DAREN of WV News June 14, 2009 (.883)
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 feels strange being able to work on the DAREN News early this morning. The last few Sundays I've been either out of town or heading somewhere for the day and not been able to get the DAREN News started until late.
For the next couple of weeks I'll have my mind on Field Day and make sure all the equipment is put in one location so that I'll know where it's at. Our communications group here in Wood County will be operating under the Callsign of WC8EC. I think we will be operating class 5A. We don't try to be the top in our class; we use the Field Day activity to learn how to set up emergency stations, antennas, and other equipment to be used in actual emergencies and disaster. The Amateurs in the area can show up at the Field Day site on Friday to have any of their radio equipment modified with the Anderson Power Poles connectors to make all of the equipment universal. That way in an emergency it doesn't take time getting the equipment, that's brought to the disaster or event, connected to the power source.
Don't forget to send me an Official ARRL RADIOGRAM message during Field Day. It's good for an additional 100 bonus points. You can send Ann Rinehart, KA8ZGY, who's the ARRL Section Manager (SM), or myself, who's the ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), a message for 100 bonus points. The message must be sent during the Field Day activity. The message must be in the ARRL RADIOGRAM NTS (National Traffic System) format. Also if you have a portable Packet station set up for demonstration you can get an additional 100 bonus points. If you have a portable Packet station set up, take a few minutes to send the message via Packet and get the additional 100 points for the message. You can post the message on the Wood County PBBS of PKBGWV. I'll check the PBBS several times during Field Day. Keep a copy of the message to send in with your Field Day report.
There were only 55 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. The net gets a little light when the weather gets pretty after the rains stop. Everyone is ready to get outside and get caught up with their yards and gardens. I'll be doing that in just a little bit myself. I couldn't do anything yesterday since I was participating in an Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED class, and then for VE testing at the E-911 Center. There were two stations that only need one more check-in each to make 100, and they were Francis Fox, K8ATB, and Charlie Dotson, WB8NSL. Joe Forren, ND4B, needs only one more check-in to make 50. I should be caught up enough with some of my other work to get started on the certificates that some of the operators have been waiting for. Maybe I'll get them printed up this week including the ones that will be earning them next week, that way I won't be behind again for awhile.