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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. January 5, 1997 (.234)
by Ken Harris WA8LLM (304) 679-3470 (HOME) or 485-3828 (EOC)
WOOD COUNTY RACES, 1810 STAUNTON AVE., PARKERSBURG, WV 26101
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
information about the network, they would like to share with others, may send
it to WA8LLM @ PKBGWV on 145.69 Mhz. Outside the DAREN system, on the Nation
Wide BBS System, it may be sent to WA8LLM @ WA8OMR.WV.USA.NA. D.A.R.E.N. NEWS
of WV is posted on several High Memory DAREN PBBS', and on the regular BBS
system @ ALLWV. A State Wide DAREN NET is held 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 PBBS'.
I hope everyone had a good and safe beginning of the New Year.
I notice the ARRL isn't going to publish any Digital Networks in this year's
Annual Repeater Directory. They are now going to work with the Tucson Amateur
Packet Radio organization (TAPR) to have the Digital Networks on the Internet.
Bill, N8JXO has already made contact on the Internet to start listing all of
the DAREN NODEs, DIGIs, and PBBSs. He is waiting for a letter from the
organization on the proper format of the information so we can submit the
DAREN information. If we get the format information in the next couple weeks,
I'll be asking for additional information about each of the DAREN stations so
we can submit it to TAPR.
The Fayetteville HAMFEST will be held on Sunday, February 23, 1997 at the
Fayetteville High School, in Fayetteville, WV. VE exams will also be
available.
I talked to Bob, W3RUA on the telephone the other day and he was hoping to get
the new antenna for the Pendleton County NODE/PBBS, PENDWV/FKLNWV mounted this
weekend. I haven't seen any message saying he got it done, so he may get it
done today or have to wait for another pretty day.
Don't forget the PARC Net which is held every Thursday on 145.09 Mhz. If you
can find a path to the NODE "PARC", from there connect to "NET". Juddie posts
a list of those who check into the net every week. He told me that for every
25 check-ins he will be issuing a certificate.
I notice that Terry, KB8EIR has posted a message on ELKNWV about not listing
Buy, Sale, and Trade items on the PBBSs. It's up to every SYSOP on the DAREN
system to make sure that their DAREN PBBS is keep free of traffic that will
congest our emergency network. Every message that is sent on DAREN doesn't
have to be so formal that it's hard to use. Just use the system for
information that you feel is important. There are other regular BBSs that are
designed to handle regular, every day messages, such as Buy, Sale and Trade.
We just want to be sure that DAREN doesn't get abused, and that it will be
available when we need to use it. Thanks Terry.
There were 97 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. One station,
KB8KKV has checked into the net a total of 100 times and will be getting
another certificate. Rich, KA8UEU needs only one more net to make his 150th
check-in. There was one new check-in to the net and that was N8MEV. I want
to welcome Joe to the DAREN system. By the way if any of the MARS operators
happen to forget to change their call from their MARS callsign back to their
Amateur callsign and check into the net, let me know so I can give you credit
on the Net Check-in Records. 73 Ken
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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. January 12, 1997 (.235)
After receiving several messages from Lynn, AI8I and a few from other DAREN
operators, plus from my own experiences, I've came to the conclusion that it's
about time to start looking at the antennas and coax of our Packet stations.
Several of the DAREN NODEs have been in operation for as long as four or five
years. Unless you have a very good grade of antenna and perfectly sealed coax
connections, there's a good chance that water has seeped into the connections
and the coax. I've noticed a degrade of paths from stations that just a few
months ago were very good. I had a problem with the Wood County NODE, WOODWV,
but it was a receiver problem, and not the coax. Even has much as I try to
seal the connectors of the antenna and coax, water still gets inside. Plastic
tape alone just won't seal coax connectors. I know this isn't the time of
year to go climbing towers, but if you get a chance to put an SWR Bridge or
Watt meter on the antennas you might do so. As the paths of the NODEs start
to degrade, so does the system.
