Live Free and Ham Podcast

Live Free and Ham is changing things up… but don’t panic, nobody threw the radio in the dumpster. Yet.

In this episode, Eric N1JUR, Paul N1OG, and Todd W1STJ sit down for a real update on the future of the show. Todd shares why he’ll be taking a bit of a pause from regular episodes while life, work, family, baseball, and everything else pile up like a badly packed go-box. The crew also talks about shifting Live Fr...

Is ham radio still happening on the air… or has it moved online?

Tonight on Live Free and Ham, we’re diving into one of the biggest shifts in the hobby right now—Online Communities vs RF Communities.

Discord is active. YouTube chats are packed. Facebook groups never sleep.

But spin the dial… and things can feel a little quiet.

So what’s really going on?

Are we more connected than ever… or just conn...

What happens when Parks on the Air turns from a hobby… into a daily mission?

In this episode of Live Free and Ham, Eric (N1JUR), Paul (N1OG), and Todd (W1STJ) sit down with special guest Keith (AC1RH) to talk about one of the most unique (and slightly insane) approaches to POTA we’ve seen yet—activating parks every single day.

But that’s not all…

We dive deep into aeronautical mobile operations, the rea...

We had a plan for this episode…

and then we brought Casey on.

In this episode of Live Free and Ham, we sit down with the developer behind POTACat—an app that’s starting to get a lot of attention in the POTA community.

If you’ve heard the name but weren’t sure what it actually does…

this is the episode that breaks it down.

🐾 What is POTACat?

POTACat is a tool built for the Parks on the Air community ...

We had a plan… and then we started talking.

In this episode of Live Free and Ham, Eric (N1JUR), Paul (N1OG), Todd (W1STJ), and Mike (N2MAK) sit down for what was supposed to be a structured show…

Yeah… that didn’t happen.

What you do get is a real, unfiltered ham radio roundtable—where the conversation goes from gear talk… to band discussions… to life… and somehow ends in complete ...

No Eric. No Todd. No safety net.

In this episode of Live Free and Ham… things get a little… unstructured.

The Grouch (N1OG) takes over the show while Eric is off pretending he’s in Aspen and Todd is down for the count. So naturally, we brought in Tortoise (N3FML)… and yeah… it went exactly how you’d expect.

We start with:

Listener voicemails (yes… including the usual suspects)

Winlink messa...

What happens when the group from Live Free and Ham join the Ragchew Crew for a live stream? You get to Live Free and Ragchew! Welcome to the first combined stream that will be the 4th Sunday night 8:30pm Central every month going forward! We look forward to more great conversation and possibly more shenanigans and we invite you to join us!

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Support the show:

Buy Us a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.c...

Live Free and Ham goes international! 🇺🇸🌍

In this special episode, Eric, Todd, and Paul join the crew of the European Ham Radio Show to talk about how Live Free and Ham got started—and how it somehow turned into one of the most recognizable voices in the ham radio community.

What starts as a simple conversation quickly turns into a full-on ham radio roundtable… and yeah, it goes off the rails (in the best way possible...

This week on Live Free and Ham, we cover a little bit of everything that makes amateur radio… well… amateur radio.

It starts with a spicy debate about 146.52 simplex activity and whether encouraging people to actually use the calling frequency is somehow “ruining the hobby.”

Then we shift into the real heartbeat of ham radio — the community.

In this episode we cover:

Listener Winlink messages

The reality ...

What happens when you stop waiting for activity… and just create it?

In this episode, we dig into the surprising momentum behind the 2 Meter FM Activity a 52 Day Challenge

What started as a fun idea quickly turned into a grassroots movement. Emails are still coming in. Operators are asking when the next one is. And suddenly? two meters simplex — don’t feel so quiet anymore.

We talk about:

Why 146.52 MHz (the 2m FM ca...

Are we ignoring half the ham bands?

In this episode, Eric N1JUR, Todd W1STJ, Paul N1OG, and Mike N2MAK dig into the “lost bands” of amateur radio — 220 MHz (1.25m), 900 MHz (33cm), 60 meters, and other underused parts of the spectrum.

Why are these bands so quiet?

Is it cost? Equipment availability? Programming headaches?

Or are we just stuck on 2 meters and 440?

We break down:

220 MHz — the “bridge band&rdq...

Hamcation wasn’t just a hamfest… it was a full-blown radio road trip.

In this episode of Live Free and Ham, Grouch shares the behind-the-scenes stories from Hamcation — from hallway conversations and gear temptation to APRS pranks that may or may not have broken the internet (or at least someone’s ego).

We dig into:

What Hamcation is really like once the cameras stop rolling

The APRS chaos that had people talki...

In this episode of Live Free and Ham, hosts Eric and Paul sit down with Joe Brett to talk about an origin story that doesn’t start with a ham club meeting or an exam manual.

Joe’s path into ham radio started with storm chasing and tornadoes — where radios weren’t a hobby, they were a tool. What began as a way to track weather and stay informed slowly turned into curiosity, learning, and eventually… a c...

What really makes you better at ham radio — more gear, or more time on the air?

In this episode of the Live Free and Ham Podcast, hosts Paul (N1OG) and Eric (N1JUR) are joined by Steve (KO4AFL) for a candid conversation about learning ham radio through real-world experience.

Steve shares his journey in the hobby, lessons learned along the way, and why mistakes, patience, and simply getting on the air matter more than having the...

In this episode of Live Free and Ham, we’re joined by Shane from Ham Radio Clubhouse for a wide-ranging conversation about building a ham radio show, embracing livestream chaos, and learning by doing.

Shane talks about:

How Ham Radio Clubhouse got started

Why the show stays unedited and unscripted

What it’s really like running a long-term livestream podcast

His involvement in hot air ballooning and aviation projects

Why commu...

Do you actually use the scan button… or do you just pretend? 🤔

In this episode, we get brutally honest about mobile ham radio, repeater scanning, radio organization, and why most of us only listen to the same 5 channels anyway. We break down real-world mobile setups, remote heads, SD card madness, aviation monitoring, and why “more features” doesn’t always mean better.

Then things get spicy—in a good w...

In this informal, unscripted live episode, hosts Eric, Todd, and Paul dive into spontaneous chat, celebrate small wins (including a TSA victory), and tease future guest appearances—without a strict script. The night blends light banter, sports chatter, and practical tech talk—from ham radio curiosities to basic electrical tips—alongside candid updates on potential guests and the show format. With a warm, community...

From branding experiments to a chaotic pre-show routine, this episode follows the moment you realize AI is quietly steering a lot of your workflow. We chat about rebranding attempts, channel growth quirks, and the strange confidence-boost of AI-generated resumes that actually land interviews. It’s equal parts hype and humor, with a nod to the skepticism every creator secretly harbors.

Then we nerd out on the pitfalls of AI-ass...

Ever wondered how solar storms can impact your ham radio contacts? Join Eric (N1JUR), Paul (N1OG), and Todd (W1STJ) as we explore the thrilling and sometimes frustrating world of ham radio propagation. We'll break down the intricacies of the solar cycle and how it influences your radio experiences, plus share exciting plans for the upcoming Field Day. Don't miss our “Doing Good” segment showcasing the inspiring activiti...