DAREN of WV News March 8, 2009 (.869)
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.
It's that time again, to set your clocks ahead an hour. After you've set your clocks in the house, it's time to set the clocks in your Packet Radio Terminal NODE Controllers (TNC), both your home station and any remote, hilltop or mountaintop stations, both DAREN, and all other regular Packet stations. When changing the time in the Packet stations, it's a good time to give them a "RESET". It will help them operate better. The information given here is for most of the Kantronics TNCs, KPC-2, KPC-3, KPC-4, KPC-9612, KAM, KAM Plus, KAM- XL, KAM-98, etc. Not only is it a good time to reset the TNC, it's also a good time to do other things. For one thing, it's a good reminder to change the battery in your Smoke and CO Detectors. Here's how to change the time in your TNCs. If you're at the TNC just type the command "DA", <space>, followed by the two number year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. Example: the command for the date of March 8, 2009, at 2:00 am would be; DA 090308020000, and then press <enter>. If you're connecting to a remote station over the air, you must give your passcode. After you get the (prompt:) command, then do the "DA" command. After you finish setting the time, and get the (prompt:) command back, do a "RESET" command. Doing the "RESET" command may clear out some minor problems that have been building up for the last few months, or the last time you did it. I'm sure that you didn't get up at 2 o'clock this morning to set your clocks or TNC, so be sure to adjust the above procedure for the time that you do make the changes. While you're into your remote station, and if you haven't done so already, now would be a good time to change the "MYA" to "DAREN". I know there are still several remote stations that are using the same "MYA" ALIAS as their "MYN". I found that's it's not necessary to make the "MYA" and the "MYN" the same. By changing the "MYA" to "DAREN" you will allow any necessary or EMERGENCY BEACONs to cover the DAREN system a lot better. I did send out a weather beacon a couple of months ago to alert the state of a Winter Storm advisory by using the "MYA" for digipeating. I don't know how much of the state got covered, but it did go out. If you are going to Digipeat through the DAREN system, use the "MYN" of the remote stations, don't digipeat using the "DAREN" ALIAS, you would be surprised how many DAREN stations it ties up.
There were 58 check-ins this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Vivian Arnold, KA8VAH, who's been participating in the net since December 4, 1993, has completed 700 check-ins. Kevin Harris, KC8OXY, who's been participating in the net since July 1, 2000, has completed 450 check-ins. Robert Sellars, KB2FEL, who's been participating in the net since September 9, 2006, has completed 100 check-ins. These operators will be receiving their certificates. Bobby Wells, KB8TBF, needs only one more check-in to make 450. And, Russell Kirk, KC88RHO, needs only one more check-in to make 50