Well, things are starting to happen again with the Pendleton County NODE/PBBS,
PENDWV/FKLNWV, the one that we hope will get back on Spruce Knob. I have
talked to Ashby, KB8OPH. Ashby has a new radio and TNC with 128K if RAM
memory to be installed on Spruce Knob. He has been trying to contact Dave,
KA8ZXP to get access to the tower site. We have both been in contact with
Dave, KB4LCI who lives near Spruce Knob, and is willing to help get the
station installed. This time of the year it will be hard to get to the tower
site without a good four wheel drive or snow mobile. In the mean time, Bob,
W3RUA is still working on his NODE/PBBS which is a back-up station for the one
that goes on Spruce Knob. Without climbing his tower, he has switched the
antennas between his voice repeater and Packet station to see if he can get a
better path from Pendleton County into the rest of the system. He seems to be
having trouble getting things to work the way he wants them. When the station
that goes on Spruce Knob, Bob will be changing the ALIAS from PENDWV/FKLNWV to
PENDWV-1/FKLNWV-1.
This week I had to make two trips to hilltops, one to Wood County NODE/PBBS,
WOODWV/PKBGWV, and one to the Ritchie County NODE/PBBS, RITCWV/HRVLWV. I've
been noticing for the last few weeks that WOODWV/PKBGWV was having a hard time
"hearing" any one trying to connect to it. RITCWV/HRVLWV was transmitting
very little power. You could connect to it as long as you were within a few
feet of it, but that's all. The transceivers of both stations were changed
out and they seem to be working just fine now.
There were 102 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Rich, KA8UEU
has connected to the net 150 times this week and will be receiving his third
DAREN Net Check-in Certificate.
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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. January 19, 1997 (.236)
Contact with the owner of the tower on Spruce Knob has been made, and
permission has been granted to reinstall the DAREN station PENDWV/FKLNWV in
Pendleton County. Ashby, KB8OPH will make contact with the key holder to get
access to the tower. He thinks he can get the Department of Highways, or the
Forestry Service to clear the snow and open up the access road to the tower
long enough to get the station installed. PENDWV is a very important station
since it has very good paths to the Eastern panhandle and Eastern side of the
state.
I talked Bud, WA8FFG about the Barbour County NODE/PBBS, BARBWV/PHILWV. Bud
has another station and is ready to put it on the air. The Barbour County
NODE was hit by lightening a few months back. The old radio could receive,
but it would not transmit. The old TNC was ok, but the power supply needed
repair. As soon as I can get the programming information and power supply
back to Bud, he will try to get the station back in service.
Nothing much else to report this week. If anyone has any activities in their
area they would like to tell about, send me a message and we'll get it in the
news.
There were 101 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN net. One station,
KB8HPZ needs only one more check-in to make 50.
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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. January 26, 1997 (.237)
This is from Tony, N8KNG: The Nicholas County Node is now operating with a
KPC-3 at 16K BBS RAM and 23 nodes due to the graciousness of the Nicholas
County Commission. The old KPC-2 was somewhat limited on capacity and due to
the location here we thought an improvement was in order. Those participating
in the installation at the tower site today were myself and Mike, WA8YWO.
Assistance in testing the node and bbs was provided by Jim, N8PEJ (who also
helped install the node at the site back in November) Juddie (KC8CON) and Mike
(KG8NV). Without everyone's assistance, these things would not only be nigh-
on impossible but, not nearly so much fun!
I got a message from Ray, W3JIW about the articles in the News talking about
stations getting hit by lightening. Back in August at Jackson's Mill at the
state convention, he gave a simple lecture on lightening. The only ones that
were at the lecture were operators who don't have any repeater, or hilltop
packet NODEs. In his lecture he talked about applications of purchased
equipment. In publications about antennas, the placement and protection of
antennas are not talked about. Like he says in his message, the manufacturers
don't care if the antenna gets blown away by lightening, it just makes the
possibility of another sale. I wish I could've stayed for Ray's lecture,
since lightening is one of my biggest headaches. Any equipment, whether it
has and antenna on it or not has the possibility of being hit by lightening.
Maybe Ray will give the lecture again this year at Jackson's Mill.
George, K8QEW says that most of the ARRL State Emergency Coordinators (SEC)
are on the internet and may be interested in the DAREN system, and may want to
get one started in their state. He thinks we should send them a DAREN
package. Since he has placed the information on the Internet he has had two
SECs ask for the DAREN package.
There were 92 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. One station,
KB8HPZ has checked into the net a total of 50 times and will be getting a
certificate. Ashby, KB8OPH needs only one more check-in to have 150. I want
to welcome a new comer to the DAREN system, and that is KC8DFW.
