QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Ray Waldemar, WA6NVL, was an early adopter of electronic technology that found its way into amateur radio including the first Apple 1 computer, first instances of D-Star, and now DMR. Active on HF, VHF, UHF, and Microwave, from SSB to satellites. Ray just likes it all to the technical challenge and the social connections made from almost 50 years in the hobby. WA6NVL is my QSO Today.

George Zafiropoulos, KJ6VU, is the the co-host of the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast, one of the more popular ham radio podcasts. George has a long and interesting ham radio history as well as he is accomplished home-brewer, builder, operator, and high tech executive. We touch on a few of my favorite subjects that include repeaters and repeater controllers, the Cactus Intertie, DMR, and building with Arduino micro-controllers. KJ6VU is my QSO Today.

John Raifsnider, W8JER, shares his ham shack with this wife, Micky, KE8ASK, and likes to rag-chew on DX. His signal is boosted by a new 70 ft tower and Mosley beam antenna, allowing him to extend his amateur radio circle that he has built up through the years. Consistent attention to building his amateur radio skills combined with the hobby's social dimension, has made W8JER a successful ham.

Jonathan Naylor, G4KLX, pioneered the opening, to amateur radio operators, of D-Star and later other digital repeater modes including DMR and Yaesu system fusion by writing software that could be implemented on Arduino and Raspberry Pi hardware for the creation of multi-mode repeater and hot-spot controllers. G4KLX shares his ham radio story with Eric, 4Z1UG, in this QSO Today.

AMSAT, the Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation, has launched over 95 satellites into space since 1961. Keith Baker, KB1SF, former President and now treasurer of AMSAT speaks and write on amateur satellites, what is happening now, how to get started, and how to get involved. Keith shares is wealth of satellite knowledge in this episode of QSO Today.

Joel Wilhite, KD6W, who has a long history in amateur radio, telephony, and amateur radio TV. As you can imagine, amateur radio TV has advanced from the slow scan memories of the early 1970s to high quality digital television delivered by repeaters and internet linked networks. Amateur radio digital TV and microwave roving are a few of the topics discussed with Joel, KD6W, in the QSO Today.

Riki Kline, K7NJ, has a long and interesting ham radio career, from humble beginnings in Las Vegas, Nevada, as a teenage ham, to his current QTH on over 40 rural acres in Utah. Riki also lives in Israel, part time, in the village of Na'aleh, overlooking Israel's coastal plain and the Ben Gurion, Airport. K7NJ shares his perspective as an amateur radio operator who frequently works from either side of the World, likes to chase DX and operate contests in this QSO Today.

Along with a successful career in California high-tech, Paul Gacek, W6PNG, became an amateur radio operator. Finding that it challenged his mind and created opportunity to learn new things, Paul discovered SOTA, Summits on the Air, and outdoor operating. California has over 4000 SOTA peaks, and that is a good start for W6PNG, my QSO Today.

David Malin, AA6RV, spent over 20 years working for the City of Los Angeles as its Emergency Coordinator and Emergency Administrator for the Port of Los Angeles. Now retired, David a lot to say about emergency preparedness and the minimal steps that we should all take to be ready in case of disaster in this QSO Today.

Phil Sittner, KD6RM, has a ham radio story that goes back over 50 years, from childhood. Still living in Northern California, Phil builds his own radios and test equipment, operates CW on 80 and 40 meters, using antennas optimized for his city lot in an HOA neighborhood where antennas are forbidden. We harness Phil's extensive technical expertise and hear his ham radio story in this QSO Today.