Episode 531 Norm Cantin WA1NLG

Episode 531 Norm Cantin WA1NLG

Author: Eric Guth, 4Z1UG November 2, 2025 Duration: 1:01:09

Norm Cantin, WA1NLG, discovered amateur radio at age 14 through Boy Scouts in Massachusetts, got his Technician license in 1969 so he could get on 6 meters, and that early exposure led directly to his career in navigation electronics. Amateur radio Elmers in the Framingham Radio Club helped him get his first job at Northstar, a startup building LORAN navigation equipment, where he spent almost 30 years rising to Vice President of Engineering, later working on GPS development, differential GPS, and aircraft landing systems. After a period at Outerlink building satellite tracking systems, he spent more than a decade at Raytheon working on Patriot modernization and activities that contributed to Iron Dome. Now retired on Cape Cod, Norm is focused on VHF weak signal work, homebrews LDMOS amplifiers, is building a second tower for 2-meter EME, is active in the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club, youth outreach, public service, STEM, Boy Scouts, and believes ham radio is still a "hobby of a thousand hobbies."


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 466 Dave Sumner K1ZZ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:52
I revisit my 2017 interview with Dave Sumner, K1ZZ. He's the ex-CEO and General Manager of the ARRL, retiring in 2016 after a 44-year tenure where he started as an intern. Today, Dave discusses his views on ham radio, op…
Episode 465 Jack Mandelman K1VT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:07
Dr. Jack Mandelman, K1VT, was my guest in 2018, after meeting him on a DMR talk group. As my head is down in preparation for the upcoming QSO Today Academy Event, I wanted to bring back this great interview with Jack. Ja…
Episode 464 Frank Brickle AB2KT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:57
Dr. Frank Brickle, AB2KT, was my guest in Episode 212, in August of 2018, five years ago. He is both a musical composer and a technology expert. He earned a Ph.D. in Music from Princeton University and has been involved…
Episode 463 Thomas Langer KD9FPC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:02
Thomas Langer, KD9FPC, grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child, he was introduced to his father's amateur radio and developed a passion for electronics and radio. Years later, after a successful entrepreneurial caree…
Episode 462 John Bignell VE1JMB [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:23
John Bignell VE1JMB, makes a difference by serving his Halifax, Nova Scotia community for many years as a paramedic and EMT. While involved with two-way radio as part of his profession for many years, amateur radio seeme…
Episode 461 Martin Butler M1MRB [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:11
Martin Butler, M1MRB, is the co-founder, along with son, Colin, M6BOY, and one of the hosts of the popular bi-weekly ICQ Amateur Ham Radio podcast. Martin had an early interest in electronics and a successful career in t…
Episode 460 Richard Rudman W6TIA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:26
Richard Rudman, W6TIA, found an early love for electricity, electronics, and radio from frayed electrical cords and Boston's Washington Street electronic surplus stores in the late 1950s. Radio and Technology would serve…
Episode 459 Beau Ambur K6EAU [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:51
Beau Ambur, K6EAU, is a relatively new ham, and a long time member of the hacker community. This intersection of ham radio with hacking led to his new ham radio license just as the Covid 19 pandemic broke out. Through tr…
Episode 458 Ulrich Rohde N1UL [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:20
Dr. Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, is a trailblazer in the world of RF oscillator and receiver design. Throughout the past four decades, N1UL has penned more than 60 articles for esteemed publications like QST and QEX magazines. No…
Episode 457 Graham Firth G3MFJ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:31
Graham Firth, G3MFJ, joined our amateur radio hobby almost sixty years ago as a kid growing up in Yorkshire, England. Electronics and electronics building was the driver and is still Graham's first love in the hobby. QRP…