Club logo.  A red circle containing a green map of the state of Virginia, the ARRL logo, and the text "Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society, Richmond, Virginia U.S.A."

Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society
W4RAT ยท Richmond, Virginia

An ARRL Affiliated Club Serving Central Virginia Since 1972



Welcome to the Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society

RATS 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) non-profit 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 2025 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.

On Saturday, September 21 the C4FM/WIRES-X service on the 442.55 repeater was moved to 146.88.  The 442.55 is now recommended as the primary RATS repeater for FM users.  See this page for additional information.

Repeater audio streams have moved to the Broadcastify network as of October 5.  Our Listen Online page has updated links.

Upcoming Events

Next Meetings

Our next big event:  Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, November 16, 2024 .. Watch for more information!

Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society, Inc. (RATS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. PO Box 70613, Henrico VA, 23255
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