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 and Tell Meeting March 7th, 2014
HCRA’s Show & Tell Meeting is less than TWO weeks away! What are you bringing to Show and Tell? At HCRA’s annual show and tell meeting, members bring in projects they have either completed or have made progress on over the last year and give a short presentation to the membership. This is a great…
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Zero Beat Deadline
Deadline for Zero Beat’s March 2014 edition coming up! Please get articles, pictures to me by Wednesday, Feb. 26th or so! Thanks Frandy n1fj@arrl.net
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The HCRA will be at the MTARA Hamfest, will you?
On Saturday, March 1st, 2014, the Mount Tom Amateur Repeater Association will host its 26th annual Hamfest. This year it will be held at the Moose Family Center, 244 Fuller Rd, Chicopee, MA 01020. The annual MTARA Hamfest offers a good variety of commercial sellers, private sellers and amateur radio clubs. You’ll find new gear,…
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Board Meeting Minutes 01/07/2014
HCRA Board of Directors Meeting January 7th, 2014 Location: West Springfield, MA. The meeting was called to order at 7:16PM Present: KK1W, KB1NWH, AA1YW, K1YO, N1FJ, N1KXR OFFICER REPORTS Vice President – KB1NWH Finished helping Dan/KB1VWQ with his tower project. Also helped Bob/K1YO and Eric/W1MOR with tower/antenna installations Treasurer – AA1YW Current financial report:…
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Helpful DXlabs Tip #2156.572
Want to play in the ARRl Centennial QSO Party and work the W1AW/? stations? Every week they are in two different states. It’s easy using SpotCollettor. Simply program one of the eight SQL buttons to do the hard work for you. Never done it before, here’s an example using the “SQL 1” button: 1. Hold…
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Massachusetts Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Plan
The Federal Government has a guide to implement Amateur Radio in times of emergency, that guide is called the ‘Auxiliary Communications Field Operations Guide (AUXFOG). Likewise Massachusetts has it’s own guide, that guide is titled the ‘Massachusetts Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Plan’. In it’s introduction, the Massachusetts Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Plan states: “This plan…
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Show & Tell Meeting – March 7th
There are less than two months left before Hampden County Radio Association’s Annual Show & Tell meeting. During this meeting members bring in projects they have either completed or have made progress on over the last year and give a short presentation to the membership. This is a great opportunity to show others what you’ve…
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Antenna Zoning Meeting Tonight
Through rain, snow and FREEZING COLD tonight’s presentation by Fred/K1VR will go on as planned. Join us this evening for an interesting and informative discussion about the roadblocks you may encounter when installing an antenna or tower and methods to get around those impediments. Our guest speaker, Fred/K1VR, is an established author and a lawyer…
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Auxiliary Communications Field Operations Guide (AUXFOG)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now refers to Amateur Radio groups such as ARES, RACES, REACT and other EMCOMM organizations, by the terms “Auxiliary Communications (Service)” and/or “Auxiliary Emergency Communications”. To assist what the DHS now calls Auxiliary Communications, the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) has released a publication titled the ‘Auxiliary Communications Field…
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Ham Radio Classes – Coming Soon
The Hampden County Radio Association will be holding an Amateur Radio Technician Class along with General and Extra Study Groups at the Holyoke Hospital Auxiliary Conference Center (auditorium), 575 Beech Street, Holyoke, Mass. This classes and study groups are open to everyone of all ages and affiliations. There will be three different meeting dates: Class…