QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Kevin Parmenter, KG5Q, caught my attention from an article that he published in QST Magazine, August 2017 about the Flightaware system. I was intrigued with the article that leverages our technical ability against a services that uses crowd sourced receivers, in private hands, Worldwide, to track commercial and military aircraft to display their location, speed, and altitude on Flightawares website. KG5Q joins be to discuss his ham radio story and the Flightaware system in this QSO Today.

Frank Brickle, AB2KT, took a professional path to music composition at Princeton. He combined his musical composition skills with his technical knowledge of computer programming and background in amateur radio to develop the first software defined radio (SDR) software used first by the US government and later by private industry. Frank AB2KT is a noted classical music and opera composer and a pioneer in SDR technology.

Justin Johnson, G0KSC, tells his ham radio story and how it led to the founding of his company, Innovantenna, and his approach to antenna designs, that maximize signal to noise rather than gain to produce amazing results. If you are re-considering your antenna system, then you will enjoy this QSO Today with G0KSC.

Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, who, from his interest in satellite communications, became an important backup communications link in South Australia for the NASA space shuttle missions, the Mir Space Station, and the International space station when crewed by amateur radio operators. Tony is a pioneer in this area of ham radio and has been recognized by NASA for his contributions. VK5ZAI is Eric's QSO Today.

Jim Forkin, WA3TFS, started contributing to QST and Ham Radio Magazine as far back as 1983 with his series on A Modular Two Band Receiver. His QRZ page is loaded with pictures of his home brew rigs along with detailed descriptions. Jim shares his ham radio story and his incorporation of old and new technology including Arduino microcontrollers into his still evolving and complex projects in this QSO Today.

Dr. Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, is a pioneer in RF oscillator and receiver design. Over the last 40 years N1UL has authored over 60 articles for QST and QEX magazines, in addition to books, academic papers, and articles. Dr. Rohde has made significant scientific contributions to his family business, the Munich based Rohde and Schwarz test equipment company, and to amateur radio manufacturers including Icom. Ulrich, N1UL tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Mike Mussler, AI8Z, is one of the early pioneers in the 630 meter band experimental trials in 2007 that resulted in the band being opened for amateur radio exploration. AI8Z rebuilds old rigs, especially military surplus WW2 vintage radios that adorn his Cortez, Colorado ham shack. We start with Mike's ham radio history in this QSO Today.

David Finell, N7LRY described himself to his future wife as a mad scientist, coming from a ham radio family that encouraged deep learning of the subjects that interested him. David shares his ham radio journey, his deep dive into electronics through a career in the US Air Force, his interest in antennas that led to his helix VHF antenna design, as well as his leverage of ham radio skills to his other hobbies. N7LRY is my QSO Today.

Rick Tavan, N6XI, is a Silicon Valley high-tech veteran who loves to contest from his two Northern California contest stations, one in the "valley" and the other in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe. Rick shares his early beginnings in ham radio from 1961 to the present, his love of contesting, some tips on getting started, operating remotely over the Internet, and the challenges of setting up a proper station and antenna on volcanic soil.

One of the best kept secrets of amateur radio is the amazing QEX Magazine published by the ARRL and edited by my guest today, Kai Shiwiak, KE4PT. If you are a home brewer and want a more indepth amateur radio technology understanding, then QEX should be on your desk every month. Kai provides a fascinating look at home-brewing, the digital modes, and modest antennas for the antenna challenged ham in this episode of QSO Today.