History

2013

The Hampstead Hams was founded by Stan White, KI4NC, in May 2013. Stan was relatively new to the ham radio hobby but realized a need for an amateur radio club in Pender County, North Carolina. Being a resident of Hampstead, North Carolina, the grassroots effort started at home and the name Hampstead Hams was born. In June 2013, at an ARRL Field Day site in Wilmington, North Carolina, Stan met father and son, Mack Coleman, KK4IRV, and Lucas Coleman, KK4FVC. Ironically, the three soon found out they were neighbors and lived less than five miles from each other. Stan shared his intentions with the Hampstead Hams and Mack and Lucas joined the campaign to bring an amateur radio club to the Hampstead community. The trio began meeting monthly in July 2013, to share ideas, experiences, and knowledge. These were uncharted waters for them and they took great thought in how an amateur radio club should conduct itself within the community. Their design was meticulous and very detail-oriented, which took time to create.

2014

In May 2014, Frank Divinie, KO4FD, reached out to a small group of members. As a Hampstead resident, he was interested in joining the club. Frank attended the meeting in June 2014. The following month, the club conducted their first business meeting on a member’s porch. Four members were present at this meeting. Officers were elected and the club’s Constitution and By-Laws were signed and approved.

Throughout 2014, the club achieved several milestones. They were granted the club call sign, NC4PC, procured the frequency pair of 443.550/448.550 MHz, participated in their first public service event in Hampstead, conducted their first Ragchew Net, proctored their first VE exam session, and became an ARRL affiliated club.

2015

By 2015, the Hampstead Hams had momentum and a direct mail had helped drive membership and name association. The club launched their website; hampsteadhams.com, installed their first UHF repeater atop the Topsail fire tower, continued to grow the Ragchew Net, hosted their inaugural ARRL Field Day at Hampstead Kiwanis Park, hosted a Technician licensing class at the Pender County EOC, hosted Skywarn training at the Surf City Community Center, hosted an antenna build party, added two additional public service events; one in Burgaw and one in Surf City, proctored 6 VE exam sessions, and membership grew from 4 to 31 members.

2016

In 2016, the Hampstead Hams experienced exponential growth in many areas. Membership had reached outside of Hampstead, evenoutside of Pender County, and included members from New Hanover, Onslow, Duplin, and Orange counties. The weekly Ragchew Net had become an area favorite where check-ins averaged 15 each week. The club activated Moore’s Creek National Battlefield as part of ARRL’s National Parks On The Air (NPOTA), added an additional public service event in Surf City, hosted an antenna building event for membership and the community, participated in ARRL Field Day, were featured in 5 newspaper stories, proctored 6 VE exam sessions. Membership grew from 31 to 66 members.

2017

In four years, the Hampstead Hams had become well-known among amateur circles in and around Pender County. In 2017, a conscious effort was made to become more known in the community. Partnerships and friendships were forged with several businesses and non-profits. These relationships assisted with our fundraising efforts, led to community involvement during Field Day, and helped promote ham radio with speaking engagements at the local level. The weekly Ragchew Net surpassed 800 check-ins for the first time. The club hosted a Technician licensing class, Skywarn Spotter training, two antenna builds for members and guests, proctored 12 VE exam sessions, and participated in numerous public service events, Winter Field Day, and ARRL Field Day; where 65 were in attendance. Membership grew from 66 to 79 members.

2018-2019

Hampstead Hams continued to operate and support public service events, as well as added a yearly special event at the Topsail Island Missiles & More Museum onto the schedule. The club continued to maintain and make incremental updates to the 443.550 repeater and continued to host learning opportunities for the community.

2020-2021

The club managed to survive the struggles of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. Meetings were moved to a remote format, and the club members were able to participate in field day remotely from their own stations.

2022-2023

In the years after COVID-19, Hampstead Hams returned to in-person meetings and events, and VE testing resumed. Strides were made in continuing operations of the club, ensuring that as leadership moves in and out, the club can continue to operate seamlessly and in an organized manner. Meeting start times were moved back to make traveling to the meetings more convenient for those in Pender County and surrounding counties. The club set up its first VHF repeater, the 147.375 machine located in Burgaw, in 2022, and in 2023 the 443.550 and 147.375 repeaters were set up on a full-time link to ensure better coverage. Hampstead Hams celebrated the 10th anniversary of the club’s founding on May 11th.

Conclusion

From humble beginnings, the Hampstead Hams have now grown into an active membership; promoting amateur radio, providing a public service, and preserving the hobby of ham radio in and around Pender County, North Carolina.