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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HCRA Ham Radio Film Festival???
I would like to throw out an idea for a possible meeting topic next year and would like to hear other members’ opinions on it. The meeting would be a ham radio film festival and we would screen ham radio related film shorts produced by our members as well as a few from other sources. …
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New England QSO Party – May 4th & 5th
From Tom/K1KI… The New England QSO Party is coming next weekend – May 4-5 – and we’ are always looking for more activity from Massachusetts. The NEQP is a great way to test your antennas on 80-10 meters and to be the focus of a lot of activity as stations from around the world look…
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WB1Z wins “County Expedition Plaque” for NEQP 2012
Arriving in the mail today was this beautiful plaque for our efforts during last year’s NEQP. We’re going to be back there again this year and hope to bring HCRA home yet another award. Thanks to Frandy/N1FJ, Matt/W1MSW and of course Dave/AA1YW for providing a comfy shack in Windham…
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May Zero Beat is now available!
Click here (saves time going to the Zero Beat archive page! Another good issue this month, please take the time to check out Frandy’s hard work. Thanks also to the authors submitting articles too! Friday’s meeting should be a good one. The weather is predicted to be perfect for takeing a tour of the MCU…
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W. Brookfield Technician Class a Great Success!
Today’s Technician class was what you would call an “unbridled success”. HCRA’s instructor group consisting of John/Kx1x, Nick/K1MAZ, Frandy/N1FJ, and myself along with VE help from Al/N1AW and Rich/N1KXR managed a 100% pass rate. At the end of the day seven new Technicians have joined our ranks. Adding to the success was Rob/N1NTE upgrading to…
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Technician Class this Saturday – April 27th
As previously reported John and I will be hosting a ‘One Day’ Technician Class this coming Saturday. More details about the class are here. Special thanks to all the folks that have volunteered to help with instruction – we’re really looking forward to your involvement. One thing missing was the time/location of the class as…
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Get ready for the New England QSO Party May 4th & 5th.
Tom/K1KI sent the message copied below. Please take a moment to read it and hopefully you will be QRV in NEQP this year. Don’t forget, HCRA sponsors a beautiful plaque for high score, single op, Hampden County. I’ll bet it would look nice on the wall in YOUR shack! Here’s Tom’s message: I hope everyone…
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Help needed for Technician Class on April 27th
Hey folks, John/Kx1x and I are looking for help with a one-day Technician class to be held on April 27th, 2013. This was a small class planned as a ‘one-day’ intense session for a handful of students, but it has morphed into a twelve student extravaganza! Yep, the class consists of a dozen ‘highly motivated’…
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WN1E brings home the HCRA Plaque for NEQP 2012!
Putting in a major effort last year Dave ‘brings home the gold‘ (or at least the plaque) for High Score, Single Operator in Hampden County. Battling it out with eleven other entries Dave’s 31,850 points almost doubled the next closest score of the W1NY club call operated by Ed/KB1NWH. Here’s Dave’s soapbox comment: WN1E –…
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Live Stream Of April 2013 meeting
Were trying out a new thing. We’re trying to broadcast out meetings live. Give it a shot, We should be live right now (4/5/2013 @ 7:00pm) Presenter this month is Doug Grant (K1DG) talking about WRTC 2014 Video streaming by Ustream Thanks!