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

DAREN of WV News September 29 2013(.B08)
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 news this week.  I've been busy this weekend at the Volcano Days festival at Mountwood Park.  The Wood County Emergency Communications group operated the BINGO games at the festival as a fund raising activity.  We stayed at the park over the weekend and had great weather.  I just got home a little bit ago and thought I'd better get started on the news.  I should have went to the Ritchie County NODE/PBBS of RITCWV/HRVLWV to see if I could get the Chat Room system back in operation since it was just up the road about a mile, but, I was busy and didn't get to go.  I'll just have to make a special trip to get it back in operation before the bad weather sits in.

The only reports about the DAREN system is the Pendleton County NODE/PBBS of PENDWV/FKLNWV, may be back on the air shortly.  Bob Tuckerman, W3RUA, is hoping to use a magnetic mount antenna as a temporary antenna at the tower site, until they can get some kind of base antenna mounted on the tower.

I've been invited to attend the LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) Meeting at Sisterville in Tyler County on Thursday.  While I'm that far north, and after the meeting, I may go on up to the Wetzel County NODE/PBBS of WETZWV/NMARWV, and see if I can get it back on the air.  That should get most of the DAREN stations in operation that I can take care of.

There were 44 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week.  Bill Bayless, KB8HEK, who's been participating in the net since February 27, 1993, has completed 550 check-ins.  Brad Carabine, KC8TYU, who's been participating in the net since October 19, 2002, has completed 500 check-ins.  And, Remington Sweitzer, KB3TXG, who's been participating in the net since October 2, 2010, has completed 150 check-ns.  All of these operators will be receiving their certificates.  There one was new operator who checked into the net this week, and that was Jim Snider, W8BS, from Belington.  I've know Jim for a long time since he used to live in Little Hocking, Ohio, before moving to Belington.  I want to welcome Jim to the DAREN system and hope he uses it, and participates in the weekly DAREN Net as often as he can.