Welcome!
Welcome to the website of the Hampden County Radio Association, or HCRA, a group of amateur radio operators (“hams”) in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. The club has existed since the mid-1940s; the first newsletter we have on file is from September 1948. You can browse through it and the rest of the newsletter archive for a complete history of the club’s activities, but it’ll take you awhile.
HCRA has a long tradition of maintaining a diverse membership spanning a wide range of interests. Many of us are deeply involved in all kinds of HF communication, from CW and SSB to the latest digital modes. There are also members active in low power communications, in the microwaves, Parks on the Air (POTA), Emergency Communications, Summits on the Air (SOTA), project building and nearly every other aspect of this amazing hobby. There’s a place here for everyone.
The HCRA is an Affiliated Club and a Special Service Club with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national association for amateur radio. Find out more about that on the ARRL New England Division web site.
Many of our club members are technical and build projects or help others with their questions and projects.
- A feature of membership is assistance for any question you may have, the club offers a specialist who can work with you at your level.
- If you chase DX, the QSL bureau costs $7 per group of cards plus a fee for the weight of the cards. The club offers a pooled QSL service for members, saving you a minimum of $7 every time you send cards through the ARRL DX QSL Bureau System.
- The club also lets members join the HCRA group on ClubLog. It’s a fun way to compete with your friends and their DX chasing accomplishments.
Whether you are a new ham who just earned a license or an old timer who’s been on the air for decades, there is something for you in the HCRA. Join the HCRA Facebook page and keep up with the daily goings on of the club and its members. Come join us at our monthly meeting and introduce yourself. We meet the first Friday of every month at the Holyoke Medical Center Auxiliary Conference Room.
I know I speak for the whole club in welcoming you to the HCRA. We look forward to meeting you. If you are not yet a ham, we can help you with that too.
73 and I hope to see you at the next meeting!
Alan Dove, AB1XW
HCRA President
Latest Blog Posts
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SHOW & TELL 2017 – there’s still time!
As of this writing (March 16th) it’s three weeks until HCRA’s Annual Show & Tell on April 7th. That also means it’s only three weeks to finish your project, put together documentation and perhaps win a nice prize for your efforts. No time you say? Well, twenty two days is over three weeks the last time I…
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Swap And Sell Is Now Back!
HCRA’s Swap And Sell Is Now Back With thanks to George (KC1V), Paul (NF1G) and Jim (KK1W), the HCRA swap and sell is now back. At our monthly meetings, we will have few tables setup for the members to sell amateur or electronic related items. You may never know what deals may show up at…
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Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference – April 21-23
43rd EASTERN VHF/UHF/MICROWAVE CONFERENCE: APRIL 21-23, 2017 BAYMONT INN & SUITES (860)-643-5645 20 TAYLOR ST. (OFF I-84 at exit 63) MANCHESTER, CT 06042 Conference Web Address: http://www.newsvhf.com/vhfconf.html 4/21/17 FRIDAY LODGING 2:30-5PM Afternoon Workshop TBD 6:00pm ’til – SUPER HOSPITALITY ROOM (Food & Refreshments)!! & Indoor SWAP/SELL & VENDORS. (You may want to re-think going out to…
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HCRA March Meeting (Mar 3rd, 2017) – VHF/UHF Weak Signal Communications
HCRA March Meeting 2017 Friday March 3rd 2017 at 7:30pm. Holyoke Medical Center Auxiliary Conference Center This month HCRA is proud to have Dick Frey (WA2AAU), president of the North East Weak Signal group. He will be discussing working long distance on VHF and UHF. With the solar cycle heading into a null, this would…
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HCRA Clublog Challenge 2016 Winners Are In
HCRA like to encourage on air activity from our members. We compete in a few contests and challenges every year. This year HCRA participated in the “Clublog Challenge”. The goal was to make as many contacts with as many countries or entities throughout the year. At the end of the year, we would tally up…
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HCRA BOD Meeting Minutes for 05-Jan-2017
HCRA Board of Directors meeting 05-Jan-2017 Attendees: President – NT1K (Jeff) Vice President – WM1B (Dave) Secretary – N1FTP (Harold) Treasurer – NV1Q (Juergen) Program Dir. – W1AST (Larry) At Large – KB1RXO (Karl) Membership – K1VOI (John) Absent: Tech. Dir – K1YO (Bob) Zero Beat Ed. – WA1MOW (Gary) ——————————— Meeting Open at 7:11pm…
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Last Swap & Sell of 2016
Last Swap & Sell of 2016 is this Friday, November 4th. There isn’t a December meeting because of the Holiday Party Let’s end 2016 with a bang! Take a look around your shack and bring in an item or two that will become someone else’s holiday gift :). From the KK1W shack is…