DAREN of WV News November 11, 2018(.D75)
(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.
Since this is Veterans Day, I want to thank all of those who served our county in the military.
Not much to report this week, I'm still trying to get things together to work on some of my DAREN stations that need to be put back on the air. If there are any Amateurs who still build or repair equipment, here is something that you may, or may not need, but it does work. Have you ever needed to remove solder from printed circuit boards while trying to remove components? For many years I have used a solder remover called "Dry Wick" solder sucker. I've used up most of my supply of Dry Wick and needed some more. Lately I've been making my own solder sucker. I use the braided shield from RG-58 or RG-59 coax cable to make the wick. Its best to use the shiny copper shield. After I remove the outside plastic covering and the center conductor from the coax, I flatten out the braided shield. Now comes the messy part. To make the braided shield draw the solder easier, I use regular soldering flux or paste, like the type used for plumbing. I smear the flux or paste on both sides of the wick. After working the flux or paste on and into the wick, I pass it over some heat to let the flux or paste melt and flow though out the wick. After using your homemade solder removing wick, be sure to wipe away any flux or paste that's left behind, off your board. The left behind flux or paste may cause a medium or high resistance conductivity, which may cause you problems. It may not be the best, but when you need to remove solder, it works great.
With the cold weather coming, now is the time start working, or at least thinking about your activities that will be coming up next season. Did you have any activities where you may have had problems that needs corrected? If so now is the time to think of how to correct them. If you made mistakes during any of your past activities make a note of them so you don't make the same mistakes in the future. Any activities that you participate in is just a learning experience for future events, and you don't want to make the same mistakes if it's a real emergency or disaster.
There were 35 check-ins to the State-Wide DAREN Net this week. Judy Peterson, N8UFQ, who has been participating in the net since October 31, 1992, has completed 1350 check-ins. And Julie Hartley, KB8SYE, who has been participating in the net since January 21, 1995, has completed 350 check-ins. Both of these operators will be receiving their certificates.