DAREN of WV News January 31, 2016 (.C30)
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.
Not much has happened this week. The big snow storm seemed to have slowed down anything that was already going slow. I talked to Cappy Caplinger, WV8KDC, on the telephone again, and he was wondering if he made it into the State Wide DAREN Net yesterday. He was wondering since he has been having problems getting through the system. He isn't the only one that seemed to be having trouble getting into some of the NODEs. I notice the Wood County NODE/PBBS of WOODWV/PKBGWV is still having problems from time-to-time. The more reports I get from some of the DAREN users, the more I'm convinced that some of the problem is interfering signals. I'm beginning to think there might be a voice or digital repeater that may be transmitting a birdie on, or near, the 145.69 MHz frequency. Cappy said that he is going to open the Squelch on his Packet radio and start listening for any signals that might be causing interference.
The Wood County Emergency Communications group is already making plans for the activities they will be involved with this spring and summer. Along with all of the Road and Track Foot Race, the Mountain Bike race, the setting up their big canopies, and all the BINGO games, they are getting ready for Field Day. I've been trying to build a Wind Generator that I hope to use for Field Day. It's not going to be a great big one, just one that will generate enough electricity to make the five contacts needed to get the bonus points. I usually make all of the CW contacts on Field Day using my Solar Panels, but like every Field Day, I like to try something new.
It doesn't make much difference what the Ground Hog says on Tuesday, we will still have six more weeks of winter.
That's pretty much all that I have to report for this week. I you have anything that is going on in your area, let me know.
There were 39 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. Tom Di Bacco, AC8HQ, who has been participating in the net on and off since October 30, 1993, has completed 100 check-ins and will be receiving his certificate.