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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. February 2, 1997 (.238)
Well, did the Groundhog see his shadow in your neck of the woods. This is the
way I look at it. Whether he sees his shadow or not, we only have about six
more weeks of any possible bad winter.
A couple of weeks ago I talked about lightening and the loss of equipment
because of it. Since then I've received several messages from Ray, W3JIW.
The messages are excerpts from an unpublished book he wrote several years ago
on the subject of lightening. Since there is a lot of information I have
broken it down into 15 parts. For the next few weeks I will put those 15
parts of information in the DAREN News. There is a lot of good information in
the articles he has written. Some gets a little deep in theory and may not be
for everyone, but there are a lot of good ideas that I may be looking at for
the tower sites that I have equipment. I want to thank Ray for his articles.
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 1 of 15
LIGHTENING FREQUENCY
Photometric observations from the orbiting solar observatory satellite
OSO-2 showed ten times as many lightning storms occurred over land as over the
ocean. It was learned that the North Atlantic Ocean has more lightning storms
than similar areas of other oceans. Few lightning storms occur over desert
regions, according to satellite findings. One of the most active lightning
regions in the world is Java and in the United States-Central Florida holds
that distinction. There is a popular misconception that lightning never
strikes twice in the same place when in fact it frequently does. The Empire
State Building in New York City is a good example of repetitive strikes having
been struck as many as 48 time in one year. The assumption that the pulse
rises to maximum value in 1.2 micro-seconds and in 50 micro-seconds the
impulse will have fallen to 50% of the crew or maximum voltage. The flash we
see is actually a return stroke from earth to cloud at a speed of 100 million
feet per second or about 100,000 times as fast as sound, completed in one ten-
thousandth of a second.
(continued in part 2)
Did anyone have trouble getting into the State Wide DAREN Net February 1st?
Did everyone read the Net Announcement to find out where the Net Control
Station was going to be. Remember, from time to time the Net Control Station
will be at different locations, and the only way to find out where it is at,
is to read the Net Announcements. I hadn't received the net report at the
time of posting this News, so I will give it next week, but I want to thank
Marshall, WG8T in Fairmont for being the Net Control Station this past week.
If anybody, at any time, wants to be the NCS for the State Wide DAREN Net just
for fun or Special Event Stations, let me know. I just need to know when you
want it and the NODEs that you can hit during the Net. 73 Ken
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. February 9, 1997 (.239)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 2 of 15
LIGHTENING FREQUENCY (continued)
The eye cannot distinguish it other than a downward stroke. Space technology
with high speed camera have allowed us a better look at the step leader or
pilot streamer. A bolt can have a potential as high as 15,000,000 volts and
deliver an average of 5,000 to 20,000 amperes to its path. At Cape Kennedy a
recorded peak of 100,000 amperes on a strike to a launch tower in 1971. It is
no wonder, then, that its explosive force can demolish a tree or otherwise
severely damage property. The Tree explodes when the water and other
substances in it are vaporized.
TABLE I
Significant Lightning Characteristics
Charge Range 2 to 200 Coulombs
Peak Currents 2 to 400 kiloamperes
Discharge Duration 1 to milliseconds
Rise Time (to 90%) 1 to 10 microseconds
Relaxation Time 40 seconds to many minutes
Field Strength 3 to 5 kilovolts/cm
Cloud earth Potential 108 Volts
(continued in part 3)
I got my SERA (South Eastern Repeater Association) Journal this week and would
like to pass along some information that was in it. The SERA Journal is the
official voice of frequency coordinators in eight states including West
Virginia. There are several repeaters in West Virginia that haven't been
reported for over three years. If the repeater owner doesn't return a
repeater Datasheet back to SERA by April 15, 1997 the repeater will no longer
be listed in the SERA Journal, and decoordinating of the frequency will take
place. The repeater frequency will be up for grabs to someone else. below is
a list of the repeaters that SERA needs Datasheets from.
Buckhannaon N8ZAR 146.850 - Spencer WT8Z 147.105 +
Huntington WB8FEQ 145.210 - St Marys/Bens Run WB8ECC 147.030 +
Leon WD8OHX 147.180 + Wheeling WB8JGY 145.190 -
Leon WD8OHX 223.780 - Weston N8FIP 443.975 +
Salt Rock WD8MCR 145.110 -
If you use these repeaters, or know someone who does, let the owner of these
repeaters know they must get a Datasheet back to SERA before the dead line.
