DAREN of WV News December 14, 2014 (.B71)
                   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.

So far I've heard from three Amateurs who would like to get a DAREN station back up and running in their counties.  We should have as many Amateurs as possible who want to place a DAREN station in their area.  If we apply for a grant, and are lucky enough to get it, we should put as many DAREN stations as possible in operation.  The Health Departments in the state are talking about putting a DAREN station in each of their offices, but it won't do them much good without a high profile, hilltop, or mountaintop station to get into the rest of the DAREN system.  It's hard to believe that at one time there were as many as 34 counties in the state, that had a high profile DAREN NODE/PBBS, and they covered almost 90 percent of the state.  But, there are only 15 to 17 stations and only about half or less of the state has access to the DAREN system.  When we lost the Pendleton County NODE/PBBS on the top of Spruce Knob, we lost all of the stations in the Eastern Panhandle along with a crossover link to the Virginia Digital Emergency Network (VDEN).  There has been a lot of hard work by a lot of Amateurs who have kept the DAREN system in operation since it was first started in July 1992.  If we can get a grant for 20 or 30 stations, and get some high profile stations back in operation, we can have 100 percent of the state covered.  Think about it, and pass the word to others so we can get started on the paperwork before it is due to be turned in.

There were 39 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net.  Ray Gorrell, WV8RG, needs only one more check-in to make 1050.  And, John Western, KC8ODI, needs only one more check-in to make 500.  I know I've been behind getting the certificates sent out to those who have been waiting, but it is getting closer.  I have been printing up the certificates and they should be going in the mail soon.

That's all I have for this week, but if you have something to pass on to others please let me know.