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



  • 29 Mar 2024 8:00 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    Received from the folks at the Keeble Observatory at RMC:

    On Monday April 8th, from 2:00 - 4:30 PM, there will be a partial solar eclipse in Richmond.  Watch it with us at Randolph-Macon College!

    Coverage of the Sun will peak at about 3:15 PM with 83% coverage of the Sun, but you'll be able to see the Moon cutting across the Sun the whole time. We will be set up at the Randolph-Macon College soccer field with solar glasses, a telescope with a solar filter (you can see sunspots plus the eclipse, it's a nice telescope), demonstrations for creating a pinhole camera to see the Sun (you will need to bring your own cardboard box, like a cereal box), and some "eclipse" cookies and drinks (while supplies last!). Feel free to bring a lawn chair and camp out on the field for the eclipse.

    We will be set up at the soccer field on the North end of campus, not at the observatory. There is parking nearby. Parking can be accessed via W Patrick Street. A Google Maps view is here: https://imgur.com/eo8lchy

    We will post any updates or cancellations (if it's cloudy/rainy) on our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/keebleobservatory/.

    Note that this is only a partial eclipse and not a total eclipse, so the Sun will still be too bright to look at without proper eyewear! More information on the eclipse can be found here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/richmond?iso=20240408

    Randolph-Macon College is located in the town of Ashland, one mile west of I-95 on VA-54/England Street, I-95 exit 92B.  That's about 20 minutes north of Richmond.  The college, observatory, and soccer field are also an easy walk from the Ashland Amtrak station (ASD).

  • 17 Mar 2024 11:00 AM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    Intermittently over the last couple of years, several club members have let us know they aren't receiving email communications from the club, or that those messages were being redirected to their spam folder.  Some of these complaints have re-surfaced in recent weeks.

    RATS has implemented all currently available technologies to ensure our outbound emails are correctly classified by spam filters.  Notably, Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) are three widely supported standards supported on the RATS domains.  These were confirmed working as of 3/17/2024 on rats.net and members.rats.net (test results here and here) but messages coming out of our Wild Apricot membership management system may still be problematic due to continued defects in their email functions (test result here).  For our part, we've done what we can to ensure proper delivery.

    RATS respects member email opt-out requests submitted through the club's Wild Apricot membership portal.  Please do not mark club messages as spam.

    Members should check their spam folders for recent club messages and mark those messages as "not spam" where supported.  The proper marking of messages helps train many of the common spam filtering systems.

    Consider setting up filters to ensure messages from the club are always delivered to your email Inbox.  Here is a list of RATS email domains:

    • rats.net
    • members.rats.net
    • tech.rats.net
    • frostfest.com
    • rats.wildapricot.org

    Here are general email filter setup instructions for several popular email service providers used by our members:

    Club newsletters currently go out two to three times a month with meeting information and other topics of interest to the membership.  If you are a current RATS member and you have not been receiving these emails, check your email settings by signing in to your member profile.  Confirm that you have the right email address on file and that you have not opted out.

    Setting up filters now will ensure you receive renewal notices, payment and donation receipts, and a link to your ballot in the upcoming elections.

  • 16 Mar 2024 10:23 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    As of 10:00 PM Saturday evening, RATS has shut down the W4RAT VA QSO Party station at Laurel Park.  Equipment is being packed up and will be returned to storage.  We will not be reactivating this station tomorrow.

    The VA QSO Party continues until midnight tonight, and then 8 AM to 8 PM tomorrow.  You are encouraged to participate from home, in the car, or wherever you happen to be.

    Thank you to everyone who came out to join us today.  Special thanks to those who helped make this event possible through donations, setup/tear-down help, equipment transport, and planning.

    Currently, the next big club activity on our calendar is Summer Field Day at Laurel Park in late June.

  • 13 Mar 2024 5:00 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    The monthly RATS Membership Meeting is this Friday, March 15 at 7:30 PM on Zoom.

    Minutes for the last RATS meeting (February 16) have been posted to rats.net/minutes for membership review and approval at this week's meeting.

    If you missed last month's presentations on the Virginia QSO Party and QRP operations, you can find those videos at rats.net/minutes.  See Part 2 for the VA QSO Party, and Part 3 for QRP.

    This month we'll be discussing our upcoming club activity:  The Virginia QSO Party at Laurel Park.  We will also discuss the upcoming club elections and solicit volunteers for the Nominating Committee.

    Steve Crow KG4PEQ will give a presentation on various non-ham personal radio services.  In particular, we will take a look at the capabilities and benefits of the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) which has enjoyed a surge in popularity over the last few years.  And we'll briefly cover a few other Part 95 services you might want to include in your well-equipped communications toolbox.  There will be plenty of opportunity for Q&A after the meeting.

    The club is currently looking for presenters at the April meeting and beyond.  If there's some topic you'd like to talk about or a presenter you'd like to see, get in touch with our Program Committee, programs@rats.net.

  • 13 Mar 2024 5:00 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    The 2024 Virginia QSO Party will take place the weekend of March 16 & 17.