I want to thank Marshall, WG8T and Gene, N8JYS for being the Net Control
Stations for State Wide DAREN Net the last couple of weeks. It gave me a
chance to see the net from the other side. I notice that a few stations are
going through more NODEs than they need to. Just because a NODE might be in
the direction that you are going doesn't mean you HAVE to go through it. The
best way to get to your destination is as direct and short as possible. There
were 87 check-ins to this week's net. Ashby, KB8OPH has checked into the net
150 times. Two stations, KB8SEJ and KB8SCJ have both checked into the net 100
times. One station KG8XR has checked into the net 50 times. All of these
stations will soon get their DAREN Net check-in certificates. Two stations
only need one more check-in each to make 100 and get their certificates.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. February 16, 1997 (.240)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 3 of 15
TOWER GROUNDING CONDUCTOR
A common practice is to use copper wire attached to a galvanized tower
leg or guy wire anchor. Also joining a pure copper grounding conductor to the
zinc-covered steel will produce an unwanted electrolysis action which in fact
washes away the zinc coating. So the ensuing corrosion will shortly result in
a poor connection or even an open circuit. Painting or coating will stop such
an action. ONLY IF ALL MOISTURE AND AIR are depleted under the coating. You
can use a buffer metal such as bronze, stainless steel, or brass. Or better
yet use an exothermic welding process. A widely used method is known as
CADWELD (r) this is the TM of Erico Products Inc., 34600 Solon Road,
Cleveland, OH, phone (216) 248-0100. The molds to use in the application are
Graphite and reusable for many connections. However these molds are not cheap
currently they probable exceed $50.00. This process provides de-oxidized
molten copper which mixes with the upper zinc coating or steel to form an air
tight connection of the conductor to the other metal part. Some favor the
addition of a copper down conductor running down the length of the tower. The
idea recognizes that resistance between tower sections averages about .01 ohm.
Thus a bolt could cause a large voltage drop. This is largely overridden by
the inductive voltage drop which far exceeds the resistance drop. Also the
tower inductance is much smaller than any copper conductor.
(continued in part 4)
I received a nice message from John, N8ZYA. John is with the Tri-State Search
and Rescue team. John wanted to let me know that he has been in the Wood
County area looking for a drowning victim. I didn't get to catch up with him
while he was in the area. I first meet John when he was in the area, and
before he got involved with Packet. He says he now uses Packet radio for his
search and rescue missions. He wanted to pass his thanks and gratitude to all
of the Emergency Services and Red Cross workers for their assistance while he
was in the Parkersburg area.
Scott, KB8EEO says a DAREN station has been installed at the Marion County
Office of Emergency Services. I haven't had time to check it out to see where
it can be hit from. Scott says the NODE is "MARIES" the PBBS is "FMTES" and
the call is KB8EEO-2. He knows the PBBS ALIAS isn't standard format, but he
had reservations about using "FAIRES". Remember, the ALIAS for the PBBS can
be any abbreviation of the city it is in or near, it doesn't have to be the
first four letter of the city. Only the NODE ALIAS needs to use the first
four letters of the county name. The ALIAS for the PBBS could be "FRMTES" at
the Office of Emergency Services and "FRMTWV" for the main county NODE.
There were 104 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net this week. Two
stations, KA8HAP and KB8SYE have both checked into the net 100 each and will
be getting their certificates. One station, KB8RPI needs only one more check
in to make 50. I want to welcome a new check-in to the DAREN system and that
is KC8AJS. I finally got the DAREN Check-in Certificates caught up and mailed
out this week. Sorry for the delay to those who have been waiting a couple of
months for their certificate.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. February 23, 1997 (.241)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 4 of 15
TOWER GROUNDING CONDUCTOR (continued)
The tower has a much larger conductive surface and is not subject to the large
inductive effect due to skin effect on the small conductor. From this the
copper conductor effect is really nil. Another detrimental factor is the
potential electrolytic effect. If the copper contacts the tower and you have
moisture it cause the galvanizing to wash off. Another excuse for using such
a conductor is to minimize NOISE and EMI (Electromagnetic Impulse)/RFI (Radio
Frequency Interference) problems. When lightning strikes a tower, it has
little or no effect on a normal joint. If a tower has been up for many years
many joints have become oxidized. If winds have not moved the tower enough to
clean bolted connections or if the joints are loose, noise can result.
