Presentors:
George Zafiropoulos KG6VU, Vince d'Eon VE6LK, Rod Hardman VA3ON, Mark Smith N6MTS, Michael Walker VA3MW, Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL, Troy Davis KJ4DA
Level: Beginner
Category: Homebrew and Construction,Software Defined Radio, SDR,DSP and Software Design,Antennas and Transmission Lines,Repeaters and Remote Control Stations,General Interest

This Ham Radio podcast deep dives on making, DIY, electronics, and technical topics of interest to the amateur radio operator. Your host, George KJ6VU, discusses current developments in ham radio while introducing listeners to a plethora of topics and skills such as test equipment, radio technology, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and more.



Presentors:
Dan (RATPAC) Marler K7REX, Anthony Luscre K8ZT, Michelle Thompson W5NYV
Level: General Audience
Category: General Interest,Future of Amateur Radio,New License - Now What?

RATPAC Panel introduction and discussion



Presentors:
Anthony Luscre K8ZT
Level: Beginner
Category: Contesting and DX,Digital Voice Mode,HF Digital Modes,New License - Now What?,Software and Satellites,Youth in Amateur Radio,General Interest,SOTA,POTA,New License- Now What?,Station Operation,SDR Software Defined Radio,Space and Satellites

This presentation will kick off his Expo's theme, "New (Technician ) License, now what. Anthony will provide the kick off to a world of possibilities beyond the Baofeng radio on the local VHF/UHF Repeaters.



Presentors:
Bob Witte K0NR
Level: Beginner
Category: Antennas and Transmission Lines

The most common transmission line used with ham radio is coaxial cable ("coax"), which is used to connect our antennas to our radios. There are three main classes of coax available, each with its advantages and disadvantages. It is important to consider the signal loss in a particular length of cable, which increases with frequency. Coaxial connectors must be attached to the ends of the cable, typically PL-259, BNC, Type N, or SMA connectors.



Presentors:
Luke Bryan KJ7BKH
Level: Beginner
Category: General Interest,Repeaters and Remote Control Stations,Software and Services

You have a new license and perhaps a portable or mobile VHF/UHF radio. Now what? This presentation will tell you how to use the OpenSource Repeater-START, a new downloadable application, to find your local repeaters, their location, frequencies, and CTCSS or PL Tone codes, to access them. Repeater-Start supports repeater searching using Maidenhead-grid-square coordinates, WhatThreeWords Position, a mountain or peak on Openstreetmap, repeater frequency/IRLP node, and finding your current location.



Presentors:
Zhemin Zhang KD2TAI
Level: Intermediate
Category: Contesting and DX,Future of Amateur Radio,Homebrew and Construction,Field Operation,SDR Software Defined Radio

The SDR Rover Kit project uses off-the-shelf software-defined radio for an 8-band low-power contesting solution under $400. The idea is to keep the system "simple and stupid" by using wideband components. The prototype has been proven effective in lab and field tests. However, it takes additional optimizations to achieve ideal performance.



Presentors:
Michael Walker VA3MW
Level: Beginner
Category: New License- Now What?

In this presentation, Michael Walker VA3MW, takes you through the reasoning and process to get on HF, as an alternative to starting with the portable radio on the local repeaters. Going HF rapidly builds skills, expertise and understanding of radio in general, and amateur radio specifically.



Presentors:
John Portune W6NBC
Level: Intermediate
Category: Antennas and Transmission Lines,Homebrew and Construction,General Interest

Following my previous expo talk of magnetic loops, where foil tape and PVC pipe were seen a far better construction materials than traditional heavy metal pipes. This presentation explores more unusual materials -- conductive, fabrics, tapes, paints sprays. It further present a fun but also practical novel and highly portable mag loop -- a "blow up" loop. If you think copper pipe an coax are the only things to make magnetic loops out of -- think again.



Presentors:
Ed Mohrman WA7EM
Level: Beginner
Category: Future of Amateur Radio,Ham History,Homebrew and Construction,New License - Now What?,Test and Measurement,Youth in Amateur Radio,New License- Now What?

