QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Guy Lemieux, VE2BWL, built his dream contest station, including a one-hundred ten foot self supporting tower, from metal stock delivered to his bard, in a rural area of Southern Quebec. while attempting to relax in the evenings and weekends from a stressful career. Guy shares this project and the stories behind his seven tower contest station in this QSO Today.

Fred Schramm, K2HA, visited Israel a few weeks ago and contacted me to meet with him in Jerusalem. Howard, 4X1ZZ, and I visited Fred at his hotel and recorded this interview with him. Fred tells his ham radio story, and his thoughts on keeping old hams connected when they can no longer get on the air.

Michael, Mike, Foerster, W0IH, loves to ragchew with his friends on 80 meters in the evening. Mike is a frequent contributor to QST magazine including articles on finding and solving electronic noise problems and remote control of your HF station while on the road.

George Byrkit, K9TRV, was first licensed in 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin. He returned to amateur radio as a licensee many years after letting that Novice license expire. George has since jumped back into amateur radio with both feet that include a board position in TAPR, projects in TAPR, including software development, work with HamSCI, and his local radio club and emergency groups.

Michael, Mike, Murphy, WU2D, separates his professional and his personal radio and electronics life by building, using, and working with vintage radios made no later than the early 1960s. As a collector and builder of old time and military surplus radios, Mike is convinced that the magic of radio is at the fingertips of any operator who has a love and fascination with early equipment.

Ward Silver, N0AX, author of the QST magazine column, “Hands-On Radio”, editor of ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications, and author of many books on ham radio, was my guest in Episode 29 from February, 2015. As the new year begins, it seems a great opportunity to reach into the archive to bring back one of the great conversations that I with Ward about amateur radio.

Andrash Bato, HA6NN, or “Andy” is coming up on his 50th anniversery as an amateur radio operator in Hungary, growing up in what is now the Former Soviet Union, or “FSU”. Andy is active at every level of amateur radio from his involvement in Hungary's national radio club and as a representative of Hungarian hams at the IARU. 

Yoram Rotbach, 4Z1YR, is the busy ham who has become the repeater tzar for the Israel Amateur Radio Club. Now retired from the Israeli military, but still employed full time with an international corporation, Yoram is leading the charge to replace and refurbish Israel’s repeater network while at the same time pursuing his own projects that include: DMR, Brandmeister, microwave linking, mesh networking, and satellite operation.

Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, had a love for radio and electronics as a boy growing up leading to a career as an electronic engineer for ATT. Along with his wife Antia, AB1QB, the Kemmerers have turned their passion for radio into building their up the number of active amateurs in the Nashua Area Radio Society, making it the Dayton Hamvention’s radio club of the year in 2019.

Bob Dixon, W8ERD, retired after 49 years as an Ohio State University radio astronomer working on SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and supporting the electronic and communication needs of the University. Now Bob is one a key member of the Delaware Amateur Radio Club’s deployment of a radio mesh network.

This week I joined Denny Johnson, K5DCC, in his Digicomm Cafe, the name of his amateur radio podcast, where he has a ham radio guest almost every night to discuss our hobby. Denny invited me to a conversation over virtual coffee about our lives, both ham radio and personal. This show is “off the rails” from the traditional QSO Today format and is simulcasted in Denny’s podcast.

Clark Stewart, W8TN, started in amateur radio over 55 years ago, has worked every country but North Korea. He began working EME or moon bounce on two and six meters years ago making CW contacts. Clark is the consummate amateur radio mentor and was awarded the outstanding West Virginia Amateur of the Year in 2015.

Kate Hutton, K6HTN, a retired Seismologist at CalTech in Pasadena, California, discovered CW, CWOPS, and passing traffic through the National Traffic System. Kate would agree that amateur radio is a great way to spend time and that getting on the air with NTS is the best way to hone operating skills and to be ready for the next natural disaster.

Bob Logan, NZ5A, enjoys the simple pleasures of exploring new modes as well as mastering old modes, as well as ultra-low frequency bands. Bob is a collector and restorer of old ham radio gear and old broadcast radios. Bob reminds us that we hams are a community, who like to share what we learn in our fine hobby with others.

Andrew Barron, ZL3DW, is an active ham, loves to discover what’s new in ham radio, and is the author of four amateur radio books, one on SDR or software defined radio, and 3 user guides on the latest Icom transceivers. In addition, we discuss the Russian Sputnik ham satellites and amateur radio’s diversity in this QSO Today.