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Volunteer registration is now open for the Allianz Richmond Marathon, coming up on November 15. Our Public Service Team is looking for volunteers to provide communications from various points along the route. You do not need to be experienced operating at events to participate. We will pair you up with someone that is. Operating at events is fun, it gives us skills useful for operating in emergency communications and it shows our local community what we are capable of as radio amateurs.
Register online to volunteer with RATS and sign up for other public service event updates via email.
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 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.
Temporary WIRES-X Restriction on the 146.88 Repeater
Temporary WIRES-X Restriction on the 146.88 Repeater
WIRES-X services on the 146.88 repeater are temporarily restricted. Only connections to the VIRGINIA room (68927) are allowed at this time. Expect this restriction to remain in place through at least November 9. This is related to ongoing performance testing and diagnostics. Thank you for your patience.
You can receive repeater maintenance, outage, and configuration change notifications by signing up for our rats-repeater-announce mailing list.
New hams: Things to do while we wait for the FCC to reopen
New hams: Things to do while we wait for the FCC to reopen
If you've passed your test and are eagerly waiting for the FCC to reopen so they can process your application, here are a few things you can do to get started in ham radio right away:
► Listen to the local repeaters. You can hear ours online using free streaming from Broadcastify and Brandmeister. Or dust off that old scanner and program some local frequencies. Observe how things are done. Start jotting down names, call signs, and things you hear about that pique your interest. Check our list of nets for a schedule of these organized on-air meet-ups.
► Visit some clubs. Many offer online meetings so you can drop in from the convenience of home, and practically all clubs are delighted to have guests. Start meeting people, asking questions, and learning what you can. Most clubs don't require a membership just to attend a meeting or two, so feel free to drop in!
► Apply your knowledge. Use what you've got access to. A cheap CB radio or shortwave receiver provides a license-free route to experiment with basic HF antennas, and a way to observe the effects of propagation changes and different styles of antennas in airspace just outside the 10-meter ham band, which you'll soon be able to use. Train your ears on pulling voices out of the noise. Online SDR tuners are great for this, too.
► Start shopping. You don't need a license to purchase a radio or to put an antenna in the air. Listening is license-free, too. And most radios will let you lock out the PTT button either via menu option or through programming software, if you're concerned about accidental transmission -- we can help with that. Our Get on the Air page might be a good resource as you begin designing your station.
► Go on the air under a control operator. With some exceptions, just about anyone can operate a ham radio station under the direct supervision and control of another licensed ham. Come to a public club activity. Or, ask our Elmer team and we'll try to connect you with someone who can get you behind a microphone. You can use your own equipment for this, or someone else's.
► Keep studying. Glance back over the Technician manual to refresh your memory of key concepts -- a lot of this stuff doesn't stick in your memory until you actually start using it. Think about studying for the next license class, too. General is an easy upgrade from Technician, and it's even easier while the Tech concepts are fresh in your mind.
Check out the resources under the New Hams menu on this site.
Our club meets on the third Friday of each month via Zoom, and our Elmer team is available to help with technical questions and general advice as you get started in this hobby. We look forward to meeting you!
Ham Radio Exams and Licensing During the Government Shutdown
Ham Radio Exams and Licensing During the Government Shutdown
During the federal government shutdown, FCC licensing systems are not available. New applications, upgrades, and renewals are not currently being processed.
► Exams should be continuing as normal. Hams are required to have an FCC Registration Number (FRN) prior to their exam, but since the FCC is shut down it is not currently possible to register for one. Each Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) has their own workarounds for this issue. Find a test session on the ARRL website and contact your test administrator with any questions or concerns.
► New licenses will be held for future processing. Volunteer Examiners should be forwarding paperwork to their VEC, which will hold the applications for processing when the FCC resumes operations. Unfortunately, you will not be able to go on the air until the FCC is operational and your call sign appears in the Universal Licensing System (ULS), except under the direct supervision and control of another licensee.
► Upgrades are able to go on the air with new privileges immediately using a temporary call sign suffix -- /AG (spoken "stroke AG" or "temporary AG") for an upgrade to General, /AE for Extra. Continue this practice when operating outside the privileges of your prior license class until the FCC is open and your upgrade is reflected in the ULS.
► Expiring licenses will remain valid until the FCC resumes operations. No amateur licenses will expire during the shutdown. Once normal government operations resume, hams will have 24 hours to submit their renewal application and payment.
For more details see the ARRL, W5YI, and Laurel VEC websites.
Codeplug Conversion Service Now Available
Codeplug Conversion Service Now Available
The RATS Codeplug Project furnishes quality DMR codeplugs for a wide range of radios, and also provides basic troubleshooting assistance with radio programming. We offer DMRVA codeplugs for over 70 radio models from many popular manufacturers, and our 40+ best-supported models also have access to files for several surrounding DMR networks.
Unlike others in the area, we don't keep our codeplugs locked away, there's no lengthy wait for access approval, and we'll never charge you for files or support. All our files are built in-house to the same high quality standard, continuously updated as the DMRVA network evolves for a consistent user experience on every radio.
And now, if you're an active RATS member, you may be able to take advantage of our free conversion service. With your help, we'll translate our files to work with your radio, making it easier than ever to get on the air with RATS and DMRVA. Available for Motorola equipment and radios supported by the N0GSG DMR Contact Manager.
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.
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]
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