DAREN of WV News March 27, 2016(.C38)
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.
I received an E-Mail on Monday, March 21st, from Gene Roy, N8ER, about the Randolph County NODE/PBBS of RANDWV/ELKNWV. Roy wanted to let me know the station had been down since Friday, March 18th. He told me that Zane Hammack, WV8ZH, was out of town but wouldn't be back until yesterday. On Thursday, March 24th, Gene sent me another E-Mail saying the station came back up. He figures the station is going to need replaced shortly. I know what it's like having stations go off the air and then come back up without knowing why. It sure makes it interesting to have to find paths around the different NODEs to get to where you want to be. When you lose your regular path, you just have to work you way around the system. Even if you don't lose your regular path, it's still fun just finding different paths around the system.
I just wasn't having any luck with my homemade Wind Generator, so on Tuesday, March 21st, Sammy Mercer, N8SVX, and I ordered a couple 1700 Watt Wind Turbines. They were supposed to be here tomorrow, March 28th, but the arrived only two days later, on Thursday. The generators really look good. I just hope they work as good as they look. I'm going to use one of the turbines at the house, and the other one will be used with the Solar Panels for Field Day, and be used with the Wood County Emergency Communications emergency communications trailer. To learn how the Wind Turbines work, I'm going to install a 30 foot tower beside the house to mount one of the units on it. I'll give reports as the project continues.
There were 46 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. Ronald Whitehair, KD8YKQ, who's been participating in the net since May 10, 2014, has completed 50 check-ins, and will be receiving his certificate. Donnie Woodford, KC8YVR, needs only one more check-in to make 550, Sammy Mercer, N8SVX, needs only one more check-in to make 300, and Doug Cutlip, KC8AJH, needs only one more check-in to make 150.