About Hamshack
Contribution to Amateur Radio in Canada
Hamshack.ca is an easy-to-use, free “buy and sell” site dedicated to amateur radio operators across Canada. The site was ‘hatched’ and initially offered to address the cancellation of in-person Amateur Radio “buy and sell” events as a result of the ongoing Covid19 pandemic.
Hamshack.ca has been designed to current web development standards and includes an intuitive user interface which makes it easy for users to add their listings. Hamshack.ca also incorporates powerful filtering and search tools making it easy for users to quickly locate listings and other content on the site.
Potential buyers can filter listings by category and location to dynamically display items matching the criteria entered. These features have made hamshack.ca extremely popular. Activity on the site has increased steadily since its launch in November 2020: hamshack.ca now averages about 12,000 views per week, with over 500 registered users.
Clubs Now Listed on Hamshack.ca
Hamshack has become more than a ham radio “buy and sell” site, and now also includes a Repository of Canadian amateur radio clubs. Use the Add Club Form to setup your Club events and activities, club meetings, repeater, and contact information. Each club’s hamshack.ca profile is linked to the club’s website eliminating the need to maintain information in multiple locations and ensures the information is always current.
Club buy and sell listings
Many clubs have also opted to display hamshack.ca “buy and sell” items listed for their specific location directly on their Club Listing page; this service eliminates the need for an organization to operate a dedicated ham radio buy and sell page on their website. For example, the Halifax and Moncton Amateur Radio Clubs have added “Buy and Sell” links on their websites, which direct users to their hamshack.ca pages, with all available listings for Atlantic Canada. This is a free service intended to help clubs reduce the cost and effort of maintaining their own website.
club emergency communications
The popularity of hamshack.ca has provided an opportunity to help promote the many services provided by amateur radio groups across Canada. Indeed, many clubs are active in the community providing a wide-range of services, including Emergency Communications support; many organizations have partnered with amateur radio groups to help provide communications and logistical support during emergencies.
The Club Listing Template was recently updated to include a section for club representatives to add information about their Emergency Communications capabilities, which helps to support these partnerships. The consolidated emergency communications information can be accessed by public and other entities for emergency planning purposes, and will also help showcase the public service activities of participating clubs.
Hamshack.ca is Growing!
Hamshack was originally launched as a temporary “buy and sell” website during the pandemic. However, the popularity of the site, and the addition of the new features, suggest that hamshack is here to stay. It is anticipated that:
- Activity on the site will continue to increase;
- Club Listing Emergency Communications information will be a useful resource for organizations adding amateur radio emergency communications to existing emergency plans; and
- Clubs will save time and money by using hamshack.ca as their buy and sell platform.
Watch for Hamshack.ca Version 2.0, which will include additional one-of-a-kind features and content suggested by users, making the site Canada’s one-stop Amateur Radio website.
Enjoy the site... 73 VE7DXE Don
Frequently asked questions
No! Hamshack is a free ham radio buy, sell and trade website which is offered to all licenced amateur radio operators free of charge.
First time users can sign-up and start selling in a few simple steps, after which you can use the My Account Dashboard to easily list items for sale.
Simply select My Listings to quickly add, edit or delete a listing. To start selling, select Add New Listing, choose the Type of listing, then select a ham radio Category that best-suits your ham radio item. Next add the listing Title, Price, ‘snappy’ Description which accurately describes your listing and includes keywords to help users find your item. After that, you can upload your ham radio gear images and also include a link to a video. Hamshack’s video link feature is popular among users wishing to demonstrate their ham radio gear in operation. Next, confirm your Contact information and submit your listing.
Hamshack.ca features effective search and filtering tools to help you easily find ham radio gear listed on the site. You can search and filter by various ham radio categories some of which include: ham radio Amplifiers, HF and VHF/UHF Antennas, Microphones, amateur radio HF VHF/UHF Transceivers, Power Meters and Tuners, and many more ham radio categories. You’ll even find a category dedicated to Vintage amateur radio gear! Hamshack’s filter by location feature is ‘handy’ – use it to quickly locate ham radio gear listed for sale in your specific region.
Users listing items on hamshack have ‘artistic licence’ to add item descriptions and upload photos as they feel appropriate. However, new listings are reviewed to ensure that they do not contain inappropriate content and to confirm that the listing owner is a licenced amateur radio operator. In some cases, listings may be accepted by users who are currently studying for their amateur radio licence.