DAREN of WV News February 15, 2009 (.866)
Kenneth Harris WA8LLM (304) 679-3470 wa8llm@yahoo.com
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, P.O. BOX 3328, PARKERSBURG, WV 26103
http://www.wc8ec.com
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.com website.
Tammy McGinnis, KC8JKO, sent me an E-Mail, with information on the Doddridge County 2 Meter Voice Repeater. The repeater operates on the frequency of 146.955 MHz, with a negative offset and a PL Tone of 103.5 Hz. The main antenna for the repeater, which is a Station Master antenna, isn't installed yet. The repeater is using an omni directional antenna on the side of the tower. That antenna will be used for a DAREN Packet station as soon as the voice repeater antenna is installed. We will install the Station Master Antenna at its proper location when better weather gets here. The Doddridge County Amateur Radio Society (DCARS) is going to be starting a voice net on the repeater. The net will be operated on Wednesdays evenings at 8:00 pm. The purpose of the net is to practice emergency procedures and to see how far the repeater can be used. DCARS holds their monthly club meetings on the last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm, at the Doddridge County Senior Citizen Building in West Union.
With the National Weather Service issuing a High Wind WARNING on Wednesday for a large part of the state, I tried something that I hadn't done before... I sent out a BEACON via the DAREN system. The BEACON was transmitted every 30 minutes. I don't know how much of the state was covered by the BEACON, so if you happened to see it, you might let me know. Starting a few years ago I asked all of the System Operators of DAREN NODEs to make the "MYA" of their stations "DAREN". By making the "MYA" of the NODEs "DAREN" will allow BEACONS such as weather advisory or other emergency notice cover a large part of the state. This is how it works. You will put into the "BTEXT" of your TNC the information that you want to send out. Then you send out a BEACON using the command "BEACON EVERY 30" with the "UNPROTO" of "NET VIA DAREN,DAREN,DAREN". Every DAREN NODE that has the "MYA" set up as "DAREN" will relay the information. It is something like dropping a rock in a pool of water. The BEACON will spread throughout the DAREN system in just a matter of seconds, allowing anyone monitoring the system to see the information that is being transmitted. I hope this is clearer then mud. If you are the System Operator of a DAREN NODE please make the "MYA" of your NODE "DAREN". If you are not the System Operator of a DAREN NODE, but know who is, ask them to set up the "MYA" as "DAREN". It will help spread vital information throughout the whole state a lot easier and quicker.
There were 69 check-ins this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Bob Tuckerman, W3RUA, who's been participating in the net since December 18, 1993, has completed 700 check-ins and will be receiving his certificate in a few days. Larry Slagle, KB8CVP, needs only one more check-in to make 300. And, Donnie Woodford, KC8YVR, needs only one more check-in to make 200. I want to welcome Jeffery Minner, N8LHL, from Rockport, WV, back to the DAREN Net. Jeff has been missing from the net since October 22, 1994