I revisit my 2017 interview with Dave Sumner, K1ZZ. He's the ex-CEO and General Manager of the ARRL, retiring in 2016 after a 44-year tenure where he started as an intern. Today, Dave discusses his views on ham radio, operating methods, and his long career at ARRL.
Dr. Jack Mandelman, K1VT, was my guest in 2018, after meeting him on a DMR talk group. As my head is down in preparation for the upcoming QSO Today Academy Event, I wanted to bring back this great interview with Jack. Jack is on the short list for holding the most patents, over 700 Worldwide, in the area of semiconductor physics, while at the same time a successful ham radio operator working DX and CW. Jack is exploring satellite communications and DMR. K1VT shares his ham radio story episode of...
Dr. Frank Brickle, AB2KT, was my guest in Episode 212, in August of 2018, five years ago. He is both a musical composer and a technology expert. He earned a Ph.D. in Music from Princeton University and has been involved in computer science and signal processing since 1970. He was an early pioneer in development of Software Defined Radio for the US Government, and later by private industry, and was the Co-deleloper of PowerSDR software with Bob McGwier, N4HY. Frank is also a classical music compo...
Thomas Langer, KD9FPC, grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child, he was introduced to his father's amateur radio and developed a passion for electronics and radio. Years later, after a successful entrepreneurial career, and only after facing a major health issue, which changed the course of his life, that Tom fully embraced amateur radio. Tom believes that this hobby is not only mentally stimulating but also serves as a way to connect with others, especially when chronic illness often threate...
John Bignell VE1JMB, makes a difference by serving his Halifax, Nova Scotia community for many years as a paramedic and EMT. While involved with two-way radio as part of his profession for many years, amateur radio seemed like the most natural next step to John’s radio life, but also to re-enforcing his community’s emergency response when everything else fails during a disaster. VE1JMB is my QSO Today.
Martin Butler, M1MRB, is the co-founder, along with son, Colin, M6BOY, and one of the hosts of the popular bi-weekly ICQ Amateur Ham Radio podcast. Martin had an early interest in electronics and a successful career in the computer industry in the UK. Martin joined the amateur radio ranks in 2000, and is an active committee member of the Sutton and Cheam Radio Society. M1MRB is my QSO Today.
Richard Rudman, W6TIA, found an early love for electricity, electronics, and radio from frayed electrical cords and Boston’s Washington Street electronic surplus stores in the late 1950s. Radio and Technology would serve Richard well for over 65 years as a broadcast engineer in the prestigious and large Los Angeles market. Amateur radio expertise and business acumen make Richard Rudman a leader in Emergency Alert System or EAS. W6TIA is my QSO Today.
Beau Ambur, K6EAU, is a relatively new ham, and a long time member of the hacker community. This intersection of ham radio with hacking led to his new ham radio license just as the Covid 19 pandemic broke out. Through trial and error, Beau has found the right combination of activities to scratch his amateur radio itch. I know that you will enjoy this QSO Today with Beau especially when we discuss using ham radio fox hunting techniques to recover radiosondes, or weather balloon transmitters....
Dr. Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, is a trailblazer in the world of RF oscillator and receiver design. Throughout the past four decades, N1UL has penned more than 60 articles for esteemed publications like QST and QEX magazines. Not only that, but he has also contributed to the field through his books, academic papers, and various articles. Dr. Rohde continues to impact on his family business, the Munich-based Rohde and Schwarz test equipment company, as well as on amateur radio manufacturers such as Icom ...
Graham Firth, G3MFJ, joined our amateur radio hobby almost sixty years ago as a kid growing up in Yorkshire, England. Electronics and electronics building was the driver and is still Graham's first love in the hobby. QRP was the natural choice of this builder and a way to avoid television interference to his neighbors. Graham is active in the G-QRP group, builds QRP kits for the group, and still plays a mean bass guitar. G3MFJ is my guest on QSO Today.
Jeff Murray, K1NSS, draws cartoons and tells stories about ham radio and the people who use it. He shares his funny pictures and tales on his website, dashtoons.com. Like many cartoonists, Jeff makes ham radio social commentary using Dash the dog, to poke fun at amateur radio and us. K1NSS is my QSO Today.
Ed Tipler, WI6RE, began his ham radio journey on a rural farm in Washington State, and ultimately landed an engineering job at the China Lake Navel Weapons Test Range in California’s Mojave Desert. Ed continues to serve his community of Ridgecrest with both commercial and amateur radio services connected by IRLP and Allstar. WI6RE is my QSO Today.
Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC, agrees that having an elmer was the fastest way to ham radio success, and being an elmer and paying it forward benefits everyone including the elmer, the new ham, and the hobby. WB2UDC loves to make large public demonstrations for kids by making contacts to the ISS, the International Space Station, and the US Space Shuttles when they were flying. This reprise of my conversation with Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC, from January 2016, is my QSO Today.
Chris Cancilla W4CEC is a relatively new ham, and has a long history in the Boy Scouts, especially teaching the radio merit badge, Jamboree on the Air, and training young scouts to eventually become amateurs themselves. Chris is also a professional Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI expert and a seasoned author of science fiction and technical books on EDI. W4CEC is my QSO Today.
George Heron, N2APB, loves the design, collaboration, and building of electronic devices for amateur radio, along with his friend and mentor, Joe Everhart, N2CX, now a silent key. Together, they shared their discoveries live on their Chat with the Designers podcast, until October 2018. Every aspect of amateur radio interests George, from test equipment and restored vintage radios to stand alone SDR transceivers and more efficient designs of magnetic loop antennas. N2APB is Eric, 4Z1UG’s QSO Toda...
