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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Palm Paddle on a KX3? No problem!
Well, I bit the bullet back in March, caved in and ordered a KX3 kit. It arrived August 9th via my friendly postlady and was on the air that evening. Overall the build process was painless – maybe 3.5 hours to complete without working very hard. One of the major reasons for purchasing the radio…
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Subscribe!
Like what you see on the website? Why don’t you subscribe to HCRA.org’s website. Just look at the bottom of the page and you will be able to receive updates VIA E-mail about what’s going on with the HCRA. Just enter in your e-mail address and hit the subscribe button. A confirmation E-mail will be…
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Preview our new meeting location!
Here’s some photographs that should get you ready for our first meeting at the Holyoke Medical Center. The auditorium is newly renovated, features seating for 100 guests, offers free wi-fi, podium with sound system, LCD projector, screen and sound system if needed, The site is fully accessible, rest room, drinking fountain and soda/juice vending machine…
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Renewal time is here!
Summer is almost over, the kids will be heading back to school, vacations are winding down AND – it’s time to renew your membership to HCRA. Our 2012/2013 season starts September 1st. Why not beat the rush at the meeting, download the handy application form on our membership page and send it in now, while…
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From The Shack – Aug 2012
Hello everyone and welcome to HCRA’s ‘new and improved’ web site. Bear with us just a little while longer while we transfer over the remainder of relevant content from the old site. Jeff/NT1K is the major architect behind the change and is working quickly to get it wrapped up ASAP. He’s done a fantastic job…
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From old to new – in the blink of an eye!
If you landed here expecting to see the old HCRA web site and don’t see the blue background with the tower on the left – that’s OK. Nobody has hijacked our site, we’ve just embarked on a whole “rip out and rebuild” of our site. New host, new publishing software, new everything! It’s going to…
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Under Construction
Welcome to new Hampden County Radio Association website. At this point in time we’re updating the website. Please check back soon for more updates!