Sofas on the Air

In Episode 15 of Sofas on the Air, hosts Ara (N6ARA) and Mark (KD7DTS) fly in their very first Patreon-funded guest: QRP Amateur Radio Club International Hall of Famer, QRPer.com founder, and Ham Radio Workbench co-host Thomas Witherspoon (K4SWL). Accompanied by tasty beverages, the Sofa journeys through Thomas’s portable operating journey, his appreciation for the unique experiences of both Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA) activations, and insights from his recent radio trip to England. The hosts also answer Patreon supporter questions, conduct a giveaway powered by radioactivity, dive into their favorite non-radio YouTube channels, and reflect on operating strategies for shifting solar cycles, all while sharing updates on new field gear and manufacturing projects like the N6ARA TinyFilter. As always, the Sofa was captained by Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA.PATREONWe strongly believe that in-person chats are more fun! Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews? Join our Patreon (and Discord) community!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAirSHOW NOTES Thomas’ Menagerie of Ham Topicshttps://swling.com/https://qrper.com/https://www.youtube.com/@ThomasK4SWLhttps://www.hamradioworkbench.com/https://www.patreon.com/qrpswlCHAPTERS0:00 How Ya Doing?22:42 New word: commensality36:19 Topic 1: The Ara & Thomas Origin Story1:14:02 Topic 2: Patreon Questions1:31:12 Topic 3: Thomas’ trip to England2:01:30 Topic 4: The NR7Y 'Sheng Giveaway2:21:05 Topic 5: Tangent! Favorite YouTube Channels2:41:25 Topic 6: The Next Solar Cycle3:01:18 Manufacturing the N6ARA TinyFilter - an update!3:12:40 Thanks to our Patreons & OutroTHANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSUmesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphics and cover art

Guests Josh KI6NAZ, Adam K6ARK, Doug WA6RLR and Becky W6BKY talk satellites, antennas, safety and more! This episode was recorded live and streamed via satellite from the 2026 W6TRW Field Day site.

Brian NR7Y is our very first DX guest. He flew into Los Angeles today just for this episode, and we’re tremendously excited to welcome him to this Sofa. There’s a funny story behind how he got here - stay tuned for that! In this episode you’ll hear Brian give a deep dive into his ‘NR7Y mod’, which enables amazingly good morse code on affordable VHF/UHF radios. We’ll also hear from Ara on the continuing pick ‘n place machine installation journey, and the upcoming release of the new N6ARA TinyFilters. If you make it to the end, we’re giving away an NR7Y mod’ed Quangsheng radio! Listen carefully & enter to win in the comments!As always, the Sofa was captained by Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA.PATREONWe strongly believe that in-person chats are more fun! Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews? Join our Patreon (and Discord) community!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAirAre you audio-only? We're on most of the Podcast services!- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nCqdV4j1TdPEenmwpCEPS?si=82449a53352a477d- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sofas-on-the-air/id1820292444SHOW NOTESNR7Y's K5v1 Mod: https://github.com/briand/uv-k5-firmware-custom-cw/releasesNR7Y'sK5v3/K1 Mod: https://github.com/briand/uv-k1-k5v3-firmware-custom/releasesNR7Y's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrianMaybeMediaThe BKG site: https://www.bkg.club/Ara’s TinyFilter for 2m: https://n6ara.com/product/tinyfilter-2m/CHAPTERS0:00 Welcome to the Sofa9:45 The N6ARA Tinyfilter & Pick 'n Place Machine25:58 NR7Y Mod, Chapter 1: The Original Hack34:28 NR7Y Mod, Chapter 2: First Firmware Mod (K5v1)44:15 NR7Y Mod, Chapter 3: Firmware for the K5v3 & K11:12:26 NR7Y Mod, Chapter 4: Feature Expansion, Limits & What's Next1:18:00 Special BKG Event1:23:01 Question from KI6NAZ/HRCC1:38:49 What CAN'T be done with the Quansheng?!?1:44:04 Just for the Listeners1:47:13 W6TRW Field Day Plans1:57:42 Thanks to our NR7Y-enabling Patreons & OutroTHANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSUmesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphics and cover artQUANSHENG GIVEAWAY RULES & DISCLAIMERNo Purchase Necessary: Entry is 100% free. A purchase or payment of any kind will not increase your chances of winning. Eligibility: Open to participants worldwide who are 18 years of age or older. (Note: If outside the US, the winner is responsible for any local customs, duties, or import taxes required by their country).Giveaway Period: Entries open at the time of this video's publication and will close on [Insert Date] at [Insert Time, e.g., 11:59 PM Pacific Time].Winner Selection: One (1) winner will be chosen at random from the eligible video comments using a certified random comment selector tool. Commenter must provide valid amateur callsign to claim their prize.YouTube Release: This contest is run entirely by the @SOTA-Plus channel. YouTube is not a sponsor, co-sponsor, or administrator of this giveaway, and is completely released from any liability related to this contest.Compliance: All entries must comply with the YouTube Community Guidelines. Entries that do not comply will be disqualified. You can review the guidelines here: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/community-guidelines/Privacy: Any personal information (shipping address, email) collected from the winner will be used solely for the purpose of shipping the prize and will not be shared or stored.

