1925 Only 3 or 4 hams in St. Petersburg
1927 Call book list 12 hams in St. Petersburg out of 650 is the 4th call district
1928 Don Geegan, W4APY and other locals set up a radio link to Okeechobee for Florida Power .
1930 Local ham population, 30 listed in the Call Book
1932 SPARC Club organized
1933 Joined ARRL as a member club
1935 First local "YL" licensed; Edith White, W4DOM
SPARC sponsored a 160 phone net called "Meters of the morning"
1942‑1945 FCC said no ham activity due to WWII
1945 July 31. Lex, W4GAC ,the manager of radio station WTSP became a silent key. The SPARC
Club applied for and received permission from the FCC to have his call W4GAC,
licensed to SPARC as the club call.
1946 Reorganized at the Municipal Pier
1947‑'48 Club meets at N. Worth Gable Armory
1949 Club moved to Mirror Lake High School
1954 In January, the city gave the club the use of the building at 1332 Beach Drive S.E.
1954 SPARC Incorporated
1954 November. Auxiliary club organized under the name "SPARC ‑YLS" which was affiliated
with the YLRL
1962 Moved from the radio room in city hall to the fall out shelter at 11 St. And 3rd Ave S.
1967 March 3, Now meeting at Florida Power Corp. Linemans Assembly Hall, 25st and 25th Ave N.
1971 July 2, moved to Pinellas Community Service Center at 2639 9th St. N.
1974 August 2. SPARC voted to sponsor a repeater under a separate entity. Woody, K4SCL
was appointed as trustee by President John Smith, W4ACG.
1974 December 20. The SPARC Repeater with the FCC issued license of WR4ALM, located at the
old fire headquarters 150 14th St. N. Went on the air for the first time at 6:15 P.M.
1975 The SPARC Repeater Team was started
1976 May, moved to the Red Cross Building at 818 4th St. N.
1976 March 7. The repeater was moved to the St. Petersburg Times and Independent Publishing Company’s tower at 1301 34th St. N. The antenna was at a height of 210 feet.
1976 November 17. The dedicated phone line system for control of the repeater was replaced by the
present single tone, any telephone system
1997 January, 1. The FCC suspended amateur radio license fees
1978 August 8. The autopatch was worked on but not put on the air
Some Items of Interest;
Some charter members of SPARC that we know of. Do you know of any more?
Bob Spiers, W4JOU Earl Hill, W4UFR
Shirley Hill W4WPD Bob Fenimore W4TY
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Life Members that we know of;
1976 Dec. 9. Bob Browning, K5IHH/4
1977 July 14. Martha Blatt, widow of Ed, W4RUR
Woody & Fran Huddleston, K4SCL & K4RXO
Thor & Grace Larson
1992 April 3 Rex & Thelma Cottrell, W4GPL & KB4VYD
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1973 April. Jim Keys became President Emeritus
1974 February. Linda Saunders (now KI4RV) became a novice and in 1975 she became a life member of ARRL
1978 Nov. Sam Hammeroff, KA4CSG joined SPARC (Sam is now N4BGS)
1979 Aug. Rex Cottrell, W4GPL became President Emeritus
1980 Feb. 1 Rex Cottrell, W4GPL became Emergency Coordinator (EC) of Pinellas County
1981 June 5. Jim Homan, W4DPH reported to SPARC that the Clearwater radio store, AGL had been
sold to AES
1990 Feb. 14. The FCC created the "No Code Technician" license with all amateur privileges above
30 Mhz.
SPARC PRESIDENTS
1933 Phil McMasters W4BCZ
1934 ‑ 1944 ???????
1945 Milton Smith (Smitty) W4HUY.
1946 ??????
1947 Milton Smith W4HUY
1948 Douglas Hobgood W4KQR
1949 ?
1950 Don Summers W4OSH
1951 Wayne Cole W4LTE
1952 Thor Larson
1953 ?
1954 Ed Ebur, W4WMC
1955 Marvin Kaniss, W4WPF
1956 Claude Leroux, K4BUM
1957 Bill Foley, W4WME
1958 Bob Speirs, W4JOU
1959 ?
