Police Amateur Radio Team
of Westford, Massachusetts
An ARRL Special Service Club
WB1GOF
Welcome to PART of Westford, an ARRL Special Service Amateur Radio club serving Eastern Massachusetts! We have monthly meetings, breakfasts, kit-building sessions, and many operating and social events throughout the year, and we welcome everyone with an interest in Amateur Radio, whether licensed or not.
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.
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
- The Western Mass Train and Test Group will be having a Technician Class License course beginning on October 29 on Zoom. The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 PM for 6 weeks. This is a free course, but students need to purchase the ARRL Technician Manual for a study guide. Email Ray Lajoie at ray.aa1se@gmail.com with questions. To register go to: https://forms.gle/DuvE1duskwLcJK8M6
- The slides presented at the October 2024 PART meeting on the "PART Improvement Program" are available in the Club Presentations tab.
- Several PART members did a POTA activation at Great Brook State Park in Carlisle, MA, on Monday, October 14, 2024. Shown above are Adam, AA1N, Niece, KA1ULN, and Matt, KC1UBH. Also participating were Andy, KB1OIQ, and Kevin, KC1TJE.
- After a recent PART breakfast, several club members went to a nearby state park and activated a Parks on the Air (POTA) station. Shown above is Michelle, KC1UML, making contacts.
- Welcome to new PART member Will, WJ1WJ, of Billerica!
- Welcome to new PART members Steven, AC1RZ, of Andover, Jim, AA1BA, of Cambridge, Steven, KC1UBT, of Andover, Michael, AB1HV, of Burlington, Ed, KC1UGK, of North Chelmsford, and Armand, KC1VFH, of Chelmsford!
- At the July PART meeting we reviewed the 2024 Field Day results and presented awards for the best DX. Shown in the photo above are Andy, KB1OIQ, and Chris, W1XG, who both contacted stations in Hawaii on CW. Since we operated QRP for this event, these contacts established both of them as members of the "1,000 Miles Per Watt" club. You can see the complete Field Day results here.
- Congratulations to Ginny, KC1TJE, on upgrading to General Class!
- Welcome to new PART members Alan, AC1QX, of Westford, Jeff, KC1QFD, of Acton, Michael, KC1UFQ, of Carlisle, Michelle, KC1UML, of Acton, and Rich, K1SIB, of Carlisle!
- Congratulations to PART member Wayne, AG1A, for achieving Worked All States (WAS) on satellite!
- In preparation for Field Day in June, 2024, PART recently conducted a CW course using the CWops curriculum. The photo above shows five of our graduates: Kevin, KC1TJD, Dom, AG8D, Andy, KB1OIQ, John, WB2OSZ, and CJ, NS1N. (Not shown: Ginny, KC1TJE) Congratulations to our new operators!
- The presentation on "SWR and Simple Antennas" given at the February 2024 PART meeting by Bob, W1IS, can be seen in the Club Presentations tab.
- In recognition of PART's performance over the last two years, and our potential in the years to come, we have again been named an ARRL Special Service Club! This designation is effective until December, 2025. Congratulations to all the PART members who contributed to this achievement!
- General information for PART members, including descriptions and availability of loaner gear, can now be found on the "Member Assistance" tab.
- Compliance with FCC RF exposure rules are now mandatory for all ham stations. It takes very little effort to evaluate your station; you can use the ARRL's RF Exposure Calculator for every frequency band, antennas, and the maximum power level to obtain a complete environmental analysis. See May 2023 QST, page 64, for more information.
PART member Bob, W1IS, has been interviewed on the QSO Today podcast for March 4, 2023. You can read the show notes and listen to the podcast here. QSO Today has interviewed three other PART members as well; click on the links to listen: Scott, NE1RD, Fred, AB1OC, and George, K1IG.
PART member Andy, KB1OIQ, has made a Hackaday video presentation about "Andy's Ham Radio Linux," a distro for Linux users that provides all the Linux software you need for a complete ham station. You can view it here.
The Repeaters tab now shows a map of WB1GOF repeater coverage around New England.
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.
Club Meetings
Weekly Two Meter Net
Every Sunday 8 PM
146.955 (-) pl 74.4
Echolink: WB1GOF-R
Every Sunday 8 PM
146.955 (-) pl 74.4
Echolink: WB1GOF-R
Monthly club meetings are conducted in-person at the Cameron Senior Center, and online via the Webex video conferencing system. A link for joining the meeting is sent to everyone on our email list a few days before the meeting. Join the list and attend a meeting no matter where you live!
Upcoming Meetings: .
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Phil Erickson, W1PJE, director of the MIT Haystack Observatory, will give a presentation on observatory operations.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Holiday dinner party!
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Phil Erickson, W1PJE, director of the MIT Haystack Observatory, will give a presentation on observatory operations.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Holiday dinner party!
Nightly 10 Meter Net
Every night (especially Wednesday) there's an informal rag-chew on 28.400 MHz SSB. If you don't hear anyone, put out a call and see who's there!
Every night (especially Wednesday) there's an informal rag-chew on 28.400 MHz SSB. If you don't hear anyone, put out a call and see who's there!
WB1GOF Repeater Status
There are three WB1GOF repeaters: a 2 meter analog repeater, and two D-Star repeaters. For full info on repeater frequencies, access, new antennas, and coverage, click here.
All repeaters are operational
Echolink is down
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
During periods of heavy weather (snowstorms, blizzards, hurricanes) and public emergencies, monitor the WB1GOF 2 meter analog repeater (146.955 -, pl 74.4) for information.
All hams are encouraged to get SKYWARN training. For information on SKYWARN and SKYWARN training, click here.
All hams are encouraged to get SKYWARN training. For information on SKYWARN and SKYWARN training, click here.
Upcoming Events
License Training & Testing
The ARRL Learning Center on YouTube now offers online training for the Technician class license. This series of videos features Dave Casler, KE0OG, QST’s “Ask Dave” columnist, who leads viewers through The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. These videos supplement the manual and provide an overview of the sections you’ll be studying, along with a few videos on how things work. The Technician training videos are available here.
Several organizations offer both in-person and online testing for Amateur Radio license exams. Click on the links to these websites for details:
Several organizations offer both in-person and online testing for Amateur Radio license exams. Click on the links to these websites for details:
- HamStudy has a listing of sites around America
- WM7X offers online testing
- MIT Radio Society offers in-person and online testing
- Billerica Amateur Radio Society offers in-person testing
- MMRA offers in-person testing at several locations in Marlborough
Join PART
Would you like to become a member of PART? You can fill out the application and mail it to: PART of Westford, PO Box 503, Westford, MA 01886, or you can join at any PART club meeting.
Annual Dues
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
PART uses Groups.io for club email and notifications. Groups.io gives us a lot of capability to manage email to members, and additionally provides space for files, photos, and even a wiki. Signing up and using the system is easy; go here and request to join. Be sure to put your call sign on the request to join.
ARRL Membership & Renewal
Does your ARRL membership expire in the next three months, or are you interested in joining ARRL (The National Association for Amateur Radio) and getting all the benefits? If so, fill out this application and bring it to the next PART meeting along with your ARRL dues payment. Joining ARRL or renewing ARRL membership through PART helps support our club.
PART Supports These Organizations
Westford Food Panty
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.
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.
Do you want to get an Amateur Radio license and participate in the world's greatest hobby? The American Radio Relay League licensing website is the place to start (click here), then come to a PART club meeting to get more information!
PART of Westford
PO BOX 503
Westford, MA 01886
PO BOX 503
Westford, MA 01886
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