National Capital Chapter 70 - Ottawa, Canada
VE3ZS Biography 
Arthur Playters (Art) Stark - SK - QCWA# 8677 (Silent Key)
Background
Education / Employment History
- 1928-1930 - With his newly passed First Class ticket in hand Art immediately went to sea for two years as an employee of Canadian Marconi posted to various west coast and North Pacific ships
- 1930-1937 - He joined Radio Branch of the Department of Marine as a wireless operator aboard Fisheries and RCMP patrol boats, and west coast coastal stations.
- 1937-1940 - Transferred to the newly formed DOT Air Services Branch as Officer-in-Charge of the first DOT Radio Range station at Grand Forks, BC.
- 1940-1941 - Seconded to RAF Ferry Command as Flight Radio Officer. Was on first delivery of a PBY Catalina flying boat, and later, deliveries of many Hudson bombers.
- 1943-1955 - Department of Transport Headquarters as Operations Supervisor
- 1955-1972 - Department of Transport Headquarters as Chief Examiner, and finally as Superintendent - Enforcement Branch before retirement in 1972.
Amateur Radio History
- 1920 - Started with an A.E. Gilbert “wireless set”, a buzzer, single headphone and a hunk of galena, no tuning whatsoever. He made no contacts as there were no others within hundreds of miles.
- 1923-1925 - He made noises with a Ford spark coil and a fixed gap – again no contacts.
- 1930 - First licensed as VE5AE in Victoria, British Columbia, after years of brass-pounding at sea. Over the next six years at various coastal stations Art made a few contacts but the Radio Branch did not like “local interference” on their sites.
- 1936 - Finally active with 10 watts on 80M phone on the Vancouver “5 O’clock Net”
- 1939-1972 - Inactive
- 1972 - Back on air as VE3ZS and active on 2M with plans for 440 MHz.
Additional Information
Chairman of the Canadian Amateur Radio Federation Regulations Committee and CARF-DOC Liaison.
He joined QCWA and was one of the twenty-one Charter Members of Chapter 70.
At the February 1986 dinner meeting Art gave a presentation on the Department of Communications plans for restructuring of the amateur radio service.
Art passed away on June 6, 1989 in his 82nd year.