Regular small discharges of lightning to a tower can increase the resistance.
A tower down conductor is a quick fix?? It may eliminate some of the noise
but It doesn't cure mechanical problems. And it will not prevent joint arcing
during a strike. A real fix is to have tower crew loosen every bolt slightly
and re-tighten. Afterwards paint or seal all bolts, nuts, and joints. Make
sure not water will be encapsulated by the sealant. I used to use a Propane
Torch drive the moisture out prior to sealing.
(continued in part 5)
David, KB4LCI has posted some very interesting information about some HF
testing from a transmitter located in Gakona, Alaska. The tests are being
held March 7 & 8 on the frequencies of 6.99 MHz and 3.4 MHz. The tests are
being held by HAARP ("The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program")
which is managed by the US Air Force and the US Navy. Some information can be
found by reading message number #99 on LSBGWV, or message number #116 on
PKBGES. For complete information about the tests, see "The High Frequency
Active Auroral Research Program" (QST, Sep 1996, p 33), or check out the HAARP
home page, http://server5550.itd.nrl.navy.mil/haarp.html.
There were 93 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. One station,
KB8RPI has checked into the net 50 times and will be getting a certificate.
One station, KB8TIY needs only one more check-in to make 100. There were two
new callsigns on the net this week, W8DT and KC8ERN. I want to welcome them
to the DAREN System. The W8DT call may be a new vanity call, but I'm not
sure. If it is, I need to know the old call so I can update the check-in
records. I want to thank everyone for checking in and 73. Ken
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. March 2, 1997 (.242)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 5 of 15
TOWER GROUND CONNECTION LOCATION
Bends with a radius of less than 8" increases the inductance of any
conductor. My personal preference is a minimum radius of 12". The important
idea is that right angle bends and short radii can cause problems. However
the some trade offs can be even worse. Let us suppose that we had a tapered
base tower and the ground rod is 24 inches from the concrete base pad.
Your choices are:
(1) Run the interconnection through the air from the ground rod to the
plate which is full tower area. This should have the minimum amount of
bending and be almost vertical.
(2) Connect the ground rod to a second plate - a compromise.
(3) Make a connection directly from the ground rod to the first plate.
This path places the interconnection through the least amount of air, but
has the most bends for the surge current. If you are using #2/0 wire its
inductance is 0.32 micro Henry/ft. Knowing the lengths, the inductance for
each choice may be calculated. Each 90 degree bend adds about 0.2 micro Henry
of inductance. Each sharp angle has about 0.57 micro Henry Inductance.
(continued in part 6)
Starting March 1st the ALIAS for the High Memory PBBS "PKBGES" will be changed
to "PKBGEC". The PBBS is no longer located at the Wood County Emergency
Operations Center. The PBBS will have the same amount of memory (500 K), and
the Wood County ARES Bulletins posted on it. It has a better access coverage
and can be accessed direct from WOODWV, PLEAWV, JACKWV, RITCWV, and WASHOH.
The ARES/Data system "FINDER" is now back on line with emergency back-up power
that should last for about an hour and a half in case of commercial power
failure. It is also programed to re-boot itself if the power if off an
extended amount of time. If you want to learn to use the ARES/Data system,
connect to "FINDER" from WOODWV, PLEAWV, JACKWV, RITCWV, or WASHOH.
I got a message from John, N4OKL the other day and he told me the Boone County
911 Center burnt down last month. He says the emergency calls are being
answered at a back-up 911 center in Logan County. The DAREN station "BOONWV"
that was located at the 911 Center was also lost in the fire. John said he
got the infomation from Bruce, KB8KAC.
If you have checked into the State Wide DAREN any multiples of 50 times and
are expecting a certificate, you might send me your address if it has been
changed in the last couple of years. I have received a couple of the Net
Check-in Certificates back due to wrong addresses.
There were 96 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. One station,
KB8TIY has checked into the net 100 times and will be getting a certificate.
Two stations WD8RXN and N8JYS need only one more check-in each to have a total
of 100. There was one new check-in to the State Wide DAREN Net, and that was
KA3SPI, I want to welcome them to DAREN system. 73 Ken
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. March 9, 1997 (.243)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 6 of 15
TOWER GROUND CONNECTION LOCATION (continued)
When we speak of Lightning Protection actual two general conditions exist:
1) We are speaking about a structure which may or may not be associated
with some electrical equipment. In a more narrow look it could be a home
located in a lightning prone area. For example we it might be a mountain top
or a desert region. Fortunately desert regions are not usually prone to much
lightning. But when a bolt strikes it is just as devastating. However,
installing a suitable ground system is a problem. Here we usually have low
conductivity (usually sandy) soil and low moisture content. There is a
grounding system called the "UFER" which uses the reinforcement steel for a
ground conductor. More will be given elsewhere in the text. And on a
mountain top surprisingly enough you find a very thin layer of soil and many
boulders giving a high resistance condition.
2) We may also be referring to a tower or towers associated with a
structure housing communications equipment. The location problems referred
to in item (1) are also applicable for these installations.
It is very important that we understand the latest information on
protection of Tower mounted equipment such as Antennas, Weather measuring
instruments.
(continued in part 7)
David, KB4LCI has some information that you might find interesting. It's some
of the Sun Spot Cycles up to the present date. If you operate the HF bands
which are most pronged to skip conditions, such as 10 meters, this information
might be of use to you. The dates of maximum and minimum for the cycles 19
through 23 (present) are:
Cycle 19: Cycle 20: Cycle 21:
Minimum: April 1954 Minimum: October 1964 Minimum: June 1976
Maximum: March 1958 Maximum: November 1968 Maximum: December 1979
Cycle 22: Cycle 23:
Minimum: September 1986 Minimum: August 1996
Maximum: July 1989 Maximum: ??? 1998-99
A couple of weeks ago David, KB4LCI also told about some tests that would be
conducted by HFAARP ("The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program") on
March 7 & 8 on the frequencies of 6.99 MHz and 3.4 MHz. Since then the tests
were held and he got to hear some of the beacons. Due to too much QRM he
didn't get to hear the beacons on 3.4 Mhz. Any confirmation of the signals
and QSL information should be sent to: HFAARF, P.O. BOX 271, GAKONA, AK,
95573.
For those of you who are waiting for DAREN Path Maps, the new ones should be
in the mail this week.
There were 90 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Three stations,
WD8RXN, N8JYS, and KB8TIY have all check-into the net 100 times each and will
be receiving certificates. One station, W8GUL needs only one more check-in to
make 150. And one station KA8VAH needs only one more check-in to make 100.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. March 16, 1997 (.244)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 7 of 15
CONDUCTORS AND ROUTING
When we speak of conductors it is important to remember to use ONLY SOLID
Conductor!! I have referred to #2/0 as a size often used. This is useful in
many areas. However there is another very useful conductor, copper strap.
Even though strap as thin as 1/64 inch it is still useful. A thicker strap
is only useful to ease the problem of connection. Here we must find out about
"Skin Effect". The current only penetrates to a depth of a few thousands of
an inch in any conductor due to "skin effect". Here the inductance of the
conductors rears it ugly head. The routing of any of the conductors becomes
important. You must also remember the braid of the coax line is a conductor.
Always run the coax down inside of the tower. Of course it must be suitably
mechanically supported. If you run any other conductor down the tower KEEP IT
INSIDE the tower. Now you ask why. If they are placed outside the tower you
now have the inductance of the tower and the conductor in parallel. When the
magnetic fields are separated the individual conductors now have an increased
inductance. This might not be all bad as it limits the current to earth.
However the current may take a different path also. BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT
NO CONDUCTOR FOR LIGHTNING PROTECTION PASSES THROUGH A SHORTED TURN. Let's
talk about shorted turns. If a conductor is fed through any length of Metal
Conduit or Pipe that is a shorted turn!! Even a hole cutout for a conduit in
a Metal Box is a shorted turn! Now back to conductors. The use of straps for
connecting ground rods are very useful. An old rule of thumb for the width
of copper strap that is 1% of the length of conductor you are going to use.
For example a 20' length should have a width of 2.4". It must be remembered
that you will have to use a thicker strap on both sides of the conductor for
strength where you are attaching ground rods to the equipment.
(continued in part 8)
Juddie, KC8CON says the Plateau Amateur Radio Association will soon be putting
up a second DAREN Node in Fayette Co. Juddie has the TNC already setup, and
the radio has been repaired, as soon as they find a good site to put it. The
station, FAYEES/FAVLES which is located at the EOC building has limited range.
They are thinking about putting the antenna higher on the tower at the EOC.
