WD6CHC Chuck W. Farnham Fallon, NV QCWA # 36931 Chapter 190

Starting with a cub scout field trip to local AM station KPOW in Powell Wyoming, I was hooked on communications from that day forward.

A radio station engineer took me out to the antenna to take FCC required readings in Billings Montana and this just made my quest for knowledge greater, by the mid 1970's I was on 11 meters, even managed WAS with 5 watts AM!

From this my path lead directly to the Santa Clara Amateur Radio Association in the late 1970.s where I was ELMERED into what has become a life long hobby and educational experience.

With all of this I managed to only have one run in with the FCC, turns out they were looking for a guy I knew and not me, I made sure to purchase TVI filters while managing an apartment complex that resolved any issue 4 stacked Y Quads and 2KW would cause where ever I happened to be operating. His 10kw 11 meter operation and arrogance had me in multiple days of depositions before he was found guilty.

I started with an Yaesu FT 101EE, and currently I am using an ICOM 7300, ICOM 9700 and ICOM 7000 in the shack and in the field I operate Elecraft KX-2 and KX-3 radios along with a Yaesu FT 817. Previously I used a FLEX 6300 and Maestro but found the software not as stable as I would prefer.

I prefer QRP power with AM, SSB, various digital modes and satellite.

My current operational antennas consist of two G5RV's, 160 meter inverted V, a Hustler 4-BTV and a Cushcraft A-3S 3 element beam, the later two were gifts from K7VY(sk) my friend Gary Grants collection of aluminum for rooftop display.

I am an avid hoarder of vintage communications technology and have 100s of radios of various vintages in my collection.

I am currently the ARRL Assistant Section Manager for Nevada and the QCWA President of Chapter #190.

I QSL 100 % and provide SASE, still use paper logs, you can however find me watching the paint dry on FT-8 and begrudgingly using Logbook of the World and QRZ Logbook when the propagation forces me to.

Just send me a card, any card, a postcard from your town, walking out to the mailbox is the only exercise I get...lol

September 19, 2021