Alan Johnston, KU2Y, has a continued interest in amateur satellites since his early beginnings in ham radio over 40 years ago. Now the AMSAT’s VP of Educational Relations, Alan reaches out to educate the general public about intriguing world amateur satellites, and satellite technology using Cubesatsim, a live classroom simulation of satellite communications. Furthermore, he turns to high-altitude balloon launches as a practical, hands-on approach to bringing amateur payloads closer to space, th...
Baris Dinc, OH2UDS, has a passion for amateur radio that has shaped his life and career in remarkable ways. Growing up in Turkey with a father who loved tinkering with electronics, Baris was exposed to the world of radio communication early on through articles in the Turkish Amateur Radio Society Magazine, which further ignited his love for the craft. Baris was the only child under 18 to hold a Turkish amateur license with the call sign TA7W. This early achievement set the stage for an illustrio...
Ron Schwartz, VE3VN, maintains his enthusiasm for participating in CW contests using his SO2R station and tower farm. For more than five decades, Ron has been an avid ham radio operator and ham radio blogger with an enduring passion for climbing towers and rigging antennas. In recent years, Ron has pursued an interest in EME - moon bounce , Tropospheric ducting, and meteor scatter. VE3VN is my QSO Today.
Dave Olean K1WHS, and his brother, started with modest and simple surplus and homebrew VHF rigs, modified and upgraded over a long period of time to operate EME or moon-bounce, meteor scatter, and bouncing signals off of the Aurora Borealis that appears in the Northern skies. Dave demonstrates that one can make a ham radio career out of very modest equipment to solve complex problems leading to real expertise. K1WHS is my QSO Today.
Bob Vinikoor W3CFE, was inspired to become an amateur radio operator by his father David, who held first license W3CFE in 1935. Bob followed this technology and media interest into the satellite TV business then later he became the owner of AM broadcasting stations in the New England states. Always active and on the air, Bob operates his remote Vermont ham radio station from around the World, and now from Israel. W3CFE is my QSO Today.
Rich Gussow, 4Z1JJ, discovered ham radio in high school and finally got his amateur radio ticket in his first year at Brooklyn College in 1976, where he quickly built up his operating skills and amateur theory to upgrade to Advanced within a year. Single Side-band is Rich’s favorite mode, and now Rich enjoys working amateur satellites in voice and packet modes from his QTH in Modiin, Israel. 4Z1JJ is my QSO Today.
Nick Tusa, K5EF, embarked on his ham radio journey as a teenager in a New Orleans Jesuit high school, where he was introduced to the cutting-edge technology of a Central Electronics 10A SSB Exciter at the school's ham radio station. This early fascination sparked a lifelong friendship between Nick and Wes Schum, W9DYB, the co-founder and chief engineer of Central Electronics. Over the course of their 50-year friendship, Nick not only built a successful career in radio and communications but also...
Adam Farson, VA7OJ/AB4OJ, embarked on his amateur radio journey more than six decades ago as a young enthusiast fascinated by electronics and later, ham radio in his home country of South Africa. His passion for the field of telephony led him to pursue a career in this area, where he has adapted telephony techniques and testing tools to assess the performance of amateur radio transceivers. Adam recounts his experience as both a ham radio operator and a professional in this episode of QSO Today....
A special update about the upcomming expo.
Rick Palm K1CE is a well-known figure in the ham radio community, having spent a career at the ARRL and writing columns and articles that have been widely read and appreciated by fellow enthusiasts. With a particular interest in public safety radio and ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), Rick has dedicated his time and expertise to ensuring that these critical communication channels remain reliable and effective. Although now retired and based in Florida, Rick remains an active participant i...
Passionate about electronics and radio since childhood, Orv Beach (W6BI) has a knack for digital modes, including CW, RTTY, packet radio, Pactor, Winlink, and AREDN. He has built and manages an extensive AREDN mountain top network in LA and Ventura Counties and delivers lectures globally on accessing this latest digital mode. Learn more about Orv Beach on my QSO Today. #HamRadio #DigitalModes #AREDN #W6BI
Robert “Bob” Glorioso, W1IS had early beginnings in electronics and radio, encouraged by his father, led Bob to advanced degrees in engineering, a stint in the US Army, and opportunities to be on the cutting edge of technology throughout his career with major corporations and his own startup. The consummate teacher, Bob has developed new hams through courses at the local ARES. W1IS has been a frequent contributor to ham radio publications for over 50 years, is a contributor to the QSO Today Virt...
Bob Witte K0NR is the active ham that you want in your community. Bob lives in the Colorado Rocky mountains, operates SOTA on the “teeners”, maintains and operates the local repeaters, and mentors new hams. K0NR is a frequent contributor to the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo and will be a presenter next month. This interview is one that I conducted with Bob more than five years ago, and I am delighted to play it again with the help of Ben Bresky, who edited and remastered the audio.
Fred Cady, KE7X, (SK) became a silent key. I thought that in Fred’s memory we should recall his love of radio and electronics that led him to a PhD in Electronic Engineering and found his love of teaching at Montana State University. Fred was the author of 14 books, when I interviewed him in April of 2018, including many on how to operate and use Elecraft transceivers. Fred loved to operate contests and work DX. So this we we will go back and remember Fred Cady, KE7Z, in this QSO Today...
Paul Topolski, W1SEX, was my guest in Episode 133, in February 2017, six years ago. I wanted to reprise this interview as well as point out that Paul is always one of the first to help as a speaker or Expo moderator. Paul was just meters from ground zero working the communications center, when terrorists struck the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds of spectators and participants. Paul shares with me his ham radio story, his experience, and how he continues to make a diffe...