1960 Curt Haseltine K4PMK (Resigned 4/11/60)replaced by)
1960 Wayne Cole W4LTE (Finished out year of 1960)
1961 Joe Zuchelli, W4JE
1962 Burt Daisey, W1MRG/4
1963 James Dillman, K4USK
1964 Dolph Moebs, WA4CIL
1965 Dolph Moebs, WA4CIL
1966 Wayne Cole, W4LTE
1967 Bill Foley, W4WME
1968 Joe Pitzer, W4JPI
1969 Ralph Stonemets, WB4DXB
1970 John Smith, W4AGC
1971 Lew Sieck, K4NE
1972 Jack Faulstick, W4CXL
1973 Jim Keys, K4FOW
1974 John Smith, W4AGC
1975 John Smith, W4AGC
1976 Bill Cox, WA4FNY
1977 John Merada, WB4LWB
1978 Rex Cottrell, W4GPL
1979 John Macdonald, WD4COL
1980 Ed Harney, K4DRN
1981 John Macdonald, WD4COL
1982 Ernest Endicott, WA4IIT
1983 Oliver Thigpen, WD4KGY
1984 Phil Stern, WA4ZVO
1985 Tom Weatherington, WA4WEC
1986 Donn Davis, N4KII
1987 Donn Davis, N4KII
1988 Jay Strom, K9BSL
1989 Robert Phelps, AA4SF
1990 R.D. Lee, WB4TEJ
1991 R.R. Lee, WB4TEJ
1992 R.D. Lee, WB4TEJ
SPARC OFFICERS
1934 President; Phik McMasters, W4BCZ
Vice president James Tippey, W4DBG
Sec/Tres; Harry Fishel W4CQZ
1945 President; Smitty, W4HUY
Vice president; Bing Crosby, W4IYO
1946 ?
1947 President; Milton Smith W4HUY
Vice president; Glen Crosby W4IYO (resigned 9/26/47)
Richard T. Lakey W4EWS (appointed)
Treasurer; Charles Ackerman W4KLF
Club Trustee; Joe Latimar W4GA (resigned 9/20/47)
Douglas Hobgood W4KQR (elected)
note; meeting of 9/26/47 started 8 p.m. and adjourned 11:30 p.m.
1948 President; Douglas Hobgood W4KQR
Vice President; Morgan McSheely W4FPC
Secretary; Richard Lakey W4EWS
Treasurer; Charles Ackerman W4KLF
Board of Trustees; Lowell White W4DBA
W.C. Spence W4EYI
1950 President; Don Summers W4OSH
Vice president; Thor Larson
Secretary; A J Barclay W4PT
Treasurer; Morgan McGheely W4FPC
Ex. Committee Milton (Smitty) Smith W4HUY
Douglas Hobgood W4KQR
1951 President; Wayne Cole W4LTE
Vice president; A J Barclay W4PT
Sec/Treasurer; Thor Larson
Ex. Committee; Milton (Smitty) Smith W4HUY
Marvin Kaniss W4WPF
1952 President; Thor Larson ?
Vice President; Arthur Braclay W4YT
Sec/Treasurer; Carl Austin
ex. committee; Milton (Smitty) Smith W4HUY
James Clark K4KKK
1954 President; Ed Ebur, W4WMC
Vice president; Terry Furnell, W4UUN
Sec/Treasurer; Mike Axman
1955 President; Marvin Kaniss, W4WPF
Vice president; Dick Sseeds W4CZZ
Sec/Treasurer Ward Curley W4ANH
1956 President; Claude Leroux K4BUM
Vice president; Earl Hill W4UFR
Sec/Treasurer; Ward Curley W4ANH
1957 President; Bill Foley W4WME
Vice president; Rick Rutan K4BNE
Sec/Treasurer George Davidson K4ENW
1958 President; Robert Spiers W4JOU
Vice president; Bill Kessler K4PLU
Sec/Treasurer; Marvin Kaniss W4WPF
Trustee ; Jim Tomlinson K4QPW
1959 President; ?
Vice President; ?
Sec/Tres; ? (replaced by) Harold Larson K4SDY
DIRECTOR; W.C. Spence W4EYI
note #1. Club meetings held on 29 mc.on the first & third Friday for July & August in 1959.
#2. May 17, 1959. SPARC hamfest held at Phillippi Park.
