Qso Today - A Conversation For Amateur Radio Operators

Larry Staples, W0AIB, is the publisher of Larry’s List, a regular email message center that updates Kansas City amateur radio operators with the latest news, events, and rigs for sale. As an active amateur radio operator for almost sixty years, Larry believes that the ultimate goal of ham radio is to get to know people, face to face, for the “eyeball” contact. W0AIB is my QSO Today.

Ron Gang, 4X1MK, had his early amateur radio beginnings in Canada, and later immigrated, as part of a group, to Israel in the 1970s where his amateur radio license, skills, and equipment were highly appreciated.  Always an active amateur radio operator, 4X1MK is willing to try every operating mode. Ron shares his amateur radio story and his perspective of amateur radio in Israel, past and present.

Dennis Vernacchia, N6KI, was an active ham who was drafted by the US Army and sent to Vietnam at the height of the war in the late sixties.  This is an amateur radio story where Army MARS, ham radio, and the skills acquired from the hobby literally saved his life.  This situation and his relationship with a later prominent television comedian brought relief and comfort to American soldiers serving in Vietnam and their families.  Dennis is an active contester and tells the rest of his story in this QSO Today.

Inspired by one of his home brew elmers, Jim Garland, W8ZR, uses his electronics and metal fabrication workbench to create beautiful ham radio projects (a few displayed in QST magazine)  and to restore old vintage boat anchor transmitters and receivers that he rotates through his three operating positions at his QTH in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Jim tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Israel’s most notable amateur radio operator might just be Dov Gavish, 4Z4DX.  First licensed in Israel with his dad over fifty years ago, Dov has made a career of operating from wherever he happens to be in the World, always ready to get on the air.  While CW is is favorite operating mode, Dov just likes to get on the air with whatever mode works, including DMR.  4Z4DX is Eric’s guest on this QSO Today.

Dave Casler, KE0OG, creates ham radio Youtube videos from the Western Slope of Colorado to educate and inform his ham radio audience.  Beginning with videos to aid in obtaining ham radio licenses, Dave has created a catalog of how-to videos for ham radio that are interesting and well produced.  Dave is a retired project engineer from the aerospace industry and a self published author of both fiction and nonfiction works.

Burt Weiner, K6OQK, Los Angeles repeater pioneer and creator of the second repeater to serve Los Angeles in the late 50’s through the late 1970s is my QSO Today.  Burt’s proximity to Los Angeles area broadcast radio stations and station engineers who served as his mentors, created for Burt a lifetime amateur radio and professional path that he is still on today.

Steve Herman, W7VOA’s, love of amateur radio and media led him into a career as a news correspondent for the Associated Press, freelance overseas journalist,  and ultimately with the Voice of America (VOA) as its White House correspondent, traveling and reporting on the President of the United States. Even with his 24 X 7 busy schedule, W7VOA has time for amateur radio and this QSO Today with Eric, 4Z1UG.

When Tom Robinson, G0SBW, wasn’t getting satisfactory results from his HF station at this home QTH, he decided to move his operation to the English shore, on his back while walking. As a single-sideband operator running QRP, Tom has had amazing success with this “man-pack” radio, refining its operation and ease of use, and taking it on DXpeditions abroad.  GOSBW is Eric’s QSO Today.

From an early age, the love of radio broadcasting brought Lauren Libby, W0LD, to amateur radio and DXing by meteor scatter and moon bounce.  Lauren has made a career of radio broadcasting and is the CEO of the World’s largest international shortwave broadcasting network.  W0LD is my QSO Today.

Have you ever wondered what effort it takes for the ARRL to process up to ten thousand DXCC applications per year, not to mention the all of the other contests and awards that once required QSL cards from each side of a contact to confirm it.  My QSO this week is with Bill Kennamer, K5FUV, who used to be the guy responsible for DXCC and other ARRL awards.  We hear Bill’s ham radio story in this QSO Today.

When Rick Dougherty NQ4I isn’t operating single sideband at 51 thousand feet in a Gulfstream jet, he may be preparing for the next big contest at this super multi-multi station in Griffin, Georgia.  A career jet pilot and ham radio contester, NQ4I shares his amateur radio story with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

Amateur radio is a big tent with an appeal for every amateur’s special interest.  Once a QRO DX operator, the new magic of ham radio  for Don Minkoff NK6A, came from turning down the power to QRP levels and getting out of the QTH to the great outdoors and working SOTA, or Summits on the Air.  Don shares his ham radio story and so much more in this QSO Today.  

Someone said some place, that if you want to get stuff done, give it to a busy person.  My guest this week is Dave Prestel, W8AJR.  Dave is a busy person who as a volunteer for many ham radio organizations in Howard County, Maryland, just gets stuff done to the benefit of the amateur radio community and his larger community.  He is my QSO Today.

David Rowe, VK5DGR, has been a guest target since QSO Today episode 16 with Bruce Perens, K6BP because of David’s seminal work with audio codecs for digital audio on HF.  David has a strong background in digital voice, a technology that is now the foundation for all of the telephony and voice over IP that we do.  As an advocate of open source and the consummate teacher, David shares all of his work while educating us with his blog, rowetel.com.  VK5DGR is Eric, 4Z1UG’s  QSO Today.

Sputnik was the catalyst that spurred many to enter electronics, engineering, and amateur radio.  Rob Brownstein, K6RB, was inspired to find a ham across the street to build his first crystal set for a science fair project leading to a lifetime as a ham radio operator. Rob is a co-founder of CWOPS and its on-line CW training academy helping hundreds of hams a year become better CW operators.  K6RB shares his ham radio story with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO today.

Dave LeDuc, N1IX, like many of my guests got his ham radio start as a teenager in the sixties.  His love for CW and chasing DX has not diminished over the years.  His new passion is running QRP and winning contests.  Dave shares his ham radio story and offers some advice for QRP success in this episode of QSO Today.  

My QSO Today is with Jim Talens, N3JT, who combines DX and contesting, operating CW, and going on DXpeditions into his amateur radio hobby.  A ham since 1960, Jim is one of the founders of CWOPS and an advocate of CW or Morse code operation to really enjoy being on the air on HF.  Jim operates his station remotely when he splits his time between two houses. More on this and other ham radio subjects in this QSO Today.

Chris Burger, ZS6EZ, believes that if we have lofty goals, like winning DX contests, and measure our results against other contesters, then even South African amateur radio operators can be winners. Chris is a contest winner and a contributor to our ham radio hobby through his articles and website.  ZS6EZ is Eric, 4Z1UG’s  QSO Today.

For George Heron, N2APB, the love of amateur radio comes from the design, collaboration, and building electronic devices for amateur radio, along with his friend and mentor, Joe Everhart, N2CX - and then sharing this live on their Chat with the Designers podcast. All of it interests George, from test equipment and restored vintage radios to a stand alone SDR transceivers and  more efficient designs of magnetic loop antennas. N2APB  is Eric, 4Z1UG’s  QSO Today.