heathkit

Charles Powell, NK8O, would argue that an early interest in radio and communications aided him in making a transition from professional French Horn player to pediatric doctor rather than suffer the mid-life crisis.  Charles likes just about everything that ham radio offers including POTA, CW, kit building, old rigs, and operating his own DXpeditions from exotic locations around the world.  NK8O and I discuss these topics and more in this QSO Today.

There were home computers BEFORE the Altair 8800 and even the Kenbak-1? It's true! Even in the computer's earliest days, attempts (some successful!) were made to bring the concepts of computing to experimenters and hobbyists at home. Large, expensive analog computers could be had for the serious experimenter with cash to burn, and for those just looking to explore basic concepts, cheaper methods, some even involving paperclips and empty thread spools, could make computing come alive. In this episode, Jason Dyer returns to the podcast to discuss all of these wonderful, clever early devices and give them their due.

Be sure to check out Jason's INCREDIBLE blog at Renga in Blue!

As always, you can fine Nate on Mastodon, Instagram, and Twitter.

LOTS of show notes on this one, so please, check all of this out!

Jim Aspinwall, NO1PC, was the fly on the wall, as a kid growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, listening to his dad and friends talk about electronics, radio, and television repair.  This led to a “hands on” electronics education that kept him employed from junior high school to this day. As a public safety volunteer, Jim believes that giving back to the community is key to a happy life. Amateur radio, and all of its benefits, is the icing on Jim’s cake of life.  N01PC is my QSO Today.

Jerry Spring, VE6TL, like many hams got an early start in amateur radio as a teen, but stepped out of the hobby to nurture a career and family.  Upon returning Jerry revisited his love of vintage WW2 gear, vintage transceivers in general, and a love of CW and contesting to make enough contacts for DXCC.  ForJerry, both hamshack and workbench are fully operational and busy.  VE6TL is my QSO Today.

Will Ravenel, AI4VE, like many of us,  returned to amateur radio after raising a family.  Will is active in the QRP-ARCI, as its treasurer, and takes leadership positions in his ham clubs.     Will loves to operate ham radio’s first digital mode, CW, using either hand, at low power.  AI4VE shares his operating expertise, running low power, in the field and on the beach, in this QSO Today.

Mel Swanberg, WA6JBD, has a love of radio that goes back to his childhood.  Growing up in Southern California, Mel found his Elmers and Mentors that led him into a career in the land mobile business  and public safety radio.  Mel is the former president of the Cactus Intertie, perhaps the largest point to point full duplex amateur radio network in the World. Other interests include microwave communications and he is a leader in the San Bernardino Microwave Society.  WA6JBD is my QSO Today

Dale Parfitt, W4OP, developed a love for operating  VHF and above, including moonbounce operation, from an early exposure to a 6 meter Gonset Communicator, or Gooney Box. His love for electronics grew into a career as an electronics engineer and the entrepreneur founder of Par Electronics where custom filters and antennas are Dale’s special forte.  W4OP tells his story in this QSO Today.

Glen Jenkins, WB4KTF, grew up on US Marine bases in the 50’s and 60’s, and was no stranger to starting over in new places.  Glen tells his ham radio story that includes a professional start in Israel, a stint in Moscow, a successful landing in Houston Texas, until Hurricane Harvey changed his retirement plans.  Glen loved his early Heathkit HF Transceivers, collecting Colliins gear, and working the digital modes on his modern station. WB4KTF is my QSO Today.

Janis Carson, AB2RA, first licensed in 1959,has been an active ham since childhood, has an interest in the restoration and repair of older tube type amateur rigs, is a frequent contributor to Electric Radio Magazine, and documents her projects on her own website. Janis may be the “Erin Brokovich” of ham radio, as an advocate for your hobby to the FCC, and she mentors new and old hams in her community.  AB2RA tells her ham radio story in this QSO Today.

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,

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. 

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. W8TN is my QSO Today. 

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 com

Dino Papas, KL0S, leads the Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club in Williamsburg, Virginia, using the leadership skills that he acquired after 26 years in the US Army.  Dino is a frequent contributor to amateur radio magazines, including QST, offering his unique and needed perspective on our ham radio hobby. Along with his wife Toby, KL0SS, Dino provides a ham radio maker space in his garage to share his knowledge and resources with his fellow hams.

Rod Moag, W5NDS, interests in radio and electronics paralleled an interest in American Folk and country music leading to advanced degrees in Linguistics and South Asian languages.  Ham radio plays a solid role throughout this story as it weaves it way in and out of Rod’s professional career. Rod’s musical career and performances are one of the diamonds in this episode of QSO Today.

Howard Bernstein is the co-founder of the Long Island CW Club along with Rich Collins K2UPS,  where they train amateurs of every age to be CW operators over Zoom video conferencing. Howard has a long history in ham radio extending back over 50 years.  WB2UZE still has his first Drake line and is a collector of vintage things including old radios and automobiles. Howard is my QSO Today.

Bob Sumption, W9RAS, was raised on Popular Electronics and Popular Mechanics magazines, learned how to fix anything from his father, and became a ham radio operator in the 1950s.  Bob was an electronics technician at Heathkit who assembled the prototype SS9000 synthesized HF amateur radio transceiver. Now a collector of everything Heathkit, he has restored one of the three original Heathkit SS8000 HF transceivers that never made it to market. Bob is a consummate long term, big project builder and radio restorer, who shares his success, knowledge, expertise, and history in this QSO Today.

Sputnik and an uncle inspired George Allison, K1IG, to become a radio amateur. George had a long and successful US Navy career where radio was always the center of his activity including MARS stations, a visit to the South Pole, and the operation of very high powered VLF and ELF stations around the World. George promotes the Wordsworth method of raising CW speed above 40 words per minute.  K1IG is my QSO Today.

Jay Slough, K4ZLE, has over 60 years in the amateur radio hobby and still enjoys CW as his primary operating mode. An accomplished DXpeditioner, having operated in over 40 DX entities including South Sandwich Island. Always ready to extend the hand of friendship, either by knocking on the doors of houses with amateur antennas or sharing his own station through RemoteHams. K4ZLE is my QSO Today.

Dan Gravereaux, N1ZZ, began his ham radio story as a kid leading to a career in electronics, a stint at the CBS Labs working on quadraphonic sound, and later founding West Mountain Radio creators of the Rigblaster interfaces for HF digital modes.  West Mountain Radio also popularized the ubiquitous Anderson Power Poles that we all use now and love. N1ZZ shares his ham radio story and expertise in this QSO Today.