It's another Tidalwave Tim session on the Sofa! In this episode, Ara shares his adventures at 4 Days in May and Dayton Hamvention, Mark debriefs on livestreaming during a backpacking activation/livestream with Adam K6ARK, Tim dishes on learning to check his coax during contests (7QP), and there's a shallow but enthusiastic dive into Meshcore (official Sofas channel is #sofas). As always, the Sofa was captained by Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA.__PATREON__We strongly believe that in-person chats are more fun! Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews? Join our Patreon (and Discord) community!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAirAre you audio-only? We're on most of the Podcast services!- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nCqdV4j1TdPEenmwpCEPS?si=82449a53352a477d- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sofas-on-the-air/id1820292444__SHOW NOTES__Beverage tastings:- Paperback - Bunny with a Chainsaw: https://paperback.la/pub/bwac- Paperback - Paperback IPA - https://untappd.com/b/paperback-brewing-co-paperback-ipa/6497197- Paperback - Baby Bunny with a Chainsaw: https://untappd.com/b/paperback-brewing-co-baby-bunny-with-a-chainsaw/6246274The BKG site: https://www.bkg.club/Tim's (American) Traps (since etsy banned them): https://ko-fi.com/s/dd65bda269Tim's (Canadian) Traps: https://ve6lk.com/shop/Zippy Paddle by Zeus K8CES - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7255380G7UFO's KX2 USB-C mod: https://shop.g7ufo.radio/collections/kxusbc2-unofficial-internal-usb-c-charger-for-the-elecraft-kx2__THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphics and cover art

In this episode we welcome David N6AN! David was #1 in the USA for the 2024 10m SOTA challenge, and #5 in the world - all done while QRP. He's a consummate contester and DXer, with ears trained to hear CW whispered by a mouse across a canyon in a hurricane. In this episode David shares his journey from eager teen to seasoned CW op amidst plenty of jokes and fun tangents into activations and other SOTA-ventures!As always, the Sofa was captained by Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA.__PATREON__We strongly believe that in-person chats are more fun! Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews? Join our Patreon (and Discord) community!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAirAre you audio-only? We're on most of the Podcast services!- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nCqdV4j1TdPEenmwpCEPS?si=82449a53352a477d- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sofas-on-the-air/id1820292444__SHOW NOTES__Ara N6ARA on YouTube: @N6ARAElectronics The N6ARA Store: https://n6ara.com/Drink tastings:- Hazy IPA by MadeWest Brewing Co.- N6ARA: Opt Outside by Chapman Crafted Beer- N6AN: Pink Lemonade by SpindriftHigh Speed Telegraphy Record: https://youtu.be/Gkn4SsUMMnI?si=DbZALXIRUrSly6tD__CHAPTERS__0:00 Welcome and Episode Summary2:47 Drink tasting5:22 The Retrorig for April Fools18:41 Today's Activation: Pebble Build! 33:59 David's Ham Journey1:03:14 How did David get SO good at Morse Code? 1:14:25 Winning the 10m SOTA Challenge in America1:29:00 Telegraphy Competitions1:43:48 Thanks to our Patreons and... DIT DIT!__THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphics and cover art

