- 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.
We Have A Simplex Net!
Don’t forget about weekly our Simplex Net run by Hugh KW5X. Here are the details:
When: Every Wednesday night at 7:30 local time
Where: 144.450MHZ Simplex
Upcoming Meetings
(A full calendar of events is available here)
Our next meeting will be on Saturday June 20th at 10:00 a.m.
It will be an in-person meeting. Note the time.
It will be held at the Thousand Palms Dennys Restaurant. (Denny’s 72244 Varner Rd. Thousand Palms 760-343-3739).
Digital Radio Choices
Our own Prez Don N1GAY and Vice Prez Rick N6PSP will present a vigorous discussion on the merits of different digital radio formats. Expect to cover the pros and cons of C4FM and DMR systems as they relate to system attributes, equipment availability, operational complexity and deployed infrastructure.
This will be a lively and interactive discussion discussion with plenty of time to answer questions in each of these digital formats.
Upcoming Events
Dayton HamVention
May 15 – 17, 2026
SEA-PAC 2026
June 5th – June 7th, 2026
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.
