My name is Mike. I'm 16 years old. I got my General ticket when I was 12. I was first licensed when I was 11.

I started making contacts on HF as soon as I got my upgrade. I made at least one CW contact every day for just over 180 days. Then the tree that my antenna was tied to broke from a heavy snow storm. That ruined my streak. I didn't have the same drive to get on like I did before. I don't get on much anymore. Exceptions to that are when I'm camping, or if there is some special event on the air.

I love CW, and it was fun and challenging to learn. That is one of the best things that resulted from my streak of 180 days of contacts. My code speed got up to about 20 wpm. It is still up there when I work a contest, but for rag-chewing, I'm more comfortable around 17 wpm. Going faster is good for me, so I don't mind trying to push it a little. Also, if someone wants to slow down, that is great. When I do get on, I almost always tune around 7.112 Mhz, because that is where I hung out when I was first doing CW. It is in the old Novice portion of the band. With the new rules, there will be many Technicians that will be eligible to work CW there. I hope they give it a try. I would be happy to talk with them. I hope they will continue to use CW.

I'm a soccer player (MLS Youth Team - REAL Utah, Olympic Development Team, La Roca Preimer Club), and also enjoy many other sports. The soccer training takes most of my free time. I am working to earn a scholarship based on soccer, grades, and test results. I also enjoy other sports, especially snow boarding in the winter.

If you want to talk soccer or snowboarding, let's have a sked!

The picture below was taken when I was first licenced about 5 years ago. I need to get an updated picture!

73 de Mike, KD7UUB

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. Here is my CW key. This was a gift from K8RA. He makes great paddles. Mine is the prototype for the P-3. Read more about it (link to this story on my Dad's web page)

This is the rig I have been using. It is a Kenwood TS-570D.

My dad has a Elecraft K2 that he just got on the air recently. He didn't even set the 570 back up after Field Day this year. The K2 has become the main rig. I haven't used it much, but I know my Dad loves the K2 and thinks it is much better than the 570. I'll update my comments about it on this page after I get a chance to use it for a while.

I made a series of contacts - at least one-a-day for 180 days. Want to see what REAL dedication is? Check out this link to John's page, K3WWP You will see what he has done using simple wire antennas, low power, and a committment to make at least one contact per day. You will be amazed! I was.

Last Updated: Jul - 07