Ara Kourchians, N6ARA

CWops# 3185, from Montrose , CA , USA.---->View on Google maps

A big thank you to K6RB Rob and KK6M Roy for their mentorship throughout CW Academy, and to my sponsors for granting me the opportunity to join CWops! I first got licensed as a Technician back in 2007 when I heard the FCC dropped the Morse code requirement. I remember thinking that CW is too difficult, and that I would never want to learn it. I operated on the VHF/UHF bands, mostly to track high altitude balloons I built as a hobby, but I never really went beyond that.

14 years later, during the COVID lockdowns, a friend told me about SOTA. I figured it was a safe way to spend time outdoors while getting some exercise. I quickly got hooked and found myself on top of a mountain almost every weekend. After activating most of the peaks near the Los Angeles basin, I began to venture into more remote areas with little to no VHF/UHF stations around to help me activate.

Several folks in the SoCal SOTA group suggested that I upgrade my license to obtain the HF bands and encouraged me to learn CW through CW Academy. They mentioned that I could lighten my pack with small QRP rigs and that making 4 CW contacts is a breeze when you’re on a summit. I asked the group how many of them know CW and almost everyone raised their hand. That’s when I knew it was time. After learning all the characters on LCWO, I took the CWA Basic course and got hooked. As I refined my ICR skills, I began to challenge myself to headcopy faster and faster, but I never expected to take the Advanced course and make this far! Although SOTA is near and dear to my heart, I find CW contesting to be a ton of fun! I look forward to this new chapter in my amateur radio journey.

Thank you all for welcoming me to the CWops family!

This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.

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