The Novice class license was eliminated years ago. Many newly licensed Technician hams are both attracted to affordable VHF/UHF equipment and intimidated by expensive, sophisticated HF equipment. The excitement of the 1st modest HF station and 1st contacts is still available at reasonable cost with help available on-line or via local clubs. In this talk, we will discuss Ed's experiences and identify ways to overcome the barriers to your 1st HF contacts



Presentors:
Baris Dinc OH2UDS / TA7W
Level: Beginner
Category: Amateur Television,Future of Amateur Radio,New License - Now What?,Software and Satellites,Video and Television,Youth Forum,Youth in Amateur Radio,New License- Now What?,Space and Satellites

How can we make the ham radio hobby interesting for the young generation and get their attraction. During the pandemic days, the Mars On Earth Community conducted many ham radio activities on QO-100 geo-stationary satellite with the children and ham radio operators all around the coverage of QO-100 satellite. In this presentation we would like to present details of our activities (KGSTV activity for the pictures drawn by children, Fox hunting - chasing for the fox and the secret message over a satellite-, video ham meetings on a satellite, etc.)



Presentors:
Rex Harper W1REX, Stephen Houser N1SH
Level: Beginner
Category: Build-A-Thon,Homebrew and Construction,New License - Now What?

OK, YOU have your amateur license, so what's next? In this build-a-thon, we will build a very simple 40 meter transceiver that anyone with the desire and a minimal amount of equipment should be able to complete in a single 2 hour session on Saturday March 25th, at 10:00 PDT (1800 UTC). This is a very simple design that should get you on their air on 40 meter CW. A Morse code key and antenna wire is included in the kit. The builder just needs to supply a battery and some headphones. Assembly should be completed during the 2 hour session with enough time afterwards to try the complete working station on the air. We will coordinate this operating with the hope that we will all make contacts with a followup session on Sunday morning. Of course band conditions, propagation and lots of other factors will attempt to thwart our little on air event but the prospect of a hundred of the same rigs with the same output to the same antenna all operating on the same 7110 Novice frequency should increase the odds that somebody will be contacting somebody else during the event. Click on this link to order your Simple Station Kit:



Presentors:
Joe Eisenberg K0NEB
Level: Beginner
Category: Build-A-Thon,Homebrew and Construction,New License - Now What?,Test and Measurement,General Interest,New License- Now What?

A look at what goes into making a good first workbench for building kits and working with amateur radio gear.



Presentors:
Andy Mitchell VA3CW, Michael Walker VA3MW
Level: Beginner
Category: Antennas and Transmission Lines,New License- Now What?,Homebrew and Construction

Ham radio antennas in urban environments can be a challenge to the amateur radio operator, especially when dealing with small lot, HOA restrictions, and neighbors who do not understand radio and the need for often visible and large antennas. Andy will discuss simple approaches to HF antenna building to satisfy the challenges of the urban environment and allow for fun, on the air contacts.



Presentors:
Greg Algieri WA1JXR
Level: Beginner
Category: Antennas and Transmission Lines

The Analysis of the End Fed Half Wave Antenna (EFHW) for HOA applications using EZNEC will show how the EFHW antenna works its performance using the EZNEC Antenna Modeling Software and how it can be a stealthy antenna for HOA and restricted space applications EZNEC software is free to download and allows you to see and analyze your antenna radiation patterns, your antenna gain and the antenna feed point impedance versus frequency so you can see the SWR. The End Fed half Wave antenna may be just the thing you need to finally be able to get on the air in your HOA or restricted residence.



Presentors:
Bruna Begali
Level: Beginner
Category: Future of Amateur Radio,Ham History,New License - Now What?,General Interest,Field Operation,SOTA,POTA,New License- Now What?

Bruna Begali's presentation on the history of the Begali family business, originally known as Officina Meccanica Begali, traces the company's evolution from its inception to its current focus on manufacturing Morse code keys. The presentation highlights the early years of the business when it was involved in the production of machinery and equipment for the agricultural sector. The shift towards manufacturing Morse code keys began in the 1980s, and the company has since become one of the leading manufacturers of high-end keys for amateur radio operators worldwide. Bruna Begali discusses how the company has evolved over the years, adapting to changes in technology and the market while staying true to its values of quality and craftsmanship. The presentation also covers the manufacturing process of the Morse code keys, including the design and production of the key's various components, such as the paddles and the base. Begali emphasizes the attention to detail that goes into each key, with many of the manufacturing processes still done by hand. Overall, Bruna Begali's presentation provides a fascinating insight into the history and evolution of the Begali family business, highlighting its commitment to quality and craftsmanship in the production of Morse code keys.



