DAREN of WV News June 7, 2015 (.B96)
WA8LLM (304) 679-3470 wa8llm@yahoo.com
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, P.O. BOX 3328, PARKERSBURG, WV 26103
http://www.wc8ec.com
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.com website.
Since I don't have any news this week, I thought I would give a little bit of the background of DAREN. After a disaster exercise on October 25, 1990, which used Packet Radio, several things were noted. The frequency that was used was too busy to support emergency communications. A group of Amateurs from Wood and Pleasants County sat down and discussed what needed to be done to correct the problem. It was decided that a Packet Network needed to be built that would only be used for Emergency, Priority, and NTS (National Traffic System) type traffic. The group chose the frequency of 145.69MHz, which was not being used, and started building the Digital Amateur Radio "Emergency" Network (DAREN). On January 19, 1991, the first DAREN stations went on the air. As the word spread Amateurs from all over the state started getting involved, and with the help of individuals and county, state, and federal agencies, the system began to grow. The system at one time had at least one major NODE/PBBS in 34 of the 55 counties. With that many stations, some of them with very high profile hills and mountains, at least 90 percent of the state had emergency packet radio coverage. As time went on, some stations disappeared do to equipment damage, and no money was available to replace the equipment. As some stations went off the air in one county, stations in other counties would be placed on the air. On October 31, 1991, a state wide DAREN check-in net started. The first net had 22 check-ins. As the net started getting popular, more stations started checking into the weekly net. At one time there was as many as 108 operators who checked into the net. In 1995 there was a suggestion from one of those who checked into the weekly of a way to show appreciation of those who participated in the net, and the DAREN system. Wood County Emergency Communications started printing, and mailing DAREN Net Check-in Certificates for those who checked into the net with a multiply of 50 times, which works out to be around one certificate a year. As the internet and cellular telephone services started getting more popular, interest in Packet Radio, and the DAREN system, started to drop. As more and more stations went off the air, it makes it harder and harder to work through the DAREN system. Some people would like to get the system back to where it was, but it takes Amateurs who have the interest and the equipment to keep it in operation. No one person has complete control of the system. It takes many people to keep the system in good working order, and available when it will be needed.
There were 45 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. Tom White, W3JTW, said his records showed that his 750th check-in was on May 23, 2015. Julie Paugh, KB3URS, who has been participating in the net since November 24, 2012, has completed 100 check-ins and will be receiving her certificate.