The (VBARC) Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club was formed on November 1st, 1961 and has been an ARRL affiliated club since 1968. Since then it has grown to include all of Indian River County.

Since the very first year the club has worked with the Office of Civil Defense, that agreement to assist the local government in emergency situations continues to this day with our work for the Emergency Management Division of Indian River County and the Red Cross. In 1965 the club received a letter of thanks from the 82nd Airborne Division for the clubs assistance for providing Emergency Communications between the Dominican Republic and various groups in Florida during the Dominican disaster.

'W4OT' Call Sign History

According to the records of the Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club minutes of 1963, one of the active members was Harold Sever, W4OT, along with Tom Moyer, W4KEE and Graham Lowe, K4EL. During that year there were 31 active members that appear on the roster. 1963 was also the year that Tom, W4KEE was selected to be the trustee of the club station. During those years the individual who was the trustee, used his or her own call. Tom obtained a station license for the club.

The records are a bit sketchy here, but between 1963 and 1970 Harold Sever became a SK, and in 1970 the club’s license was up for renewal and it was decided to request a 1 X 2 call and the minutes also showed that Graham Lowe volunteered to become the trustee. The W4OT call was obtained in memory of Harold and thus the V.B.A.R.C. had an official call. Graham was the trustee for about two cycles of license renewal. At that time the license period was 4 years. In October of 1973 the club received permission to relocate it’s station location from the house in the grove ( a story for another time) to the Red Cross Building on 17th St. and 25th Ave. A unique combination, for emergency communication, and to work hand in hand with the Red Cross. Our station equipment was secured from un-authorized use within a locked box.

Ike Roach, K4QM then volunteered to become the trustee at a meeting in 1975 and renewed the license and held the license for two 4 year periods, the “Quiet Man,” as he was known, became the holder of the call. John Larabell, KF4BN, was the trustee from about 1983 through 1988. John was Eric’s dad. John was vice president in 1991 and president of the club in 1992 while Eric, (then KB4BYP) was Treasurer. In 1988 AB4AZ renewed the club license and was asked to renew again it in September of 1998. He is presently the club trustee until September 17th 2008.

The club has had the W4OT call for over 36 years.

Meeting Location: The club meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30pm in the office of Emergency Services located at the rear of the Indian River County, Fl Administration Building on 26th Street east of 20th Ave.