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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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…
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Next HCRA Meeting Friday, January 3rd
Next HCRA Meeting Friday, January 3rd Guest Speaker Fred Hopengarten – K1VR Bundle up and come on out to HCRA’s January meeting where guest speaker Fred Hopengarten – K1VR will discuss the legal aspects of antennas and towers. Fred is the author of the book Antenna Zoning published by the ARRL and has been a…
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2013 ARRL 10 Meter Contest – That’s a Wrap!
Another 10 Meter Contest has come and gone. Excellent conditions and no shortage of stations around the world. If you haven’t done so via the HCRA Facebook page, email me your QSO breakdown, the category you entered as, and your total claimed score. Please do this regardless of the number of contacts you made as…