DAREN of WV News May 16, 2021(F06)
(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 a E-Mail from Ted Jacobson in Athens, Ohio. Ted said that Packet Radio is alive and well in Ohio thanks to Randy Thomas, K8KHW. He said they are currently working on an interactive Google map for Ohio ARES District 9. The map will be used to (1) confirm active and reliable nodes and paths (2) easily visualize routing from "Point A to Point B" (3) assist newcomers, to Packet Radio, in effectively navigating the network (4) develop routing plans from District 9 into Central Ohio, and the Ohio State EOC, and (5) document Winlink on-ramps. Ted will be adding a DAREN link on the next draft of the map. Adding the link to the Ohio system will allow the DAREN system to have more coverage.
I also received an E-Mail from Jason Robinson, N3LSJ, about the Harrison County NODE/PBBS of HARRWV/CKBGWV. Jason said the station is operational and on the air. He said getting the system up and running had some hiccups and gremlins, but they figured them out. The station is currently running on BPQ software, but will be changing it out to a Kantronics KPC-3 Plus TNC in the next week or so. I think he will be changing it out because the BPQ software needs to run on a computer, which would need to be left on location. He said that everything is great at the YMCA location. Jason said the Harrison County station can connect to Tucker County station, and the Ritchie County station, which he couldn't do before. Now he's able to connect into the DAREN system from his house using as low as 1 Watt of power.
There were 36 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week.