Welcome to the Home of the Desert R.A.T.S.
Weekly NET Mondays at 7:00 p.m. WD6RAT Repeater 146.94MHz – 107.2
Upcoming Meetings
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 16th at 7:00 p.m.
It will be a Zoom meeting – details will be sent out on Monday prior to the meeting.
Yaesu System Fusion & WIRES-X
Ken Wall KA6SUB “The Fusion Elmer Guy” will be presenting.
About Ken:
Ken started working with the Yaesu Fusion radios and repeaters after purchasing 2 DR-1X, 2 FTM-400D and 1 FT-1D radios in 2015, shortly after their release to market. His first Fusion repeater went on the air August 2016 in the Bakersfield, CA area and he is one of the 3 founding members of the Fusion repeater system that is made up of 15 repeaters around the US and Canada.
Ken will be sharing his experiences with Fusion /WIRES-X products.
Ken is retired lives with his wife in Northern California in the Sierras along I80. They are living in and working on an old house that was built in 1913 … were his dad was raised.
Ken has a YouTube channel. Check it out here.
Big Bear Mini Hamcation
The first annual Big Bear Mini Hamcation will be an amateur radio event taking place on April 26-28, 2024 at The Lodge at Big Bear Lake-A Holiday Inn Resort. The focus of the event will be an introduction to emergency communications, overcoming mic-fright, and getting outside to “play radio.” Separate Tech Talk breakout sessions will be held for more experienced ham radio operators.
Gordon West, author of the study materials used for the license exam, will present opening remarks with a welcome from ARRL Orange Section Manager/Section Emergency Coordinator Bob Turner. The Young Ladies Radio League will hold a meet and greet.
Some of the anticipated sessions include:
- Introduction to Emergency Communications
- Parks/Summits on the Air – How to POTA or SOTA
- Working Special Events to Prepare for Emergency Communications and Support the Community
- Portable and Mobile Antennas
- How to Contact DX and Intro to Contesting
- YLs (Women) in Ham Radio
Amateur radio exams will be offered by K6DDZ.com VE Team for anyone wishing to earn an FCC license which is required for all levels of ham radio.
Opportunities for POTA, SOTA and an off-road event called “I am Lost” will be available.
An outdoor display of various antennas and a demonstration of Amateur Television will be held.
Vendor space is available.
More details, including registration information is available here.
PAPA Palm Desert Luncheon: May 4
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Mega Cafe 78375 Varner Rd. Palm Desert, CA 92211 (760) 360-9045 |
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PAPA will be meeting in-person on Saturday May 4, 2024 at 11:00am at the Mega Cafe. Come on out for a chance to meet and visit with your on-air friends! |
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RATS In The News
The Desert RATS were recently featured in a Guardian newspaper article on Amateur Radio.
Our President Glenn WB6RLC and our Membership Manager Annie KJ6QWC were interviewed for an extensive article on various aspects of Ham Radio and its role in emergency communications.
The article appears here and has enjoyed global distribution.
Here is another enlightening interview with Glenn and FrankMorano:
Glenn was also interviewed on “The Roy Green Show” podcast here. Scroll down to the May 28th podcast with guest host Arlene Bynon. Glenn is the second guest – his segment begins about 15:45 into the podcast.
Other Resources
Remote Testing for amateur licensing is available from the Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group (GLAARG)
GLAARG is one of the 14 FCC-recognized Volunteer-Exam Coordinators conducting amateur radio exams. GLAARG is a VEC testing organization, not a radio club. Our exam fee is $10 for remote exams and $10 for in-person exams. Exam fees are waived for minors, students with a current ID, first responders, Active Military, Veterans, and GLAARG VEs upgrading to Extra.
For more information on times for the online testing please see the GLAARG website here.
Note that GLAARG also offers in-person testing when COVID regulations permit.
Other Testing and Learning Resources
Also, the ARRL is facilitating video supervised on-line examinations. This testing is made available by video from a number of Clubs.
For more information, the ARRL website for remote testing is available here.
The searching and scheduling page is available here.
Also, Marc – N9WIB has assembled a series of technician class license tutorials. There are 20 presentations covering all the topics related to getting your initial ham radio license and all are posted on YouTube. This content is free and open to all Amateur Radio Clubs to use as an educational tool. Links and further information are available on his website here.
Repeater News
RATS 2M Repeater
Our Yaesu DR-2X repeater has been returned to service.
For more information on our Wires-X and c4FM repeater modes, see out page here
The Desert RATS ARC Repeater Site Video
This video provides a look into the inner workings of our repeater installation on Edom Hill. All repeaters and the AREDN infrastructure are covered in the video, which is also available on YouTube here.
Members of the Desert RATS club try our best to live by this code at all times.
The Radio Amateur Is:
* CONSIDERATE…never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.
* LOYAL…offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally.
* PROGRESSIVE…with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and knowledge above reproach.
* FRIENDLY…slow and patient operating when requested; friendly
advise and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.
* BALANCED…radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.
* PATRIOTIC…station and skill always ready for service to country
and community.
Monthly Meetings
Please note we have suspended in-person meetings at this time. We will let you know when we resume.
Also note that our monthly meetings are still being held on Zoom – the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. To get notice of these meetings and the zoom information, sign up for our newsletter.
