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► Annual Board of Directors Election Update: Ballots and candidate biographies will be distributed between July 19 and July 30. Voting closes at 7:30 PM on August 15.

► June 2025 Member Survey Results are now available.

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 146.88, 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 only $1. 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.

Volunteers Needed for Ashland Half Marathon

Hanover County ARES is looking for ham radio volunteers for the Ashland Half Marathon, August 23. If you are interested in participating or for more information, contact Hanover County EC Sean Pyne W4BKR via email at sean.pyne@gmail.com.

SUMMERTHUNDER Simplex Event in Progress

The popular SUMMERTHUNDER simplex event runs the full length of July. This VHF/UHF simplex contest gives 1 point per station worked, per designated SUMMERTHUNDER frequency+mode, per day. FM, D-STAR, DMR, and C4FM contacts are all valid (work the same station on all four modes, earn 4 points). You can find more information about this event at hamactive.com.

If you’re a fan of simplex or want to brush up your skills, don’t forget about the RVA Simplex Net. This net meets the first Friday of each month at 7 PM, and the third Friday at 9 PM, on 146.490 FM.

Berryville Hamfest - August 3

The Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club will host the 74th annual Berryville Hamfest on Sunday, August 3 at the Clarke County Fairgrounds. That's at 890 West Main Street in Berryville, about two and a half hours north of Richmond.

Gates open at 6:00 AM, breakfast starts at 7, BBQ at 11, and great hamfest deals to be had all day long. Hamfest tickets are $10, children under 16 free.

For more information see https://svarc.us/hamfest/

DMR Codeplug Project Expansion

Our DMR Codeplug Project now includes support for the SCHEART DMR network in South Carolina. Our Specialty Codeplug collection has files for several surrounding DMR networks, usable with any radio supported by the N0GSG DMR Contact Manager application.

The RATS Codeplug Project furnishes quality DMR codeplugs for a wide range of radios, and also provides basic troubleshooting assistance with radio programming.

The website was updated recently to feature better navigation, making it easier than ever to find the right file and conversion instructions for your radio.

https://codeplugs.rats.net/ | codeplug-request@rats.net

DMR Users: Beware of commercial radio dealers and other unscrupulous individuals offering expensive codeplug design and programming. RATS codeplugs and programming support are FREE! [More Information]