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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Volunteers Needed For Scantic Spring Splash!
From Bob (W1SQ) Good Morning. The annual Scantic Spring Splash Canoe/Kayak Race is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2015. The group is in need of licensed Amateurs for coordination/river security. I request is to pass this email to them so they may volunteer as individuals. Hours will be from 8:30 AM to approximately 2:00 pm.…
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Jan 2015 Board Meeting Minutes
HCRA. BOD Meeting Minutes for Jan 9, 2015 Location: Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield Called to Order @ 18:30 BOD Members in attendance Rich N1XR via conference call Jeff NT1K in person Bob K1YO in person Gary W1MOW in person Eric W1MOR in person Ed KB1NWH in person VP W1MOR-Holiday…
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NEAR-Fest: May 1st and 2nd, 2015
From: W1RC, MisterMike To: All for Immediate Release Dear Friends of NEAR-Fest: It is with great regret and sadness that I must inform the radio amateurs and electronic hobbyists of New England that the NEAR-Fest Board of Directors finds it necessary to POSTPONE the FreeFest aspect of NEAR-FEST XVII that was scheduled for May 2015. …
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Elecraft KX3 Winner Is…
First off, We would like to thank everyone who purchased a ticket and those who help with promoting. The money raised from this raffle goes to help the HCRA and help fund future events such as Field Day, Classes, Formal events and promoting amateur radio around the county and beyond. We would also like to…
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More ISS SSTV passes this weekend… Maybe
From ARISS: http://www.ariss.org/news.html February 11, 2015 Another Round of SSTV Activity from the ISS is scheduled for Late February Space enthusiasts have another chance to receive SSTV image transmissions activity from the International Space Station. Participants can anticipate watching for the transmissions from February 21, 2015 through February 23, 2015. The pictures to be downlinked…
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QSL Card Sources
Did last night’s meeting want you to start making QSL cards? Here are some sources in how to obtain some QSL cards! There are many printers that are local, regional and even international. These are just some of the many places UX5UO Print – See a lot of QSL cards come from this printer. Prices…
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Next Meeting, February 6th 2015.
From Larry Krainson (W1AST): Everyone still LOVES getting QSL cards in the mail. Sure LOTW works great, but the thrill of getting cards is still exciting. But, how does the QSL Bureau work? How does that batch of cards arrive at your mailbox? Come to the Friday night HCRA meeting to find out. Eric Williams,…
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Russian SSTV Transmissions planned for this weekend (Jan 31, Feb1)
From ARISS (1/29/15) http://www.ariss.org/news.html Russian SSTV transmissions are planned from the International Space Station on January 31 and February 1. The transmit frequency will be 145.800. The expected mode is PD180 producing a high quality image with a frame scan of 187 seconds. Image transmissions for Saturday, Jan. 31 should begin at 10:00 UTC and…
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Boston Marathon Needs Ham Volunteers
From AB1RL (VIA Reddit.Com/r/amateurradio) For years, the Boston Marathon has relied on a big group of ham volunteers to provide communications support for the race. For 2015, they’ve even put together a Communications Committee to review event plans and make sure we’re as useful as possible to the race. I’m one of seven hams…
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HCRA Is Now On Club Log
HCRA is now listed as a club on ClubLog.org. This allows HCRA members who use clublog to see how they rank against other HCRA members in DXCC standings. HCRA could also compete with other clubs. This could create friendly competition within the club as well as with other clubs. It can also benefit knowing that if…