In this interview, we sit down with Mike Kennerknecht, amateur radio operator N2MAK, to discuss his journey in the world of amateur radio. Mike shares how he got started in the hobby, his experiences with portable operations like Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA), and his gear setup for both HF and VHF/UHF. He also talks about his involvement in the Rochester Amateur Radio Association and his passion for educating and encouraging others through his YouTube channel. If...

If you are just starting out learning Morse code, and have recently got on the air with CW, there is a new course you may be interested in. Glenn W4YES offers a Morse code course that assists the student using "Instant Character Recognition" techniques. Glenn and one of his former students, Teri KO4WFP talk about their new course and what it has to offer you! CW Innovations Website: https://cwinnovations.net Join us as we talk about how YOU can learn Morse code with instant character...

Heather AH7RF is a ham radio operator residing in Hawaii who has been participating in CWTs, which are short-duration Morse code contests. She uses an Elecraft KX2 and a CW Morse paddle, and operates about 75% portable in the beautiful islands of Hawaii. The majority of her early CWT contacts were with other KH6 CWOps members, but she has also made DX contacts in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and California. Heather takes her ham radio to many of the beautiful beaches and mountains in her...

Join us for an exciting livestream interview with Jim N4JAW, the ham radio operator who takes his hobby to new heights, or should we say, new parks! Jim's passion for combining his love of cycling and radio communication has led him on thrilling adventures to remote and interesting locations. where he sets up his portable station for Parks on the Air, satellite communications, or just plain old field ops fun. Get ready to be inspired by Jim's creativity and adventurous spirit, as he shares...

Morse code! You realize the endless places you can use this tool as you grow comfortable with it.  You may eventually move from the ham radio “ham shack” to places away form the shack. Our guest, Jim KF7E has explored using Morse code in a wide number of areas since he learned it over 5 decades ago.  Join us as we here about mountaintop portable before there was Summits on the Air, park activations before there was Parks on the Air, DXpedition journeys around the globe, mobile ham radio, and...

Each person’s portable radio gear is uniquely suited to them.  As you build and assemble the pieces to your functional QRP ham radio station, you will customize it to your own preferences.  Alan NM5S has been operating QRP radio in the field for many years.  He has created a very functional station for himself.  Like many of us, Alan enjoys building radio kits and antennas and making modifications to them to fit his preferences.  Alan joins us in this episode to talk about his Summits on the...

You cannot expect to communicate effectively in a crises unless you are trained with your equipment and put your plan in to practice.  Gaston enjoys experimenting with his radio gear in the field in order to prepare himself for those unexpected situations where normal means of communicating fail. Gaston has used unusual modes in unusual locations to push himself to learn all he can about his capabilities. Gaston has a YouTube channel where he documents his many adventures, including how he...

High adventure trips are physically demanding and have inherent risks.  Ham radio operators who choose to combine high adventure with ham radio need to know how to mitigate these risks.  Tim N7KOM joins us for this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone to talk about some of his high adventure trips and how he prepares for them. Tim's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@N7KOM Whether it’s Summits on the Air, Parks on the Air or other outdoor ham radio programs and activities,...

For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of winter and ham radio is the Winter Field Day contest.  For those of us who enjoy operating our ham radio in the field year round, winter brings with it several other events that are not as well known.  For example, the Arizona ScQRPions, a QRP ham radio club, hosts the FYBO contest every year.  This event is a QRP contest with very interesting multipliers and exchanges that include your cold weather conditions. Mike K7DD...

Kyle AA0Z went on a SOTA/POTA rove a few weeks ago.  After the excursion he said that as a new SOTA operator, there were a ton of things that he either forgot, left in the car or didn't even realize he needed when he got up to the top of the summit to activate.  In this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone we talk to Kyle about his experiences and he will share some of my experiences of what I learned and what he's going to do next time. he operates SOTA and POTA. Kyle's YouTube Page:...

I was first introduced to Glenn W4YES in a Morse code class for youth offered by the Long Island CW Club.  Getting to know him, I realize he is doing a lot of innovative things to make Morse code learning easier.  If you visit his website at https://w4yes.com you'll see that he promotes the Instant Character Recognition approach to learning Morse code.  I am also very impressed with a collaboration project he is working on, where he and his collogue are developing an online learning site...

Mesh network infrastructures have really taken off in recent years.  The FCC has allocated amateur radio use on portions of the radio spectrum commonly used for mesh networks.  The mesh network can play a very important role in amateur communications. So what is a mesh network and what are it's applications in the ham radio world?   Join us as we talk about how YOU can get involved in supporting and using mesh networks in this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone “AP/DZ”. Every aspect...

David Cripe is an avid QRPer.  He has been having fun in that space for many years.  He designs and builds much of his own QRP gear.  He is the current president of the QRP Amateur Radio Club International https://www.qrparci.org/.  With that responsibility comes the job of  overseeing the annual Four Days in May event in Dayton that coincides with Hamvention.  He also has several QRP kits and projects for sale.  Among those is a QRP CW transceiver called the Cricket...

