D.A.R.E.N. News 2013

DAREN of WV News April 21, 2013(.A85)
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.

Not much to report this week, but here's what I have.  We had a lightning storm that went through the area this past week and we had a little bit of damage.  During the storm I saw a flash of lightening, and at the same time, heard the thunder, I was sure that it had hit one of the towers.  I lost at least a couple of TNCs on my main packet stations, the serial port, and the dial-up modem on my main computer.  The television went off and we couldn't get it come back on with the remote control.  I never tried the on/off button on the side of the TV.  I wasn't even sure that it had one, since we always use the remote.  I removed TV from the entertainment center and took it to the kitchen table.  When I plugged it back in, it seemed to come back on and work with the remote control.  I put it back in the entertainment center, and everything seemed to be fine.  A few days later I was talking to Opie Nutter, KC8ZBQ, who used to work on TVs for Sears.  He said that most TVs now have a reset when they are unplugged and plugged back in.  That may have been what happened.  I know that most of time when I'm working on electronic equipment, and have a problem, the first thing I do is to unplug the device, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in.  I have found that just turning something off and back on doesn't always work.  It's just something to keep in the back of your mind.

On Friday, the Mid-Ohio Health Department held a table-top exercise called "Operation Spring Storm."  A few of the members of Wood County Emergency Communications attended the exercise and help set up some of their equipment. The sign-in sheet for the exercise listed 101 people in attendance.  When I looked around the room, I could count at least 25 Amateur Radio operators who were there.  That's pretty good, having about a forth of the people with Amateur Radio licenses.

There were 45 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week.  Donnie Woodford, KC8YVR, who's been participating in the net since November 27, 2004, has completed 400 check-ins, and will be receiving her certificate.  Well, I finally got the certificates printed up for those who have been waiting for them.  All I need to do is get the labels printed, and they should go into the mail.  With any luck I will mail the certificates on Friday when I go to town unless, I go before then.  I want to thank all of those who participate in the State Wide DAREN Net, then have to wait for their certificates.