DAREN of WV News March 2, 2014 (.B30)
WA8LLM (304) 679-3470 wa8llm@yahoo.com
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, P.O. BOX 3328, PARKERSBURG, WV 26103
http://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 wc8ec.org website.
Things have sure been quiet lately, not much to write about. While I was posting the DAREN News and the Net Announcement around the state last week, I found a few PBBSs that I wasn't able to connect to. It may have been just band conditions since I'm sitting here working on the DAREN News, and waiting for a severe winter storm to arrive. We've been hearing that a major snow storm with six to nine inches of snow and the temperatures down into the single digits is coming. The storm is supposed to be here starting about 1:00am tomorrow morning. I've also been working on another NODE/PBBS to go to Wirt County. The one that is there has some kind of problem, and doesn't work right. I should have it in operation and ready to change out by the time I go to the Storm Spotters class in Elizabeth on March 14th. With any luck we should be able to start connecting into the Calhoun County NODE/PBBS of CALHWV/SPNCRWV, if it is still on the air.
I've been getting the information together to teach a one day Technician Radio class in Point Pleasant. While I'm down there I will try to talk to Matt Gregg, KD8OMT, about installing a DAREN station in Mason County. Matt is the new ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator for WV. Matt has said that he would like to have a packet station in his county.
I hope to see several of the DAREN operators at the Charleston Hamfest coming up on March 15th. I got ink for my printer and I should be able to start printing the DAREN Participation Certificates for those who have completed a multiply of 50 check-ins, and have been waiting for them.
There were 46 check-ins to the State Wide DAREN Net this week. Kendale Peterson, KD8QAK, who has been participating in the net, since April 23, 2011, has completed 150 check-ins, and will be receiving his certificate.