Presentors:
Eric Guth 4Z1UG, Keith Kaiser WA0TJT, Geoffrey Mark KM6TVJ, Bill Brown WB8ELK, Todd McKinney KN4TPG, Mark Jessop VK5QI
Level: General Audience
Category: Balloons and Rockets,Future of Amateur Radio,Ham History,New License- Now What?,General Interest

Our distinguished panel of experts, hosted by Eric Guth 4Z1UG, includes amateur radio enthusiasts, researchers, and professionals from the aviation industry, who will share their thoughts and insights on the current state and future of amateur radio balloons in the context of evolving security concerns. During the panel, we will explore the various challenges and opportunities presented by the recent developments in airspace security, and discuss potential ways in which the amateur radio balloon community can adapt and thrive in this changing environment.



Presentors:
Jon Marler K4CHN
Level: Beginner
Category: Digital Voice Mode,Controllers - Raspberry Pi,Arduino,HF Digital Modes,Video and Television,SDR Software Defined Radio

An introduction to many of the digital modes available to amateur radio operators. Jon will be discussing the modes available for voice and data, as well as many of the hardware options available. Jon will also be presenting a very simple design for a way to connect a Raspberry Pi to your radio safely. A demonstration of slow scan television (SSTV) will be made to end the presentation before Q&A.



Presentors:
Anthony Luscre K8ZT
Level: Beginner
Category: HF Digital Modes,New License - Now What?,Propagation,Youth in Amateur Radio,General Interest,New License- Now What?,Station Operation,Repeaters and Remote Control Stations

10 Meter propagation is highly dependent on solar activity. As solar flux climbs over the next few years, the band should open for worldwide communications. It is the only HF band on which Tech licensees have phone (SSB) and data (FT8) privileges. No matter your license class, there is something for everyone, including CW, SSB, FM, repeaters and more, with the smallest antenna size on HF.



Presentors:
John Leonardelli VE3IPS
Level: Beginner
Category: Emergency Communications,Field Operation,SOTA,POTA

A practical presentation on batteries, chargers and solar panels for portable operating (SOTA, POTA, Field Day and Field Operations)



Presentors:
Bruna Begali , Peter Sobye G0PNM
Level: Beginner
Category: Ham History

A brief look at Begali Keys with some history of the company, the types of keys they produce and a brief Q&A with Bruna Begali.



Presentors:
Geoffrey Mark KM6TVJ
Level: Beginner
Category: Contesting and DX,Emergency Communications,New License - Now What?,General Interest,Field Operation,New License- Now What?

In the March 2022 QSO Today Ham Expo, I presented an idea for a new sort of contest. One that all licensed hams with even the least expensive 5w HT could take part in, and one that could work across continents - if enough hams take part. The idea is this - starting at one edge of a country, or a state or even a Maidenhead grid square, we send a verbal message from one ham operator to the next until it reaches the other end. We see how many hams that message passes through, how long it took to get there, and how intact the message stays throughout its journey. In January 2023, I started working with amateur radio clubs and operators in my home grid square - DM04 - to develop a small, local version of this contest. DM04 includes the north half of Los Angeles county, nearly all of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and is home to over 22,000 licenced hams. 3% of all hams in the US and 22% of all hams in California live here. It reaches from the Pacific Ocean over the Santa Monica mountains and the Los Padres National Forest with peaks over 6000', all the way to a sparsely populated high desert. Getting an FM transmitted message, 5w maximum, from ham operator to ham operator, across this terrain will be a challenge. During my presentation, I will update the QSO Today community with the challenges I'm facing. I will also implore other hams to try this contest in their own grid square, county, or country and explain how to get started.



