The Tompkins County Amateur Radio Association (TCARA), formerly known as the Tompkins County Amateur Radio Club (TCARC), is the present-day incarnation of the original Ithaca Mike and Key Club that officially organized on October 2, 1935. Thirteen licensed amateurs and two prospective amateurs attended that first meeting. Most of the hams in the club had W8 prefix callsigns, because at that time the 8 region included much of New York state and Pennsylvania, in addition to Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan. Ham licenses in the U.S. weren’t broken out into 10 call areas until after World War II. Later when call sign regions were redrawn or added, prefixes were converted to the new call areas, and the FCC used the same suffix for people whose call area changed whenever possible. At that time there were about 50,000 amateurs nationwide. Club members provided valuable public service during emergencies and disasters even then, such as during the 1935 Ithaca flood when other sources of communication failed.
The club participated in Field Day beginning in 1937. There were 35 members of the club in 1938, some of whom were involved in investigating static that was interfering with local broadcast radio reception that was ultimately determined to be caused by a power leak from a utility station. That same year the club entered into affiliation with the American Emergency Corps, and the Electricians League of Ithaca donated two portable power units so the club would be fully outfitted to operate throughout an emergency wherever it might occur. The portable power units were gas engines with generators capable of up to 300 watts, and took two people to carry. These complemented the club’s two portable receivers and transmitters.
The Ithaca Journal featured a photo of the club in 1948, declaring “Television Reception is still in the future for most Ithacans, but members of the Ithaca Mike and Key Club occasionally get a look.” The club had successfully viewed signals from as far away as Schenectady, Buffalo, and New York City.
The Mike and Key Club held its regular meetings at the former Red Cross building on Clinton Street in downtown Ithaca, and at the NYSEG building, From the1940s-1980s, the club actively participated in Field Day as well assisting with communications during disasters and emergencies and was the focus of regular coverage by the newspaper and other area media.
The name was changed to TCARC, circa 1972. The club became an association with a name change to TCARA in 2014. The TCARA Call Sign, AF2A, was transferred to the club in lasting memory of one of the club's founders, Ray Reynolds.
Written by Luca Maurer KO2C, March 2026