When searching for a high quality Morse code key or paddle, you would be remiss if you did not include Begali in the search.  Begali keys and paddles are widely known as a top of the line, high quality product. Begali is a family owned business and Bruna Begali is the face of the company.    Bruna will be joining us this morning to talk about the business, their products and also offered to bring us into her factory and show us around, virtually. Bruna's Twitter Account: @BegaliBruna Begali...

Many of you will know our gest for this episode, Vince VE6LK.  He is a co-host on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast.  Vince is interested in a wide range of ham radio topics and loves to stretch himself by diving into some interesting technical topics.  But Vince is also grounded in the practical use of ham radio in the field, with his involvement in Emergency Communications. Vince is an charismatic, interesting person and so I honestly am not sure which direction we'll go with this...

Bill Brown K4NYM lives in an HOA community, but he didn't let that stop him from getting enjoying ham radio.  He participates in Parks on the Air, and has found that not only can he get on the air, he can experiment, practice, and learn.  Bill's preferred mode is Morse code and he has some great pointers for those of you who are trying to learn CW.   Bill has a YouTube channel where he shows you the "life in a day" of a Parks on the Air activator.  He keeps it raw so that viewers can learn...

Richard N1RBD's ham radio journey began when I joined a wilderness Search and Rescue (SAR) team which uses HTs for communications during call-outs. He does a lot of hiking and backpacking in the North Georgia Mountains and on the Appalachian Trail, so he felt his knowledge of the area could be helpful.   He activated a few SOTA summits with VHF, and was amazed at how far he could get from the summit of a 3000ft mountain running 5 watts. He then discovered Parks on the Air (POTA). Living 7...

We all approach our Parks on the Air activations a little different - and that is great!  We should customize the adventure to fit who we are.  But many of us would like to become a little more effective at it. Our award winning guest today, Brian Duddy N2BTD, is at the top of the SOTA game and will join us to offer his advice on how we might improve how we do POTA. Join us as we talk about how YOU can improve how you do POTA in this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone “AP/DZ”. Every...

Paul VA6MPM is an experienced mountaineer and backcountry expert who enjoys Summits on the Air in the Canadian Rockies.  He has had some very interesting life experiences such as living in Kenya as a teen, which he describes as "life changing".  He enjoys activating some of the more difficult and remote summits in North America.  If you want to learn more about mountaineering and backcountry philosophies as they relate to Summits on the Air, you won't want to miss this episode as Paul talk...

Portable Radio or Ham Radio Field Operation is a much broader game than just Parks on the Air or Summits on the Air.  Our guest this week, Michael Johnson WO9B loves to push himself to find different ways to enjoy portable radio.  He joins us for this episode as we have a small panel discussion on finding joy in portable radio without being a conformist.  There is a speed and style out there for you! Also, Michael has an impressive antenna he builds and sells - the Spark Plug End-Fed...

ARRL Field Day is a cherished event for many amateur radio operators.  It's an opportunity to gather with friends, test radio equipment, and experience contesting.  It's the annual ARRL Open house, and "it combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio." Contest Rules: http://www.arrl.org/field-day-rules Join us as we talk about how...

Pat K7GUD is no stranger to the backcountry, but is relatively new to Ham Radio.  Pat has been Hiking, Backpacking, Climbing, Skiing, and participating in many other outdoor activities for nearly his whole life.  He writes on his QRZ page, "I've been a hiker and climber a lot longer than I've been a ham, so the "Summits" part was pretty natural. I already have all the gear I need for lightweight backcountry travel.  The "on the Air" part was a little more difficult. But thanks to the many...

Kurt AD0WE is back again this year!  He joined us last year for the 2021 YouTubers Hamfest and had a bunch of great ideas to help people learn Morse code.  He has released some very useful tools for others to use, free of charge, and continues to update those resources regularly. Find out what's new since last year, and of course receive some excellent pointers to learn and improve your skills.  We'll talk about some of his most recommended tools for new learners along with some of the the...

Learning Morse code and getting on the air using CW can be a little intimidating for beginners.  There are a lot of tools out there to help you learn the code, but once you are ready to have that first QSO, you have to take the leap into the deep end of the pool - the wide open airwaves.  Ham Radio Solutions offers a way to bridge that gap, and enables you to have you first QSOs in a friendly environment with people you know and trust.  Dave W6DS, one of the founders of Ham Radio Solutions...

We often overlook a very important part of ham radio – our wellness.  Heather KJ7YUG, Certified Master Health & Wellness Coach joins us for this episode to discuss how we can get more out of our hobby through improving our fitness, health, and overall wellness.  Heather is a highly motivated self-starter who really wants to see others succeed.  Through her profession and hobbies, she has helped numerous people reach their aspirations and life goals.  Many people have expressed that they...