Frequently Asked Questions

Every now and then at gatherings of amateurs or during on the air contact, the question is asked, 'Why should I join QCWA?' My response is as follows:

QCWA membership is not for every radio amateur eligible to join. Many amateurs for one reason or other never join or support amateur organizations, irrespective of the worthiness of the objectives of the organizations or what they may have done to protect amateur privileges or advance the communications art. Some amateurs are true loners and a few could care less whether or not amateur radio with its many opportunities for personal enjoyment, technical advancement, public service, and developing lasting friendship with fellow amateurs will be available for future generations.

QCWA membership often appeals to amateurs who want to be identified with and associate with some of the best known, respected, proficient and dedicated amateurs in the world. The knowledge that so many well-known amateurs have joined together in this unique non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the best interests of all amateurs, for now and posterity, appeals to many.

There are other reasons for joining QCWA. Membership in QCWA is for those amateurs who truly enjoy the hobby, who appreciate the effect it has had on their lives, and who want to share their experiences and talents with others for the good of amateur radio.

QCWA membership is also for those who would like to participate in promoting more cooperation and good will among all amateurs and who would like to be a part of an organized effort to preserve our amateur traditions. QCWA membership likewise appeals to amateurs who are aware of the forces which would acquire our frequencies and reduce our privileges, amateurs who would like to be a part of a unified effort to defend our privileges.

Membership in QCWA also appeals to altruistic amateurs who would like to support scholarship funding for deserving amateurs pursuing educational objectives. Others join QCWA so they can participate socially in Chapter meetings and be a part of local activities for the good of amateur radio and the public interest.

Some eligible amateurs recognize the importance of QCWA objectives as they may influence the present and future of amateur radio, but join principally to acknowledge approval and support for QCWA purposes. Others join not only to acknowledge support for QCWA objectives but because they want to become active in some or all of the ongoing activities in QCWA.

Either category is welcome in QCWA.

Leland Smith, W5KL (SK)
QCWA President Emeritus

This is the most asked question we get. You need to know what your first call was and approximately when it was issued. The only a searchable database on the web that I know of is at Vanity HQ. N4MC, Mike has done a remarkable job. This database goes back to 1981 which is probably the earliest anyone had a computer database of any kind available. Steve, W3HF has an extensive collection of callbooks and he will look up your call for you. Contact Steve via his web site. QCWA HQ has an extensive collection too. Our General Manager uses them to verify when an applicant was first licensed if the prospective member doesn't have a copy of his first license. We're sorry but our GM doesn't have time to look up old calls that aren't associated with a membership application.

This can be almost impossible, you'll need to write down as much information as you can remember, first and last name, address, what radio groups they belonged to, the bands they operated. Do an internet search with the information you have. While looking for information on W2FX, one of the QCWA Founders and our First President, I did a name search on www.qrz.com for "DiBlasi" and found his son, John Jr., in New Jersey. This method may not work well for Smith or Jones. Log books, equipment manuals and/or QSL cards may have been given to a local radio museum. You may try contacting Radio Clubs in the area where this individual lived or someone that lived in the same area or visited the house on a regular basis, my four year old grandson knows my suffix is Uniform Foxtrot. An old equipment receipt may contain the call letters. Barring these methods, the only way to find these calls is to look line by line through the old call books for the address. The entries are sorted by call area, prefix and suffix and the print is rather small. The longer you wait to start looking the colder the trail gets. I wish I could be more helpful but, recourses just aren't available.

Go to: How To Join, print an application and follow the instructions on the page.

If you were licensed at least 25 years ago and are licensed today, you are eligible.
You don't need to have been licensed for the entire 25 years.

Submit a copy of:

your original license.
a QSL card.
a logbook page.
a letter from another Ham that verifies you were licensed.
the receipt from the first equipment your bought may have your call on it.

If you don't have other proof of licensing. QCWA has past Callbooks, we can verify the year you were first listed. Be sure to include your 1st call and the year. If you held a Novice License don't forget to show your WN or KN call

No we don't, I've referred this suggestion to the Chapter Relations Committee. - (Webmaster 6/28/2007)

Go to: http://www.qcwa.org/members.htm and select the call area of your choice.

