VE3GFN

Episode 535 – Michael Goldstein – VE3GFN

Michael Goldstein VE3GFN has spent more than 70 years in the hobby spanning the full arc of amateur radio’s technical evolution. Licensed in the 1950s, Mike began as a dedicated homebrewer and CW operator, later designing receivers published in Bill Orr’s, W6SAI Radio Handbook and built a professional career in electronics instrumentation at the University of Toronto. In this interview, he reflects on his mentors, Morse code, classic and modern radios, contesting at 100 watts, and the transition from vacuum tubes to today’s SDR transceivers, sharing practical insight and perspective earned over a lifetime on the air.

Show Notes

Sponsor Transcription

Listen to Podcast

Hamradio Workbench Allstar Node – 55915

People

Bill Orr W6SAI — Amateur radio author and editor — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I._Orr
Howie Wyman V1HC — Early mentor and first contact
Al Hart W8VR — Amateur operator and mentor — https://www.qcwa.org/w8vr-13732-sk.htm

Places

Halifax, Nova Scotia — Early amateur radio activity location — https://www.halifax.ca
Toronto, Ontario — Long-term operating and career location — https://www.toronto.ca

Organizations & Clubs

American Radio Relay League (ARRL) — U.S. national amateur radio association — https://www.arrl.org
Halifax Amateur Radio Club — Canadian amateur radio club — https://halifaxarc.org
University of Toronto — Employer; electronics instrumentation work — https://www.utoronto.ca

Publications & Journals

QST — ARRL monthly amateur radio magazine — https://www.arrl.org/qst
Radio Handbook (Bill Orr) — Amateur radio technical handbook — https://amzn.to/3OsBM3n
73 Magazine — Amateur radio construction magazine — https://www.worldradiohistory.com/73_Magazine.htm
National Contest Journal — Amateur radio contesting publication — https://www.ncjweb.com

Awards & Certificates

DXCC Honor Roll — ARRL DX award for confirmed entities — https://www.arrl.org/dxcc
5-Band DXCC — DXCC award for five HF bands — https://www.arrl.org/5-band-dxcc

Modes & Bands

CW (Morse Code) — Continuous wave operating mode — https://www.arrl.org/cw-mode
SO2R — Single Operator Two Radio contesting technique — https://ncjweb.com/bonus-content/Nov-Dec-Dewey-SO2R-Part1.pdf
HF Bands — Below 50 MHz amateur bands — https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Hambands4_Color_17x11.pdf

Antennas & Feedlines

Open Wire Line — Balanced transmission line feed — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder_line
Collinear Wire Antenna — Multi-element wire antenna — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collinear_antenna

Equipment & Technology

Hallicrafters SX-99 — Vintage shortwave receiver — https://wireless-girl.com/Projects/Hallicrafters-SX99/
Heathkit DX-35 — Tube HF transmitter — https://people.ohio.edu/postr/bapix/DX35.htm
Drake TR-4 — HF transceiver — https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/tr4.html
Elecraft K3 — HF transceiver with roofing filters — https://elecraft.com/products/k3s-transceiver
Icom IC-7610 — SDR HF/50 MHz transceiver — https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7610/
Vibroplex Bug Key — Semi-automatic Morse key — https://www.vibroplex.com
Tektronix Oscilloscope — Electronic test equipment — https://www.tek.com

Companies

EMI Kasser — Electronics instrumentation firm — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMI
Electrosonic — Canadian electronics distributor — https://www.e-sonic.com

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