QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Steve Adler, VK5SFA, is a lifelong lover of radio and electronics, worked in the broadcast industry, and has recently retired. Steve developed a skill set and relationships that helped him to create a 160 and 80 meter magnetic loop antenna that won him fi

Ganesh Subramaniam, VU2TS, began his ham radio journey in 1959 trying to find someone, anyone, somewhere in his native Bangalore, India, who could provide basic information about the amateur radio service in India. Ganesh has been a ham over 50 years and is the editor of the Amateur Radio Society of India's magazine, Ham Radio News. VU2TS shares his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Richard Factor, WA2IKL, joined the amateur radio ranks 60 years ago, and was inspired by the technology dreams of the popular science fiction writers of that era. His interest in radio, electronics, and science led WA2IKL to establish his own technology business, now fifty years old. WA2IKL tells his ham radio story and how he uses is Toyota Prius as a backup power supply for his house.

Frank Howell, K4FMH, has a love for radio and electronics that goes back over 60 years, but is only a recent licensee. Frank serves as the ARRL Assistant Director of the Delta Division, and avid ham radio journalist, and podcaster. He makes a great case for recruiting retired people into the hobby by the energy, volunteerism, and technical devotion that he discusses in this QSO Today.

Dennis Kidder, W6DQ, is an amateur radio renaissance man, a collector of the game changing radios from pre-World War 2 to the present. He enjoys 80 meter AM on his Collins broadcast transmitter and working 10 Ghz SSB with the San Bernardino Microwave Society. Dennis is the co-author of Arduino Projects for Amateur Radio and a sought after speaker at ham radio events. W6DQ is my QSO Today

Paul Andrews, W2HRO, re-entered amateur radio, after a 35 year break, by working FM satellites with a Yaesu portable and a dual band antenna. Experimentation with a simple moon bounce array led to bigger and better antenna arrays, power amplifiers, low noise preamplifiers, higher frequencies, and more QSOs.

Burt Fisher, K1OIK, raised a stir and perhaps the ire of many hams with a 2008 YouTube video critical of amateur radio operators and their operating practices. While it is easy these days to have conversations with anyone who shares our opinions and beliefs, it is more difficult to have conversations with people who do not share our views. K1OIK tells his ham radio story and shares his opinions that led to the controversial video and the rest of the story in this QSO Today.

Ralph Fedor, K0IR, has participated in at least 15 DXpeditions to the most remote parts of the World. Ralph shares his amateur radio story leading up to his DXpedidions, the opportunities, the lessons learned, and the avoidance of fate off of Bouvet Island in 2018. K0IR took a break from preparing for the upcoming Pitcaryn DXpedition in October for this QSO Today.

Eric Sears, ZL2BMI, who joins me from New Zealand, is famous for this 80 meter QRP double sideband rig that he designed and documented in the 1980s for his personal use when "tramping" in the forests and mountains of New Zealand. Eric's stated design philosophy and rigs proved to be robust and foundational for other QRP rig builders, especially in the southern hemisphere through the years.

Gordon West, "Gordo"WB6NOA, may be one of ham radio's most well known ambassadors and promoters of our amateur radio hobby today. Through his books and courses over the years, Gordo, has licensed thousands of individuals to become amateur radio operators. Gordo tells me that this is the first time that he has told his ham radio story from the beginning in this episode of QSO Today.