Famous (Hams) Amateur Radio operators.
With more than two million radio hams worldwide, it is only to be expected that there will be some well-known names who hold an amateur radio license.
Famous radio ham names include Kings, Queen’s and Princes, a few Heads of State, authors, musicians, astronauts and cosmonauts, certainly technophile and scientists, plus those who took to the stage, screen, radio, and television.
The list is not complete, there are certainly still missing, let me know and I will add them!
Famous Radio Hams – Science and Technology
| Call-sign | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| WV6VLY / WA6BND | Steve Wozniak | Co-founder of Apple Inc. |
| K1JT | Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr. | Nobel prize in physics (1993), author of WSPR, WSJT and JT44 Weak Signal Mode software |
| K1AKE | James M. Moran | Professor of Astrophysics |
| W1AW | Hiram Percy Maxim | Inventor, scientist, often revered as “The Father of Amateur Radio” |
| W2QBO | Wilson Greatbatch | Inventor of the cardiac pacemaker |
| 3BEC | Arthur M. Young | Inventor, designer of Bell Helicopter’s first helicopter |
| N6NHG | Kevin Mitnick | Famous hacker |
Famous Radio Hams – Astronauts and Cosmonauts
| Call-sign | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 7L2NJY | Dr. Mamoru Mohri | Japanese |
| DB1KM | Reinhard Furrer | German |
| DP3MIR | Dr. Ulf Merbold | German |
| GB1MIR | Helen Sharman | British |
| ON1AFD | Dirk Frimout | Belgian |
| ON1DWN | Frank De Winne | Belgian |
| PE1LFO | Wubbo Ockels | Dutch |
| PI9ISS | André Kuipers | Dutch |
| KG6FZX | Dennis Tito | American (First space tourist to ISS (2001) |
| KE5CGR | Christer Fuglesang | Swedish |
| N5QWL | Jay Apt | American |
| N5YYV | Kathy Sullivan | American |
| RV3DW | Sergei Avyeyev | Russian |
| UV3AM | Musa Manarov | Russian |
| UA1LO | Yuri Gagarin | Russian |
| W0ORE | Tony England | American |
| W5LFL | Owen Garriot | American |
| WA4SIR | Ron Parise | American |
Famous Radio Hams – Musicians and Singers
| Call-sign | Name | Singer |
|---|---|---|
| K0HWY | Tex Beneke | Band leader |
| KA6HVA | Burl Ives | Singer |
| KD4WUJ | Patty Loveless | Country singer |
| W4CGP | Chet Atkins | Singer-songwriter, guitarist |
| WB4KCG | Ronnie Milsap | Singer |
| WB6ACU | Joe Walsh | The Eagles |
| WD4LZC | Larnelle Harris | Country singer |
| WN3OQW | Jim Croce | Singer-songwriter |
| KC1MJ | Tom Scholz | Musician and founder of the band Boston |
Famous Radio Hams – Stage, Screen TV and Radio
| Call-sign | Authors | Role |
|---|---|---|
| G2DQU | Lord Brian Rix | Actor |
| G3YLA | Jim Bacon | Weatherman, BBC |
| K4LIB | Arthur Godfrey | Radio & TV broadcaster |
| K6DUE | Roy Neal | Television reporter, NBC |
| KB2GSD | Walter Cronkite | News anchor, CBS |
| KC4OCA | Gordon Barnes | Weatherman, KCBS |
| KD6WUS | Hugh Downs | TV game show host |
| FO5GJ | Marlon Brando | Actor |
| KI6M | Stu Gilliam | Comedian |
| N6CKF | Lloyd Bochner | Actor |
| K5ACC | Adam Curry | Dutch/American radio presentator/DJ |
| PA5VEN | Sven Van Veen | Dutch DJ (DJ Sven) |
| KC6IWA / N6YOS | Priscilla Beaulieu Presley | Ex-wife of Elvis Presley |
| KK6OTD | Tim Dick (Tim Allen) | Actor, comedian. Known for series Home Improvement, Last Man Standing |
| AA6JA | John Amodeo | Producer, Last Man Standing series |
| ?????? | Christoph Sanders | Actor, Last Man Standing series |
Famous Radio Hams – Royalty and Heads of State
| Call-sign | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 9K2CS | Yousuf Al-Sabah | Prince, Kuwait |
| A41AA | Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said | Sultan of Oman |
| EA0JC | Juan Carlos | King of Spain |
| HS1A | Bhumibol Adulyadej | King of Thailand |
| HS1LY | Prince Titiphan | Price, Thailand |
| HZ1TA | Talal bin Abdulaziz | Prince, Saudi Arabia |
| JY1 | Hussein bin Talal | King of Jordan |
| JY2 | Noor Al Hussein | Queen of Jordan |
Famous Radio Hams – Politicians
Famous Radio Hams – Authors
| Call-sign | Name | Authors |
|---|---|---|
| K2ORS | Jean Shepard | In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash & A Christmas Story |
| KA6UXR | Dr. Alex Comfort | The Joy of Sex |
| K7JPD | Jeff Duntemann | Author and publisher of Coriolis Group |
| TI2DR | David Ruben MD | Everything you wanted to know… |