DAREN of WV News May 17, 2009 (.879)
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.
I was hoping to have more news this week, but I didn't want it to be bad news for a couple of DAREN stations. The tower site that houses the Ritchie County NODE/PBBS of RITCWV/HRVLWV took a direct lightening hit last Monday. The lightening destroyed two TNCs and the radio of the DAREN station, and the Wood County Emergency Communications voice repeater on 147.255 MHz. The second TNC of DAREN station was the one used for the Chatroom system, called "DAREN". I was able to put another DAREN station back on the air, but the Chatroom is no longer available. Maybe sometime in the future I'll be able to get the Chatroom in operation.
John Peterson, K8ZPR, told me on the West Virginia Fone Net last night that he was unable to connect into the State Wide DAREN Net through a couple of NODEs. I checked out the two NODEs he talked about, and saw the stations were okay. But, when I checked out the NCS radio, I found that it was no longer on the frequency of 145.69 MHz. During Saturday afternoon, a severe lightening storm went through the area and there was a near by lightening strike. It looked like it hadn't caused any problems, but something most have happened. I guess the nearby lightening strike somehow reset the State Wide DAREN Net NCS radio back to 145.000 MHz. After putting the radio back on the right frequency, the net went on like nothing had happened. I compared the main net check-in list with the backup list to make sure that I hadn't missed anyone.
Gene Roy, N8ER, sent me an E-Mail to tell me that Bud McDowell, W8OO, was okay, but that his packet station is down. He's trying to repair things and get something back on the air soon. He has two TNCs but just one radio. The radio transmits okay, but the TNCs doesn't seem to receive any data. He says the radio seems to receive well, so he doesn't know what the problem is. Hopefully we'll see Bud back on the air soon.
There were only 57 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. I figure a lot of operators went to the Dayton Hamfest. This is first time in many, many years that I didn't go. Paul Derosky, K8GLA, who's been participating in the net since September 6, 1997, has completed 550 check-ins and will be receiving his certificate. John Western, KC8ODI, needs only one more checkin to make 250. There was one new station that checked into the net this week and that was Tom Adsit, K8WDX, from Charles Town. Tom is the ARRL Emergency Coordinator in Jefferson County. I want to welcome Tom to the DAREN system, and hope he participates as often as possible. There was one station that checked into the net this week with the callsign of "TEST". The station checked into the net at 8:00pm last night. The station came from the East and went through the Randolph County NODE of RANDWV. If you checked into at about that time, don't see your callsign on this week's Net Announcement, and think the "TEST" callsign was yours, let me know so that I can update your check-in records. I won't let anyone know who it was. I just want to make sure you get credit for your participation.