W1VS

BROADCASTING ON ALL FREQUENCIES

TONY SWINDLE

HAM RADIO W1VS / DRONE PILOT / 3D PRINTING / PODCASTER

W1VS — SIGNAL ACTIVE
LICENSE: AMATEUR EXTRA
BAND: HF / VHF / UHF
MODE: SSB · FT8
DRONE: DJI FLEET
PRINT: LAYER BY LAYER
PODCAST: WHISKEY WHISKEY KILO
GRID: USA

ABOUT TONY

Hi, I’m Tony Swindle — a passionate hobbyist with a love for technology, making, and communication. Ham radio, drones, 3D printing, and podcasting all feed the same hunger: building things, understanding how they work, and connecting with like-minded people.
Whether I’m activating a park for POTA, flying a DJI drone over a scenic overlook, pulling a fresh print off the bed, or recording an episode of Whiskey Whiskey Kilo, there’s always a new project on the bench.

W1VS
AMATEUR EXTRA CLASS — CALLSIGN
2021→2024
TECH · GENERAL · EXTRA CLASS
POTA
PARKS ON THE AIR — FAVORITE ACTIVITY
73 DE W1VS
BEST REGARDS IN HAM RADIO TRADITION

📻

HAM RADIO
Amateur radio is more than a hobby — it’s a lifelong pursuit of technical mastery and human connection. Tony earned his Technician license in 2021, then in 2024 passed both his General and Amateur Extra exams — reaching the highest license class in amateur radio and unlocking full access to every band and mode available. Favorite activity? Parks on the Air (POTA) — packing up a portable station and activating parks, nature reserves, and public lands, making contacts from the great outdoors.

I operate across multiple bands and modes, including SSB voice and modern digital modes like FT8 that push weak-signal communication to its limits. Emergency preparedness and community service are a big part of the ham spirit too — but POTA is where the heart is.

POTA, HF / VHF / UHF, SSB, FT8, DX CHASING, ANTENNA BUILDING
APRS
EMCOMM

DRONE PILOTING
All my birds are DJI drones — the gold standard in consumer and prosumer UAVs. The fleet consists of two very different machines, each with its own strengths: the DJI Mavic 3 Pro for stunning cinematic aerial photography with its triple-camera system, and the DJI Avata 1 for the immersive, adrenaline-fueled world of FPV flight

My background in ham radio gives me a deep appreciation for the RF link that keeps a drone in the air. Understanding frequency, interference, and propagation makes me a better and safer pilot in complex radio environments — and DJI’s OcuSync and O3 transmission systems are a masterclass in applied RF engineering.

DJI ★
MAVIC 3 PRO
AVATA 1
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
FPV
OCUSYNC / O3
DJI FLY APP
HYPERLAPSE
FAA PART 107

3D PRINTING
3D printing is the perfect complement to ham radio and drones — there’s always a bracket to fabricate, an enclosure to design, or a custom mount that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Tony prints on the Bambu Lab P1S — a fully enclosed, high-speed machine that makes professional-quality prints fast and reliably

Whether it’s printing accessories for a radio setup, custom parts for a drone, or just a fun project for the workshop, the ability to design and manufacture on demand is endlessly satisfying.

FDM ★
BAMBU LAB P1S
CAD / DESIGN
CUSTOM MOUNTS
RADIO ACCESSORIES
DRONE PARTS
PLA / PETG
SLICER SOFTWARE

Whiskey Whiskey Kilo Podcast Logo

LIVE · LAST SUNDAY OF MONTH · 8PM CT
Whiskey Whiskey Kilo is a podcast hosted by Tony and two good friends and fellow ham radio operators — Kent KO4TWY and Jon W4JDM. The name is a nod to the phonetic alphabet beloved by hams everywhere, and the show is a place to talk tech, hobbies, making, and everything in between.

Tune in live every last Sunday of the month at 8PM Central for conversations about ham radio, drones, 3D printing, and the joy of being a lifelong tinkerer. Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

KENT KO4TWY
JON W4JDM
HAM RADIO
DRONES
3D PRINTING
TECH TALK

MAKE CONTACT
Fellow ham, drone pilot, maker, or podcast listener — I’d love to connect. Whether it’s scheduling a POTA activation, talking DJI gear, comparing prints, or chatting about the show.