June Meeting
Our next meeting will be on Saturday, June 20th at 10:00 a.m.
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It will be an in-person meeting. Note the Time.
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Digital Radio Choices
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Our own Prez Don N1GAY and Vice Prez Rick N6PSP will present a vigorous discussion on the merits of different digital radio formats.
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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.
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Membership
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We have a new member in May:
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Please welcome him to the RATS.
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Dues for 2026 are due. Besides PayPal or check, Zelle can now be used. It is also very helpful to fill out a membership form to confirm contact information. When using Zelle, please note your name and call in the notes.
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RATS Revised Constitution and Bylaws Adopted
At our March meeting, we adopted a revised Constitution and Bylaws for the RATS. A copy of the new document is available here:
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Here is a summary of the meeting:
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President Emeritus Glenn Morrison WB6RLC called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m. The meeting was conducted at the Rancho Mirage Observatory, located at the library (71-100 CA-111 Rancho Mirage).
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Attendees:
Approx. 21 attendees were present. This included 18 Club Members in good standing. A quorum was present (“15 or more members of good standing” per Article III, Section 5).
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Program:
Eric McLaughlin, astronomer for the Rancho Mirage Observatory gave a very informative presentation of the facilities, including a tour and a description of the sun tracking telescope, several other telescopes and the main CDK700 Telescope system.
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The main agenda item for the meeting was the adoption of the revised bylaws. Notices for adoption were circulated on several occasions previously, most recently on March 16th (see attachment). In addition, notices were circulated in the three previous monthly newsletters.
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A motion was made by Mark West KO6FMN, seconded by Scott Morse KC6SKM:
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“To adopt the revised bylaws as circulated most recently in the March 16th notice of revision”.
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Discussion
Club Secretary Gavin K6GAV presented a description of the changes and reasoning behind the changes.
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After discussion, the motion passed unanimously by those present. In addition, the Secretary was in possession of three written proxies in the affirmative. There were no proxies in the negative.
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The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.
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Respectfully Submitted
Gavin, K6GAV
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RATS At The Observatory
Our May meeting was conducted at the Rancho Mirage Observatory, located at the library.
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Eric McLaughlin, astronomer for the Rancho Mirage Observatory gave a very informative presentation on the facilities.
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This little known resource is adjacent to the Rancho Mirage library and conducts a range of informative gatherings that are open to the general public.
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More information on the Observatory and various programs are available here. (Note the lighting is actually red).
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Observatory Astronomer Eric McLaughlin giving a presentation on the sun facing telescope, including some interesting information on the sunspot cycle and magnetosphere characteristics.
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Some of the other telescopes used at the observatory
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Control system for the main telescope (on the right) and the weather forecast panel (left).
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Upcoming Events
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Desert RATS July Meeting
The July meeting will be in-person at the Thousand Palms Dennys on Saturday July 21st 10:00 a.m.
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As we are technically dark in July and August, this will be a social meeting. Hope to see you there!
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ARRL Summer Field Day
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ARRL Field Day is Saturday, June 27 and we will be conducting an Amateur Radio "open house" at the Cathedral City Library (same venue as last year).
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Field Day is ham radio’s annual “open house” and so we want to expose people to as much as we can about our hobby. We need volunteers to be those ambassadors. Want a table to show off your gear or do a demo on your favorite ham subject or just operate? Please let Don know.
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The official ARRL field day page is here. Official rules are here. There is a great article in the May 2026 QST magazine titled “Station Setup to Prevent Field Day RFI” (on page 37).
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Want To Know What's Happening?
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The best way to be fully informed about Amateur Radio activities here in the Coachella Valley is to tune into the RATS Monday Night Net.
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The net is conducted every Monday at 7:00 p.m. on the Edom Hill repeater (146.94 – 107.2) and features announcements about club and ARES activities.
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A Note on Amateur Radio Testing Resources
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Remote Testing for amateur licensing is available from the Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group (GLAARG)
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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.
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For more information on times for the online testing please see the GLAARG website here.
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Note that GLAARG also offers in-person testing when COVID regulations permit.
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Other Testing Resources
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The ARRL is facilitating video supervised on-line examinations. This testing is made available by video from a number of Clubs.
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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.
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ARRL Podcasts Schedule
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The On The AIR podcast is a monthly companion to On Air magazine, a magazine for beginner-to-intermediate ham radio operators, produced by the ARRL. The podcast and other interesting publications are available here.
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Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features.
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The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
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Club President: Don Stouder, N1GAY
Club Vice-President: Rick Lee - N6PSP
Club Treasurer: Jim Haggerty - KN6QLC
Club Secretary: Gavin Schutz – K6GAV
Directors
Guy Chabot - KS6F
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Mark Johnston - KD6SEC
Shane Meyer - KO6JGR
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President Emeritus: Glenn Morrison – WB6RLC
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Membership: Anne Larson - KJ6QWC
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