DAREN of WV News July 19, 2015(.C02)
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.
I got an E-Mail from Tom White, W3JTW, confirming what I had figured. The Mineral County NODE/PBBS of MINEWV/KEYSWV is off the air again. Those operators who use the Mineral County NODE need to look for other ways to get around that station, and into the rest of the DAREN system.
The deadline to send your Field Day Report to the ARRL is coming up. The deadline is July 28. I finally got the Wood County Emergency Communications report sent in. Even though Field Day is almost a year away, I'm already getting ready for it. I lets me get ready for any emergency or disaster that may show up before the next Field Day. I hope we never have a disaster that requires as much equipment at we use on Field Day weekend. If we ever have a large enough disaster that requires as much equipment, then it will be a bad disaster. Field Day does allow you to practice setting up antennas and stations in a way that could be used in a disaster. When a disaster hits, you can look back and say "we did a setup like this on a Field Day". Field Day is a good time to teach new Amateurs how to set up antennas, stations, and emergency power, and you get to do it in non-emergency manner.
Terry Mills, KC8TUE, wants to let everyone know that he is working on the Parkersburg/Wood County Hamfest. The Hamfest will be held on October 10th this year. Yesterday the WCEC group held a Summerfest activity. It wasn't a Hamfest, but it did have a lot of vendors who were selling arts and craft. The event was held at the Mineral Wells Community Building on Rt 14, about 2 miles from the Mineral Wells Exit 170 of I-77. While we were using the Community Building, we were able to discuss moving the Hamfest to the same location. One of the complaints that we keep hearing is the location of the Wood County 4-H Campground where we have been holding the Hamfest. The Community Building has a lot of Pros, and just a couple of Cons. We will be discussing it at the next WCEC Business. We may move the 2016 Parkersburg/Wood County Hamfest to the Mineral Wells Community Building, which is a lot closer to the Interstate. Terry said he will keep everyone posted.
There were 37 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. Frank Hughes, WD8DEP, who has been checking into the State Wide DAREN Net since November 20, 2015, has completed 500 check-ins, and will be receiving his certificate.