DAREN NEWS (00-01-23)

=============================================================================== D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. January 23, 2000 (.393) by Ken Harris WA8LLM (304) 679-3470 (HOME) or 428-9980 (WORK) WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, P.O. BOX 3328, PARKERSBURG, WV 26103 D.A.R.E.N. 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. A State Wide DAREN NET is operated every Saturday from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. DAREN NET Announcements, 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'.

A couple of weeks ago I made comments about stations giving up their license because of the way the FCC is restructuring the Amateur license. Chris, N3IWJ feels the same way I do about giving up a license, we've both worked too hard to give up something we enjoy too much. There are several Amateurs that got their license just to get on the Amateur bands and enjoy the hobby and to help their fellow man, if they can. Just because they may not be interested in increasing their code speed doesn't mean they aren't, or can't be good radio operators. So think it over before you make any rash statements about giving up your license, we all got our licenses easier then those who got their's before us. The FCC has just made it easier each time they made changes. Even IF they COULD drop the code requirement completely, the written, or should I say the multiple guess questions are still hard enough to keep those who aren't really interested in getting their license, out.

I got a message from Gene, N8ER about the Pendleton County NODE PENDWV. He has already talked to Rick, N8HON, the SYSOP of the NODE and he knows that it's down. Rick's not sure when he will be able to make it to the site, since it's on the highest mountain in the state and there is a lot of snow up there. Gene says that he has a spare radio and TNC in case Rick needs it, they are just hoping that it's not the antenna or feedline. The reason that we hold a weekly net is to find out what stations are in operation and to allow us to find alternate paths in case one does go inoperative. I still haven't made it to the Pleasants County site yet either to find out what it's problem is, but hope to make it as soon as we get a break in the weather and the snow.

For those who are authorized to operate on the 75 and 40 Meter HF Bands, and haven't been there for awhile or have never been there, Juddie, KC8CON who's the West Virginia Fone Net (WVFN) manager is looking for net control operators and alternates. The WVFN is a traffic and training net held daily at 6:00 pm for the purpose of passing messages into, out of, and within the state of West Virginia. The WVFN operates on 3865 kHz. Also there is a Midday net that operates daily on 40 meters for the same purpose. It is on 7235 kHz and starts at 11:45 am. If you are interested in helping with either of these nets check into them and tell the Net Control Station you would like to help.

There were 79 check-ins to this week's DAREN Net. Leo, WA8BMA, needs only one more check-in to make 250, Tom, KA8HAP, needs only one more check-in to make 200 and Don, N8QPW, needs only one more check-in to make 50. I want to welcome a first timer to the DAREN system and that is KB3EOA.

Ken WA8LLM @ PKBGWV
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