11/09/06

About 8P6AW Club History

General

The Amateur Radio Society of Barbados was founded in 1955 and is located on the site of an old sugar plantation whose mill-wall still stands as a landmark of our headquarters and operations centre.

The inaugural meeting of the Amateur Radio Society of Barbados (ARSB) was held at the headquarters of the Barbados Regiment in 1955. Subsequently, monthly meetings held at the Drill Hall and the YMCA provided an opportunity for local radio amateurs to exchange ideas on their craft.

The international call-sign prefix for Barbados then was VP which became 8P after independence, The first President was Tom Archer, VP6YB, and Woody Richardson, VP6WR, the first Secretary. many of those present have since "signed off", closed stations permanently, or in the ham radio jargon, gone "QRT". VP6WR (now 8P6CC) is still with us and continues to be one of the most active radio amateurs in the world. There is hardly a country in the world where the call-sign 8P6CC is unknown.

The ARSB is a member of the International Amateur Radio Union, the IARU.