Welcome!
See below for the latest blog posts and news about our activites and events. You can also follow the links above for more information about specific aspects of the club. If you’re brand-new at all this, here’s an introduction to what the Hampden County Radio Association is all about.
Latest Blog Posts
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Join HCRA for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest
The Hampden County Radio Association enters the ARRL 10 meter contest as a club, with the combined scores of all HCRA entries helping us compete against other similarly sized local clubs around the country. This is a great contest for new or experienced hams, and we’re still near the peak of the current sunspot cycle,…
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Join Us for a Holiday Party December 13th
QST HCRA Members! The holidays are coming, and that means it’s Party Time! This year’s event will be special as HCRA and MTARA members and guests join in the Holiday Spirit. When: December 13, 2025 , Saturday afternoon from 3:00 -7:00 P.M. Where: Willits Hallowell Center , 25 Park Street, South Hadley on the campus of Mount Holyoke College.…
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November 7 Auction List
This Friday, November 7, at 19:00 EST, the HCRA will hold its annual auction in our usual meeting place. What kinds of things will you find there? We’re glad you asked. Here’s the list of the items that have been submitted so far. You can view it below (making sure to use the page turning…
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Simulated Emergency Test After Action Report
On October 4, 2025, the Western Massachusetts Section of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service conducted a Simulated Emergency Test from 10 am to 2 pm local time. Eighteen people participated, plus representatives from both MEMA and FEMA. The full after-action report on the exercise is now available in .docx (Microsoft Word) format here.
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Online Technician License Class Starts November 4th
The Western Mass Train and Test group is starting another Technician Class license course on November 4th. The class will be taught online via Zoom. It’s a free class, but you’ll need to buy the textbook. If you want to get your ham license, this is the place to start. Find the details and register…
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October 2025 Meeting: FT8 and JS8 with Gary, AA1UE
Our own Gary Thomas, AA1UE, gave the presentation at our October meeting, in which he covered the immensely popular FT8 mode and its more conversational cousin, JS8.
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Fox Hunting Build Session
We’re organizing an antenna-building and help session for anyone who wants to get into radio direction finding, also known as foxhunting, radio orienteering, or transmitter hunting. Everyone is welcome, regardless of club membership or experience. Please contact us for details.