GM Amateur Radio History
Compiled in 2018 by W1BIC & N8CY
This is a work in process, even though incomplete we wanted to share it with everyone,
If you have any information, that might fill in the holes in our history or make corrections in the draft we have written, please email info at gmarc dot org (Spelled this way to attempt to thwart the Bots looking for email addresses to spam)
1991
The first meeting of the GM Amateur Radio Club was held on January 14, 1991. There were 17 people in attendance, including Joe and Ann O’Connor, Jeff Skurta, Rich Glassford K8OX, Larry Rinke N8WJ, Val Breault and a few others.
6/11/1991 GMARC applies to the Michigan Area Repeater Council (MARC) for a 2 meter frequency.
1993
In the spring of 1993 Val Brualt N8OEF applies for club status with ARRL, and June 25, 1993 ARRL Affiliation is approved.
1997
Club Call WW8GM granted by the FCC (application submitted by K8OX)
2001
June 15, 2001, I (Scott) passed the Technician exam and was issued the call KC8RRN. Sometime shortly thereafter, I found a reference to the GM Amateur Radio Club and I began efforts to try to find and join the club
2002
When I (Scott Bicknell) attended my first meeting I met the 5 remaining members and they were very discouraged. Although they had been promised that they could put their 440 repeater on top of the Renaissance Center, there had been a lot of red tape and roadblocks thrown in their path and they had all but given up. I told them that I had a lot of contacts at the Ren Cen and I thought I could help. Before I knew what happened they had elected me President of the Club and in the fall of 2002, working as a team, the WW8GM 440 repeater began broadcasting from the top on the GM Renaissance Center on December 3, 2002 at 21:15 hours!
2003
President – Scott Bicknell
Vice President – Jeff Skurda
Secretary – Kevin Hascher
Treasurer – Richard Glassford
Board – Larry Rinke
Board – Val Breault
Board – Art Raschke
One early challenge was how to pay Spectrasite (the rooftop manager at the time) for the cost of running the Hardline at the Renaissance Center; I think if was about $950. To attract new members the GMARC ID Badge was created
Our next challenge was to make sure that the GM club could survive by opening membership to anyone with an interest in amateur radio with a bylaw change in January of 2003 and by the end of that year the club had over 50 members.
In the fall of 2003 Jeff Skurta N8XN was the club’s Trustee and sole technical resource constructed and donated a PC with EchoLink making the 440 machine one of the first in the Detroit area to be available on Echolink.
12/13/2003 – KC8RRN applies for and is granted the EchoLink Vanity Node # 99846 (WW8GM), the one time fee of $15 was paid by him.
2004
President Scott Bicknell
Vice President Jeff Skurda
Secretary Kevin Hascher
Treasurer T.J. Iley
Board Larry Rinke
Board – Val Breault
Board – Art Raschke
3/25/2004 – The Michigan Area Repeater Council granted GMARC Coordination of the our 2 meter repeater on 145.210
After I (W1BIC Scott) upgraded to General (5/18/2004), I became aware of the Firebird Amateur Radio Club, founded by GM employees at the Milford Proving Grounds in 1966. I joined and was assigned member # 2259
In the spring of 2004 we added a 2 meter repeater, and our Monday night nets on the repeater began to attract GM folks from around the world (via EchoLink), including Dave- VK5MRD from GM Holden in Australia.
2005
President – N8YIO-Jeff Menig
Vice President – N8CY-Bobby Corr
Treasurer – N8RUH-T.J.Iley (Current Treasurer)
Secretary – W8RIT – Dave Edenfeild
Board – N8DMW-Jim Odam
Board – N8OZ-Joe Kennedy
2006
President Scott Bicknell
Vice President Joe N8OZ
KC8TLB Stefanie M Tranchida was club secretary at age 17
T.J. N8RUH- Treasurer.
April 3, 2006 ARRL Designates GM Amateur Radio as a Special Service Club
The May 16, 2006 membership meeting was held at the GM Renaissance Center and included a tour of the OnStar Command Center.
2007
President – Ingo Lassrich (GM Opel Executive Engineer) DL5AL (US Call AC8AW)
Vice President – Kurt WU8V
Secretary – Bobby N8CY
Treasurer – Joel KC8DQH
Directors-at-Large – Mike N5WCS, Hugh KE6YRC, Rich KC8HMJ, Mark KC8WPS, Brad N8VI, Jeff N8XN
2008
The following members were nominated for the offices indicated at the Nov-07 Club meeting :
President – Ingo DL5AL
Vice President – Kurt WU8V & Bob KZ8N
Treasurer – Joel WU8Y
Secretary – Bobby N8CY Board Members (2) – Jeff N8XN & Bill W8WRB
N8CY joined the club and began to contribute as the club’s secretary and he established the website GMARC.org. Bobby is the club’s longest officer has been the one constant that has held the club together since he joined. Countless hours selling raffle tickets.