Presentors:
Lauren Speeth KK6NGE, Mike Padron N1CC
Level: Beginner
Category: Future of Amateur Radio,Ham History,Youth in Amateur Radio,General Interest,New License- Now What?,New License - Now What?

In 2022, we began working with Long Island CW Club, who had contacted us about whether Morse Code could be taught with music. They’d reached out after using a video of ours for one of their more advanced “head copy” classes. Join me to find out: 1) why we chose electric bass; 2) how many bassists worked on the project; 3) what feedback we’ve received so far; 4) what in the world is a “Puppy Player!” These answers and more await you. You might even meet the pups who stole the show. Hope to see you there. 73 – Lauren KK6NGE



Presentors:
Michael Walker VA3MW, David De Coons WO2X
Level: Beginner
Category: Antennas and Transmission Lines,General Interest

Mike VA3MW and Dave WO2X discuss the big difference between a ATU that is part of an HF radio and a tuner that is external to your HF radio. This is for the new ham who is getting started in HF radio.



Presentors:
David Christie WB5KFP
Level: General Audience
Category: HF Digital Modes,New License - Now What?,General Interest,Contesting and DX,Ham History,Emergency Communications

State-of-the-art ham gear can be exciting, but the cost and complexity are often detriments to a new ham. This presentation illustrates how older HF equipment can be successfully used to operate newer digital modes such as FT8, Winlink, etc. Such gear is available at low cost and sometimes even free. It is simply a matter of knowing how to assemble a workable setup. Appropriate hardware, interconnections, operating techniques, and antennas are described and illustrated. These methods have been used by the author to achieve Worked all States (WAS), DXCC and digital Emergency Communications despite living in an antenna restricted HOA.



Presentors:
Jon Marler K4CHN
Level: Beginner
Category: New License - Now What?,General Interest,New License- Now What?

This is an introduction to ham nets for operators of all experience levels. Nets are an easy way to get on the air, talk to other hams, and to be part of the ham radio community. Ham nets operate on all bands and often even on local repeaters. If you have a brand new Technician license, or a dusty old Extra, come learn all about what ham nets are and how you can participate.



Presentors:
Dwayne Sinclair AB6A
Level: Intermediate
Category: Antennas and Transmission Lines,Software and Satellites,Radio Astronomy,Space and Satellites,Field Operation

A review of the opportunities and challenges using telescope "goto" mounts for amateur radio satellite and EME operations. I will review the various telescope mount types, the technical challenges, and how to interface with various amateur radio software solutions. I will demonstrate satellite operation with a small arrow 2M/70CM antenna and EME operations with a 2.4M dish antenna.



Presentors:
Thomas Henderson WD5AGO
Level: Beginner
Category: Field Operation,Homebrew and Construction,New License - Now What?,Oscillators and Synthesizers,Propagation

I will cover the Frequencies allocations, Equipment available both commercial & HB and Propagation modes used when operating above 1 GHz, using power less than 5 Watts, which is open to everyone with a technician or above license.



Presentors:
Brian Callahan AD2BA, Zhemin Zhang KD2TAI
Level: General Audience
Category: Controllers - Raspberry Pi,Arduino,Future of Amateur Radio,Homebrew and Construction,New License - Now What?,Software and Satellites,General Interest,New License- Now What?,SDR Software Defined Radio,Software and Services,Station Operation

Based on the January/February 2023 QEX article of the same name and subsequent ARRL-TAPR conference paper, this presentation discusses and demonstrates a bot, which can be built using as little as an inexpensive SDR antenna, a Raspberry Pi or laptop, and open source Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning software, that can listen to VHF/UHF frequencies for amateur radio transmissions and transcribe those transmissions into text. We will discuss and demonstrate potential uses of the transcribed text and the bot generally. The bot can augment anyone's experience and enjoyment of being on the air, from new operators who may only have their Technician license to seasoned operators.



Presentors:
Paul Mower VA6MPM, Peter Shmerko VE6FPV
Level: Beginner
Category: Contesting and DX,New License - Now What?,Youth in Amateur Radio,Field Operation,SOTA,POTA,Station Operation

If you are planning a trip to a foreign country, why not take your rig and work SOTA and POTA? Paul and Peter share their experiences operating SOTA abroad; Paul in Japan, and Peter in Europe. What are the ramifications of traveling with radio equipment, overseas licenses and what to expect when activating summits and parks abroad?



