DAREN of WV News April 20, 2014 (.B37)
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 got an E-Mail from Jim Woodford, KC8MLK, who said he is having trouble getting into a good NODE to get checked into the State Wide DAREN Net. He said that he is having receive noise problems. That reminded me of something that might be of some help. Most of the Kantronics TNCs have a command called "CD". The CD Command can be set to three different settings, Internal, External, or Software. The two most important settings are Internal and Software. When the CD Command is set to Internal the Modem in the TNC uses signals that are present on the frequency, normally energy type carrier signals. If the carrier signals are packet bursts the Modem decodes the information and allows you to read or save the information. If the carrier signals are just noise or static the modem is unable to decode any information. The Receive Signal Light (RCV) follows the carrier signals, whether it a true data signal, or just noise. When the CD Command is set to Software, the Modem in the TNC only detects true Packet Data and not noise. If your RCV light is flickering on and off, but you don't hear packet data, you might change the CD Command to SOFTWARE, and see if that helps. At some of my Remote Tower sites where there are several other radio systems, I use the SOFTWARE option, and leave the radio squelch open. It has helped at most of my NODEs.
Jim also said that he thanks Tim Davis, KC8TYK, for getting the Barbour County NODE/PBBS of BARBWV/PHILWV operational.
Sammy Mercer, N8SVX, and I plotted Line-of-Site paths between several tower sites last Tuesday. We have enough 2.4 GHz equipment to start putting together our HSMM-MESS system. He's coming out tomorrow and will play with the equipment. It's been about a year since we worked with their units, and that was before we found out that HSMM-MESS systems, for Amateur Radio use was being placed all over the United States. It looks like it might be a lot of fun. Amateur Radio is authorized to use Channels 1 through 6 of the 2.4 GHz Band that is used for about everything from WiFi to Cordless Telephones, and everything in between. The system may receive some interference, but I think it will still be worth the try.
There were 45 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week.