WA6TST History

WA6TST Officers 2008

President: KE6JZS Gary Warnick

Vice President/Historian: KC6IIH Jock Soutar

Secretary/Treasurer: AD6WL Jim Seifert

WA6TST/Repeaters Trustee: W6HUG Cecil James

Our Club, Barstow Amateur Radio Club was formed in 1955! by a couple of enthisastic HAMS. Helmet and Irene Meckee lived right here in Barstow and held the first club meetings right at their house on Armory Road. The Club obtained ARRL afiliation in 1958, WA6TST was born.

The tall antenna pole which had become a landmark for many amateurs as they came into Barstow on Interstate 15 from the south on top of the hill near
Barstow road south of the freeway.

This pole was placed at this location in 1967 by Helmet Mecke (W6ZGC) now a silent key. It was removed Wed. 03/10/93.

The pole was one hundred and eleven feet total length, with eleven feet of it in
the ground. At one time, the pole had a ten meter beam antenna on it with a 60
foot boom length. How would some of you that have been working ten meters like
to try something like that ? WOW !!

There will be a house built on the original antenna site. Also there used to be a track that ran all the way up the pole that carried the antenna from ground level to the top of the pole - for sure this was something that was the envy of many a ham and will be missed, as was Mecke (W6ZGC) when he became a silent key in 1985.

Our thanks to Irene (WB6GUT) who was Meckes wife, still lives on the hill and gave us the above information.

73s de Cecil W6HUG

I thought this was interesting. These folks, as you are well aware of, are still with us! This is detication!

Officers for 1995 as follows:

President - W6HUG Cecil James
Vice Pres. - KD6HMR Don Kuhns
Sec. Treas. - KC6SMM Barbara Odette
Club Historian - KC6IIH Jock Soutar
Club Editor - KC6WGG Ron Sargent
ARRL Liaison - W6HUG Cecil James

Hospitality person Cards, etc - Elizabeth Sachs

Trustee (147.180) Club repeater _ KK6FL Fred Williamson
Trustee (146.970) Club repeater - N6WNL Jim Soutar

Linked repeater (146.700) Privately owned - WA6MTZ Leo Spatziani
Linked repeater (147.885) Privately owned - WA6MTZ Leo Spatziani

Repeater Committee:

WA6MTZ Leo Spatziani
KK6FL Fred Williamson
KB6SD Norm Odette
N6TAP John Segesman
W6HUG Cecil James
N6DWL Larry Bonner
KC6SMO Phil Angel

Barstow amateur Radio Club meets every second Monday night at 7:30pm at
The First Congregational Church - 220 N. Second st. in the basement.

BARC INFO NET on 147.18 every Tuesday night at 7:20pm
Alternate net controls for this net are - KC6MWT Mickey Moon
N6ZGF Art Sachs