A History of the University of Texas Amateur Radio Club

The first W5EHM QSL card, ca. 1960.

This history is a work in progress. All members and alumni of the University of Texas Amateur Radio Club are encouraged to contribute stories, anecdotes, newsletters, and photos (originals can be returned.) To help contribute to a more comprehensive and accurate history, please contact Ken Harker WM5R.

This history is organized mostly by decade, followed by a few topical chapters, a summary of the club's contest results, a list of known members, and a list of past officers of the club. Additional topical chapters are being planned, possibly one on digital operations in which club members/alumni have participated. While there are several photos in these chapters, even more photos of past club activities can be found in our Photo Scrapbooks.

 

Table of Contents

  1. The Early Years
    The first amateur stations on campus; 5XU; W5GJC; an historic football game.
  2. The 1950's
    The Longhorn Amateur Radio Club W5NLH; 10 meters in the Round-Up Parade.
  3. The 1960's
    University Amateur Radio Club W5EHM founded; MARS stations on campus.
  4. The 1970's
    Club affiliates with ARRL; An historic chess match; 220 MHz experiments.
  5. The 1980's
    W5EHM contacts Grenadan ham during invasion; Experiments with packet radio.
  6. The 1990's
    DXing and DXpeditions; Severe wind storm destroys W5EHM tower; Contesting
  7. The 2000's
    N5XU gets raided; Working satellites; A second tower
  8. The Club Station
    5XU, W5GJC, W5NLH, W5EHM, N5XU; from HF to VHF and beyond.
  9. CQ Contest
    Multi-op efforts are popular; UTARC alumni become world-famous contesters.
  10. DX IS
    Early DX; The DXpeditioners; DXing from campus; VHF DXing.
  11. VHF/UHF
    FM and repeaters; VHF/UHF "Weak Signal" DXing and Contesting.
  12. Home Stations
    Many club members have built impressive stations in campus dormitories.
  13. Beyond the 40 Acres
    Stories and biographies of UTARC hams taking ham radio beyond the 40 Acres.
  14. Club Officers
    A complete list of all known UTARC officers.
  15. "Complete" former member list
    Hundreds of Amateurs have passed through UTARC over the years.
The University of Texas
and Amateur Radio
1909 UT Austin alumnus Dr. George Washington Pierce, class of 1893, helps found Harvard Wireless Club.
1920's Ham station leads to commercial station WCM (eventually KUT).
1921 Experimental station 5XU established.
1930's Amateur station W5GJC built in Electrical Engineering Labs.
1949 Longhorn Amateur Radio Club founded.
1950's Club station W5NLH is built in Taylor Hall.
1960 University Amateur Radio Club is founded.
1960's Club station W5EHM is located in the Texas Union building.
1963 Army MARS station W5KVR established in Russel A. Steindam Hall.
1970 W5EHM moves to present station location atop WRW.
1973 UTARC affiliates with the American Radio Relay League.
1983 W5EHM makes contact with Grenadan ham during U.S. military invasion.
1980's UTARC achieves contest success with two top ten finishes in the ARRL November Sweepstakes.
1996 UTARC erects new tower and antennas after wind storm destroys old one.
1997 UTARC receives a new callsign, N5XU, honoring the earliest known Amateur Radio station on campus.

University of Texas Amateur Radio Club N5XU
Send comments to: utarc@www.utexas.edu
Last updated: 17 October 2006