1960 President; Carl Haseltine K4PMK
Vice President; Cathy Seed W4BAV
Sec/Tres.; James (Jim) Dilman K4USK
Board OF Trustees; Ed Blatt W4RUR
Earl Hill W4UFR
Orlando Nichols K4BAR
note; President Haseltine resigned 4/11/60. Wayne Cole, W4LTE Elected President 5/6/60
1961 President; Joe Zuchelli W4JE
Vice‑President; Joe Barkiewiez W4FRN
Sec/Tres.; Dick Norloff W4KCG
Board OF Directors; David Springer KN4YOJ
Jim Dillman K4USK
Ed Blatt W4RUR
Wayne Cole W4LTE
Trustee W4GAC; Marvin Kaniss W4WPF
note;
#1 Hamfest held 5/14/61 #2 Membership 4/21/61 = 34 #3 Funds $131.52
1962 President; Burt Daisey W1MRG
Vice‑President; Al Friend WA4BGW
Sec/Tres.; Ken Goodman W4LVH
Board OF Directors; Naomi Spence W4LVH
Dick Norloff W4KCG
Joe Zuchelli W4JE
Marvin Kaniss W4WPF
Trustee W4GAC; Marvin Kaniss W4WPF
1963 President; Jim Dillman K4USK
Vice‑President; Al Friend WA4BGW
Sec/Tres.; Dick Norloff W4KGC
Trustee W4GAC; Marvin Kaniss W4WPF
Directors; Earl Hill W4YFR
Ed Blatt W4RUR
Jack Adams W4NOK
SPARC Gap Editors; Jack Adams W4NOK
Cathy Adams W4BAV
1964 President; Dolph Moebs WA4CIL
Vice‑President; Jack Greene W4OHJ
Sec/Tres.; Marvin Kaniss W4WPF silent key July ‑replaced by
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Marvin Kaniss W4WPF silent key July ‑replaced by
Burt Daisey WA4MHR (ex-W1MRG)
Directors; Earl Hill W4UFR
Ed Blatt W4RUR
Jack Adams W4NOK
1965 President; Dolph Moebs WA4CIL
Vice‑President; Bill Franklin W4KC
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Burt Daisey WA4MHR
Directors; Ed Blatt W4RUR
Earl Hill W4UFR
Cathy Seeds W4BAV
SPARC Gap Editor; Jack Adams W4NOK
Co‑Editor; Cathy Seeds W4BAV
1966 President; Wayne Cole W4LTE
Vice‑President; John Jost WA4IVE
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Burt Daisey WA4MHR
Directors; Ed Blatt W4RUR
Bill Franklin W4KC
Jack Adams W4NOK
1967 President; Bill Foley W4WME
Vice‑President; Carl Forsberg WA4GUZ
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Burt Daisey WA4MHR
Directors; Ed Blatt W4RUR
Bill Franklin W4KC
Burt Daisey WA4WHR
1968 President; Joe Pitzer W4JPI
Vice‑President; Carl Forsberg WA4GUZ
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Burt Daisey WA4MHR
Directors; Bill Franklin W4KC
Jim Clark K4KKK
Bill "Sim" Simcox W4RQZ
1969 President; Ralph Stonemets WB4DXB
Vice‑President; John Smith W4ACG
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Burt Daisey WA4MHR
Directors; Bill "Sim" Simcox W4RGZ
Jim Clark K4KKK
Carl Foreberg WA4GUZ
1970 President; John Smith W4ACG
Vice‑President; Stan Hurst WB4JSI
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
1971 President; Lew Sieck K4NE
Vice‑President; Bob Greenfield WB4QVB
Sec/Tres.; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Burt Daisey WA4MHR
Directors; Lew Litzenberg W4RUN
Lee Kanarian K4WXS
Jack Faulstick W4CXL
1972 President; Jack Faulstick W4CXL
Vice‑President; Virgil Elder WB4LZM
Secretary; Dorothy Patterson WB4RIL
Treasurer; Naomi Spence W4TDK
Trustee W4GAC; Curt Haseltine K4PMK
Directors; Bill Sim Simcox W4RQZ
Ed Harney K4DRN
Dutch Romig WA4ZKP
1975 President; John Smith W4ACG
Vice‑President; John Komp WB4TYL
Secretary; Janice Beaugore K4IJK
replaced by Brian Felps K4NAN
Treasurer; Naomi Spence W4TDK
1976 President; Bill Cox WA4FNY
Vice‑President; John Merado WB4LWB
Secretary; Larry Miner WA4CTM
Treasurer; Frank Ryll W4VIP
Trustee W4GAC; Art Ashley W4EXS
Repeater Trustee; Woody Huddleston K4SCL
1977 President; John Meardo WB4LWB
Vice‑President; Rex Cottrell W4GPL
Secretary; Larry Minor WA4CTM resigned 6/77 replaced by
Faith Morgan WA4WOU
Treasurer; Frank Ryll W4VIP
Trustee W4GAC; Art Ashley W4EYS
replaced 6/77 by John Smith W4ACG
Repeater Trustee; Woody Huddelston K4SCL
Directors; Brian Felps K4NAN
Jim Bench WA4WDM
Kim Cole WB4ARZ
6/77 new Director Jack Adams W4NOK
1978 President; Rex Cottrell W4GPL
Vice‑President; Betty Bellow &nbs