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, April 15 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.
A Note On Amateur Radio Newsline
For several years now, the Desert RATS have been broadcasting Amateur Radio Newsline on the RATS 2M repeater every Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. local time, immediately prior to our weekly NET.
Unfortunately, this task has fallen to only a couple of dedicated individuals (Mark KD6SEC and Earl, KJ6DQR), and recent calls for additional volunteers have not resulted in a sufficient response to warrant continuing this service.
Therefore, as of Monday March 24th, we have discontinued rebroadcasting Newsline.
For those of you who wish to continue listening to the broadcast it is available here. You can listen online or download as a podcast in Apple or Google formats.
Upcoming Events
Big Bear HamEscape April 25 – 27
Join us in Big Bear Lake, California for Big Bear HamEscapeTM. Escape to the forest, mountains and lake for a mini vacation for amateur radio enthusiasts.
Big Bear HamEscapeTM is filled with exciting activities, informative seminars, and great networking opportunities, all centered around amateur radio. The event will expand to accommodate twice the number of attendees from 2024 while maintaining the same intimate feel of the mountain venue.
Author Gordon West will be available for book signings. Young Ladies Radio League and ARRL/ARES will return as active participants as well.
The Holiday Inn Resort, located at the entrance to the Big Bear Lake Village, will once again host the Big Bear HamEscapeTM.
Upcoming event – PAPA Luncheon May 3rd
The PAPA Palm Desert Luncheon
PAPA will be meeting in person on Saturday May 3, 2025 at 11:00am at Denny’s Palm Desert:
42455 Washington St.
Palm Desert, CA 92211
(442) 227-2820
Ham License Testing @ 9:30am
We will have ham license testing for all license classes. Please email dkunz@sprintmail.com to sign up for the test session. Newly tested successful Technicians will receive a new HT Radio provided by the PAPA system and preprogrammed with PAPA and local repeaters.
Door Prizes!
Our PAPA Partners have agreed to support our Luncheons and Breakfasts with their products for door prizes. One winner will be able to select from five different prizes. The goal is to sell a minimum of $300 worth of tickets to cover the cost of the door prize and help raise funds for PAPA projects.
Please RSVP…
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.
