HERE'S ANOTHER HIGH PROFILE AMATEUR OF THE PAST FROM THE FILES OF BOB BALLANTINE. BOB WROTE:
George Leck W2POC of Princeton Corners NJ - RCA scientist and researcher, I met George through ham friend Bob Singer K2LEM mid 50s - George lived in a nice country home, older and plenty of space for ham radio. George liked CW and you could tell by his signal that he took pride in a clean sounding station. He maintained daily schedules with friends he met along the way especially in the evening hours. K2UTS in Trenton advised me of a huge Harley Davidson cycle would come into their back yard that Leck owned visiting her father K2LEM.
I found some good personal information about Mr. Leck from the David Sarnoff Library and listed our subject W2POC - In 1934 Irving Wolff and Ernest Linder of RCA's research staff in Camden were conducting restricted radar experiments at the Atlantic Highlands for the U.S. Army. The two scientists were testing an odd looking collection of apparatus - a transmitter a small receiver, an audio amplifier and two four foot dish shaped antennas. the Wolff/Linder research team was reinforced by RCA in 1937 by Rene Braden and George W. Leck (who moved on to historic achievement in the first microwave scanning radar equipment capable of displaying visually the distance and angle of the objects it detected)
Our subject W2POC was mentioned again involved with RCA Labs in Princeton NJ, as W.D.Harshberger accomplished prewar fundamental studies in useful effects of materials used in microwaves. Those pioneering studies were continued by a staff consisting of a team Dr. N.E.Norton, MS Eliz Bush and Mr. George Leck W2POC.
George has written prefaces in the art, Cryoelectric receiver techniques and microwave applications. By the way, his home address was "Grover's Mill Road" Do you remember the Orson Wells infamous 1938 Halloween broadcast of War of the Worlds?
The question as to who invented radar is likely to remain buried forever beneath a mass of conflicting claims, yet the work at Camden during the 1930s period clearly made a basic contribution to the effective development of the system. It was to have such a radical effect upon military and naval tactics in WW2, testifying to this contribution, the Navy awarded Irving Wolff in 1949 the highest honor it can bestow upon a civilian - the Distinguished Public Service Award -- George W2POC expired October of 1982 at Princeton Junction. One of Mr. Leck's sons is Dr. Charles Leck retired professor of ecological sciences who can be found giving young people tours on the ornithologist trails at the Hamilton-Trenton Marsh. Before Geo. expired he picked up a call change to a K2 extra class style which I've forgotten but still appreciate W2POC. Statements and QSL aided by K2UTS. W8SU
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