April 1948 to April 1958

Early in February, 1948, sixteen licensed amateur radio operators met to discuss the possibilities of forming an organization. They met in the old DuPage County Courthouse to discuss these future plans. One phase to be developed was a service group to train new operators interested in mastering the code requirements. In addition, they discussed a desire to coordinate their activities with the local law enforcement agencies. They also planned to be affiliated with the American Radio Relay League. Craig Allen, W9IHT, was appointed to draft a constitution for consideration. The group represented a range of ages from high school freshmen to old timers whose early days included spark transmissions. The Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs (WCRA) was formally organized on April 15, 1948 with twenty-two members. D.C. Burger, W9MYK, was elected President. Other officers were; Frank Golder, K9AAM, Vice-President, Craig Allen, W9IHT, Secretary, and Alice Newcomb, W9QMS, Treasurer. The speaker that first night was Karl Pearson, W9HXE, from Villa Park and the Chicago Council of Radio Amateur Radio Clubs. Bud Massman, W9FSM, was chairman of the club's first Field Day. Plans called for the five stations in continuous use from 4:00 PM Saturday, June 12, to 6:00 PM on Sunday the 13th. WCRA's first Field Day was held in Northside Park in Wheaton. The club call was W9WQ in 1951 and W9WX in 1952. The club started a technical group to assist with BCI (Broadcast Interference). Television interference was identified as a real problem for hams, as the sets sold commercially did not screen out nearby amateur signals. In 1957 WCRA had the Clubsaver Project that was a 2 meter transceiver radio kit. Punched chassis, panels, brackets, components, photographs, and detailed directions were provided for the assembly of the Clubsaver kit. The kit did not include a power supply which sold for an additional $30. Fifty kits were constructed by club members. The kits were designed by Bob Tshannen, W9LUO. This club activity was reported in the October 1957, QST magazine. A photo of club members and their completed kits accompanied the article. The club continued to meet in the DuPage County Courthouse on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 8PM. By 1958 there were eighty-three members. Dues were $2.00 per year and $1.00 for students. The first ten years saw the club working with Boy Scouts, participating in many local civic events, and recruiting and training many new hams. There was a program at each monthly meeting. The WCRA members met the objective of the first meeting, "...be developed with the ultimate goal a well-rounded out organization which will be a credit to Wheaton and the surrounding territory."

April 1958 to April 1968

The sixty's saw continued activities with school demonstrations, hamfests, civic events, and an association with county offices. Auctions foxhunts and picnics began to take place. The 1959/1960 membership was sixty-two. This grew to seventy in 1965/1966 and one hundred eight the following year. The radios used had multiple tubes and Citizens Band was going strong as the newest thing in communications. The amateur Novice license was good for one year with limited privileges. With the membership being rather small, many events were doubled-up, such as a picnic with a fox hunt. For many years the Christmas party was a pot luck held at a members home. WCRA became a non-profit corporation on May 26, a961. The club had a membership from throughout DuPage county, ages ranging from twelve to seventy. They were also very involved with Civil Defense. Field Day 1961 found the club to have made the top spot in the country for the entrants operating with eight transmitters, and third place among approximately 120 entrants in the ninth call area operating with one to ten transmitters. Field Day 1962 had a special innovation, a 'YL' station. There were enough female hams in the club, that a tent identified with a pink ribbon was assigned as their headquarters. As late as the mid-60's, the club continued to meet twice a month. W0FQ was the call used by the club from 1959 through 1965. At a WCRA meeting on November 19, 1965, the members voted to assume the responsibility, from several individual hams, for an annual hamfest started in 1963 and held during the winter months. The hamfest activities have been a major fund-raiser and club activity ever since. The first Swap and Shop, as the hamfests were called at the time, was held at the DuPage county Fairgrounds. Club members continued to work with the Boy Scouts and their Scout-O-Rama's. While club nets were regular activities, there was also a net on 21.400 MHz. In 1966-1967, the club acquired the W9CCU call sign as the club's very own. The call belonged to Steve Crowe, a WCRA member until he became a Silent Key. The club members, at this time, felt the club should have it's own call apart from the County Emergency organization. The 1967-1968 club membership was at one hundred twenty-two.

