Daren News (00-03-19)

=============================================================================== D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. March 19, 2000 (.401) 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'.

After writing 400 DAREN News, you would think I could at least get the date correct. Last week I dated the news as March 11, when it should have been the 12th. Oh well, It gave me something to write about. I talked to Tom, WW8D, on the West Virginia Fone Net Friday night and he asked me why the Weekly Net Announcement isn't posted every week on the Mercer County PBBS of BLFDWV. With the Wyoming County NODE, WYOMWV, out of commission it's sometimes hard to get from the Kanawha County NODE, KANAWV to BLFDWV. I some times post the net announcement during the day, and the Two Meter Band is not as good as it is at night, so I'm unable to connect to BLFDWV. Then I forget which PBBSs haven't got the net announcement. If anyone knows of a good location in Wyoming County, or any county, that doesn't have a DAREN NODE, they might let me know and I'll try to make contact with the Emergency Services Director, club, group, or other organization that might be willing to help support a NODE. There are still some places in West Virginia that have problems working through the DAREN system.

While at the Charleston Hamfest yesterday, I talked to Juddie, KC8CON. He was wondering when there would be an APRS Digipeater in Wood County. I let him know that as soon as the new 110 foot tower that I am putting up get done we should have one in operation. The new tower is replacing an old one that I took down a year ago, when it became to unsafe to be used. I told him about a tower site that still has a radio cabinet with power, and an antenna still in place in Wetzel County that we may also install an APRS Digipeater.

Next weekend the West Virginia K-9 Search and Rescue teams will be holding an exercise in Wood County. The exercise will run for 24 hours, starting at about 12:00 noon or Saturday March 25 and running to about 12:00 noon on Sunday March 26. We had plans of taking our mobile communications vehicle, MOBILCOM-1, to the Beckley Hamfest on Saturday, but the Search and Rescue team has asked our organization to help coordinate the communications for the exercise. There is supposed to be Dog Teams from all over West Virginia at the exercise. Juddie, KC8CON said he may have an ARES meeting sometime this Summer and that we can bring MOBILCOM-1 to it. Sorry we can't make it to the Hamfest.

There were 77 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Cathy, KC8DJJ who's been checking into the net since April 27, 1996 has completed 200 check- ins. Cal, W8WWF who's been checking into the net since June 29, 1996, and Dot, KC8HAI, who's been checking into the net since May 3, 1997 have completed 150 check-ins each. Arch, W8GWR who's been checking into the net since January 28, 1995 has completed 100 check-ins. All of the operators will be receiving their certificates. Ken, KA3SKW needs only one more check-in to make 300. Delmas, N8JYS and Vivian, KA8VAH need only one more check-in each to make 250. And Benjamin, N8XXA needs only one more check-in to make 150. There was one new callsign on the net this week and that was W8CEO. I figure it's a vanity call for one of the regular check-ins. As soon as I find out who it is I'll get the records corrected.

73 Ken WA8LLM ==============================================================================