Nancy E. Polis,Corporate Secretary, named Honorary Member.
2009
President Bob KZ8N
Vice President Kurt WU8V
Secretary Bobby N8CY
Treasurer Scott W1BIC
Directors-at-Large Wes KD8DHS,Mike N5WCS,Dave W8RIT
Dave W8RIT was the editor of the club’s Newsletter “The Transmission Line from xxx to xxx.
April 2009 The 2m repeater is back on the air at Jeff N8XN’s house. We have preliminary coordinator with MiARC.
2010
President Kurt Broman WU8V
Vice President Rich Line KC8HMJ
Secretary Ed Beckerich KC8SBV
Treasurer Scott Bicknell W1BIC
Directors-at-Large Don Ledwith K7SDF, Bob Layher KA8VSI, Ben Loveless WB9FJO
President Kurt Broman WU8V lead the club from 2010 to 2014 and singlehandedly ran the Monday night net for many years.
2011
President Kurt WU8V
Vice President Ben WB9FJO
Secretary Bobby N8CY
Treasurer Ed KC8SBV
Directors-a- Large Bob KA8VSI and Richard KC8HMJ
2/15/2011 A very special presentation was made to Scott W1BIC making him the first Life Member of GMARC. A certificate
– signed by all Officer and Directors of GMARC — was presented to Scot by Kurt WU8V. The certificate reads:
This Certificate of Appreciation is awarded this 15th Day of February, 2011 in recognition of your
outstanding work, tireless dedication, and countless contributions as a founding member and Past-
President of the General Motors Amateur Radio Club
2012
Officers????
I was saddened when the Firebird club dissolved in 2011??.
Sometime in 2012 W9PMA began connecting his EchoLink node to the WW8GM node during our Monday night Net and this caused us to rekindle the idea of getting all of the GM amateurs together in one group and on on 1/15/2013 the membership unanimously approved the bylaw change to include former Firebird members as Heritage members.
The Firebird Amateur Radio Club was founded in 1966. Its members were employees and retirees of General Motors Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. At its peak, membership was in excess of 325 members who had a variety of talents, and who had a variety of work assignments within General Motors operations worldwide.
2013
President Kurt WU8V
Vice President Marty KB8JIU
Secretary Bobby N8CY
Treasurer Ed KC8SBV
Director-at-Large Ben WB9FJO, Rich KC8HMJ
Ray W8PIE is appointed Repeater Trustee and heads the Technical Committee
2014
2015
President Marty KB8JIU
Vice President
Secretary Bobby N8CY
Treasurer Ed KC8SBV
Director-at-Large Ben WB9FJO, Rich KC8HMJ
2016
President Marty KB8JIU
Vice President Tony
Secretary Bobby N8CY
Treasurer Ed KC8SBV
Director-at-Large Ben WB9FJO, Rich KC8HMJ
At the March 2016 meeting W8MJC “Magic” Mike Carelli joined the club and his positive influence immediately began to improve the operation of the club’s repeaters and in December of 2016 he was elected Club Vice President.
October 2016 ?Prem along with xxx & yyy Transition the EchoLink to a Raspberry Pi
2016 but when? Frank Sonye W8FKZ took over as webmaster in 2016 and converted the site to WordPress
2016 June meeting couldn’t be held at the church so we started having a lark in the park in Auburn Hills
2017
President Tony
Vice President Mike W8MJC
Secretary Bobby N8CY
Treasurer Don K7SDF
Director-at-Large ?????
Repeater Trustee Ron
September 19, 2017 Meeting at the Packard Proving Ground
2017 September Yasau DRX-2 arrives
October 14,2017 new 2 Meter Antenna Raised on the Ren Center
Ray KC8LDN
Steve KB8GFF
Gordon future Ham SWL
Bobby N8CY
Mike W8MJC
Ron WD8MNX
Scott W1BIC
15 New members Join at USECA Swap
We would like to welcome the following NEW members to our club:
Mark G.
Steve WA8YHP
Larry W8NIC
Nick N8GIR
Mike K8DET
Suzann KE8DGS
Jim KF6GRI
Mark AC8LT
John N8FYL
John AC9ZW
Jyl KE8HOO
Garry W8GMD
Kimberly KE8HOP
David N8WY
Brenda KD8SGB
10/17/2017 First Meeting Facebook Live (Streaming)
11/9/2017 Echolink Upgraded THANKS TO PREM, AC8QV. And thanks to WD8EEP (Dough McLain) who donated the new Raspberry Pi3 to the club.
Marty KB8JIU & Scott W1BIC worked to build a Raspberry Pi 3 to add streaming of the 440 machine on Broadcastify.com Feed goes live on 017-12-11 08:44:19
2018
February 2018 – AllStar Link Added to 440 machine