April 1968 to April 1978

A new meeting site, was selected in June 1980, the second floor of a Wheaton fire station at 315 Front Street. Later, the club met at Wheaton College. In the early 1970's , WCRA acquired it's first truck from AT&T. AT&T had four trucks that were used for microwave path site testing and tower sites. The trucks were self contained, including a generator. The truck was adapted to the club's needs and was with us until 1991. During the early 1970's , WCRA members got together just about every evening around 9:00 PM on 21.400 MHz and all were welcome to join the QSO. The WCRA annual midwinter Swap and Shop was held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds. February 15, 1970, donation was $1.50 and had free coffee and donuts from 9 to 10:00 AM. Ten meter fox hunts were very popular with WCRA members at this time. The October 1973 SCOPE was sent to over 3000 hams in the Western Suburbs as a membership recruiting approach. Also on July 19, 1973, the club undertook a CLUBSAVER II project, constructing a digital frequency counter to operate throughout the ham bands. Separate courses were conducted throughout this period for the different classes of ham licenses. The club members continued to work closely with the county civil defense organization. In March 1975, the club newsletter had a change in it's name from SCOPE to HAMLETTER. The 14th WCRA Hamfest, held February 8, 1976, had an attendance of 5200 at the DuPage Fairgrounds. January 1977 saw the 2 meter repeater become operational on 147.870 MHz input and 147.270 output. The FCC, in May of 1976, assigned WCRA the repeater license of WR9AGS. The WCRA 220 MHz repeater went on the air in the spring of 1977. With a change in the club constitution , the Repeater Administrative Board (RAB) came into existence on December 12, 1977. The club had established two VHF repeater systems for providing reliable local communications for it's members and a base for emergency communications. However, the general support and upkeep required a fair amount of time and WCRA was not a repeater club , but, an amateur radio club. The formation of the RAB reduced the work load on others. Also in 1977, Field Day was conducted at Pratts Wayne Woods, just north of Wayne, Illinois. The club members participated with communications in the 4th of July parade, the Easter Seal Walk-a-thon, and many other community service projects. In 1977, the club donated and installed a weather teletypewriter with antenna and all the necessary accessories to the College of DuPage FM radio broadcast station. Christmas Parties, Auctions, and Picnics, continued to be main stays of the club. After holding membership meetings at Mid America Federal Savings in Wheaton for several months, it was in November of 1977 that club members were advised that starting in January of 1978, meetings would be held at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. The 1977-78 membership was at one hundred eighty-three.

April 1978 to April 1988

In July, 1978, the club established two lifetime memberships for Ken and Carol Bourne who had been very active members before moving away. During the Summer of 1983, a third WCRA club project was begun. This emergency tone decoder kit became CLUBSAVER III. This kit was promoted by Art Lang, KR9R. During the 1970's and early 80's, Fox Hunting was a very active part of the club's monthly radio activity. In the mid 80's, the club was participating and issuing certificates for an Armed Forces Day Weekend Special Event, held at Cantigny, "The Big Red One." The WCRA mid-winter Hamfest moved to Arlington Park Expo Center and included seminars and as early as 1982, had forty commercial exhibitors. Mid-1984, the Tuesday morning breakfast started and continues today. January 1985's hamfest was the coldest on record to date, -27 degrees. The club members provided communications for the Irish Run, the West Chicago 10K Run, an Aviation Expo at Glenview Naval Air Station and the Lion's Run. In November of 1985, WCRA became a Special Service Club and continues as such today. 1985 was also the year of the July 31st fire that destroyed the Arlington Racetrack facility where WCRA had been holding it's hamfest. As a result of this, 1986 saw WCRA move to the Odeum in Villa Park for the first time, and we've been there ever since. Members of WCRA continued to be very active with fox hunts using 2 meters and 10 meters (28.650 MHz AM) for the hunts. During the late 1980's, the club's Field Day activities were held at the Danada Farm on Naperville Road. The club members voted to donate materials and books regarding amateur radio , to several public libraries in the area. The Spring of 1987 saw a WCRA club QSL card design contest. The winning design was a dark shade of blue with black lettering. The winner was Ray Kreml, KA9CAL. The 1987-88 membership was at two hundred sixty.

April 1988 to April 1998

The central office in Hinsdale, operated by Illinois Bell Telephone experienced a fire which put them out of service in July of 1988. WCRA members provided communications for the Hinsdale Hospital, along with other area clubs, until other arrangements could be made. In 1989, the WCRA 2 meter repeater moved from 146.610 to 145.390 MHz. This same year, autopatch was added to the 220 MHz repeater. Radio related books were donated to area libraries. A rewrite of the club's by-laws was done to provide for the secondary use of the club's repeater's autopatch for emergency uses. In 1990, a 440 MHz repeater system was purchased and placed in service for everyone. For many years, the club met in the summer months at the Wheaton Public Library and the Rice Recreational Center in Wheaton, as the College of DuPage was closed on Fridays during the summer months. Club members provided communications for many activities, such as: The Lion's Run, The Irish Ride, Pedal for Peace Bike-a-Thon, The Crop Walk, The 4th of July Parades, American Lung 5 and 10K runs, The Tower Climb, The DuPage County Air Shows, and the Naperville MS Walk. WCRA members demonstrated amateur radio to many schools in the area. Amateur radio classes continue to be held in K144, the radio room at COD. License testing has also been provided. Tuesday August 28, 1990, a tornado hit the Plainfield area, killing twenty-nine people. The following morning, a dozen WCRA members along with the club truck and generator were on the scene and in operation. A total of fifty members participated in a variety of ways. The old truck was sold and the new club truck, with the support of a number of members, operated at the Scout-O-Rama's at the DuPage Fairgrounds for years following. Also in 1991, club dues were raised from $12 to $18. The 1993 WCRA Field Day was moved to Panfish Park in Glen Ellyn where it remains today. A full-duplex packet repeater was established on 145.31- in 1994 and in 1997, various members added a club home page on the Internet. The WCRA history has been full and fruitful. Hundreds of hams have had an opportunity to participate and share in the fellowship, training, service to our communities, technical advancement, and the general promotion of the amateur radio hobby through club membership. A review of the club history shows why WCRA is a well respected club and a group we can all be proud to be a part of. The broad range of WCRA activities during the past fifty years only begins to suggest what the future holds for us all.