DAREN of WV News August 29, 2010 (.946]
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've received a message from Dick Wilt, K8TPH, telling about a Harrison County DAREN NODE/PBBS. Dick said the station is an Icom IC-2180H running about 50 watts into a vertical antenna up about 30 feet. The TNC is a Kantronics KPC- 9612 with 5k of memory in the PBBS. The NODE Alias is BGPTWV, and the PBBS Alias is BGPTES. The station has a good path to the Preston County NODE/PBBS of PRESWV/KINGWV. Dick said that he's going to leave the station up 24/7 to evaluate the system for any activity in the area. Dick is in the process of installing a dedicated antenna to be used on the system. He will have a computer connected to the station to make adjustments, checking mail on the PBBS, and for checking into the State Wide DAREN on Saturdays. He says he needs to take the station down on Tuesdays for participating in the local 2 Meter Net. Dick said he has a laptop computer that he will take with him to put the NODE in operation at the local Emergency Operations Center. The EOC has two verticals antennas up 40 feet with two VHF/UHF transceivers up and running. The EOC also has a working HF rig, and an 80 meter dipole, but there's no coax to it. He's been trying to get the EOC to install coax, but isn't having much luck. He thinks that in an emergency a 100 foot piece of coax could be ran out the door and up to the antenna.
Now that I've got a little bit of time, I have a couple of projects that needs to be completed. I need to print up the State Wide DAREN Net Check-in Certificates for those who have been waiting for them. The other project is the repairing of the tower that was damaged a few months ago when a tree came down across one of the guy wires. The tower was 110 feet, but it's only going to be 90 feet when I'm finished. I need to get it repaired before Winter.
There were 51 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Brent Hathaway, KD8GKR, who's been participating in the net since September 20, 2008, has completed 50 check-ins, and will be receiving his certificate. Lee Mairs, KM4YY, needs only one check-in to make 100.