KC9DD

Over the weekend I read that podcasts have surpassed AM/FM radio for how most Americans consume “spoken word” audio. Perfect jumping off point for a discussion of ham radio podcasts.

Podcasts have been a huge part of my life since they first emerged onto the scene in the early-2000s. I remember reading an article in Macworld magazine in the spring of 2005 detailing how to record your own podcast. Within a few weeks I had slapped together a very rudimentary pod on which I shared my favorite new music with a select group of friends. I kept it hidden behind private links to avoid attention from the Web Sheriff, who loved to slap warnings on websites and podcasts that used music without a license. It was my own little pirate radio station, subverting the corporate radio playlists that had taken over the world!

As podcasts matured, they became a bigger part of my daily life. Tech pods about the latest Apple products. Music and pop culture pods. Lots of sports pods. And then a glut of pods that covered whatever my latest hobby obsession was. Thus my feed is heavily skewed toward ham podcasts at the moment.

With all that experience, I have strong opinions about what makes a good podcast. They don’t have to sound like an NPR show, but I need some attention to production details. You can’t be sounding like a couple of teenagers goofing around after school. Collect your thoughts and present them coherently. Check your vocal levels. Edit carefully. If you have a guest, come with prepared questions and allow them to speak without interruption. I can’t listen if you are either too Good Old Boy-ish or too Bro-ish.¹

With that in mind, here are the ham radio podcasts I enjoy most, in no particular order.

Q5 Ham Radio. To my ears W1DED has the best sounding and most interesting show of the bunch. I’m not a hardcore contester by any measure, but I have learned so much about general operating from listening to his Contest Crew series. Generally has good guests who are also comfortable on air offer excellent information.

Ham Radio Work Bench. I do not have a work bench. I am not technically inclined. A lot of this program goes way over my head. But host KJ6VU and his regular co-hosts have terrific chemistry and are a lot of fun to listen to even if it isn’t in my realm. I’m disappointed when they check in under three hours!

DX Mentor. This one can be a little hit and miss, as occasionally AJ8B and W8GEX struggle to connect with their guests. And I’ve heard W8GEX’s barrel connectors story enough. It has still been a great resource to a new ham like me.

Everyday Ham Podcast. A really good, newish program by a set of younger guys (at least compared to some other shows). They have formed a good community on Discord and have a strong YouTube presence as well. While this pod is independent of their radio club in southern Michigan, it is a good example of how clubs can modernize and become more than just the stereotype of old guys sitting around complaining about how radio has changed.

QSO Today. Holy quantity! Over 500 interviews with ham operators! Often dependent on the ability of the guest to share their story in an engaging manner, so this also can vary in quality.

I will listen to just about every episode each of these publishes. I have several others in my feed that I listen to more sporadically, depending on how full my queue of new shows is.

And I hate to pile on, but there is one host, who I will not name, who has a show that often has interesting and useful information. But he has a vocal tick - a nervous laugh offered after nearly every statement - that I just cannot get past. It reminds me too much of Beavis and Butthead. I try to get through his shows, but if that week’s topic isn’t compelling, I will often bail before the finish. Also despite being middle aged like me, he and his co-hosts/guests too often slip into sophomoric, teenage humor.