DAREN of WV News February 7, 2021(E92)
(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.
Work has slowed down a lot on the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) HSMM (High Speed MultiMedia) system in Wood County due to the weather. We're not able to install any new stations until we can find locations. There are a couple AREDN stations that operate on solar power, but the batteries that we're using doesn't like to charge when the temperature gets down around freezing. It also doesn't help that the solar panels get covered with snow, and the sun doesn't shine for a few days. We are going to change out those batteries to lead/acid. The batteries need to be able to keep the nodes on the air for a few days until the sun can get them recharged. The nodes are designed to operate on 24 volts, but we have found they can operate on voltages as low as 8 or 9 volts, with no lowering of RF power. With that low of voltage, the nodes can be powered direct from a 12 volt battery. As we talk up the AREDN system, other Amateurs are getting interested in getting involved. Since the system is not in actual use yet, we're trying to get more paths, and add supporting systems that will be needed. Some of the Amateurs are wanting to add DAREN stations to the AREDN system so there will be more DAREN coverage in areas that doesn't have DAREN coverage. We held a one day Technician Amateur Radio class yesterday, so we didn't get to do any work, as planned, on the AREDN station which we installed on the roof of the Health Department last week. Since we're not getting as good a path as we had hoped, we're planning to install a 24 db dish pointed toward one of the main AREDN nodes. That should get that station into the system a lot better. With that station into the system better, it will allow some terminal stations in that area into the system.
There were 31 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. Michael Turner, K4MIC, who has been participating in the net since February 29, 2020, has completed 50 check-ins and will be receiving his certificate, as soon as I can get started printing the certificates for those who have been waiting for theirs.