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Desert RATS Newsletter
September 2026
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Presidents Message
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Last month I said that the really hot days might be over. Apparently I lied! Make sure you stay hydrated, and don’t forget to check in with our Monday Night Nets as well! Remember: regular participation in a net is the single most helpful thing that a ham can do to prepare for an emergency and/or learn how to use their radio. And it’s fun too! Remember that you can still check in on Mondays using Remote Hams if you are traveling or are a snowbird.
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If you are looking for used gear, talk to us. We have a storage unit filled with donated equipment and we get more all the time. We are working on a new inventory soon so we can make a list available to members. In the meantime, I am happy to meet people at our storage unit if you want to have a look, and I know that Glenn WB6RLC is happy to let you know what he may have recently acquired for the club.
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ARES News. I have been getting many inquiries lately about how to join ARES. Well, participate in our nets and activities, and you are a member! Our club website has an ARES page that will tell you everything you need to know about operations and training opportunities, and you can download the ARES Task Book and work on training that interests you independently. PRO TIP: Go to ARESDB.COM and register in the database (be sure you choose Coachella Valley ARES) so that you can receive emails and activation alerts.
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Riverside County RACES and the Riverside County Emergency Management Department have invited us to participate in a drill on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. We will participate in a simulated storm event by activating a resource and information net, passing some Winlink messages, and providing some damage assessment. More details to follow. We will also be providing communication support to the Veteran’s Day Parade on November 11 and the Parade of Lights on December 5.
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Looking Ahead. Keep an eye out for the new Go Box Challenge page on our website! We will be hosting this new event on Winter Field Day, Saturday January 23, 2027. Until then, we have a great line-up of speakers for our membership meetings in September and October, and our December meeting will be our holiday party!
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On Tuesday, September 15 at 7pm via ZOOM, we will have longtime EmComm expert Scott KC6SKM giving us a presentation on message-passing. Hams from Riverside County RACES will also be joining us for this training.
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Interested in MESHTASTIC or MESHCORE? Fredric Raab, KK6NOW, will convene a brief meeting on ZOOM following our September meeting for anyone interested in participating in a special interest group and/or helping to develop Meshtastic and Meshcore here in the Coachella Valley. You don’t need experience or equipment. If you are interested, please join us! Even beginners!
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Well RATS, thats about all I have for now. Till next time, keep your batteries charged and I will see you on the radio.
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September Meeting
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m.
It will be a Zoom meeting. Zoom details will be sent out on the Monday prior to the meeting. If you are new to Zoom, please log on a few minutes early and check your settings.
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Scott Morse KC6SKM will give a presentation on message passing for emergency communications. He will cover how to pass a voice message clearly and quickly and some ways to make the process better and faster
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Scott is an Amateur Extra and has been licensed for more than 20+ years. His main interest has always been in Emergency communication. Most of his licensed time has been in leadership roles as a volunteer in three different counties, where he has helped develop training.
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Scott has served in EOCs during Fires, Floods, Hurricanes, fiber optic cuts and more. He has also served as the ARES SEC (Section Emergency Coordinator) for both the Santa Clara Valley Section and the East Bay Section.
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Membership
We have several new members for August:
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Ron Wilson KO6OOG (Life Member)
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Please welcome them to the RATS!
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Interested In Digital Modes?
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If you are looking to learn about the various digital modes, we have the ideal place!
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There is a Digital NET hosted by Earl, KJ6DQR every Monday evening at 8:00 p.m. on our RATS analog 2M repeater: 146.940 – PL 107.2
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This NET is designed for beginners who want to learn (and practice) the emergency messaging formats, FLDIGI, slow scan TV and all other things digital. It's a friendly environment and a great place to learn and have your questions answered.
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Meshtastic SIG Forming
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We are forming a Meshtastic Special Interest Group.
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Following the main presentation at the September Zoom meeting, members interested in starting a Meshtastic / MeshCore Special Interest Group (SIG) are invited to stay on the call.
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Mesh networks are low power, low cost and potentially long range text messaging systems operating in the license free 915 MHz band. Fredric Raab KK6NOW will have a brief presentation on mesh networking, the state of mesh networks in the Coachella Valley and on the coast, and on the potential next steps to establish a mesh SIG.
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The SIG will be headed up by our own Frederic KK6NOW.
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The inaugural meeting will be immediately following the RATS September meeting on Tuesday, September 2nd.
