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History of ON6WL Waaslandse Radio Amateurs
The year was 1958, year of the world exposition, EXPO '58. The UBA decided to set up a national station for this special occasion. In May 1958 this station, ON4UB , was on air for the first time. This was great publicity for our hobby, still mostly unknown by 'Joe Public'. After the Expo about 100 new members joined the UBA.
One of the first activities organized by the Waasland section was a visit to the Telexpo-UBA pavilion from where a QSO was make with (among others) 9X5MW in Kigali. Marcel, ON4HK became a member of waaslandafter his return to Belgium.
Following the success of the national station, ON4UB, during the EXPO '58 a permanent shack would be looked for . Since ' Radio Schaarbeek ' a local independent station in Kraainem could not renew it's license after the war, the building was vacant and the owner allowed the UBA to set up the national station there. Installation was completed in 1959. The waasland section proposed to take care of the talus in front of the building. On Ascension day 1959 the section went to Kraainem to do the landscaping. It was hard work for most, but others might remember the little cafe not far away........
The section Waasland grew from about 10 members to more than 35 in the following months. A lot of SWL's (ONL's) joined the section. Courses in electronics and morse lessons were organized. The first meeting place in Hotel des Brasseurs at the station square in Lokeren was outgrown and on top of that the owner decided to close his business. Other places were sought after but eventually a place was found in Eksaarde. A name was found.... Hampertuus.....
The first meeting place. A BBQ is mandatory.
In ON4JL's back yard an emergency house from Dendermonde dating back to WW I was rebuild. This was the ideal shack... nobody would get us out of that one.... A lot of work went into the shack to make it usable and 'presentable'. A separated part would be the 'radio room' the larger part was to be used for club meetings and lessons. Of course, there was also a real bar.........
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