DAREN of WV News September 6, 2009 (.895)
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 received a telephone call from Bob Tuckerman, W3RUA, on Friday, and he gave me some information that's going to affect the DAREN system, especially the Eastern Panhandle. Bob said the tower on Spruce Know was put on the market for sell, and was purchased by someone in Eastern Panhandle. They were told that since the tower is located on the highest point in the state, that it could be used as a money maker, charging several dollars per foot of height. The West Virginia State Police have already removed their radio equipment from the tower and the Amateur Radio Two Meter voice repeater has either been removed, or is in the process of being removed. Gene Roy, N8ER, will be making a trip to the tower site in the next few days to remove the Pendleton County DAREN NODE/PBBS of PENDWV/FKLNWV. Bob told Gene not to worry about the antenna and coax that he would have them available when the station goes back on the air. Bob is planning to put the station back on a 911 tower which he has access to. The station may not have the coverage it does now, and some of the links into it may not be as good. The NODE/PBBS will be off the air for awhile. Bob will let us know when it comes back on. While the station is off the air the only path into the Berkeley County NODE/PBBS will be through the Mineral County NODE of MINEWV and maybe the Hampshire County NODE of HAMPWV. For a few weeks I was unable to connect to the Berkeley County PBBS of MRTNWV, but last week I posted the DAREN News and Net Announcement on it, so it most have been band conditions that I wasn't able to connect it.
Don't forget the Net Control Station for the State Wide DAREN Net on Saturday, September 26th, will be located in Preston County at the Buckwheat Festival in Kingwood. I'll remind everyone for the next couple of weeks.
There were only 54 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Jerry Arnold, NQ8B, who's been participating in the net since November 7, 1992, has completed 750 check-ins. Dave Wright, N8NWV, who's been participating in the net since March 26, 2005, has completed 200 check-ins. And, Tom Jones, N8NMA, who's been participating in the net since June 19, 1993, has completed 150 check-ins. All of these operators will be receiving their certificates. I didn't get started on the certificates like I had planned this week; I was getting ready for a couple of other activities. But, if everything goes good here in the next day or so, I will print up all of the certificates, and get them mailed out for those who have been waiting.