Daren News (00-04-09)
=============================================================================== D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. April 9, 2000 (.404) 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'.

Due to some changing around of Public Safety antennas on the tower where the Wood County NODE/PBBS of WOODWV/PKBGWV is located, the DAREN station antenna is changing also. The antenna is still going to be a 4 pole Omni-directional antenna, but at a lower elevation, and on a leg of the tower which will let it favor more of the county. Only time will tell how the changing will effect it's performance. The change was necessary due to the installing of a new building on the site and the installation of new Public Safety radios in it. The NODE/PBBS will still have battery back-up. The batteries from the old building have been moved to the site which houses the Ritchie County NODE/PBBS, RITCWV/HRVLWV and the 147.255 mHz repeater.

I forgot to thank Dean, N8OLT a couple of weeks ago for posting the weekly net announcement on some of the PBBS' in the lower part of the state. From time to time I'm unable to make it into some of the NODEs down South and the State Wide DAREN net announcement doesn't get posted. If at any time anyone sees that the net announcement is where they think it should be, go ahead a post it, and I'll thank you for it. Thanks Dean.

I've been working with Charlie, KC8LPG on another tower site near the Wood County, Wirt County line. The elevation is 1120 feet and is open in all directions. We're getting ready to put up a 60 foot tower with a building on the land. The land belongs to another Amateur, Carl, but I can't remember his call, but it's a KA8 call. On the tower site Charlie wants to put a Two meter repeater, a 440 repeater, and a 6 Meter repeater, all of which have already been coordinated. On the same site our communications group, Wood County Emergency Communications, is going to put a remote receiver for the 147.255 mHz repeater and a DAREN NODE/PBBS. We haven't decided yet what to call the NODE, but the site is located on the Rockport TOPO map, but is located within a very short distance of the Wirt County line. The NODE/PBBS will either be called WOODWV-1/ROCKWV or WIRTWV/ELIZWV.

There were 73 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Bud, WA8FFG, who's been checking into the net since December 11, 1993 has completed 200 check-ins. Jerry, KC8HUP who's been checking into the net since April 17, 1999 has completed 50 check-ins. These operators will soon be receiving their certificates. David, KG8XR needs only one more check-into make 150. Even though the net was shut down, when I started working on the News this morning, I had seen where a new station, Irving, W3IWJ was trying to connect to the net at about 11:30 last night. I'm going to put Irving on the list as a new check- in and send him some information about the DAREN system and welcome him to the net. Even though the State Wide DAREN Net is scheduled to operate from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday Evenings, that doesn't mean it's the only time that it is in operation. The DAREN system, should be used to handle traffic so that everyone can stay familiar with it. Thanks Everyone
73 Ken WA8LLM ===============================================================================