Police Amateur Radio Team
of Westford, Massachusetts
An ARRL Special Service Club
WB1GOF
Our diverse membership has interests ranging from public service support and community outreach, to radio contesting, equipment construction, radio fox hunting, and more. In fact, it is the diversity of our interests that has kept the club strong and vibrant throughout its 45+ year run.
If you have an interest in ham radio but don't know how to get started, please join us at one of our club meetings, either in person, or online. To get on the invitation list for our meetings, including a link for the video-conference, just join our email group (instructions at the bottom of this page).
It's easy to become a PART member. Just scroll to the bottom of this page to the "Join PART" section and fill out an application.
Click on the menu tabs at the top of this page to learn more about us.
Club News
CW course starting soon! In preparation for Field Day, PART member Ryan, N1RL, is starting an online Zoom CW course. To participate in the course, you'll need to have a paddle, oscillator, and computer, and agree to practice 40 minutes a day. To sign up, fill out the enrollment form here.
The Introduction presentation given by Eastern Massachusetts Section Manager Jon, N1ILZ, at the February 21 PART meeting is posted in the Club Presentations tab.
Welcome to new PART members Allie, KC1SBR, of Littleton, MA, and Shawn, N1CVO, of Lowell, MA!
The Repeaters tab now shows a map of WB1GOF repeater coverage around New England.
Congratulations to PART member Niece, KA1ULN, on achieving a 35 word per minute (WPM) Certificate of Code Proficiency at the November 2022 ARRL code proficiency test! These tests are given several times a month from W1AW, and range from 10 to 40 WPM. A little practice and you can get one too! See QST for details.
PART has been awarded a grant of $22,000 by the ARRL Foundation for incorporation of amateur radio functionality into the Minecraft online game. Congratulations to Lucas, W1BTR, for leading this effort! Learn more about this project by visiting the Minecraft page on this site, and attend the January 17 PART meeting.
PART now has a "loaner rig" for use by members who want to try out HF. The rig consists of a Yaesu FT-897D transceiver, Astron SS-30 power supply, Signalink sound card interface, and an MFJ-944 antenna tuner. If you're interested in borrowing the rig, contact PART president George, K1IG here.
At the May 17, 2022 PART of Westford meeting, PART members Bob Glorioso, W1IS (left), and Bob Rose, KC1DSQ (not shown), received the March 2022 QST Cover Plaque award from New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC (right).
Club Meetings
Every Sunday 8 PM
146.955 (-) pl 74.4
Echolink: WB1GOF-R
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
WB1GOF Repeater Status
All repeaters are operational
Echolink is out of service
Join the WB1GOF D-Star users group here.
Join the WB1GOF DMR users group here.
Please send signal reports to repeater@wb1gof.org
Heavy Weather and Emergencies
For information on SkyWarn, click here.
Upcoming Events
The semi-annual QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo returns on March 25 - 26. This is a fantastic opportunity for all ham radio operators and enthusiasts to come together and enjoy a variety of presentations, exhibits, and networking opportunities – all from the comfort of your own home!
A highlight of the Expo will be a presentation by PART members Bob, W1IS, and Bob, KC1DSQ, on "How to Build Simple Wire Antennas for 15 Meters to 2 Meters and 70 Centimeters."
Tickets are on sale now. For more information and ticket sales, go to the registration site here.
During 2023 ARRL is sponsoring the Volunteers on the Air operating event. Similar to the ARRL Centennial event of 2014, you can get points for making QSOs with ARRL volunteers, including ARRL and division staffs, Volunteer Examiners, Diamond Club members and other ARRL members. Every week, there will be ARRL portable stations operating from a different state or US territory, so you've got many opportunities to work all states.
Details on the event can be found on the ARRL VOTA website here. The Volunteer Point Table is here, and the state activation table is here.
NEAR-FestXXXIII will be held on April 28-29, 2023, and not on its traditional date which always has been the first weekend in May every year since 2007. NEAR-Fest XXXIV scheduled for October 13th and 14th 2023 is NOT affected.
The annual Westford Apple Blossom Festival parade will be held on Saturday, May 13. PART always provides communications support for the parade, and this is a short, fun event, especially for new hams; all you need is a 2-meter handheld that can access the WB1GOF analog repeater. If you can help out, contact Terry, KA8SCP.
Online License Training & Testing
Several organizations now offer online testing for Amateur Radio license exams. Click on the links to these websites for details:
- New England Sci-Tech
- HamStudy has a listing of sites around America
- MIT Radio Society
- Billerica Amateur Radio Society
Join PART
Annual Dues
- Full member: $25.00
- Family membership: $30.00
- Full-time Student member under 25: Free
- Senior member (over 64): $15.00.
- Associate member (non-Hams only): $10.00
- First year free for anyone first licensed less than a year prior to joining!
Subscribe to PART Email
ARRL Membership & Renewal
PART Supports These Organizations
The Westford Food Pantry provides services for individuals and families in the local community and surrounding towns with emergency, short and long-term needs for quality fresh and dry foods along with personal care and household items. You can donate food at five drop-box locations in Westford and at the Food Pantry itself. For a location list, go here.
PO BOX 503
Westford, MA 01886
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