DAREN of WV News April 27, 2014 (.B38)
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 a little late getting the DAREN News started. I went to the Athens, OH, Hamfest today and picked up some things that I didn't think I could live without. I picked up some parts to help put the HSMM-MESS 2.4 GHz system together. I also picked up a used Laser Printer for making transparencies for making printed circuit boards.
Yesterday the Wood County Emergency Communications group provided the safety communications for a 10K Road Run held in Vienna. The race officials wanted the radio operators to double as time keepers at each of the mile markers, since they were having problems getting their own timers this year. Doing little things like that shows the public that we are more then just radio operators. For the last couple of years I have been designing a clock that can be used at race mile markers, so the runners can see it. I've changed the design several times, but I'm getting closer to having one built. If it works, I'm planning to have about 10 of them made, to be used at the Parkersburg Half Marathon which will be held in August. I'm hoping to have the prototype clock ready for the next Road Run, which will be held on Saturday, May 17th. I know you can buy the clocks, but they range anywhere from $400 to $1200. I don't have that kind of money, besides I like to build things, and I know I can build them a lot cheaper than that.
Don't forget the Jackson County Hamfest is next Sunday, May 3rd. The Hamfest is held at the Ripley middle School in Ripley, WV. Hope to see some of you there. Also while you're updating you calendar, place the Parkersburg/Wood County Hamfest on it. The Hamfest will be held on October 11th this year.
I guess I don't know my Kantronics TNC equipment very well. After I put in the DAREN News last about setting the "CD" Command to SOFTWARE, I got an E-Mail from Jim Woodford, KC8MLK, who said that he is using a Kantronics KAM-XL, and it doesn't have a SOFTWARE option. I'm going to try to come up with a different solution for his noise problem.
There were 44 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. Sammy Mercer, N8SVX, needs only one more check-in to make 200. There was one new check-in to net this week, and that was Carl Denbow, N8VZ, from Athens, OH. I want to welcome Carl to the DAREN system and hope he uses it as often as he can, and also participates in the State Wide DAREN Net every week.