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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.
Next RATS Event: Winter Field Day at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County, January 24 and 25. This event is open to the public. Watch for details!
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!
Check the RATS DMR Codeplug Project before you buy
Check the RATS DMR Codeplug Project before you buy
Looking at a new DMR transceiver as a gift for you or a friend? (Can I be your friend?) Before you buy, take a look at the list of radios supported by our DMR Codeplug Project. You will save yourself hours of programming effort by choosing a radio that we already have a codeplug for. The more green check marks you see, the better!
We've evaluated over 190 radios, focusing on the functionality of the programming software and cross-compatibility with other models. A depressing 48% of the DMR transceivers evaluated cannot be supported by our project due to significant defects or missing features in the programming software, and a third of those don't even have software available for download! Life's giving us all enough headaches as it is. Don't add to the frustration by picking a radio that's difficult or even impossible to program.
Our Codeplug Helpdesk is available to assist with programming challenges and other technical issues, even if you're not a RATS member. We don't make specific product recommendations or endorsements, but we can certainly help you narrow your choices based on radio features that are important to you. How can we help?
There will be no Board or Membership meetings in the month of December.
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
Santa Net Starts 11/27 on 3916 kHz
Santa Net Starts 11/27 on 3916 kHz
Share the magic of ham radio and Santa Claus with your children, grandchildren, and neighborhood kids. The Santa Net is held every evening between Thanksgiving and Christmas on 3916 kHz LSB at 8:00 PM Eastern time. Check-ins open a half-hour before.
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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