About FARA

General Information

Welcome to the Framingham Amateur Radio Association

FARA was founded in 1933 and is one of the oldest ham-radio clubs in America.  FARA has a varied, dynamic group of people, including persons of all ages, interests, and experience. We are located in the City of Framingham, about 20 miles west of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. FARA sponsors a wide range of activities, from radio contests to our annual Field Day operations, and family social events.  We hope you’ll want to take advantage of them and we are open to additional ideas. Club meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month in the evening.  Some meetings may be hybrid, meaning on Zoom and in person, and will start at 7:00 pm at the main Framingham Public Library.   Most meetings include a short business section followed by a presentation. Be sure to check the “Upcoming Meetings” section of the “Club Activities “portion of our webpage before the meeting or check the email invitation to determine how the meeting will be held.

While we used to have a working “Ham Shack” in the basement of the Danforth building, in Framingham, that building has closed and we needed to move out. We still are searching for an alternative site to set up our radios, operate, teach about them and use if needed in an emergency for public service. Ideally we are looking for a few hundred feet of floor space with electric power in a room we can lock and with access to the roof for antenna placement. If you have have such space and are willing to allow us to set up basically at no cost, email us at contact@w1fy.org.

We participate in several radio contests each year, including Amateur Radio Field Day; and public service events such as the Boston Marathon. Club members also support ARES emergency operations during blizzards, hurricanes, and other times when amateur-radio services are needed. In addition, FARA holds licensing classes, other “continuing education” programs, and several exam sessions, as well as sponsoring a 2-meter repeater at 147.15 MHz.

Non-hams in the family can enjoy some of our activities as well, including a summer picnic, pizza parties, and annual dinner.

We are proud of the high level of participation and enthusiasm among our club members, and invite you to become involved and share your ideas. We hope you find your FARA membership to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Once again, welcome!

For further information about FARA,  you can reach us at: contact@w1fy.org

Framingham Amateur Radio Association