DAREN of WV News October 17, 2010 (.953]
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.
Things sure have been quiet this week. The only thing that I can report on might be the band conditions. Last week I was having problems posting the State Wide DAREN Net Announcement and DAREN News around the state. I had several stations that took me a long time to get the items posted, or I couldn't get connected to at all. I tried to connect to some of them before I started typing up the News today, and I wasn't having very many problems. The good thing about having several NODEs on the DAREN system is the fact that you can connect to your destination by using different NODEs. When I post the News and Net Announcements I usually use the same NODEs each week. If any of the usual NODEs, that I connect through, are off the air, or I have trouble connecting to them, I just try a different path. There are times when I just can't connect to a station that I want, and I just have to let it go. The purpose of the State Wide DAREN Net each week to let you practice connecting to the Net Control Station by using different routes.
I tried to participate in the SET (Simulated Emergency Test) yesterday which was being held by the Kanawha Amateur Radio Club, and the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) in Charleston. I was going to pick up some radio messages using HF, but the operators were having some issues with their system. Before the exercise was over we were able to use one of the Kanawha/Cabell County 2 Meter Voice Repeaters to communicate on. The band changed too soon to pass any traffic. While they were planning for the exercise, they were thinking about using Packet Radio, but not enough operators who were involved in the exercise have enough Packet Radio experience. They are talking about holding a Packet Class; since several of them are ready to purchase whatever equipment they will need to get into Packet.
That's all that I have for this week. If your group held and SET you might drop me a message and let other operators know how it went.
There were only 51 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. My wife Dot Harris, KC8HAI, who's been working with Packet, and participating in the Net, since May 3, 1997, has completed 700 check-ins. Dick Wilt, K8TPH, who's been participating in the net, on and off since January 14, 1995, has completed 50 check-ins. Both of these operators will be receiving their certificates just as soon as I can get started printing them up. My Daughter Cathy Wotring, KC8DJJ, needs only one more check-in to make 750.