Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

From Grandfather to Grandson: W9KKN Revives a Ham Radio Legacy

Bill Fehring, W9KKN, an architect in the computer security industry, was first introduced to ham radio by his grandfather. Decades later, Bill took over his grandfather's call sign and has continued his ham radio legacy. During his early childhood in Illinois, Bill was fascinated by his grandfather's radio shack and the mysterious contacts made across the globe. Despite initially drifting away from the hobby after his grandfather's death, a rediscovery of old radio equipment reignited his passion. Bill is currently very active in the ham radio community, especially in contesting, providing technical assistance and volunteering with clubs. He’s a member of the Northern California Contest Club and a perennial participant in the California QSO party which the NCCC manages . His commitment extends beyond operating to mentoring newcomers and engaging with the broader contesting community to maintain the hobby's viability. Bill’s story is one of rekindled passion and a tribute to his grandfather's influence, showcasing a journey full of learning, community engagement, and the continuous allure of ham radio. Join my conversation with Bill Fehring today on W1DED Worldwide Ham Radio.

Analyzing Trends in Ham Radio: Tim Shoppa N3QE

In this conversation, Kevin W1DED interviews Tim N3QE about his experience in ham radio and his focus on analytics and statistics in contesting. Tim shares how he got started in ham radio and his passion for tinkering with electronics. They discuss the number of contesters and DXers in the world, with Tim using the Drake equation to estimate that there are roughly 29,000 contesters and 100,000 DXers. They also explore the popularity of different logging software used by ham radio operators, with N1MM Logger being the most popular worldwide.

Florida QSO Party: Florida Contest Group President W4WF

The Florida QSO Party is scheduled for the last weekend of April every year (check WA7BNM). Chris Plumblee W4WF, president of the Florida Contest Group, discusses the contest's revival in 1997 and its evolution into a significant annual event - one of the largest QSO parties in the US. The Florida QSO Party  includes fixed, mobile, and expedition stations with categories for different power levels and modes. There will be an effort to activate all 67 counties in Florida, making the contest appealing for county hunters and ensuring widespread participation. For more information or to get involved, check out the Florida QSO Party website or their email reflector. Tune in and join the excitement!

New England QSO Party is Coming Soon: Tom Frenaye K1KI

The very popular New England QSO Party will take place May 4-5, 2024. NEQP founder, and well-known ham radio operator, Tom Frenaye K1Ki joined me for a conversation about this year's event.  Did you know that of the four largest state QSO parties - California (CQP), Florida (FQP), the 7th Call Area (7QP), and NEQP - that Tom K1KI, was instrumental in founding two of them? While in high school, Tom and his buddy, Chris WB6EUZ, started the first California QSO Party (it was later taken over by the NCCC to become what it is today). Decades later, Tom noticed that the individual New England states didn't have the critical mass to produce highly participatory QSO parties on their own, so he founded the New England QSO Party.  If you’re interested in learning more, and maybe operating in the 2024 NEQP, listen to this interview with Tom.

In Defense of Contests: The Contest Crew Responds

As anticipated, my conversation with Kyle Krieg AA0Z in which he made the case for change in the world of contests has stirred up considerable debate. The online world responded with a spectrum of viewpoints, some in favor of Kyle's insights, while others questioned his knowledge of the facts. To dig deeper, I engaged with the Contest Crew, a group of seasoned contesters and former contest organizers, to dissect the core arguments presented in the interview and the subsequent online discourse. This dialogue promises to be illuminating, offering a well-rounded examination of the various opinions circulating.

J68HZ St. Lucia is DXpedition (and Contest) Ready

Have you dreamt about operating from the Caribbean and being the DX? Dr. Bill Schmidt K9HZ has not only created a radio paradise for himself on the island of St. Lucia but his villa and amateur radio station are available for rent. If you're intrigued, listen to Bill talk about how he and his wife settled upon St. Lucia for their retirement home and how a simple ham radio setup eventually became two towers, a SteppIR antenna, Elecraft K4's, and more. Even if you're not planning a trip, hearing the story behind your QSO with J68HZ (or J62K in the recent CQ WPX SSB contest) will surely put a smile on your face.  Thank you for joining us and subscribing to W1DED Worldwide Ham Radio where we bring you (at least) one interview with an experienced ham radio operator every week. 73, Kevin W1DED

CQ WPX SSB Wrap-up with the Contest Crew + Tim N6WIN

The Contest Crew was busy during the recent CQ WPX SSB contest. Chris KL9A brought together a multi-single team from his Montana station KM7W. Dan N6MJ was single op from ND7K in Arizona. And Randy K5ZD was part of the V47T multi-single team on St. Kitts.  You can skip the 3830scores.com comments and listen directly to the Crew talk about WPX in this episode. Since Chris was off doing a post contest vacation with his family, teammate Tim N6WIN sat in to represent the Shawmut Montana effort. Tim is also the station owner/builder of ND7K so his contribution to this episode was expansive. This conversation is packed with contest perspective, operating tips and team leadership advice. Please join us for the conversation and subscribe to the channel. 73, W1DED

Special Event: Autism Awareness Week with James Gallo KB2FMH

James Gallo works tirelessly for ham radio. He seems to effortlessly, and simultaneously, support DXpeditions, Parks on the Air, and Special Events while also championing individual ham radio operators around the world. So, I wasn't surprised when James called to tell me about his recent efforts to create an international Special Event station (W2A is the American callsign) to support Autism Awareness during the week of April 1-7, 2024. James asked for an opportunity to talk about his plan in a short interview. If you want to learn more, go to W2A on QRZ.  There will be information there on how you can sign up to support James and expand international awareness of autism.

Montana Ranchin’: Building Your Dream Station with KL9A and the Contest Crew

Christopher Hurlbut KL9A has plans to get off the contest "travel circuit" and focus on his own contest station, the "Ranch" in remote Montana.  In this eighth episode of the Contest Crew, Chris talks about his plans for the Ranch while crew members Scott Wright K0MD and Daniel Craig N6MJ add commentary about their own stations as well as Dan's contest station go-to, ND7K.  You'll hear the decision process these contesters made in designing, building and evolving their stations while  making clear that your station depends greatly upon your operating needs, physical limitations and budget. Please join the contest crew for their station building insight and subscribe to the channel if you like what you see and hear. 73, Kevin W1DED

Do Contests Need to Change? Kyle Krieg AA0Z Makes His Case

Kyle Krieg AA0Z has made it clear how he feels about contests. He loves the idea of them, competes in them, and firmly believes that they need to change. And, he's not quiet about his views. You've probably heard him in online forums, on social media, and on his own YouTube channel. When I started the Contest Crew series, unsurprisingly, Kyle emerged as a loyal viewer and a persistent reminder of the "contests need to get with the times" mantra. Fully aware of the dust that might get kicked up, I invited Kyle to join me to talk about his ideas for contesting. None of the ideas Kyle presents are crazy, although he admits that he has some of those, too.  Ham radio operators like Kyle, with his ideas about change, can be good for everyone. Take a listen and share your comments below.