Witnessing the constant evolution of our OVMRC amateur radio club under the inspired leadership of amateur radio operators such as Norm VE3LC, Barry VE3NA, and many others, it reminds me of the Golden Years of the OVMRC in the late 90's when the club had a count of about 300 members in its fold.

This was the time of a new phase in amateur radio when amateur radio digital communications development was in its infancy.

We had abundant day-long, even weekend-long, building parties; we had regular Show and Tell nights at club meetings; we had mobile events and "Bunny Hunts".

We participated in the CSTM Technology Weekends; every year we hosted a week-long special event for the visually impaired at the museum VE3JW exhibit station; we hosted the yearly Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), the Girl Guides on the Air (GOTA), the St-John's Youth weekends, the Lighthouses and Lightships weekends and many other special events.

If you wanted a seat during our club meetings at the Science and Technology Museum auditorium which could accommodate 250, best you came in early. Members of other clubs attended also. At one time I was a member of five amateur radio clubs in the area: OVMRC, OARC, MARC, PARC and CRAO.

One of our engineer member, Wil Warren VE3XMT (now AB9U in Arizona) designed, engineered, built and put into function a complex direction finding antenna which he called the Willenweb. This was an array of sixteen 2m-antennas mounted on a platform to be carried on a car roof top with an electronic control box and indicator inside the car. It was useful in locating some badass interference on our repeaters.

Wil also devised a hand-held portable direction finding instrument, the Winkler, which we were given the opportunity to build during weekend sessions, and to be used for our Bunny Hunts.

Stalwarts of the moment were enthusiastic amateur radio operators such as Jerry Wells VE3CDS, Gerry King VE3GK, Doug Carswell VE3ATY, Ernie Jury VE3EJJ, Larry Wilcox VE3WEH, and plenty of volunteers.

At the VE3JW Amateur Radio Exhibit station we had a list of over 25 volunteers.

Here is a picture of one of these events in which OVMRC had participated in. This was taken inside the Lansdown Park arena where we had an amateur radio exhibit during the Eastern Ontario annual exhibition. Jerry Wells strung up an 80m antenna outside and we were demonstrating worldwide communications on HF bands, and also we had a small Packet communcations demo.

In the picture is Big Al, Allan Barnes VE3TYJ, Ed Strange VE3MPP now VA2XC, and yours truly.

Enjoy this short trip down memory lane and Long live OVMRC!

Maurice-André Vigneault, VE3VIG

Appears in: Rambler Vol 65 Issue 7, March 2023