Biography

I was originally licensed in the mid-1970s as a novice with call WA6ZAH in Anza, California. A few years later I managed to get good enough at code (barely!) to pass the 13 WPM CW test and get my general with call N6CBC. Just for fun I eventually got a vanity call K6DCH. Fast forward a few decades and I got my Extra class while living in Hawaii and took the call AH6TD.

Urgent family matters brought me back to the mainland and to New Mexico where, to avoid confusion on air, I changed my call to N5DCH.

Currently I operate an Elecraft K4D barefoot into a homebrew 33' vertical. I also have an Elecraft KX3 as a backup rig and for when I go portable.

I mainly operate CW and FT8 but every so often operate SSB on one of the OMISS nets, just to keep the mic happy and my vocal skills lubed. ;-)

I QSL via LOTW, eQSL and QRZ.com. While I don't actively solicit them, in the instance where someone sends a QSL card I'm more than happy to send one back.

I operate leisurely...I have not, to date, ever entered into a contest per se, but I do like to participate in the twice weekly K1USN Slow Speed Contest where the speed limit is 20wpm. It's fun to help others who are learning or improving CW (and of course hone my skills as well).

I endorse the CWops' CW Academy morse code training classes offered 3 times a year for free. Their philosophy of emphasizing instant character recognition and head copy seems to be the right way to go about learning code.

Hope to see you on the air!

73,
Dave, N5DCH

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

Elecraft K4
Elecraft KX3
Homebrew 33' vertical
LoG (Loop on the Ground) receive antenna