Presentors:
Roland Hoffman KC6JPG
Level: Beginner
Category: Amateur Television

An introductory presentation what you can "see" on amateur television. Also, focusing on the assembly of an amateur television receiving station and a transmitting station.



Presentors:
Kay Savetz K6KJN
Level: General Audience
Category: Future of Amateur Radio,Ham History,Video and Television,General Interest,New License- Now What?,Software and Services

The Internet Archive now has the Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications, subsidized by the ARDC. In the six months that I've been growing the DLARC library, I have come across fascinating and hilarious documents, learned about the community, and re-discovered lost bits of ham radio's history. A fast-paced talk that shows some of the highlights.



Presentors:
Sajjad Golchin Poor EP6DSP
Level: Beginner
Category: Build-A-Thon,HF Digital Modes,Future of Amateur Radio,Homebrew and Construction,Keynote,New License - Now What?,Youth in Amateur Radio,General Interest,New License- Now What?,Arduino

Sajjad shares his story and background about how he got into the hobby and tried different methods, as a poor yet passionate teenager. Years later, when he, as a nerdy engineer, discovered uSDX, it helped him to get on the air. This is an introduction to the uSDX project and how it became a trend in the QRP radios and kits. It is an opportunity for newly licensed hams to get on the air.



Presentors:
Randy Berger WA0D
Level: Beginner
Category: Space and Satellites

Randy will give brief overview who and what Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). Randy will give quick update on 2022 highlights for Operations with ISS and also will talk about engineering projects beginning worked on currently. Randy will then give quick update on future projects ARISS team are starting work on with other space partners and new communication technologies. Time permitting and maybe in QA, Randy will cover how to get started with working ISS as amateur radio operator and/or helping with school contacts



Presentors:
Mark Persons W0MH
Level: Beginner
Category: General Interest

Proper station grounding and lighting protection are often overlooked when building an amateur radio station. There are right and wrong ways to make these installations that both protect the station equipment and the operator. Mark Persons W0MH will show you how.



Presentors:
Robert Glorioso W1IS, Robert Rose KC1DSQ
Level: Beginner
Category: Antennas and Transmission Lines

Simple to build wire antennas including Dipoles, C-poles, Loops, and Beams: Concepts, Construction and On-the-Air test results.



Presentors:
William Keicher KC1HTT
Level: Beginner
Category: General Interest,Station Operation

The goal of this presentation is to give the amateur radio operator an idea of how to successfully build and operate a low power Earth-Moon-Earth radio station. This is done by describing the KC1HTT 2 meter, QRP EME amateur radio station in detail. Included in this presentation are the hardware implementation and EME operations. EME operations are reported, including QSO planning, safety considerations, EME support web sites, and six successful QSOs.



Presentors:
Dan Lundwall N7XDL
Level: Beginner
Category: Station Operation,New License- Now What?,Field Operation,General Interest,New License - Now What?,Homebrew and Construction,Emergency Communications,Build-A-Thon

In this presentation I will take you through the steps in creating your Go-Kit that works for YOU! I will show you that the best way to create a go-kit is to define YOUR requirements, then go from there. It is a simple process, but one that many people miss.



Presentors:
Dave Jensen W7DGJ, Martin Buehring KB4MG
Level: General Audience
Category: Future of Amateur Radio,Youth in Amateur Radio,New License- Now What?,General Interest,New License - Now What?

