George A. Adamson VE3XS   QCWA # 29657   (SK)

George was born in Darlington, England. He lost the sight in his right eye at the age of four as a result of an accident with a sharp pencil.

 

Education / Employment History

1927 - He graduated from Cardiff Radio School with a First Class Radio Certificate.

1930 – George emigrated to Toronto and was met by his cousin and a parade outside Union Station. He jokes that he thought this was to welcome him, but it was the 1930 Victoria Day parade.

1930–1937 He was employed by Canadian Marconi Company who provided radio operators to the shipping lines. His first ship assignment was the Canada Steamship Lines grain carrier “Gleneagles”. The equipment was a 500 watt spark transmitter and the receiver a crystal detector and two-tube amplifier, all powered by batteries. The first trip was to Port Colborne on Lake Erie. George spent nine years on the Great Lakes, the last few years as Radio Operator on the passenger ship “Harmonic”, sister ship to the ill-fated “Noronic” (that burned at dock in Toronto in 1949 with heavy loss of life).

1939 – After taking a two-week weather-observing course, George was hired by Department of Transport and posted to Killaloe Radio Range.

1940 – George was transferred to St Hubert, Quebec where he worked on the airlines operating position. Once construction on the Dorval, Quebec station was finished, George was transferred there. While doing maintenance on the Beaconsfield, Quebec transmitter station he was recruited to build Fan Marker Monitoring receivers at the Ottawa test labs.

1943-1947 – George was Officer In Charge of the Earlton Radio Range

1947-1962 - He was appointed Radio Technician at the Ottawa Short Wave Transmitter Station on Greenbank Road and rose to Officer In Charge in 1954. The station had four Department of Transport transmitters, three CHU time signal transmitters, a number of VHF and UHF transmitters for the Ottawa Airport, and one for the RCMP. There were six HF rhombic antennas.

1964 – When Greenbank Road went remote-control from the airport, George was transferred to the Clyde Avenue Laboratory where he calibrated test equipment until his retirement in 1974.

 

Amateur Radio History

In 1930 George applied and received his amateur radio licence and call sign VE3XS. 

George was active on the 2M repeaters and was a regular attendee at Chapter 70 dinner meetings and weekly breakfasts. He was a Life Member of QCWA. His “80 Year Licensed” Plaque was awarded posthumously and accepted for the family by son Colonel George Adamson.

 

George passed away March 24, 2010 in his 100th year.