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Upcoming Board Meeting: Our next board meeting is Wednesday, March 4th.
Upcoming Membership Meeting: Our next membership meeting is Friday, February 20th.
Founded in 1972, the Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society is an ARRL Affiliated general-interest ham radio club serving the Richmond Metro area. We operate the W4RAT 442.55 and 443.5875 MHz repeaters. Our club meets via Zoom on the third Friday of each month. Meetings are open to everyone -- you do not need to be a member of the club (or even a licensed ham) to join our meetings. Most of our activities are also open to the public. Our members participate in Field Day, the Virginia QSO Party, and a number of other activities in the area. We invite you to join us.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on furthering the art and science of amateur radio by encouraging those interested in electronics and communications to further their knowledge in those fields, promoting the utilization of the higher frequency bands allotted to amateur radio, and offering the use of our communications systems during emergencies and for disaster response. Learn more about RATS.
Need a license? See our Get Licensed page. Our friends at the Catastrophic Amateur Tactical Squad (CATS) offer monthly VE testing in Powhatan County.
Organizing a charity bike ride, marathon, or other special event? Ham radio can help. Contact Jim Rubin W4PKR for more information.
Special Offer for New Hams: Qualifying new members can join RATS for FREE. Open to amateurs of any license class who submit a membership application within 180 days of their initial FCC Technician license grant. Renews in October 2026 at the regular rate (currently $35/year). Online application, electronic billing, and enrollment in automatic dues renewal are required. Click here and select the New Ham Rate. Contact info@rats.net for additional information.
DMR Codeplug Refresh to DMRVA2.6 and New Tools for Anytone Users
DMR Codeplug Refresh to DMRVA2.6 and New Tools for Anytone Users
The RATS Codeplug Project recently refreshed the master codeplug files in the CS800D, CS750, and Moto440 series, adding two new repeaters: Norton/High Knob and Honaker/Big A Mountain. Several other minor changes are also included. These files align with the latest DMRVA talkgroup matrix. They're directly usable on CS800D, CS750, and XPR7550e radios, and can be converted to support dozens of other models using the free N0GSG DMR Contact Manager software or Motorola CPS 2.0.
We've identified a gap in N0GSG's support for newer Anytone radios and some older models when used with recent CPS versions. N0GSG may set an incorrect DMR Mode (DMO/simplex instead of Repeater mode) and it may leave the transmit color code value at a default of 0. RATS has produced a few web-based cleanup tools that will address these issues for owners of the Airiton DM-168, Anytone AT-D168, AT-D578UV III Plus, AT-D578UV III Pro, AT-D578 Pro, AT-D878UV II Plus, and Bridgecom Maverick. Find links in the Support Notes section under each model at codeplugs.rats.net > DMRVA Codeplugs > Find by Manufacturer. A pre-converted codeplug for the popular new Anytone AT-D168UV was also recently posted. This file doesn't require any special cleanup and is ready for use.
Additional updates to the DMRVA talkgroup matrix are expected this spring and our files will be revised accordingly.
Thank You, RATS Members!
Thank You, RATS Members!
It's a new era for RATS, and we couldn't have done it without the support of our members. Our club is growing, we're doing new things, and participation is at one of the highest levels we've seen in many years. Membership is up compared to the same time last year, and over 28% of RATS members are now involved in one of our committees, work groups, special projects, or on the Board of Directors! The members of our Elmer team and DMR Codeplug project have helped countless hams in the area with elmering and technical advice. Our Public Service Committee now organizes ham support for some of the largest events in our area. We've overhauled our meetings to focus more on the fun stuff our members want to see and less club business talk. And now, we've got a dedicated group organizing fun club activities and educational opportunities, with our new Activities Committee. We're thankful for the time, dedication, and financial support of our members and others in the community. Because of you, the future is bright at RATS. Thank you!
RATS offers Resources for New Hams
RATS offers Resources for New Hams
Group Mentoring for New Hams class starting soon. This beginner-level program is open to all amateurs regardless of license class or club membership. Sign up here for Group Mentoring Class
Questions, need help or answers about radio? We have 20 Elmers ready to help. Contact us at helpdesk@rats.net
Wakefield SKYWARN DMR Trial Run on 31516 - VA Peninsula
Wakefield SKYWARN DMR Trial Run on 31516 - VA Peninsula
Wakefield SKYWARN is experimenting with activations on the VA Peninsula DMR talkgroup when severe weather is expected to cover a significant portion of the Wakefield County Warning Area. This DMR net supplements the team's existing FM operations and provides a route into SKYWARN in areas not covered by existing official SKYWARN nets. The VA Peninsula talkgroup is carried on most DMRVA network repeaters and on Brandmeister. It's included in all current RATS codeplugs.
DMR operations are shown as Area 11 in the SKYWARN activation bulletins.
When participating in SKYWARN nets over the RATS DMR repeater, spotters are asked to leave the Piedmont link active only as long as necessary to relay your report to SKYWARN. Make your report, and either drop the link with Clear Timeslot, or allow it to drop naturally after 15 minutes. This will help keep the timeslot available for other system users. If you wish to monitor the net for an extended period please use a hotspot or the Brandmeister Hoseline.
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