DAREN of WV News December 20, 2015(.C24)
WA8LLM (304) 679-3470 wa8llm@yahoo.com
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, 319 COMMUNICATIONS DR, WAVERLY, WV 26184
www.wc8ec.com or 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 www.wc8ec.com and www.wc8ec.org websites.
This past week I was working with Randy Thomas, K8KHW. As you know Randy has a Winklink system that allows you send and receive E-Mail texts though the Internet. He has a lot of other features on his systems. Randy is trying to connect his systems to Lancaster, Ohio. He also has the frequency of 145.09 MHz that he wants to use. I have set up a 145.09 MHz NODE so that he can connect into one of the Ohio packet networks. I won't try to explain what all of the digital systems he has set up, since I don't know myself. One of these days I plan on meeting with Randy and have him explain what all he has. The best thing you can do right now is to connect into his system and look around. You can reach Randy's system be connecting to SEO via the Ritchie County NODE of RITCWV.
At a meeting in Jackson County this past week, I was able to pick up 15, 100 Watt Motorola radios that were taken out of service, due to the FCC Narrow Banding regulations. Plans are to have them re-programed to go on the Amateur frequencies. I will be using several of them to go on the DAREN system. I have a lot of work to do getting them ready for use. The radios were trunk mount radios with control heads and control cables. Plans are to mount the control heads and speakers on the top of the radios, and shorten the control cables from about 20 feet, down to about 16 inches. Then I need to work up an interface cable to go between the radio and the Packet TNC (Terminal Node Controller). If everything works out, I should have several DAREN stations to replace the ones that are having problems.
Speaking of problems, I noticed that last week while I was posting the DAREN News and State Wide DAREN Net Announcement, the Wood County NODE/PBBS WOODWV/PKBGWV seemed to be acting up. I was able to use it a couple times, but then it quit. A little later I was able to get into it again. This morning, the NODE/PBBS seems to be out of service. I will need to get a hold of Duane Jones, N8LDM, to get me into the county E-911 Transmitter building to look at the station. In the mean time I will put another NODE/PBBS on the air here at my house.
Wood County Emergency Communications and I want to wish everyone a Very Merry and Safe Christmas, and hope you get all of the toys you have been wishing for.
There were 37 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net.