Treetop Antennas: Featured with my friend Wlodek (US7IGN) on BBC Radio 4 Short Cuts

I’m very honored to be featured with my good friend Wlodek (US7IGN) in a short radio documentary on BBC Radio 4 today.

Wlodek is long-time reader and subscriber here on QRPer.com and the SWLing Post. Wlodek lives in Kiev, Ukraine and we keep in touch these days over email. Like me, he is passionate about field radio work and before the Russian invasion, you’d often find him in nearby forests experimenting with some pretty impressive field antennas.

Sadly, when Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, it very quickly brought an end to all of that for Wlod. Not only were amateur radio operators not allowed to transmit under the state of emergency, but it’s no longer safe to venture into nearby forests.

Radio producer, Cicely Fell, learned about our love of all things field radio and put together an audio piece that airs today on BBC Radio 4:

BBC Radio 4 Short Cuts

From the forests of North Carolina, USA to the city of Kyiv, Ukraine – two ham radio enthusiasts seek each other out and a voice from the past prompts a dialogue on listening between a rabbi and a radio producer.

Click here to listen via the BBC Radio 4 website (note that the audio can be streamed shortly after the program airs today).

Many thanks to Cicely and her talented team at Falling Tree Productions for spending a little time with us in the forest and on the air! Truly an honor.

6 thoughts on “Treetop Antennas: Featured with my friend Wlodek (US7IGN) on BBC Radio 4 Short Cuts”

  1. Up here in Canada the CBC has been carrying Short Cuts as a filler amongst CBC programming.

    At this time I don’t know yet if it is on the new season schedule but it would be nice if this was heard here.

  2. That was an awesome piece, Thomas! It was really nice to have amateur radio highlighted as a connecting force in the world. Having morse code connecting the segments was pretty cool, too.

  3. Thank you al for the kind comments. Yes, it was truly an honor to be in a piece with my friend and for it to have been produced so beautifully by Cicely and her team. I love how much CW they wove into the piece.

  4. Wow, congrats Thomas and Wlodek! What a beautiful tribute to the heart of ham radio — Shortcuts has done you and the hobby proud.

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