Getting Help, Loaner Gear, and Other Useful Information
How to Get Help
PART members and friends who have questions about ham radio, whether technical, operating, or just getting started, can get help from PART members in several ways:
- Come to a PART meeting and ask our members. We meet on the third Tuesday of every month (except December) at the Cameron Senior Center, 20 Pleasant Street, Westford, MA, at 7:30 PM.
- Check in to our Sunday night 2-meter net and tell the club you have a question.
- Send an email to info@wb1gof.org and include the word "Question" in the subject line. We'll find someone to help you.
Loaner Equipment
PART has equipment for loan to members. This gear can help new hams get started or provide backups to experienced hams whose rigs are out for repair. Unless otherwise noted, gear is loaned out for three months and can be renewed month-by-month if no one else asks for it.
Loaner rigs include manuals and required interface and power cabling. HF rigs do not include antennas or coax. HT's do not include programming software or cabling; free programming software is available here. Links in the descriptions below go to user manuals or manufacturers' sites where user manuals can be downloaded.
Assistance with rig setup and programming is available from PART members and information will be provided when the equipment is loaned.
To borrow the equipment, send an email to info@wb1gof.org with the subject line: Loaner Equipment.
Loaner rigs include manuals and required interface and power cabling. HF rigs do not include antennas or coax. HT's do not include programming software or cabling; free programming software is available here. Links in the descriptions below go to user manuals or manufacturers' sites where user manuals can be downloaded.
Assistance with rig setup and programming is available from PART members and information will be provided when the equipment is loaned.
To borrow the equipment, send an email to info@wb1gof.org with the subject line: Loaner Equipment.
Description
Loaned To
Due Date
Antenna Analyzer: RigExpert AA-230 Zoom. The loan period on this antenna analyzer is two weeks.
KC1QPF
Now
Things Every Ham Should Do
Whether a brand-new ham or an "old timer," there are some things that every ham should do:
- You are an ARRL member, right? ARRL membership is one of the best bargains around — for just an annual membership fee, you get four magazines, technical assistance, spectrum protection, newsletter, W1AW broadcasts, contests, and a national organization that's ready to help you.
- Be sure your ARRL account info is correct so you can get all the benefits. Go to arrl.org and click on your name at the top of the page. On the page that opens, click on "My Account" and you'll see a page where you can update your info. Under "Communications" on the left side of the page, click on "Opt In/Opt Out" to select the newsletters you want to receive. Also under "Communications" click on the "Contact Information" button to go to the page where you can get email forwarding to [your call sign] @arrl.net.
- Update your QRZ.com webpage. Every ham has a page on QRZ.com that you can customize. On the QRZ.com homepage, click on the "help/register" link at the top and fill in the form. QRZ.com has several pages of instructions on how to customize your page, but as a minimum, be sure to update your personal info so other hams will know how to contact you and what your QSL info is. At the QRZ.com homepage, log on and click on your call sign at the upper right, then click on "Edit [your call sign]," The first selection on the next page is "Update your basic call sign data;" select that and fill in your data, including your email address.
