Far left Clive Jackson VK2TD, next to Clive is Michael Smith, then not sure until Rod Bird VK2VBR second from right with elbow on table.

From Chris VK2YY: “I Have known Rod since I was 14 years old and made contact with him on Facebook some say 7 years ago and asked him he wanted to go down the Path of Ham Radio, he did and I assessed him with Mark MP his call is vk2vbr. Micheal Smith is living Napa Valley CA and owns a flight School so im told http://avmassi.com/about-us/our-team/mike-smith.html.”

The photo is taken in our room at Warringah Mall, the window looked out onto the intersection where Pittwater Rd. forked to Manly or  Condamine St Manly Vale,  it would be around the mid – late 70’s. We didn’t do much radio in those days, we had a trapped vertical on the outside wall and Clive loaned us a home brew H.F. rig he made for a while but it wasn’t a good location or set up.

Left to right, Alan Dark VK2XAT, Dennis Wheeler VK2ZHV, Phil AngilleyVK2BDF, John BlackmanVK2KJB, Ross Tester VK2ZRT/KRT in foreground with a drink, Peter JacksonVK2ZJO/ZJP, Morrie TrembleVK2BIS, Dennis Batley  VK2ZHV (Radio Inspector), Brian Field VK2BQN, Kees Lindeman VK2CKL holding what I remember was a pipe, I think it could be Steve BlancheVK2YVY/KFJ behind Kees, Neil Tremble VK2ZYI, Dave Pilley VK2AYD

Photo is a few years later at the Beacon Hill Radar station rooms, it’s hard to be sure of a date but would be around the early 80’s or thereabouts.

Check out the QSL cards on our wall, we had started to be very active, Patrick and Russell would’ve worked many of those QSL’s, and in the early days we only had a trapped vertical and didn’t have a H.F. radio, Russell took his TS820 to the club most Wednesday nights. Later we improved things a lot, we were donated a TH6 Yagi antenna and we bought a new Kenwood TS930. Years later both the TH6 and the TS930 came with us to the VSC at Terry Hills for many years, they were good times.

Here’s a photo taken at Mosman Scout Hall during JOTA 1982, club old timers may remember these faces. L to R, Ray Gregson VK2RA, Bob Tomkins VK2DOG, Bob’s wife Sue Tomkins and Russell Clarke VK2BYN. Bob donated the TH6 Yagi that we used at Beacon Hill and the Terrey Hills VSC for many years.

From Pat VK2PN: “I can’t help myself that the photos feel like my own handwriting.  I even remember taking some of them.  The one with Ray, Bob, Sue and young Russell was taken by my…  Still have the negative(s) somewhere.”

Mark Salmon there was another who came in around the time we doing the Sydney to Rio yacht race comms. Barry VK2AAB is on the right.

Pictures below:

Old RAAF radar station at Beacon Hill. The club moved there from a room at the Mall (before VK2ID joining). The brick building had the diesel generators. The tin shed held all the Club equipment with the repeater antenna just at the side. The mast for the TH6 was installed a bit later.The driveway into the site can be seen on the left.

Thank you to the following members for their contribution to this post:

Ian VK2ID, Russell VK2BYN, Steve VK2KFJ, Pat VK2PN, Peter VK2ZJP, Chris VK2YY