9SO - W9HHX | ||||||||||||||||
Milwaukee
School Of Engineering Amateur Radio Club |
||||||||||||||||
I graduated from the Milwaukee School of
Engineering in 1978 and I was active in the MSOE ham radio club
W9HHX during my 4 years there. I spent most of my free time at the
ham shack and consider that some of the best times I've ever
had. The MSOE ham club dates back to the mid 1920's when it
was known as 9SO. From what I've been told, in 1924
the student members of the School Radio Club obtained a license
for an amateur radio station 9SO. 9SO was chosen as the key
station of the western section of the College Radio Union.
The MSOE radio club communicated with Admiral Byrds ship while on
its way to the South Pole, and reported first information on the
Cuban hurricane disaster which wiped out all other communication
with the American mainland in 1926. One of the members
back from 1926-1930 was William Gainer. I had a chance to
meet with him and talk about ham radio at MSOE in the early
years. He gave me the picture of the 9SO club station with
the 4 seated members, saying that he wasn't one of the fellows in
the photo. According to Bill, when he graduated from MSOE, there
weren't any other ham club members left so he took the call sign
9SO with him as he shut off the lights and closed the door. The
call became W9SO and he kept that call until his death. That is
why the ham club call is W9HHX rather than W9SO. I
don't know when the MSOE ham radio club restarted after 9SO's
departure.. I've scanned in the 1920's 9SO ham club photos and included photo's of several MSOE ham club qsl cards and my membership card. 73, Scott WA9WFA |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Back to WA9WFA SW-3 and Classic Radio | ||||||||||||||||
Last Update: 03/2023
Web Author: Scott Freeberg WA9WFA
Copyright ©2023 by Scott Freeberg WA9WFA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED