Category: Timeline Stories

Following a dissatisfaction with the management of RCS, some members (mainly young)  decided to start up a new club – The West of Scotland Amateur Radio Society – WoSARS, initially meeting at the TA Signals Regiment premises – Jardine Street.

After several aborted attempts to produce a Club Newsletter, the Club was successful in launching the Monthly NEWSLETTER which ‘morphed’ into the successful GM MAGazine with the formation of the RADIO CLUB of SCOTLAND in 1962.

DATE TO BE CHECKED

Following a fire within the Virginia Street complex, the Club itself wasn’t badly damaged but other parts of the building suffered, the owners decided to redevelop the complex. As such the Club was forced to seek new premises. TBAdded

Relocating from the TA – Signals Regiment – JARDINE STREET to VIRGINIA STREET, WoSARS became an Affiliated Society of the RSGB and recognised as such with an accepted constitution.

(March 2022)”………Thankyou for contacting the RSGB. I can confirm the West of Scotland ARS have been affiliated since 1/10/1970 with continuous membership

Debbie Hart, Membership Secretary, Radio Society of Great Britain………………..“

The RCS Members Lapel Badge (GM3YTS)

RCS was officially CONSTITUTED in July 1962. The Constitution was appended to the new ‘GM MAG‘

The RCS Membership Card (GM3YTS)

Information being sought?

The annual CQ WORLD WIDE contest is the busiest radio contest. Taking part this year the Club was #1 on 21MHz in Scotland.

1990 Glasgow was named as the CULTURAL CAPITAL OF EUROPE. Considering it’s heavy industrial past, this was a great honour for the City, but it was no surprise to many Glaswegians, who were already aware of what it had to offer in the way of museums, galleries, architecture and indeed the world famous GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART,  CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH, and ALEXANDER ‘Greek’ THOMSON .

Getting into the ‘spirit’ of the celebrations, WoSARS contacted the organisers beforehand and offered the Club’s services to promote Glasgow over the ‘airwaves’. They were delighted with the offer and worked along with the Club to provide a series of bespoke QSL Cards and events where the Club could participate.

A series of special callsigns had been issued to WoSARS and it’s members, with GM90CC being the Club’s main call. (90CC – 1990 City of Culture, and indeed this might have been the first time that a non GB prefix had been issued to a special callsign? WoSARS felt very privileged.)

Other calls used & the ‘Flying Scotsman’ Award:

 

 

 

Glasgow has many ‘offspring’ around the World. None more so than many in the USA. And indeed in 1989 Glasgow ‘twinned’ with Glasgow, Kentucky.

Getting into the ‘spirit’ of the occasion WoSARS members had been in communication with Kentucky amateurs and organised an event where a representative of GLASGOW CITY DISTRICT COUNCIL – Bailie James McLean (Deputy Chairman), exchanged greetings messages with the Mayor of GLASGOW, KENTUCKY . The greetings were timed to coincide with Glasgow, Kentucky’s Highland Games with the Kentucky Mayor broadcasting via the Games’ PA system.

To achieve this, the services of Raynet were called upon to assist Club members, along with the permission of the Department of Trade and Industry – Communications Section (the amateur licencing authority at the time).

A 2 Metre FM link was set-up to crossband to 70 cms through a crossband unit (provided by JACK – GM4COX ) located at a high spot in Queens Park situated north of the City Centre. From there the 70 cms signal was sent to one of WoSARS members (JOHN – GM0BLX)  who had a high power HF station. The 70 cms signal was patched into John’s rig and 21 MHz (15 metres) was used to span the Atlantic. In the games arena an HF station had been set-up in preparation and John had earlier established two-way comms.

Using a 2 Metre handportable a number of our members joined Baillie McLean at the City Chambers where the two-way greetings took place using the special callsign GB0GHG (Glasgow Highland Games) – impressing parties at both sides of the Atlantic.