Welcome to the Central Virginia APRS community,

Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society(RATS) operates Virginia's largest APRS network, promoting fellowship, best-practices and support for emergency communications.

To ensure everyone has access to the network, and in keeping with good amateur practices, please follow these guidelines for APRS activity:

• Beaconing for mobile stations is 2+ minutes and 20-30+ minutes for fixed stations
• Use the minimum power to reach a digipeater, usually 10 watts in well covered areas, or occasionally 50 watts in remote/poorly covered areas.
• Keep your path to the minimum to reach an IGATE, "WIDE2-2" for Fixed Stations and "WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1" for Mobile Stations
  

RATS maintains this network through the support of our members, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management/ARCA and generous support from several commercial tower leasing companies. There is always room for more volunteers, more sites and more radios. Please consider supporting our efforts if you have the time and the resources.

Richmond's APRS network began almost 8 years ago with a digipeater in a hotel elevator shaft. Within the past two years the network has expanded to become the largest "single operator" network in the state.

Visit us on the web at APRS.RATS.NET, and please attend our monthly meetings at the West End Volunteer Rescue Squad, the 3rd Friday of every month at 7:30pm. Fill-out the sign-up sheet at aprs.rats.net to be informed of network changes, or if you would like to join the volunteer list.

Peter Martin

RATS APRS Coordinator / KF4VIZ / email: aprs@rats.net