DAREN of WV News March 28, 2010 (.924)
Kenneth Harris WA8LLM (304) 679-3470 wa8llm@yahoo.com
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
P.O. BOX 3328, PARKERSBURG, WV 26103
http://www.wc8ec.org
DAREN News, are articles and information about the Digital Amateur Radio "Emergency" Network of WV, which operates on 145.69 MHz. Anyone having any information about DAREN, or Amateur Radio in general, and would like to share it with others, may send it to WA8LLM @ PKBGWV on 145.69 MHz, or to my E-Mail: wa8llm@yahoo.com. A State Wide DAREN NET is operated every Saturday from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and lately, before and after those hours. The DAREN Net Announcement, showing the MAIN NCS, ALTERNATE NCS, NODEs accessible to both, and the previous week's check-ins, are posted by Thursday on most of the Main county DAREN PBBS'. The DAREN News can also be found on the wc8ec.org website.
I contacted Roy Humes (N8RH) last week about the Hancock County NODE/PBBS of HANCWV/WEIRWV being off the air. He sent me an E-Mail back saying that he would try to get up the tower site in the next few days. The site is only a few miles from his house. He said the owner of the tower site had been doing some work at the site and may have taken the station off the air for a while.
Vivian Arnold (KA8VAH) called me on the telephone last night to tell me that her and Jerry, NQ8B, had been trying to get connected into the State Wide DAREN Net all evening, and couldn't get checked in. They usually use the Ohio or Wetzel County NODEs to get into the system. They weren't able to connect to either one of the NODEs. They were going to try the Hancock County NODE, but I told them it was down. They are going to check out their station to see if might be the problem. It could have also been band conditions.
I talked to Tom Cooper (WV8TOM) the Tyler County Office of Emergency Services Director yesterday. Tom is trying to get the Amateur Radio Club more involved with the county Emergency Services. He wants to schedule a Packet Radio class as soon as he gets the coordination completed between the two groups.
Things are starting to get busy now that spring has arrived. The Wood County Emergency Communications group is going to be operating a Free Coffee Safety Break this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They will have their concession trailer set up at the Mineral Wells I-77 Southbound Rest Area. If you happen to be traveling South on I-77, stop in and say HI. Most of the operators of the Safety Break are Amateur Radio operators. Mineral Wells is just South of Parkersburg.
There were only 55 Check-ins. Judy Peterson, N8UFQ, who's been participating in the net since October 31, 1992, has completed 900 check-ins. John Johnston, KF8OM, who's been participating in the net since December 3, 1994, has completed 650 check-ins. And, Allen Poland Jr., K8AXW, who's been participating in the net since October 11, 2008, has completed 50 check-ins. All of these operators will be receiving their certificate. Robert Sellars, KB2FEL, needs only one more check-in to make 150.