The health and growth of Amateur Radio is very dependent on newcomers to the hobby, and their assimilation becomes a point of major importance to local clubs and amateurs of all levels. We all benefit from a healthy community of ham radio enthusiasts. This presentation will explore the various ways that the ham radio club can find and attract new hams, and how the club will grow and prosper because of these newcomers. While the traditional one-on-one Mentoring process (Elmers) still works fine for the new ham to find and explore their niche in the world of radio, there are certain activities that a club can entertain that will guide both the Elmer and his/her mentee to a better result. In this presentation, Dave W7DGJ (Columnist, QRZ.com) and Marty KB4MG (President, Cherokee Amateur Radio Society) will give practical examples of how clubs can find and identify those with an interest in Ham Radio, in addition to recruitment methods and meeting/workshop activities that have been proven of interest for newcomers. Examples from many clubs around the country will be discussed, as well as personal reflections from a successful club President. In this presentation, the speakers will describe how clubs can form a better, more welcoming community for these new hams. Because over 50% of FCC license holders in the US are Technician class licensees, it is up to the local clubs to reach out, find them, and assist them in their transition to higher license grades. Many technician class operators are not active in the hobby for a variety of reasons, and one of these is that they really don’t get the full “taste” of what amateur radio is all about when they are restricted to Technician privileges on the air. The presenters will explore some of the reasons for Technician “burn out” and ideas for improving participation by these newcomers in the radio club. Marty and Dave will discuss the important role that Technician class operators can have in bringing new blood, new ideas, and energy to a Ham Radio Club. Amateur radio is a tremendous community. But in every community, there can exist people who went after their hobby with curiosity and drive, but on a completely independent basis. It’s critical for those who are in this position to find others . . . not just for help when needed, but to show them the way and the various “sub-hobbies” that our community takes part in. If you are presently in the management ranks of a local ham club, or even a member who wants to see the club grow and expand with “new blood,” you will benefit from this presentation.



Presentors:
Rex Harper W1REX, Stephen Houser N1SH
Level: Beginner
Category: Build-A-Thon,Homebrew and Construction,New License - Now What?

This presentation follows the Saturday build-a-thon where we built the Simple Station 40 meter CW transceiver. We will discuss our on the air operating results and the inner workings of our simple transceiver, it's shortcomings and how to improve our chances in the future for operating QRP in the HF world..... Click on this link to order your Simple Station Kit:



Presentors:
Vance Martin N3VEM
Level: General Audience
Category: Controllers - Raspberry Pi,Arduino,Homebrew and Construction,New License - Now What?,Balloons and Rockets,New License- Now What?,SDR Software Defined Radio

Over the last year I've been working on a project dubbed "The Radio Rocket." I have 4 young kids that got interested in model rocketry, which was a past hobby of mine, so as I got re-engaged in it with them, I decided to add a ham radio twist! We built both APRS and 70cm LoRa into the first version of the rocket, set up a basic ground station to receive the data and be able to do messaging through the rocket, using it like a LoRa repeater, and a node-red based dashboard for viewing the live data. Everything in this projects used off-the-shelf micro controllers and parts, only basic hand tools, and very basic coding. We had a glorious crash of version 1, which we learned quite a bit from, and we are now incorporating those learning's into version 2 of the rocket! It's a great example of something 'unique' that can be done in ham radio, by someone with just the basic technician license!



Presentors:
Mark Wohlschlegel WC3W, Anthony Luscre K8ZT
Level: Intermediate
Category: Contesting and DX

This is an introduction and explanation of the DX Marathon Program, its history, the current categories, and why it is in fact a program for all hams who want to chase DX. The DX Marathon Program is experiencing significant year over year growth and this presentation explains why.



Presentors:
Alan Johnston KU2Y
Level: Beginner
Category: Space and Satellites

There are thousands of satellites in low earth orbit above us transmitting radio signals. Many of those signals contain telemetry, that is information about the spacecraft and its environment and built in sensors. A great way to learn about satellite telemetry is to use the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator, a functional model of a 1U CubeSat designed for the classroom and public demonstrations. In this presentation, I’ll show how to receive and interpret telemetry from it using the same tools and apps used for in orbit satellites launched by AMSAT and other amateur radio organizations. I will also show you how you can build your own CubeSatSim with some intermediate soldering and 3D printing skills as the project is fully open sourced and available on GitHub.



Presentors:
Anthony Luscre K8ZT, Eric Guth 4Z1UG
Level: General Audience
Category: Future of Amateur Radio,General Interest,New License- Now What?

The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo's closing session features a panel discussion with select speakers from the event, addressing the weekend's activities, fielding questions, and evaluating the achievement of the "new amateur radio license - now what?" objectives. To participate, visit qsotodayhamexpo.com.