If you’re a regular listener, you may have noticed we’ve been - dare I say - a bit radio silent. Well, today we’re back - and Ara and I are going to catch up on all the shenanigans that kept us out of the studio! Stay tuned to hear about Ara’s newest product - the TinyGawant - along with Mark and Di’s SOTA DXpedition to Australia, Winter Field Day, and a few spoilers from Ara on upcoming product concepts!As always, the Sofa was captained by Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA, with Di KO6BTM running the studio system.__PATREON__We strongly believe that in-person chats are more fun! Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews? Join our Patreon (and Discord) community!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAir__SHOW NOTES__Ara N6ARA on YouTube:⁠  @N6ARAElectronics ⁠ The N6ARA Store: https://n6ara.com/Drink tastings:- Hi Dez by Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.- Opt Outside by Chapman Crafted Beer__CHAPTERS__0:00 Mark and Ara catch up6:43 The TinyGawant Antenna26:59 SOTA DXpedition in Australia43:48 Winter Field Day with W6TRW57:27 Ara gets a surprise!1:04:56 Ara’s Future Products?!?1:33:11 Thanks to our Patreons__THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphics

Friend of the 'pod Josh KI6NAZ, from the little-known  @HamRadioCrashCourse  drops by the sofa to get nerdy... and share how he entered the SOTA-verse! This episode covers Josh's disastrous first SOTA activation and Mark's theories on the importance of balancing technical, physical, and mental skills for success. Ara shows hardware for his nearly complete "Antennode" project, which uses Raspberry Pis and LoRa to automate antenna A/B testing and provide a scientific method for evaluating antenna performance without expensive equipment. Josh dives deep into the challenges of content creation, emphasizing the need for consistency over perfection. Finally, the whole team gets passionate about building sustainable ham club club leadership, and how to empower new members to take the initiative in gettin' stuff done!As always, the Sofa was captained by Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA, with Di KO6BTM running the studio system and Ormoo noshing on kibbles.Patreon: Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews, and support our audio upgrades? We believe strongly that in-person chats are more fun!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAir__SHOW NOTES__Josh KI6NAZ on YouTube:  @HamRadioCrashCourse  Ara N6ARA on YouTube:  @N6ARAElectronics  The N6ARA Store: https://n6ara.com/ Drink tasting: Elysian "Contact Haze"__CHAPTERS__0:00 Welcome & beers3:07 Josh's hot takes on AI8:30 Josh's first (failed) SOTA, and need for "Intro to SOTA" days30:27 Mark's principles of "SOTA Success" 36:07 The "Antennode" - antenna science!1:02:13 Developing ham club leaders1:17:19 Patreon questions! (YouTube... how does that work??)1:45:34 Turning the tables - Josh's questions for Ara & Mark__THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphics

Ara's friend Justin K5EM drops by the sofa to share his pro tips on how friendly radio events (including SOTA!) can build community both locally, and around the world. As always, this episode was captained by Mark KD7DTS and Ara N6ARA, with Di KO6BTM running the studio system.Patreon: Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews, and support our audio upgrades? We believe strongly that in-person chats are more fun! https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAir__SHOW NOTES__Drink tasting: Sake - Kunoichi by Moon BloomSupercon: https://hackaday.io/superconference/Salmon Run QSO Party: https://salmonrun.wwdxc.org/Palau DX: https://www.qrz.com/db/T88WASOTAMAT: https://sotamat.com/Non-Ormoo SOTACAT: https://store.invertedlabs.com/product/sotacat/__Chapters__0:00 Intros8:00 Mark's SOTA Goat activation19:50 Justin's ham journey42:51 DXpedition in Palau1:09:01 Salmon Run QSO Party1:30:51 SOTACAT1:42:12 Thanks to our Patreon supporters__THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphicsNote: Amazon links, if any, are affiliate links

Tim N7KOM returns to the Sofa to share his Oregon campout experience, drop some cool geology knowledge, and take a speed-round of Patreon questions! Patreon: Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews, and support our audio upgrades? We believe strongly that in-person chats are more fun!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAir__SHOW NOTES__Drink tasting: Nikka - From the BarrelTim's Etsy Page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/N7KOMPortableRadioTim's Dank Meme Page: https://www.instagram.com/n7kom_mtntop/K6ARK's W7O First Activation Video: https://youtu.be/p5zHlpZ3jbQ?si=eoqnDGwMAMP3tkqJLearn about Pseudotachylytes: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191814113000436/pdfft?md5=2cfbe5aed237c265df9b7ed67a158d81&pid=1-s2.0-S0191814113000436-main.pdf__Chapters__0:00 Intros... and Tim's wedding!2:56 Whiskey tasting & catching up11:23 Tim's W7O Experience17:44 Dank Memes - HOW?19:55 SOTA Royale 43:14 Patreon Questions - Pseudotachylytes??58:17 Speed Round!1:05:23 Thanks to our supporters__Thanks & Acknowledgements__Umesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphicsThanks to our Patreon supporters for making this show possible!Note: Amazon links, if any, are affiliate links

