DAREN of WV News March 25, 2018 (.D42)
(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.
While trying to post the DAREN News and the State Wide DAREN Net Announcement on Thursday, I found the Randolph County NODE/PBBS was off the air. I got an E- Mail from Gene Roy, N8ER, giving me an update on the station. He said that RANDWV/ELKNWV went off the air last Saturday afternoon, the 17th. Zane Hammack, WV8ZH, went to the snow covered mountain and picked up the station. Morris (Mo) Kittle, AD8T, will get the station from Zane as soon as the roads are clear, he said there is a lot of snow up there. Gene and Mo will get the station fixed and take it back to Zane, for a trip back to the mountain. Gene doesn't know how long it will take to get the station back in operation. In the meantime several DAREN operators may not be able to make it into the system.
While I was at the Charleston Hamfest yesterday I ran into several DAREN Operators. I talked to Mike Talkington, N8FWD (old KC8FWD), for some time about the DAREN system and which of the stations that are down. While at the Hamfest Mike bought a couple Packets stations which included a couple Yeasu FT-1500's and Kantronics KPC-3 TNCs. He wants to get them on the air when he gets power supplies and antennas. He said he wants to get the Amateurs in Harrison County more interested in Packet Radio. He's hoping to put one of the stations on 145.01 MHz and one on 145.69 MHz. He said the stations won't be put on the air for a while. He needs to find a tower location to install the stations. Mike said that he can act as an alternate Net Control Station for the State Wide DAREN Net for those who can't make it into the regular NCS.
The Ritchie County NODE/PBBS of RITCWV/HRVLWV is acting up again. If you connect to it, and don't get a Command Prompt, it's best Digipeat through the the station. Digipeat through the station by digipeating through "RITCWV". With warmer weather coming I hope to make it to the tower site and correct the problem.
There were only 29 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. I'm sure the check-ins were down because the loss of the Randolph County NODE. I do want to thank everyone for trying to get into the net. I know it's hard to make it when one or more of our major NODEs are down, and we have to find a path around the system. If you tried to get into the net and couldn't do it, you might send me a message by E-Mail or Packet when the Randolph comes back up, and I'll give you the credit you deserve, even though you didn't make it.