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

DAREN of WV News August 18, 2013(.B02)
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 been busy this past week with the Parkersburg Homecoming and Half Marathon.  Our Communications group, Wood County Emergency Communications, operated the BINGO games at the homecoming, and provided the safety communications for the Half Marathon.  The race official used our communications to set their stop watches at each of the 12 Mile Markers.  We used to spot the runners as they approached the finish line, and gave their numbers to the race announcer, but the officials now use an electronic system that reads the RFID Chip the runners have attached to them.  Our only jobs now is to help set the stop watches and keep a communication link with the race officials to make sure all of the runners are kept track of.  I spend several days taking our BINGO equipment to the homecoming area.  Our group has five trailers that transport the two 24 by 40 canopies, 150 chairs, and 36 tables. We use our communications trailer as an office for BINGO games.  We also have a trailer that stores the BINGO equipment and is used as a stage for the BINGO Caller.  We had a very good start for the homecoming.  On Friday and Saturday the weather was great, but on Sunday it stated raining in the early morning and rained about all day.  The rain Sunday was a killer for the homecoming and the BINGO games.  This week I will be busy bringing all of the trailers back to the storage area.

Because the ARRL State Radio Convention changed the weekend date a few years ago I haven't been able to attend it any more.  It now falls on the same weekend as the Parkersburg Homecoming.  I heard the event went very well, and the President of the ARRL was in attendance.  Maybe someday they will change the convention to a day that I can start attending again.

That's all I Have for this week.  If anyone has something they would like to share with the other Amateurs who reads the DAREN News, let me know so that I can put it in here.  Maybe in the next few weeks I can get around to some of the DAREN stations that need to be worked one, and get them back in service.

There were 45 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week.  Jeffrey Hensley, WD4VA, who's been participating in the net since August 27, 2011, has completed 100 check-ins, and will be receiving his certificate.  Joe Peterson, N8DSN, needs only one more check-in to make 950.  There was one new participant to the net this week, and that was Bret Ritchie, N8FXC, from Grantsville.  Bret has been working on the Calhoun County NODE/PBBS of CALHWV/GRNTWV.  The station has been moved to his house where the elevation is a lot higher.  The station is still under construction.  I have talked to Bret for many years, and have been able to talk to him on simplex from my house.  If everything goes well, I should be able to connect to the Calhoun County station direct from here in Wood County.