SCCARA in the 1950's -- our fourth decade


    Barbecues during the early to mid 1950's


Our barbecues were a big deal in the 1950's, amateurs were invited from around Northern CA.
Notices went to several local newspapers--and they couldn't resist this:
In 1951 we went so far as to send an invitation on a giant post card to film actress Janet Leigh.
And M.G.M. was good enough to show us that she received it!

(click on the photo for more)

    Field Day at Mt. Hamilton, June 19, 1954






   
    photos by Noble Hancock, W6APV

    And we went back to Mt. Hamilton for Field Day 1955










  Information flyer for our 1955 Field Day at Mt. Hamilton.

    SCCARA sponsored the fourth Pacificon, July 3-5, 1954







(10.0 MB jpg)







(11.0 MB jpg)
We have two prints, the second one is slighly lighter.   The lighter one has hand written on the back:

"O. P. Taylor     Orrin Brown HB?     Erv Rasmussen     Doc Gmelin     Frank Quement     Bruce Stone?     Geo Call     Harry Smith     Noble Hancock     Willis Clayton     Pace Tibb     Milo Lacy"

That's it, no indication of where they are in the photo.   Erv Rasmussen is Erwin A Rasmussen W6YPM.   Pace Tibb is probably Paul Tibbs W6WGO.   O P Taylor is Ormsby P Taylor W6BAX.

So far I've only been able to identify the following:
In the front row (squatting), from left to right:
  ?
  SCCARA badge shows W6CFK - Richard R. Barrett
  looks like Noble Hancock W6APV (from 1954 Field Day photo)
  looks like Frank Quement W6NX
  looks like Harry Engwicht W6HC
  ?
  ?
  ?
  looks like Orrin Brown W6HB
  the tie shows W6RNG - Harry B. Smith, (SCCARA president at this time, 1954)
  ARRL badge shows W6WGO - Revlow P. Tibbs (Paul Tibbs, SCCARA president in 1951)

In the front row, standing, far left, the two with call signs on their sweaters are:
  W6DOB and W6AET, Lloyd M. Jones and Florence E. Jones, from Santa Barbara.

    Disaster drill using our station at the Red Cross, December 23, 1955








   
The call sign on the blotter is W6INQ, Ross D. Cade from Santa Clara, possibly the man in the foreground

    Overworked HAMs passing traffic
(date and location unknown, probably early to mid 1950's)

Publicity shot -- holiday traffic handling for military personnel.
Al Spatola W6DEA, Paul Tibbs W6WGO, Roy "Pinky" Pinkham W6BPT, Len Scarpelli W6UTV.

      must... have... more... coffee!




    Well wishes
(date and significance unknown)

The inscription reads:
        To the S.C.C.A.R.A.!
        A bunch of "regular" guys
        - as I was, too, while
        the prunes lasted!
            73's
        A. L. Rualorny
   
(Not sure about that spelling.)



    We were active at the Santa Clara County Fair:

SCCARA was an exhibitor of Amateur Radio in the sixth annual through tenth annual Santa Clara County Fairs.


    6th annual         7th annual         8th annual           9th annual         10th annual
    Sept. 11-17 Sept. 10-16 Sept. 8-14 Sept. 10-16 Sept. 13-19
    1950 1951 1952 1953 1954

    And a couple of awards:

Public Service Award from the ARRL in recognition of SCCARA providing emergency communications during the West Coast floods in December 1955.   It was written up in QST magazine, May 1956, pages 50-55.



    Meeting minutes:
                     


Minutes aren't complete, but this is what still exists.


    1951 minutes         1953 minutes         1956 minutes         1957 minutes         1958 minutes         1959 minutes


   Newspaper coverage:




1951 June 11.   We even got press coverage of our meeting and BBQ.




November 11, 1951 editorial:

"Nation's Radio 'Hams' Are Of Constant Service" this editorial proclaims.   SCCARA is prominently mentioned, as well as other amateur groups.   Field Day is mentioned as well as message passing for the public that SCCARA did annually at the County Fair.








  Permission to reprint granted by the YSG group on behalf of the Bay Area News Group, which includes the San Jose Mercury News.




1952 Feb. 15.   SCCARA gets credit for solving TV interference problems even if it's not the Amateur's fault.








1952 March 7.   Walter Nelson W6AVJ loses his orchids and amateur station after a lightning strikes comes down his antenna.








1952 March, April.   Amateur radio operators help with communications and assist Red Cross to raise money for Arkansas tornado victims.







1952 June 24, 25.   A couple of articles about Amateur radio operators drill for disaster communications.   Actually, it was Field Day.








1952 July 1, 3.   A couple of articles about Amateur radio operators meeting in San Francisco.   We call it the ARRL Pacific Division Convention.









Appears to be a sign-in sheet for a July 10, 1952 event.


Last updated: January 27, 2024
Editor: Gary Mitchell, WB6YRU, (wb6yru @ ix.netcom.com)

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