How We Became the Stockton-Delta Amateur Radio Club
In the Beginning: A Daunting Challenge
Our club has not always had “Delta” in its name. It was founded in 1931 as the Stockton Amateur Radio Club and continued for the next 54 years as the area’s principal ham radio organization. That changed in 1985 with the merger of the smaller Delta Amateur Radio Club into ours, creating the combined title. The reason Stockton had two separate clubs for many years lies primarily in the FCC license structure of the early 1950s. At that time, every ham had to be a CW operator. Most new candidates began with a 5 word-per-minute sending and receiving test plus a basic theory exam. Passing earned a Novice license, but it was valid for only one year and could not be renewed. For many Novices, upgrading meant a difficult 13 word-per-minute code test in addition to the General class theory exam.
A New License Class
CW was not for everyone. Some people had difficulty progressing beyond Novice speed, or sometimes with Morse code at any speed. In the 1950s, the Technician license gave Novices another option. Originally created to encourage UHF experimentation, it was expanded to permit operation on 50 MHz and above. It was a permanent license with the same 5 w.p.m. code requirement, placing it within reach for many Novices. As a result, many operators who could not pass the 13 w.p.m. hurdle became permanent Technicians and focused on 6 meters and higher bands.
The Technicians Gather
By the 1950s, the Stockton A.R.C. was a conventional ham club focused mainly on HF bands. VHF had limited equipment options and few DX opportunities, so a small group of Technicians in the Stockton area began associating among themselves and eventually considered forming a VHF-centered club. One early participant was Bill Shaw, W6BWK, who lived on Bethel Island in the Delta. His presence on the 6 meter net helped inspire the name Delta Amateur Radio Club. The exact founding date was never recorded, but it was around 1955.
The Technical Technician
In its early years, the Technician license encouraged experimentation on higher frequencies. Ready-made VHF equipment was limited to war surplus gear and some commercial two-way radios, both of which required modification. Otherwise, operators built equipment from scratch. Technicians often learned to read schematics, scrounge parts, install components, solder, and troubleshoot equipment that would not work.
6 Meters in the 1950s
The Delta club’s on-the-air activity centered mostly on 50.4 MHz simplex AM. With no repeaters available, simplex operation was natural, and AM radios were relatively easy to build. VHF transmitters were crystal-controlled and often used war surplus crystals. The club also found creative ways to monitor band openings, including watching for distant channel 2 television signals as an indicator that 6 meters might be open. Members enjoyed transmitter hunts and informal operating challenges such as the “Royal Order of the Hootowls,” earned by ragchewing between midnight and 1:00 a.m. with a certified member.
The Delta Club Evolves
In the late 1950s, the Delta A.R.C. included several skilled VHF operators. Rod Rigg, W6YGZ, was known for technical and engineering expertise in amateur and commercial radio. Clarence Hermance, W6RRN, was recognized for designing and building first-rate 6 meter transmitters and receivers. Their leadership helped the club attract new members and expand beyond its VHF experimentation roots into Field Day and other operating contests.
Ham Radio Evolves
With the rise of VHF repeaters, hams focused on HF began seeing more value in operations above 50 MHz. Manufacturers introduced more equipment for 6 and 2 meters, and by the mid-1970s the Delta club began resembling other ham clubs. FCC changes also reduced the distinction: the Novice license became renewable in 1978, and Technician privileges expanded into limited HF operation. As differences between clubs faded, Delta club membership slowly declined.
The Sum of Its Parts
The two clubs had never truly competed, but ham radio’s evolution gradually erased their differences. By the 1980s, both clubs had members of all license classes, operated repeaters, and participated similarly in HF and VHF activities. The decision to merge was made in 1984, and in February 1985 the combined organization became the Stockton-Delta Amateur Radio Club, Inc., with Charlie Johnson, WB6NVB, as its first president. The Delta Amateur Radio Club ceased to exist as a separate entity, but its legacy became part of the expanded club’s heritage.
A New Delta Amateur Radio Club is Born
Not long after the merging of the two clubs was completed in 1984, a new Delta Amateur Radio club was created to serve hams in the eastern parts of Contra Costa County. East Contra Costa County amateur radio operators organized into what we now call the Delta Amateur Radio Club. You can check out the Delta Amateur Radio Club at their website here.