Club History
By Jim Neiger, N6TJ
New! Photos From The Early Days Of NCCC Click HERE The concept of a contest-oriented cub in the SF Bay Area was "kicked around" by myself and Rick – "The Locust" – Hilding, K6VVA around the 1965-1968 period. Rick and I were very active in DX contests as members of the Northern California DX Club and could often be found slugging it out, mano a mano from K6ERV, K6OHJ, K6DXM, WA6GFY, or any other stations crazy enough to host us. I guess Rick and I were among the early "hired guns."
Rick acquired his nickname ("The Locust") during these operations, not necessarily for his prowess on the DX bands which was considerable (I still consider him to be the FINEST DX operator, phone or cw, EVER, and certainly of his generation), but rather for his in-contest reputation for cleaning out the host’s refrigerator!
Anyway, back to the point: We were frustrated that the members of the NCDXC did not share our interests in launching major club efforts in the contests. The NCDXC-SCDXC rivalry in the ARRL DX contests was HUGE during the 1960’s and although the NCDXC members liked the sweet smell of victory when the winner was announced at Fresno (it would be many years yet before Visalia was to be discovered), Rick and I felt that we, and a few others like W6CUF (became W6CF) (SK), W6WX (SK), K6ERV, K6AHV (now W6RJ), K6OHJ, W6WB (SK), were "carrying" the NCDXC…and that this club really wasn’t interested in contesting per se.
When I moved to ZD8 in April 1968, the notion of a "NCCC" was put on the back burner, but K6VVA and ZD8Z kept the idea alive during our frequent 20-meter skeds.
In July 1970, I finished a one-year operation as 9Y4AA, and moved back to the Bay Area. Little did I realize that the August 1970 meeting of the NCDXC would become the final stimulus to the creation of the Northern California Contest Club.
I’m sure that many of those in attendance that fateful night will recall the turbulence of the business portion of the meeting. K6VVA wanted the NCDXC to officially support Sweepstakes participation and entries (Rick liked to collect wallpaper, and certificates were only awarded to club winners if the club had at least three entries.)
Someone exclaimed that NCDXC was a DX club and had no business sanctioning contests other than DX contests. I had the notion that NCDXC could satisfy both the DXers and the contest-minded, as had been successfully achieved for so many years by the Frankford and Potomac Valley Radio Clubs.
When my motion to accomplish it was soundly defeated, Rick and I ordered another 807 (what else was there to do??). When this frosty 807 arrived, I wrote on the cocktail napkin…"NCCC"! As I recall, others at the table who ordered 807s were W6CUF and K6EBB.
Within a couple of weeks, the Charter Meeting of NCCC was held in my town house in Santa Clara. Among those in attendance were W6BHY (N6TJ), WA6DKF (N6RO), W6RGG (N6KB for awhile), W6CUF (W6CF), K6EBB, K6CQF (later K6PU, now K6TA), K6AUC, WA6UFW (K6RV), W6WX (SK), and K6ERV (SK).
Because it was my home, I was elected the first NCCC president. I think K6EBB was Vice-President, but I’m sure someone else has a better recollection of this than I do. W6CUF was the first editor of the JUG.
Immediately, of course, came conflict of loyalties…the NCDXC and the NCCC. However, having done the damage, I beat a hasty strategic retreat from the area in July 1971 and let the battle wage.
It is hard to believe that 50 years have passed since the founding of the NCCC. I’ve kept my membership current, if not always as an active member. I guess, in retrospect, that the many accomplishments of the NCCC more than attest to the notion that Rick Hilding and I had a pretty good idea.
