Qso Today - A Conversation For Amateur Radio Operators

Bill Levy, N2WL, operates from his apartment in New York City,  and from a remotely controlled FlexRadio station in Colorado,  as part of a network of remotely controlled stations available for hire.  As a kid, Bill paid for his ham radio hobby by running  Wall Street, and he did a stint as a wildlife photographer for Time-Life and Partridge Films, while operating as a DX entity from  Africa.  N2WL tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Mike Crestohl, W1RC, is the benevolent dictator and founder of Near Fest, New England Amateur Radio Festival, a collector of WW2 spy radios, a journalist with contributions to amateur magazines, and a lover of Collins boat anchor gear.  Mike likes to operate a remote station while on the road and is my QSO Today.

Mooneer Salem, K6AQ,  discovered that amateur radio provides plenty of opportunities for hams who also love computers and computer programming.  K6AQ loves open source, contributing to HF digital voice development in the Free-DV Project, and improving on WinLink HF digital email gateways.  Combine all this with Software Defined Radio and you have an active 21st century ham.  K6AQ is my QSO Today.

Ted Robinson, K1QAR, was a speaker in the last QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo on the subject of magnetic loop antennas, especially in noisy urban areas, HOAs, and urban lots.  Ted has a long ham radio  history, a love of surfing, aviation,  restoring Collins Equipment, and now expertise in the construction and use of high power magnetic loop antennas.  K1QAR tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Michael Fluegemann, KE8AQW, is a next generation ham, active on HF and CW.  Michael is an engineer at Ford, likes the Long Island CW Club, and made a training video on the popular Morserino Arduino training device on this YouTube channel.  KE8AQW provides some insight into how we might attract the next generation of hams in this QSO Today.

Hayden Honeywood, VK7HH, is a Ham Radio YouTuber, with an interest in VHF, UHF, and microwave amateur operations using multiple modes including WSPR.  Hayden operates a remotely controlled station, as well as maintains the repeater network that serves his island State of Tasmania, Australia.  VK7HH shares his knowledge, expertise, and his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Lee Finkel, KY7M, honed his operating skills passing CW messages for the  Nation Traffic System in the 60s.  His membership in the  with Central Arizona DX Association, after moving to Phoenix from Chicago,  led KY7M to an interest in DX, DXpeditions to West Africa, and contesting.  Lee is now a trustee of the NA7TB Milt Jensen N5IA Memorial Station, a remotely controlled multi-band station that includes a 160 Meter 8 circle antenna in the Arizona desert.  KY7M is my QSO Today.

David Trachtenberg, N4WWL’s ham radio journey started with shortwave listening as a young teen growing up on the East Coast,  and once licensed, matured to operating Air Force MARS in the service of his hobby and country.  David appreciates the variety of new equipment and technology as well as making new friends on the air.  N4WWL is my QSO Today.

Murray Greenman, ZL1BPU, now a silent key, was my guest in Episode 71 more than 5 years ago.  Murray was famous in amateur circles for the development of many popular digital modes.  I spoke to Murray over Skype from his home in New Zealand.  The body of Murray’s work, spanning over 20 years, includes a book, Digital Modes For All Occasions, and on-line content that is very detailed and complete.  Murray passed away in April 2022.  May his memory be for a blessing.

Art Bell, W6OBB, now a silent key, was my guest on Episode 85, in March of 2016 and the interview that follows is the remastered version.  Art was a very active ham from his QTH in Pahrump, Nevada, and his 160 meter Rhombic antennas were legendary.  He was also one of the most popular late night talk radio hosts for over 30 years, syndicated nationwide until his retirement in 2007.   I was a great fan of Art’s and like many of his fans truly miss him on the radio. 

Tim Berry WB4GBI has been a ham almost 50 years, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than a passing interest in repeaters,  emergency communications, and has been a broadcast engineer for most of his life.  Tim shares his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Lauren Libby, W0LD, was my guest on the QSO Today podcast, five years ago this month, and because of a confluence of events including the ham expo and the holidays of the Jewish new year, I decided this week to go back into the QSO Today catalog and remaster an amazing interview I had with Lauren.  What’s more, I got to meet Lauen in person at the Dayton Hamvention last May helping me to better choose the now remastered episode of Episode 161.  Lauren’s love of radio broadcasting brought him to amateur radio, his interest in DXing by meteor scatter and EME moon bounce.  Lauren made his career in radio broadcasting and is the CEO of the World’s largest International shortwave broadcasting network.  W0LD is my QSO Today.

Otis Vicens, NP4G, grew up in Puerto Rico, with an appreciation for radio, a love of learning, and an eventual career in orthodontics.  NP4G has enjoyed ham radio from his teenage years and now is one of the 3Y0J DXpedition crew members to Bouvet Island in January 2023.  Otis joins me to tell his ham radio story and about his preparations for Bouvet.

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.