I got my ticket as WN9LRI in 1964 while attending Notre Dame High School in Niles Ilinois, via the HS radio club, WA9BWH. I passed the Tech license ten months later, and happily dropped the N to become WA9LRI. I hung out on 2 and 6 meters AM with a Heathkit 6'er and 2'er, then became an early convert to 2 meter FM while in college. I joined the Chicago FM Club, WA9ORC, and later served two terms as president. What a great repeater system with tremendous coverage! I passed the code test at the FCC office in 1976 to get my General class license.

In 1978, my new wife and I moved to Dallas Texas. I gave up my 9 call for N5CSU in 1983.

My interests are primarily repeaters, digital modes and public service. I am active in RACES and ARES, and served as NCS for Garland TX RACES for many years. 

APRS is fun, and it's always on in the background (n5csu is the home station in Dallas, n5csu-2 is the lake house, n5csu-8 is my mobile, and n5csu-9 is the Yaesu HT). 

I'm a convert to QRP, after purchasing an Yaesu FT-817 "backpack" rig. It's an amazing little radio, and I've had fun with it on both SSB and PSK-31. I've won pileups with 5 watts, and even held a QSO on 20 meters with 500 MW! The picture shows me QRP'ing from the beach on Galveston Island, TX.

These days, you'll find me active on VHF and HF from our lake house on the shores of Cedar Creek Lake in Gun Barrel City  TX (also EM12). Eqpt there is a Yaesu FT-100 and Alpha Delta DX-EE on HF, and an Icom 2200H and an MFJ tri band vertical on FM and D-Star.  I'm usually listening on reflector 1C, and my home repeater is NT5RN C.

73

Rich N5CSU

Memberships

• ARRL Life member
• AMSAT
• Cedar Creek TX ARC K5CCL
• 10-10 #19991