. Building on this popular platform, David then went on to develop FLdigi, one of ham radio’s most popular software programs for encoding and decoding digital transmissions. David discusses his ham radio journey that led to the “FL” line of open source software products with Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

  Paul Ewing, N6PSE, is the founder of the Intrepid DX Group, who has organized and participated in eight DXpeditions to very rare DX and exotic locations around the World, including Northern Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen. This gives Paul authority and insight on creation, management, and execution of DXpeditions in ham radio. As a ham radio blogger, Paul shares his reflections on ham radio and is  Eric’s guest on QSO Today.

  From the very beginning of her ham radio journey, almost 50 years ago, Carol Milazzo, KP4MD, applies the scientific method to her study and enjoyment of amateur radio.  Whether she is modeling antennas for installation in her attic or to using WSPRnet to study VHF and UHF propagation, Carol takes meticulous notes, adds footnotes and illustrations, and now produces video.  This makes Carol a terrific online Internet Elmer. KP4MD joins Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today.

  For John Langridge, KB5NJD, amateur radio is a way of life, like the martial arts. He demonstrates that our amateur radio license privileges give us the real world opportunities to explore the science of radio.  He does this now in the 630 meter band with an experimental license. John takes us on his amateur radio journey and shares with Eric, 4Z1UG, the discoveries he has made along with way on this QSO Today. He urges us to get out of our comfort zone to really experience the thrill of our hobby.

Joe Moell, K0OV, discovered his love for amateur radio transmitter hunting as an 11 year old Novice in the 1950s. This passion for the hunt has led Joe to become the leading expert in transmitter hunting of all kinds including popularizing the European “fox hunt”, or on foot direction finding contests in the USA. He is an author of over 200 articles on “T hunting”,  and is Eric’s guest on QSO Today.  

  The launch of the first satellite, Sputnik, by the Russians, in October of 1957, inspired Don Keith, N4KC, to become a ham radio operator as a kid. Since then, Don has followed a path through radio broadcasting and is now the author of over 20 books, both fiction and non-fiction. A series of non-fiction books on World War II submarines has made Don an expert in this area.  Don joins Eric, 4Z1UG, to discuss his passion for amateur radio, on QSO Today. #QSOToday  

Tim Duffy, K3LR operates one of the most prestigious amateur radio contest stations in the United States with twelve operating positions, two for each band.  Tim shares his ham radio journey, from his early entry into ham radio as a twelve year old, to a career in cellular telephony, and culminating in his position as COO of DX Engineering.  Join Tim and Eric, 4Z1UG in their QSO Today.

  Amateur radio was the key driver that led Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, to a MSEE in Electrical Engineering and then a career as an RF design engineer with both Motorola and later Magnavox. When the hobby bites us at an early age, doors open to a bright and successful future. Carl has written hundreds of articles on the propagation of radio signals over the years.  He shares this knowledge with Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today. #QSOTODAY

Sixty years in the hobby hasn’t diminished Frank Fahrlander’s, N7FF, enthusiasm for amateur radio and the exploration of new technologies and operating modes.  With a solid foundation in electronics that began in grade school and through a career in computers, Frank continues to build projects and kits, elmer new hams, lead his DX club,  and volunteer in his community.  N7FF joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

In California, San Bernardino County Fire has a unique program that includes over 200 amateur radio volunteers to provide auxiliary communications to the county during disasters and special events. Tracy Lenocker, WA6ERA, heads this group of ham radio volunteers that is one of the most comprehensive public services by hams to the largest county in the United States. Tracy joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

  After spending a career working on the railroad, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, is sending satellites into space with AMSAT, as their new VP of Engineering on the FOX-1 cube satellite project.  Amateur radio opens doors to new experiences and opportunities. Jerry shares his amateur radio story and his busy ham radio life with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this episode of QSO Today.

Amateur radio has its renaissance men that include Greg Latta, AA8V. By day, Greg is a university physics professor and lecturer, an avid homebrewer of vacuum tube transmitters and receivers, and metal fabricator. By Night, he is an award winning musician and folk artist. An attention to detail and organization, in perfect harmony, is the successful formula that Greg discusses with Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

Ron Milliman, K8HSY, has spent over 60 years in ham radio only to still find satisfaction, connections, and opportunity from the hobby he has loved all this time.  As a boy who lost is sight, Ron was fortunate to have a father, friends, and schoolmates who supported his ham radio projects and interests.  Join Ron and Eric, 4Z1UG, in their QSO Today.