DAREN of WV News July 3, 2011(.990)
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'm still trying to get the information on the operations of Echolink. I can give a short version of how Echolink works, but a lot more information is needed before you can use it. Echolink is a system that connects voice radio systems to the Internet. To use the system you must first know which voice radio systems are interfaced with the Internet. Voice radio system can be either HF, VHF, or UHF. Most of the Echolink systems are either VHF or UHF repeaters about anywhere in the world. Since you can talk about anywhere in the world via the Internet, voice radio systems anywhere in the world can be accessed from anywhere in the world. A voice radio system that has an interface with the Internet has an address, or NODE number. If you use your computer as a voice device, then all you need is the NODE number of the voice radio that you want to connect to. Echolink systems should be used with High Speed Internet systems. The only access that I have to the Internet is by dial-up telephone line, and my Internet speed is only about 50 kbs, which is not fast enough to use for voice communications. Since I have never used Echolink, I not an expert on how it operates. I just know the basics to the system, and that it can be done. As I find out how to use it, I'll put it here in the DAREN News. Echolink is an easy way for someone who doesn't have a VHF or UHF transceiver to get on the air. On VHF and UHF voice systems, the Echolink NODE don't have to be connected to a repeater. The NODE can be connected to a mobile or portable radio that uses a repeater. I would welcome information from anyone who has experence with Echolink. If you would like to write information, I'll put it here in the DAREN News.
There were 49 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Shaun Neidlinger, KB3CXQ, needs only one more check-in to make 50.