BARA's Heritage

There is some evidence that the club's "date of birth" may be earlier that the 1919 we have traditionally used (see the following article.   Submitted as evidence, this page from QST December 1916.

History of BARA

While no specific information exists describing the earliest days of BARA, it is not hard to envision those early experimenters.  A couple of guys and gals gathering together to trade notes on their latest exploits, share some of the finer design points of their transmitters and receivers, or more likely, to complain about mutual interference.

I doubt that liability insurance or club bylaws were hot topics in those early days. There was most likely a sharing of new ideas, results of experiments and lots of loaning and trading of equipment.  Those early days of radio must have been something - a few interested people, a brand new technology, limited equipment, few sources of information, and certainly no Radio Shack Store at 'the mall'!

I do recall a display in the Roberson Carriage House, some thirty rears ago.   There was an obviously aged photograph of a group of Binghamton experimenters, all male, most all mustached, standing around a table on which there were a number of rectangular boxes.  Some with knobs and one which had a large protrusion that looked like a droopy dead sun flower.  Ah, the state of the art!

Early photographs and news articles exist that depict club dinners, hamfests and other events of the 1930's and 1940's.  Interest increased and the club was formally incorporated in 1956, Copies of those incorporation papers, many old photographs, and the programs from many of the 1930's BARA Bash dinners are contained in the club archives.

BARA celebrated a 50th anniversary in 1978 based on knowledge that the club was organized in 1928.  An arm patch was designed to commemorate the event.  The patch showed a tribander beam mounted on what appears to be an oil derrick structure.. This was actually one of three wooden towers that were in use at the time.  WB2GHH, the patch designer, still has the ONE that indicates "Amateur RADTIO"

Sometime after celebrating our 50th year, an old IRS tax exemption request form was located that indicated the club was formed in 1919.  Thus we celebrated our 75th anniversary in 1994.

(Contributed by Jack Connors WB2GHH)

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Quick Information

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BRAT Net

The Binghamton Radio Amateur Technical Net (BRAT Net) meets on the  WA2QEL 2M repeater, 146.820 -600, every Sunday evening at 8:00 PM. The purpose of the net is to ask and answer your technical questions, announce upcoming events, and chat with other club members. All hams within earshot are invited!

Our thanks to the Susquehanna Valley Amateur Radio Association (SVARA) for the use of the '82 repeater!

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Dues

Membership dues in BARA are $18/year for a single member, $27/year for a family (single address) Dues are payable each year in January.

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Library

The BARA Library - OK well its a big box.. We have technical manuals, ARRL publications, Callbooks, computer programs, and more.  These items are available for loan to any club member at any General Meeting.

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