Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Paul VK3HN has been building homebrew radio gear since the late 1970s and activating SOTA summits in the Australian bush since around 2015 — and he'll tell you the two pursuits feed off each other perfectly. His Summit Prowler series of homebrew superhet transceivers were designed specifically for backpacking and activating, with every design decision driven by the constraints of the trail.
In this episode Paul walks through his journey from a scratch built 2 meter FM receiver as a teenager to a series of increasingly refined portable CW and SSB transceivers, shares how his 20 year career as a software engineer made the jump to Arduino and Si5351 easier than most, and talks about choosing to stay a builder rather than become a full time YouTuber.
Join us as we explore how you can get involved in portable radio, QRP, and more in this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone (AP/DZ). Every aspect of portable operations is covered in this biweekly podcast, from news and gear to achievements, the workbench, contests, awards, and beyond.
Paul's Blog: vk3hn.wordpress.com
Paul's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/c/PaulTaylorVK3HN
Paul's GitHub Site: github.com/prt459
**SolderSmoke DISCORD INVITE**: discord.gg/GYVRZSBVFC
Connect with us:
* Discord: discord.gg/WVE3vVveWU
* YouTube: youtube.com/c/redsummitrf
* TikTok: @redsummitrf
* X (formerly Twitter): @NJ7V_
Support the channel:
* Buy us a Coke: buymeacoffee.com/RedSummitRF
* Red Summit RF Amazon Storefront: amazon.com/shop/redsummitrf
#apdz #HamRadio #QRP #Workbench #Electronics #homebrewradio #DIYradio #amateurradio #hamradiopodcast #scratchbuild #SOTA #PortableOps #superhet #Si5351 #Arduino #VK3HN #SummitProwler #CW #SSB
Paul VK3HN has been building homebrew radio gear since the late 1970s and activating SOTA summits in the Australian bush since around 2015 — and he'll tell you the two pursuits feed off each other perfectly. His Summit Prowler series of homebrew superhet transceivers were designed specifically for backpacking and activating, with every design decision driven by the constraints of the trail.
In this episode Paul walks through his journey from a scratch built 2 meter FM receiver as a teenager to a series of increasingly refined portable CW and SSB transceivers, shares how his 20 year career as a software engineer made the jump to Arduino and Si5351 easier than most, and talks about choosing to stay a builder rather than become a full time YouTuber.
Join us as we explore how you can get involved in portable radio, QRP, and more in this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone (AP/DZ). Every aspect of portable operations is covered in this biweekly podcast, from news and gear to achievements, the workbench, contests, awards, and beyond.
Paul's Blog: vk3hn.wordpress.com
Paul's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/c/PaulTaylorVK3HN
Paul's GitHub Site: github.com/prt459
**SolderSmoke DISCORD INVITE**: discord.gg/GYVRZSBVFC
Connect with us:
* Discord: discord.gg/WVE3vVveWU
* YouTube: youtube.com/c/redsummitrf
* TikTok: @redsummitrf
* X (formerly Twitter): @NJ7V_
Support the channel:
* Buy us a Coke: buymeacoffee.com/RedSummitRF
* Red Summit RF Amazon Storefront: amazon.com/shop/redsummitrf
#apdz #HamRadio #QRP #Workbench #Electronics #homebrewradio #DIYradio #amateurradio #hamradiopodcast #scratchbuild #SOTA #PortableOps #superhet #Si5351 #Arduino #VK3HN #SummitProwler #CW #SSB
