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Brown University Amateur Radio ClubThe Brown Amateur Radio Club (BARC) is a student group at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. It is organized by undergraduate and graduate students, but is open to all members of the Brown community including faculty, staff, and alumni. The club station license is K1AD. It has been an ARRL affiliated club since 1975. Visit the website for updates about meetings and activities. Members can sign up for the BARC email list. ActivitiesBARC is collaborating with the Brown Space Engineering team who are building a nanosatellite (aka cubesat) which is scheduled for launch by NASA in during the spring 2018 semester. The satellite will have a 70cm amateur radio sending telemetry and a Morse code beacon using the club station license K1AD. BARC members are working on the ground station to receive the data. Other current projects include high altitude balloon communications. HistoryThe club has gone through a number of incarnations during its long history. The earliest reference found, so far, is 1919. The earliest club call sign 1XX was an experimental class Special Land Station used from 1920-1925. W1VPY was used from the early 1950s to the mid 1970s. K1NAK which is printed on a QSL card along with W1VPY was issued to the Navy ROTC Unit at Brown. K1AD has been the club call since the mid 1970s. The images below illustrate the history of the club and its activities. (Larger versions of some of the images are available; click on an image to view the source.) "Brown CubeSat team shoots for the stars with microsatellite" from the Brown Daily Herald, September 3, 2013."Team members hope to put in a panel of LED lights that will be visible to the naked eye from the ground as well as a radio that people on the ground will be able to hear when the satellite passes over them," Hannah Varner ’14 said.
"CQ … standing by …" from the Brown Daily Herald, November 7, 2006.Joey Borson KB3HBH class of 2007 answers the question: "In the age of the Internet, is there any room left for ham radio?" "Riding the Waves with Brown's Hams" from the Brown Daily Herald, September 16, 1985.
QSL card for K1AD, December 4, 1980.
"Radio Club Action Dropped by FCC" from the Washington Post, Aug. 15, 1970The radio club at Brown was one of 14 college amateur radio clubs issued a violation notice by the FCC for participating in the National Student Information Network. Over 100 college clubs were involved in a protest during May 1970 which was in response to the incident at Kent State. Other amateur radio operators attempted to jam the student action with intentional interference. The amateur stations were "accused of violating an infrequently used section of FCC regulations that prohibits use of an amateur radio station on behalf of an organization that is not eligible for an FCC license." The charges were later dropped.
The QSL card below for W1VPY and K1NAK was used in the 1950s.The Radio Club W1VPY and the Navy ROTC K1NAK stations shared a ham shack in Faunce Hall.
An early version of the W1VPY QSL card from the 1950s.
"Number of Students Planning to Organize Amateur Radio Club" from the Brown Daily Herald, October 1, 1952.
"Various Defense Courses Help Meet Problems Raised By War" from the Brown Daily Herald, January 7, 1942.Brown University offers defense courses to aid the war effort including Principles of Radio with an emphasis on UHF methods for radar.
"Late War Bulletins" from the Brown Daily Herald, December 8, 1941.The FCC issues an emergency order suspending the operation of amateur radio transmissions and placing special restrictions on all international communication as the United States declares war on Japan.
"Wyman Will Speak at Radio Club Meeting" from the Brown Daily Herald, November 5, 1928.Charles Newton Kraus W1BCR (formerly 1BCR, before June 1928) of the Brown University class of 1931 was an early President of the club.
"Radio Club to Attend Television Exhibition" from the Brown Daily Herald, October 22, 1928.
"Special Land Stations" from Radio Service Bulletin, October 1, 1925.Alterations and corrections to be made to the List of Radio Stations of the United States. Strike out all particulars of the following-named stations: Providence, R.I. (1XX)
"Tran-Atlantic Amateur Tests Successful" from Wireless Age, February 1923.The club participated in an ARRL test conducted in December 1922 between the United States and Europe. The club station 1XX was heard in France, code word verified. A distance of approximately 3,500 miles. |
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