QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio

Norm Cantin, WA1NLG, discovered amateur radio at age 14 through Boy Scouts in Massachusetts, got his Technician license in 1969 so he could get on 6 meters, and that early exposure led directly to his career in navigation electronics. Amateur radio Elmers in the Framingham Radio Club helped him get his first job at Northstar, a startup building LORAN navigation equipment, where he spent almost 30 years rising to Vice President of Engineering, later working on GPS development, differential GPS, and aircraft landing systems. After a period at Outerlink building satellite tracking systems, he spent more than a decade at Raytheon working on Patriot modernization and activities that contributed to Iron Dome. Now retired on Cape Cod, Norm is focused on VHF weak signal work, homebrews LDMOS amplifiers, is building a second tower for 2-meter EME, is active in the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club, youth outreach, public service, STEM, Boy Scouts, and believes ham radio is still a "hobby of a thousand hobbies."

In this episode of QSO Today, we sit down with Jack Schuster, W1WEF, whose amateur radio journey spans more than 73 years. From building his first crystal set at age 10 to contesting at the highest levels around the world, Jack shares stories of innovation, DX adventures, CW mastery, and a lifetime of dedication to the hobby. His perspective offers both history and inspiration, making this conversation a must-listen for hams of every generation.

Jake Groenhof, N0LX, discovered amateur radio in the 1960s thanks to his uncle’s impressive home station and his father’s interest in CB radio.. Over the years, Jake turned his curiosity into a lifetime of experiments — from pedestrian-mobile DX with just 5 watts and an endfed antenna tethered to a balloon, to building saltwater antennas in PVC pipes, to flying pico balloons that circled the Earth six times. Along the way, he’s set records, designed clever portable gear, and inspired others to push the limits of what amateur radio can do. N0LX is my QSO Today.

Alex Nersesian K6VHF is a US immigration success story. Hailing from the Republic of Georgia after the fall of the former Soviet Union, Alex credits amateur radio with finding work, career,family, and community in his new country. Now successfully living the American dream, K6VHF loves to chase DX on HF, VHF, and Microwave using FT-8, SSB, and CW and is an avid DXpeditioner. In addition, Alex makes EME, microwave, and rover contacts all of the way up to 122 GHz. K6VHF is my QSO Today.

Ron Demcko, WA2TBQ, found his way into electronics—and later amateur radio—thanks to the early influence of his older brother, John, KD7JR. From a young age, Ron funded his growing passion for kit building and radio experimentation by buying and reselling surplus electronic gear, a resourceful start that helped pave the way for his formal education. Today, Ron is a recognized expert in the field of radiation-resistant passive components, essential for military and space applications. On the air, CW remains his favorite mode. We cover all of this and much more in this episode of QSO Today.

Bob Pantazes, W2ARP, discovered amateur radio in high school but only became licensed at age 40. A career in electronics shaped his hands-on approach to amateur radio. With 296 DXCC entities, Bob is active in contesting, POTA - Parks on the Air, and antenna building. He advocates FT8 access for Technicians on HF to attract younger hams and grow our numbers the hobby. W2ARP is my QSO Today.

In the QSO Today podcast episode #525, host Eric Guth interviews Jack Prindle, a former law enforcement officer and amateur radio enthusiast, who shares his unique journey from his early electronics background in Kentucky to his distinguished police career, ultimately specializing in computer forensics. Jack, who obtained his amateur radio license in 1976, reflects on his passion for radio that grew alongside his professional life, including the establishment of his podcast, the AB4WS Radio Show, which serves as a source of information for ham radio events in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Throughout the discussion, Jack emphasizes the importance of community engagement in amateur radio, sharing tips for attracting new operators, and advocates for open public safety communications alongside the use of modern technology. As Eric shares insights about his recent health challenges, both host and guest highlight the healing aspects of radio and community, culminating in actionable steps for listeners and clubs to enhance their involvement in the amateur radio world.

Charles “Pete” Corp, WA2JMG, operates simple rigs into wire antennas, using low power. His primary operating mode is ragchewing on CW for meaningful and reliable communications. At the urging of his grandfather, Pete pursued the power system management side of electrical engineering side of his four year degree as a way to satisfy the market demand for power engineers in industry, when there is a scarcity of supply. WA2JMG tells us his ham radio story, beginning in 1960, in this QSO Today.

Ron Taylor WA7GIL, while having a love for HF CW, boat anchor restoration, and kit building, still stays current with home brew equipment using Arduino controllers, the latest ham radio software, and the NanoVNA. His beautiful ham shack and carefully appointed workbench and parts inventory allow Ron to build and fix just about anything. WA7GIL is my QSO Today.

