Welcome to the Home of the Desert RATS
Welcome to the home of the Desert Radio Amateur Transmitting Society. We are located in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California and serve Amateur Radio operators in and around the Coachella Valley, including the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Coachella and Indio.
Upcoming Meetings
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 18th at 7:00 P.M.
It will be a Zoom meeting and the Zoom details will be sent out to the newsletter list on Monday prior to the event. If you would like to sign up for our newsletter, click here.
Program TBD
Upcoming Events
Club BBQ Picnic – March 22nd
Hamburgers, bratwurst, chips, and a drink will be free to all paid-up members and their immediate families. Additional food can be purchased for non-members. You do not need to be a member to attend – everyone is welcome. hamburgers, hot dogs and condiments will be provided. Annie will have the Membership table operating.
If you have any ham related equipment that will be of interest to our members (Go-Paks, Portable antennas, etc.) please feel free to bring them along.
Here are the details:
Where:
Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park
58075 Jefferson Street
La Quinta, CA 92253
When:
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Saturday, March 22nd
What to expect:
We will be at the Lake Cahuilla Veterans Park in La Quinta – same venue as last year. Food will be provided by Leons BBQ Grill & Catering (formally Grills Gone Wild).
Note there is a charge of $6 per person for access to the park.
**** Door Prizes ****
ARES To Start In-Person Meetings
Coachella Valley ARES will begin quarterly in-person training meetings beginning in March.
When:
Wednesday, March 19 2005
6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.
Where:
Community Room
33520 Date Palm Drive
Cathedral City, CA 92234
Phone: 760.328.4262
A Note on Amateur Radio License Testing
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 Resources
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.
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.
Here is a study aid for the web and smartphones available 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.
