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) 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. To learn more about RATS, visit our web site at RATS.net.

Why donate?

Your donation helps support the operation of three wide-coverage repeaters serving thousands of licensed ham radio operators.  These operators volunteer their time, equipment, and skills to provide emergency and special event communications for organizations like the National Weather Service SKYWARN spotter network, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Amateur Radio Emergency Services, local marathons and bike rides, and much more.  Our repeaters provide reliable analog and digital voice communications across central Virginia and beyond, but they're expensive to maintain.

Your donation also helps support the club's other special activities such as our annual Field Day exercises in January and June, which put amateur radio on display for the general public to discover and explore.  Your donation supports outreach and support services for new hams, and helps cover other club expenses.

RATS, Inc. reserves the right to apply all donations as it deems appropriate. 

Donate Online with Zeffy

We've switched to Zeffy for donation payments because they give us 100% of the money you donate.  We think Zeffy is a better choice.

Click here to make a donation with Zeffy.  Zeffy uses a tip-like voluntary contribution system to fund its operation.  When you make a donation through Zeffy, they'll ask if you want "add a contribution to keep the platform we use 100% free."  This is completely optional.  We still get 100% of your donation no matter what.  Zeffy supports donation payments by credit card and ACH bank account withdrawals.

You can also mail us a check.

Or, support us through Employer Matching Gifts

Many major employers offer a matching gifts program which will match all or part of an employee's charitable donations, up to a set dollar amount, on a one-time or recurring basis.  As a 501c(3), the Richmond Amateur Telecommunications Society is eligible to receive donations and matching gifts through many of these programs.  The donation process typically needs to start with your employer or their designated system in order to be eligible for match.  Check with your employer for availability, terms, and conditions prior to making your donation directly with us.

Donations of Radios, Computers, Parts and other Used Equipment

At this time, RATS is not accepting donations of radios, computers, parts, and other used equipment.  Unfortunately, we do not have the manpower to sort through, price, and sell this type of stuff, and we're already sitting on a storage unit with a bunch of radios and other stuff that has been donated over the last few years.  Other clubs in our area may be interested.