    VAQP is designed to promote amateur radio activity in Virginia's 95 counties and 38 independent cities.  This contest offers an abundance of certificates and plaques for operators of all skill levels and capabilities.  RATS has sponsored the Single Operator VHF Only plaque for many years.

    You'll find the full contest rules here.

    Weather permitting, we plan to put a radio or two on the air at Laurel Park in Henrico County.  We will be back at the same shelter we use for Summer Field Day every year.  RATS control operators will be on site for the entire event and the club's W4RAT call sign will be in use.  You do not need to be a ham and you don't need any particular class of license to participate under the direct supervision of one of our control operators.  Bring a friend!

    Activity timeline:

    • Saturday 3/16, 8:00 AM - Meet Technical Committee at the club storage unit near Chesterfield Town Center to pick up and transport radio equipment.  If you're available to assist, contact president@rats.net.
    • Saturday approx. 10:00 AM - Begin equipment setup and antenna-hanging at Laurel Park
    • After setup, and until midnight - VAQP operations
    • Sunday 3/17, 8:00 AM to no later than 2:00 PM - VAQP operations
    • Sunday by 2:00 PM - RATS activities end.  All equipment returns to storage.  We may end early, depending on turn-out and weather.
    • NOTE:  The QSO Party continues until 8:00 PM Sunday, so there's plenty of time to participate from home!

    Please note:  This is a low budget activity.  RATS is not providing food.  Covered picnic tables and a grill are available, and you're encouraged to bring your own food.  Numerous restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets are just a few minutes away.  Bottled water, coolers with ice, and basic grilling supplies will be provided.

    Here's a map showing where to park.


  • 13 Mar 2024 5:00 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    Received from RATS member Jim Rubin W4PKR:

    Saturday, April 20th, 2024 is the Ukrop's Monument 10K Race in Richmond, which we volunteered for the first time last year, supplying back-up communications support for race management (Sports Backers, Inc).

    There will be a need for as many as 18-20 operators. I am taking names and information for those interested now. You do not need to be experienced operating events to join, as race management has approved having new people pair up with our more experienced operators to see what takes place at these events.

    Volunteering for events is fun, it's a great way to give back to our community and it helps to hone our skills for operating under emergency conditions, should we ever be called to do so. Plus, it is a great way to show our community what we are capable of as hams.

    Please get in touch with me if you are interested in joining us for the race at my email below. In your email, please include your name, call sign, a cell phone number, what portable equipment you have and if you have prior experience operating at events. Thanks for volunteering!

    73,
    Jim Rubin, W4PKR
    jimrubin2010@gmail.com

    Please contact Jim if you are able to assist.

  • 13 Mar 2024 5:00 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    There are still a few seats left for the Richmond Amateur Radio Club's Extra Class License Prep Class.  If you're thinking about upgrading to Extra, this is a great opportunity to learn the material in a classroom setting where you can interact with others and ask questions.  This 6-week course will meet Tuesday nights from April 2 to May 7 at Bon Air United Methodist Church.  The registration deadline is March 22.  You can find more information and a registration link on the RARC web site at https://rarclub.net/license/class-schedules/

  • 13 Mar 2024 5:00 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    The Virginia Tech Amateur Radio Association will be on the air to celebrate their 100th anniversary from 2:00 PM local time Friday, March 15 through 2:00 PM Saturday, March 16.  You can find them on or around 7.150, 7.220, 14.256, and 14.340 MHz.  They are offering a VTARA QSL card for HF contacts.

    From their QRZ page:  "The Virginia Tech Amateur Radio Association is a student-run organization dedicated to advancing the amateur radio hobby in the Virginia Tech community. VTARA provides field communications, emergency communications, education, and volunteer testing services to the local community.  The origins of VTARA date back to 1913, but [it] was officially associated in 1922.  Our principle members are current students at Virginia Tech."

  • 13 Mar 2024 5:00 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    Every now and then, the club could really use the help of some folks with desktop publishing and/or graphics design background, such as postcards and other mailings, fliers/PDFs announcing club activities, outreach and promotional materials for Field Day and other club activities.  We're sure there are people in our club who are really good at this, and we'd like to know who you are.  If you can volunteer your time to produce something beyond the basic stuff we have been making in Microsoft Word and Windows Paint, please send a note to board@rats.net and let us know.  We don't need this very often, but it will be good to have a list of members who can help the next time the need arises.

  • 10 Feb 2024 6:13 PM | Steven Crow (Administrator)

    The monthly RATS Membership Meeting is this Friday, February 16 at 7:30 PM on Zoom.  All are welcome; you do not need to be a RATS member to attend our meetings.

    Minutes for the last RATS meeting (January 19) have been posted to rats.net/minutes for membership review and approval at this week's meeting.

    This month, we will have two special guest presentations.  Gordon Miller NQ4K of the Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC) will be speaking briefly about the upcoming Virginia QSO Party.  Then, Kevin Behn K0KLB of Ham Radio QRP - K0KLB on YouTube will join us to talk about QRP (low-power) operation.

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