Qso Today - A Conversation For Amateur Radio Operators

Rob Suggs, NN4NT, is a space scientist at NASA, specializing in outer space environments that protect our astronauts from the hazards of space including space junk and debris. We discuss NASA, Apollo space technology, and amateur radio in this QSO Today.

Rick Miller, N1RM’s ham radio story began at McMurdo Station in Antarctica and weaves its way through Russian submarine hunting to operate APRS on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle, on a grand tour of the United States.  N1RM will fill in all of the open spaces in this QSO Today.

Ralph Haller, N4RH, started his ham radio journey as a nine year old with a knack for electronics leading to his first amateur license at age 9.  Within a few years, Ralph earned broadcast engineering licenses, radio station jobs, education, and a career at the Federal Communications Commission.  N4RH was the driving force behind many of the FCC initiatives that have had a lasting impact on radio amateurs in the USA and around the world.  N4RH is my QSO Today. 

Stan Johnson, W0SJ, started his amateur radio career in high school.  A scavenger of junk, and a kid with the knack,  led Stan to electronic project building with his collected parts.  These skills filtered and honed through the Air Force and the Bell Telephone Laboratories.  Stan would say that his involvement in amateur radio resulted in a life of curious exploration.

Bob Weed, W7SCY, was born and raised in the Oregon Cascade Mountains over eighty years ago.  In this retirement, Bob has returned home to an area that has always been subject to fire, mudslides, earthquakes, and active volcanoes.  W7SCY shares his seventy plus years as a radio amateur that includes his interest in traffic nets and emergency operations in his area,  in this QSO Today.

Ria Jairam, N2RJ, discovered amateur radio on her native Caribbean Island of Trinidad back in the 90s.  As an immigrant to the United States, Ria pursued a degree in Electronic Engineering and learned from great ham radio mentors.  Now an electronic security professional, mother, active ham radio operator and contester, Ria was recently elected ARRL Hudson Division Director.  N2RJ tells her story and the ham radio issues that interest her in this QSO Today.

Keith Schlottman, KR7RK, is not only a mountain goat, he is also a super sloth.  Terms like this are not endearing, however if you are a SOTA activator or chaser, then you know how important these terms are to SOTA operators.  KR7RK tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Jim Moss, N9JIM, portable 6, spends his ham radio life above 50 Mhz.  He has made contacts on every band above 50 MHz and is now working in the 122 Ghz band.  If you are considering a new and different frontier, N9JIM tells his amateur radio story and how to make the transition to VHF and Microwave in this QSO Today. 

Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, discovered amateur radio as a kid, like many of the QSO Today guests.  One of his desires was to work at the ARRL, where he started his career and has been for 29 years.  Bob shares his ham radio story and speaks about the ARRL and what he has learned about amateur radio in this QSO Today. 

Steve Masticola, WX2S,  took a 30 year vacation from amateur radio to pursue his life.  Now he is back.  WX2S loves to operate in the field, necessitated by living in an HOA.  This has created a new passion for SOTA, Parks on the Air, and QRP Fox Hunting.  All this and more in my QSO Today with WX2S.  

Jim Heath, W6LG, has been a ham for over 56 years.  Jim is an Elmer’s Elmer with an amazing You-Tube channel, with over 30,000 subscribers. Jim not only reviews the basics of amateur radio, and he makes that content up close and personal, reflecting on his years of experience as an amateur radio operator.

Bill Salyers, AJ8B, had a great ham radio start as a kid in the Seventies.  Bill loves to work CW to pursue DXCC and just to ragchew and communicate.  He hones his skills with the help of CWOPS and is open to the opportunities afforded by all of the new digital modes.

Eric Silverthorn, NM5M, has a great ham radio story, especially at the beginning with the support of his family for this ham radio interest.  Eric was a speaker at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo and gave a fine talk on CWOPS.  You can tell in these weeks that I want to make sure that you know the Expo speakers and that is why NM5M is my QSO Today.   

Marcel Stieber, AI6MS, contributed three talks to the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo earlier this month, on topics that included remote administration of amateur radio exams, wireless networks for emergency communications, and lithium batteries and their care and feeding.  He uses his amateur radio license and the opportunities it affords to advance the state of the art, contribute to his community, and to share with all of us.  AI6MS is my QSO Today. 

Michael Walker, VA3MW, joins me from the Canadian State of Ontario where he started his ham radio journey. Getting into ham radio as a kid, Michael’s interest in amateur radio and technology led him through a technical career.  He  is now widely known as FlexRadio’s inside sales person, and he is a frequent guest host on the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast.  VA3MW is my QSO Today.  

Mark Smith, KR6ZY, has been a ham since the mid-nineties and finds problem solving and building electronic equipment  his special  area of our ham radio hobby.  A trained and graduated computer engineer, Mark resides near the Central California coast.  Mark is a frequent contributor to the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast, and has his own YouTube channel.  KR6ZY is my QSO Today. 

Dr. Scott Wright, K0MD, was my guest on this podcast in October of 2016, in Episode 116, almost 200 episodes ago.  I asked Scott to be the keynote speaker at the first QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo. Even as busy as he is, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he was willing to prepare and share with all of us in his keynote address. I thought it appropriate that if you heard the Keynote, but didn’t know Scott, that now would be a good time to let Scott tell his own ham radio story, once again.

Carole Perry, WB2MGP, was my guest in episode 51, five years ago this week.  Carole leads a Youth Forum at the major hamfests every year including Dayton and Huntsville.  This year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, she will lead it at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo.  I thought to introduce Carole again before the Expo to put her and the Youth Forum into context.  Be sure to visit Carole at the Radio Club of America booth in the Expo.

Don Minkoff, NK6A, was my guest in episode 158, in August of 2017.  Don has a love for QRP and SOTA, and will be a speaker in the upcoming QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo.  I reprise Don’s interview to set the stage for his upcoming presentation in this remastered audio version.

Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, started his ham radio career in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in 1960, proceeded through law school to a career at the Federal Communications Commission,  or the FCC.  Riley was a part of the evolution of the FCC as it dealt with paging, cellular, PCS, and amateur radio.  K4ZDH tells his amateur radio story as well as his impact on the amateur radio service through his career at the FCC.