Episode 526 Bob Pantazes W2ARP

Episode 526 Bob Pantazes W2ARP

Author: Eric Guth, 4Z1UG July 4, 2025 Duration: 58:50

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.


Each week on the QSO Today Podcast-Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio, host Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, sits down for a genuine conversation with a different voice from the world of ham radio. These aren't scripted interviews, but more like the organic chats that happen between operators after a successful contact. Eric guides his guests through their unique journeys into the hobby, uncovering the specific technical niches they've mastered, whether that's building antennas, mastering Morse code, or pioneering digital modes. What makes this podcast stand out is how it explores the profound, often unexpected, ways that a passion for radio waves shapes a person's life beyond the shack. You'll hear how skills learned through amateur radio have launched careers, solved complex problems, and built lifelong friendships across the globe. It’s a series of personal portraits that, together, form a rich and human tapestry of the hobby. Tuning in provides both technical insight and personal inspiration, revealing the stories and the people behind the call signs. Whether you're a seasoned operator or just curious about the crackle of distant voices from a receiver, this podcast offers a compelling entry point into a community built on communication, experimentation, and camaraderie.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

QSO Today Podcast - Interviews with the leaders in amateur radio
Podcast Episodes
Episode 506 Stuart Watchman ZL2TW [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:23
Stuart Watchman, ZL2TW, hails from New Zealand where he began his early career working for the New Zealand Post Office on telephone exchange equipment, then made the transition to medical school, becoming a physician. Ha…
Episode 505 Rex Moncur VK7MO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:01
Rex Moncur VK7MO, holds the world record for the longest 10GHz EME contact using a 50 watt transmitter to a 70CM satellite TV dish. Since his retirement over 20 years ago, Rex has garnered expertise, contacts, and equipm…
Episode 504 Ian Kahn NV4C [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:42
Ian Kahn, NV4C, with the encouragement of his father in law joined the amateur radio ranks in his mid-thirties. He hit the ground running, operating on his local club's repeater and involving himself in the North Fulton…
Episode 503 Todd McKinney KN4TPG [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:36
Todd McKenney, KN4TPG, found his way into amateur radio through a teenager's deep dive into YouTube and discovering meteorological balloon launches leading to Bill Brown WB8ELK and Pico Ballooning. Todd's entry into ham…
Episode 502 Louis Hammer 4Z5OT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:26
Louis Hammer, 4Z5OT, is a good friend here in Israel and has taken outdoor and park operations to a new level. Faced with antenna challenges and inflexible neighbors at home, operating events, like lighthouses on the air…
Episode 501 Ron Hranac N0IVN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:24
Ron Hranac, N0IVN, is not only a long time ham radio operator but a 50 year pioneer in the cable television industry, author of hundreds of articles and presentations for the Society of Cable Television Engineers. We dis…
Episode 500 Hiroki Kato AH6CY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:39
Hiroki Kato, AH6CY, was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, 20 miles from the epicenter of the atomic bomb blast in August 1945 that killed approximately 100,000 Japanese. Hiroki was fascinated with radio as a youngster…
Episode 499 Chris Rutkowski NW6V [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:52
Chris Rutkowski, NW6V, had the best radio elmer and teacher for life in his father, a career Navy radio officer, who taught life·s lessons and the proper way to handle a CW key with methods that challenge the current con…
Episode 498 Glam Ham NW6S [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:54
Glam Ham, Natalie, NW6S, is a lot of things including actress, comedian, writer for both film and television, painter, and now an amateur radio operator. The awareness of amateur radio came to Natalie almost naturally an…
Episode 497 Steve Shorey G3ZPS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:22
In this episode of QSO Today, we are joined by Steve Shorey, G3ZPS, who shares his captivating journey through the world of amateur radio. Starting with his early days of constructing tube transmitters from found parts,…