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If you are interested, or simply want to learn more about Meshtastic and it’s capabilities, stick around after the meeting on Tuesday. Everyone is welcome.
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Go-Kit Challenge Announced
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We will be having a challenge to see who has the best portable Go-Kit in the Coachella Valley.
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The challenge will be held in association with our annual Winter Field Day observance at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Park in La Quinta on Saturday January 23rd 2027.
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We are announcing it now to allow time for you to design and build your award winning entries.
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All bands and all types of radios are permitted.
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More info is available here.
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WIRES-X - Need A Little Help?
Sometimes navigating the WIRES-X world can be a little confusing. Our Digital C4FM repeater on Edom Hill comes with full WIRES/X functionality and is capable of connecting to the global WIRES-X environment.
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This is accomplished by using a C4FM/WIRES-X capable radio, and the most common types are Yaesu’s FT-5D, FT-70D, FTM 510DR and FTM-400DR radios.
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To assist our members with activating the WIRES-X functionality we have uploaded the WIRES-X instruction manuals for these four types of radio to our Documents Page where they can be downloaded.
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A short video on FT-70 WIRES-X operations is also available here and here.
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A short video on FT-5D WIRES-X operations is here.
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A good PowerPoint introduction to WIRES-X is here.
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We have an excellent page dedicated to our C4FM/WIRES/X infrastructure here.
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Note: you must be a member and have an online account to access our Document Library page. If you are not a member, you can join up here. If you are a member and do not have an online account, you can get one here.
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Interesting New Software
(Thanks to our Prez, Don N1GAY for this lead)
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QSO One is a free Windows or Android (sorry – no Mac) amateur radio software client that connects multiple digital voice networks over the internet without requiring physical radio hardware, hotspots, or a Raspberry Pi.
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· AllStarLink: Connects via Node and Web Transceiver (WT) modes.
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· EchoLink: Includes direct connection and auto-proxy fallback.
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· DMR: Connects to BrandMeister, TGIF, and FreeDMR networks.
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· System Fusion: Supports YSF reflectors.
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· M17: Uses open-source Open Codec 2.
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· IAX Direct: Connects directly to host, port, and credentials for ASL3, HamVOIP, and ASL2.
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· Unified Interface: Uses the same control layout, PTT button, and station list across all networks.
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· Net Finder: Shows scheduled nets across networks with optional filters and reminders.
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· Logging & Tracking: Integrates with QRZ and HamQTH for contact details, live station maps, and callsign lookups.
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· Hardware Support: Supports Bluetooth, BLE, and PoC push-to-talk (PTT) hardware devices.
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· Platforms: Available for Windows and Android, with future support planned for iOS, macOS, and Linux.
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You can run more than one network at a time (e.g. YSF and Echolink), and logging is available as part of the app. Anyone can listen, however you will need a valid amateur radio license to transmit.
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The app is available from the Microsoft App store.
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QSO One page showing K6GAV connection to Kansas City Wide YSF Reflector.
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QSO One page showing K6GAV connection to KF6BM Palm Springs (Tram) Echolink node.
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Radio CodePlugs Now Available
One of the most common requests from new Hams (and beginners in general) is how do I get started with programming my new radio? In many cases, programming a new radio is an error prone and tedious business, and codeplugs provide a ready-made database that can be directly uploaded to the radio.
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We have implemented a page that has downloadable plugs for many of the most common radios (Beofeng, Icom, Yaesu). These contain many of the most common frequencies in use throughout the Coachella Valley and provide a ready-made source for getting started with a new radio.
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These plugs are available to Club Members on our new codeplugs page here.
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Note: you must be a member and have an online account to access our CodePlug Page. If you are not a member, you can join up here. If you are a member and do not have an online account, you can get one here.
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If you have additional codeplugs that you would like to contribute, please contact us here. We can support the following formats: Comma Delimited (.csv), tab delimited text (.txt), or RT Systems format.
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Thanks to Rick, N6PSP for getting us started with his codeplug contributions!
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Upcoming Events
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Desert RATS September Meeting
The August meeting will be in-person at the Thousand Palms Dennys on Saturday October 17th at 9:00 a.m.
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Frederic KK6NOW will give a presentation on "Aerospace Activities for Amateur Radio Operators and Others"
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PAPA Meeting October 3rd
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The PAPA Thousand Palms Breakfast
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Come on out and meet your on-air friends in person - You do not need to be a PAPA member to attend.
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Note: There will not be testing at this meeting.
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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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