Active Chapters by Location
All Chapters by Chapter Number

Hams join QCWA for all kinds of reasons, and having a local chapter is just one of them. Don't get me wrong, a local chapter is nice, but QCWA is so much more. Starting with the premier QCWA event of the year, our Annual Convention. http://www.qcwa.org/conventions.htm

QCWA offers a variety of "Get on the Air" possibilities with two QSO parties every year and a host of national and local nets. Many of these nets are on HF, and all welcome check ins if you are a member of their chapter or not. http://www.qcwa.org/chapters-on_the_air.htm

From a single scholarship presented to John, WA2MYU in 1978 to the 17 just awarded in 2008, QCWA scholarships have been given for 31 consecutive years. To date we have awarded over $255,000 in 305 scholarships. http://www.qcwa.org/scholarship-program.htm

That being said, starting a chapter in your area is another option, it only takes four other QCWA members. Check out http://www.qcwa.org/new_chapter_instructions.htm for more information.

I hope you find a way for QCWA to enhance your Amateur Radio Adventure and for your membership to enhance QCWA.

If your authorized by your chapter to make chanages, send the Webmaster an , include all the information you want listed or changed.

The Constitution is on-line - constitution.pdf
The By-laws are on-line - by-laws.pdf

Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. General Manager - Chuck Walbridge, K1IGD PO Box 3247 Framingham, MA 01705-2347 USA		Voice: 508-405-1930 Fax: 508-405-1965
or use this button to

At this time the feature isn't available. Click Here to download an application, then follow the directions for renewing you membership.

Look at the address lable on your latest Journal. For help deciphering the information goto: Are My Dues Current

Ask the General Manager with the Contact HQ form.

Go to the on-line Membership Directory and select the file associated with you call area. If you call is listed, you membership was current as of last July 1st.

You need to check with a local chapter officer (probally the treasure) to find out if your local dues are current.

Go to the address change form.

A reflector takes an incoming message and resends it to every subscribed member without showing all the e-mail ids. You must use the subscribed e-mail id to send a message to or to respond to a message from the reflector. You can't send a message to the reflector from an alias e-mail id. Some have spoofed mycall@arrl.net but email spoofing just isn't a good idea. Many email servers don't allow it.

your_call@arrl.net, your_call@rac.ca and your_call@amsat.net are aliases. An alias takes a message sent to it and resends it to an actual e-mail id, your_name@aol.com.

To the Scholarship Fund Chairman, Leland Smith, Jr. W4YE. ( ) or to the General Manager ( )

Yes you can.

Absolutely, include the call signs being memorialized

No, the scholarships are distributed by the Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) based on applications by the students. These are obtained by the student after January 1st and returned by April 30th of each year from FAR. The student must be a licensed ham and enrolled in a full time degree program.

There is no minimum for any contribution.

A contribution can be made to a specific scholarship account. General contributions are made part of the QCWA General Memorial Scholarship fund.

The QCWA program is administered without charge by the Foundation of Amateur Radio in Washington DC. Applications should be requested by interested radio amateurs on or after January 1 of each year only from the FAR Scholarship Committee, Post Office Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738. Each application must be recommended by a QCWA member and applications must be received by FAR on or before April 30 of each year.

First, let's clear up a common misconception; QCWA is NOT a Ham/CW Organization. Our membership requirements are quite simple. If you held an Amateur Radio License 25 or more years ago and you hold one today, you are qualified to join. While we do have many excellent CW operators, advocates and enthusiestes. CW is a defacto requirement as it was required to hold a Ham Ticket. We're as diverse as the general Ham population, only older.

We've been welcoming no code hams since CW was eliminated as a licensing requirement. We immediatly had members that were 1 and 2 year Novices in the 50's, 60's and 70's, later becoming a no code Tech and meet every membership requirement we have ever had.

Last Update: Saturday - Febuary 06, 2010

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