Cathy Goodrich, W4CMG, is an enthusiastic contester and dedicated DX chaser. Known for her meticulous scheduling, Cathy ensures she dedicates time each day to amateur radio, honing her operating techniques and CW rag chewing skills. In her retirement, Cathy continues to make an impact as a Red Cross Coordinator in Nashville, TN, applying strategic insights gained from her extensive experience as a project manager in the pharmaceutical industry. In our conversation, we delve into how amateur radio operators can engage in and contribute their expertise to Red Cross operations, as well as improving on the air operating skills. W4CMG is my QSO Today.

Walt Hudson, K4OGO, has always lived by and had a love of the sea, pursuing a career in ship building, beginning in Port Smith, Virginia. While he always had an interest in radio, including Citizens band radio, it wasn’t until just a few years ago that Walt became a ham radio operator. Since he is always near the shore, operating portable QRP SSB from the water’s edge and making DX contacts is what excites him. K4OGO loves to experiment with vertical antennas on the beach to fine tune his technical and operating skills. K4OGO is my QSO Today.

Steve Johnston, WD8DAS, was my guest in Episode 14, 10 years ago this October. I urge you to go back to that episode to get Steve’s ham radio story. A lot can happen in ten years, especially in this age of ham radio and the Internet. So in this episode we catch up with Steve to find out what contributions he has made and is making since the last time we spoke. WD8DAS is my QSO Today.

Adam Kimmerly, K6ARK, discovered amateur radio almost by accident through his participation in the San Diego Mountain Rescue organization. Adam’s ham radio interests evolved from VHF to HF SOTA, or Summits on the Air, learning CW, and reaching SOTA Mountain Goat status. The need for light weight kits to carry to the most difficult to reach summits demanded new expertise in antenna design and construction with 3D printing. K6ARK tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

Dan Quigley, N7HQ, is a true veteran in the world of ham radio and technology. Like many of us, Dan's passion for radio began early, with a crystal radio, and earned his license while delivering newspapers to pay for his new hobby. Dan’s professional career evolved based on the specific needs of clients and customers, creating long and successful stints through Microsoft and Amazon before joining FlexRadio as their Director of Strategic Solutions. N7HQ is a kindred spirit, perhaps to many of us, and tells his ham radio story in this QSO Today.

My guest this week is Willi Kraml, OE1WKL, creator of the Morserino CW code practice machine . Willie discovered amateur radio as a boy in Lindz, Austria, but had to wait until the legal age of 16 to get his license. With his doctorate in linguistics, Willi pursued a career in IT security with KPMG. When his local makerspace needed an Arduino project around amateur radio, the Morserino code practice system was born. OE1WKL discusses the delivery of over 10,000 Morserinos, his projects, and his contributions to amateur radio in this QSO Today.

Rudy Hardy, W5HRH, was introduced to electronics and radio at a young age by a favorite uncle. His interest in the hobby deepened through his experiences with CB radio and the influence of mentors in college. Rudy pursued a career in federal law enforcement, eventually teaching criminal justice at a community college in Houston. He's also a skilled sports photographer. In this episode, we explore Rudy’s journey with Parkinson’s disease, his successful treatment, and how amateur radio can benefit retirees and those facing complex health challenges. W5HRH is my QSO Today.

Susan Gayle Nordskog, LA0CY, was practically born into ham radio. She learned Morse code from her mother and grew up in Los Angeles, surrounded by her parents' ham radio friends. After college, Susan developed a deep love for the sea and a passion for crewing large vessels, even during a time when American ships rarely hired women. Undeterred, she immigrated to Norway, completed a three-year ship’s officer course, and started a family. Her career took her across the world’s oceans on some of the largest ships afloat. Now, LA0CY is back on the air, actively participating in the local ham radio scene on two meters and always ready for a chat on any topic with fellow operators. LA0CY is my QSO Today.

Steve Corley, N5BZM, discovered ham radio, almost by accident, by the intervention of his mother with an FCC official attempting to scare a teenager out of operating a CB radio improperly. Steve loves the range and variety of amateur radio opportunities and started a Ham Radio Auctions business to aid amateurs to find buyers and the heirs of deceased ham radio operators to properly dispose of their equipment. N5BZM stresses the importance of HF to amateur radio and tells his story in this QSO Today.

Lee Barrett, K7NM, has had a wonderful career, in broadcast radio, military projects, command and control, spacecraft, and medical device development. His early initiation into amateur radio set in motion all that came later in both professional and amateur radio life. From early in his ham radio career, Lee published papers on vertical antenna beam tilt for repeater networks, and well as his most recent “C-Match Method of Phasing HF Vertical Antennas. He was a presenter at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, speaks to radio clubs all over the United States, and at the Dayton Hamvention. K7NM is my QSO today.

Justin McAllister, K5EM’s early interest in ham radio in high school, set him on a professional path to electronic engineering for industry, startups, and entrepreneurship. In ham radio, Justin adopted a few favorite areas of special interest. Justin likes to operate satellites with his portable full duplex rig, operate the digital modes both actively and passively, creating new antennas designs, and getting out in nature to operate POTA and SOTA. K5EM is my QSO Today.