Mark & Ara catch up on the Sofa, answer a few questions, and get some Ormoo prints on their laptops.Patreon: Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews, and support our audio upgrades? We believe strongly that in-person chats are more fun!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAir__SHOW NOTES__Drink tasting: Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey__Chapters__0:00 Mark & Ara catch up2:31 Beverage Tasting7:00 Patreon Questions41:03 NT6E Activation!49:19 Ara's Antenode Update59:15 Contests (and a viral microwave video)01:18:00 Wrap up, & thanks to our Patreon supporters!__THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - outro musicDi KO6BTM - intro/outro graphicsNote: Amazon links, if any, are affiliate links

Umesh KK6TXI visits the Sofa to share his expertise in custom batteries for portable ham radio, including QRO SOTA and a mountaintop Field Day! We catch up (finally) with stories from the W7O and W6 SOTA campouts, and Mark waxes poetic about an activation that went oh-so-wrong.Patreon: Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews, and support our audio upgrades? We believe strongly that in-person chats are more fun!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAirSHOW NOTESDrink tastings: G4 Tequila Blanco High Proof 108, G4 Tequila ReposadoThe NR7Y Hardware Mod: https://youtu.be/zi35aTjEppQ N6ARA Electronics - the TinyPaddle, and more! https://n6ara.com/KK6TXI's Battery Field Test - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBzJ3BqniDEChapters0:00 Hi Umesh!3:36 Tequila Tasting9:02 Batteries!01:11:28 Mark's W7O Campout01:24:38 Ara's W6 Campout01:30:11 SOTA Car-tastrophe01:52:54 Thanks to our Patreon supporters!THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSUmesh KK6TXI - studio space and intro/outro musicDi KO6BTM - audio engineeringNote: Amazon links are affiliate links

Devin W6DVN visits the Sofa to share his expertise in ultralight microwave SOTA activations... including how to build the gear! Mark nerds out a bit over a Quansheng CW mod, and Ara gets into his never-ending quest to better understand the behavior of real-world antennas.Patreon: Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews, and support our audio upgrades? We believe strongly that in-person chats are more fun!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAir__SHOW NOTES__Coffee choice: "Process Pairing - Colombia Black Condor" from Backyard Beans Coffee Companyhttps://backyardbeans.com/products/process-pairing-colombia-black-condorQuansheng Radio: https://amzn.to/45f4pXH (mod'able for CW)Quansheng IJV Firmware Mod: https://domox.org/home.htmlCorrection: feed horn from Rochester not Syracusehttps://rvhfg.org/wpr/w1ghz-dual-band-dish-feed/__Chapters__0:00 Hi Devin!2:01 Coffee tasting5:49 Devin loves microwaves49:15 Mark's new CW radio60:05 Ara's antenna test challenge87:39 New microphones!91:05 Thanks to our Patreon supporter!__THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - audio Elmering, and outro musicDi KO6BTM - audio engineeringNote: Amazon links are affiliate links

Mark and Ara share their Field Day experiences, along with an epic trip to the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) and hot takes on Di's new Morse Code learning video. __PATREON__Want to help us fly SOTA icons out for in-person interviews, and support our audio upgrades? We believe strongly that in-person chats are more fun!https://www.patreon.com/c/SofasOnTheAir__SHOW NOTES__HRCC Field Day Livestream video: "Field Day Live! Five stations, QRP!!!"Field Day After-action video: "You Can't Cram More Radios and Fun Into A Weekend!"Umesh's Tour video: "OVRO 2025 - 360 Tour of 40 Meter Dish!"Angelina's CW contact short: "YL Angelina's FIRST EVER Morse Code contact!" SOTA+ Morse Code video: "How to Morse Code (in 10 Minutes!)"Ara's TinyMIDI product: the perfect companion for Learning CW (and more)Book recommendation: The CW Way of Life __THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS__Umesh KK6TXI - microphone loan, audio Elmering, and outro musicDi KO6BTM - audio engineeringNote: Amazon links are affiliate links

In this wide-ranging chat with Oregon SOTA guest, Tim N7KOM covers his unusual introduction to radio, the Oregon campout, preparedness for 'radio first aid', activation shenanigans while visiting LA... and tastes some delicious local brews from Far Field.

In this first-ever episode of Sofas on the Air, Mark and Ara sit down to discuss Ara's SOTA Goat day (250 QSOs on a livestream!) and Mark's ARRL Field Day plans.