DAREN of WV News October 6, 2019(E22)
(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 Statewide 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 to report this week. I did have a problem with one of the TNCs that I use for the Statewide DAREN Net this week. When I got home from the Volcano Days festival I noticed the station that I use to monitor the net had failed. The TNC was not monitoring and/or saving a copy of the net, and it had all kinds of garbage on the screen. I tried doing a hard reset, but that didn't work so I had to change out the TNC. The back-up station monitors, and saves a file of the net to make sure I don't miss or lose any contacts from the main Net Control Station. I've also been getting a tower prepared to go up. I have five sections of the tower cleaned and painted. I've marked off the area for the base and the anchors. I just need to get the holes dug and the concrete poured. I'd like to get at least the first five sections of tower in the air before the snow hits. The tower will be used as a back-up for the transmitters of some of the local voice repeaters and maybe a UHF repeater. I'm thinking about having DAREN Packet stations with 10 element beam antennas pointed in different directions for those who may not have a local station they can use to get into the DAREN system. There's a lot of ideas going on.
This Tuesday some of the local Amateurs will be providing the communications for some more High School/Middle School Cross Country races. The officials have ask us to bring a generator for the timing officials since the commercial power is having problems. It's little things like this lets the general public know that Amateur Radio, and Emergency Communicators are available and can help. Any time you or your group can provide something for the general public, or the Public Safety agencies, it makes Amateur Radio look a lot better. Don't forget the Parkersburg/Wood County Hamfest is this coming Saturday, October 12th. Come early and get breakfast. The doors will be open when ever you get there even if it's two o'clock in the morning. The first door prize drawing will be at 9:00 AM and every five minutes after that.
There were only 28 check-ins to the Statewide DAREN Net this week. Jackalynn Wolf, KC3LML, who has been participating in the net since June 2, 2018, has completed 50 check-ins and will be receiving her certificate.