DAREN of WV News September 27, 2015(.C12)
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 received an E-Mail from Jim Woodford, KC8MLK, this past week. Jim told me the Barbour County Area Amateur Radio Club did their annual civic event by helping provide the communications for the Barbour County Fair a couple weeks ago. The fair lasts for a week and members from the group are at the fair every evening and into the night. They use their communications trailer and are able to communicate with the Fair Security, Rescue Squads, and Fire Departments on non-Amateur frequencies. They use the Amateur frequencies for their own communications. Jim said they get pretty tired during the event, and I know what he means. Some of their other activities have fizzled out, such as the two Bike-A-Thons. He says the group still helps with communications during Trick-or-Treat in Philippi and Belington. They haven't done any VE Testing in several years. I want to thank Jim for the information that he has passed on. This is the kind of information that may give other groups ideas on how to use Amateur Radio to help the public and Public Safety agencies. Just because we have an Amateur Radio license doesn't mean that we can't operate on other frequencies using other radios to help the agencies that we work with, or for.
The Wood County Emergency Communications group spent the weekend at Mountwood Park during the Volcano Days festival. As usual it rained some of the time during the event, but didn't seem to spoil the fun. A few Amateurs stopped by and talked. The group operated the BINGO games and will be putting the money in the banks in the next couple of days. During the slow time at the event some of the members enjoyed walking through the old engine area and talking to some of the engine operators there. Others worked on the communications trailer, solar panels, and generators. Even operating BINGO games is practice for real emergencies and disasters. You would be surprised how it might help.
If you have any activities you would like to pass on to others, let me know.
Some time this coming week Terry Mils, KC8TUE, and I will be going to Columbus, Ohio, to pick up the Main Prizes, and some door prizes for the Parkersburg/Wood County Hamfest coming up on October 10th. The ARRL has already shipped out some door prizes, and should be here in a few days. Check out the website of: www.wc8ec.org or www.wc8ec.com Those wanting a free table at the hamfest should let us know at least a week ahead of time.
There were 32 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net again this week. Tiffany Cutlip, KC8PNI, needs only one more check-in to make 100.