The antenna is currently on the side of the tower and not the top.
There were 93 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Last week I some
how left Gene, N8JYS off the check-in list. With his check-in last week, Gene
completed his 100th check-in and should have received his certificate by now.
One station Jin, W8GUL has completed his 150th check-in, and one station
KB8VAH has checked into the net 100 times. These two stations will soon get
their certificates. One station Ken, KB8QPW needs only one more check-in to
make 150 and one station KB8QJM needs one more check-in for 50. I want to
welcome two new stations to the DAREN system and they are: KC8GIZ and KC8GJA.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. March 23, 1997 (.245)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 8 of 15
GROUND SYSTEMS:
I must assume you have some control of the Ground System associated with
the tower in question. Unfortunately most repeaters are placed on existing
towers through the generosity of its owner. It was probably installed by a
contractor. Usually they were not given a detailed plan of installation!!
All grounding depends on the earth involved. Any ground system must be
considered as a large ball of earth. It is used to dissipate the energy from
a bolt of lightning by converting it to heat in the bulk resistance. This is
a measurable value called "Bulk Resistance". Where we are referring the Ohmic
resistance of a centimeter cube. Remember we are dealing with a cube of soil
that has a one centimeter dimension on all sides. We also suppose the soil
somewhat uniform in its average resistance. The only possible improvement in
a Ground System is to enlarge the so called ball. This also has its limits.
We can improve a system by using an interconnected array of Ground Rods around
the base of the tower. It is very important that the conductors for the
multiple Ground Rods be of low inductance and resistance. Here a suitable
copper strap is the best.
(continued in part 9)
Bob, W3RUA tells me the weather just won't cooperate so that a trip can be
made to Spruce Knob to install the new equipment for the Pendleton County
NODE/PBBS. Dave, KA8ZXP says it might be May before they can get on the
mountain. If the weather gets really nice, it may be sooner than that.
Lynn, AI8I sent me a message and reported the Mercer County NODE/PBBS,
MERCWV/BLFDWV is off the air. He noticed it was off when he tried to post
this week's State Wide DAREN Net announcement Wednesday night. He says it's
still off the air this morning.
Lynn also reported the Pocahontas County NODE/PBBS, POCAWV/MARLWV was off the
air this morning. He said there was a full scale signal on 145.69 Mhz for a
couple of hours last night and then it went away. He thinks it may have been
POCAWV. He thinks either the battery or the radio may have burnt up. It may
be a few weeks before he can get up to check it out.
John, N4OKL says the Putnam County NODE/PBBS, PUTNWV/HURCWV now has a club
call on it. The new club call is WV8AR-7.
Ken, KB8QPW who was net control this week, reported 90 check-ins to the State
Wide DAREN Net. Ken, KB8QPW will also be receiving his certificate for having
checked into the net 150 times. One station, KB8QJM will be receiving a net
certificate for checking in 50 times. Leo, WA8BMA needs only one more check-
in to make 200, and Terry, KB8EIR only needs one more to make 100. I want to
welcome two new stations to the DAREN system that checked into the net and
they are: KC8EMX and KC8FEJ.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. March 30, 1997 (.246)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 9 of 15
GROUND SYSTEMS:
I am not including details on the arrangement of grounds. Ground rods come in
many sizes and lengths. The more common ones are 1/2, and 5/8 inches in
diameter. They comes in steel with galvanized, stainless, or copper clads. A
common length is eight feet. At your home station. The top end of a ground
rod should be below the surface of the earth to about the frost line limit.
You can improve the situation by using one of the foam type insulations. Then
use a piece of outdoor plywood to cover the fragile foam insulation. Why
would this be necessary? If the rod is a good conduction of heat it is also a
good conductor of cold. The ground rod you thought was so good, could have a
sheath of ice along its length. The resistance of ice is about 30,000 ohms/cm
cube. Yes ice formation drives the minerals in the water to the zone that was
the last to freeze. Therefore you have a high resistance ground.
(continued in part 10)
While Lynn, AI8I was posting the net announcement this week he found the
Wyoming County NODE/PBBS, WYOMWV/PINEWV was off the air. With the Mercer
County NODE/PBBS, MERCWV/BLFDWV and WYOMWV/PINEWV both off the air it leaves a
big hole in the lower part of the state. I don't think either station was
taken off the air by any severe weather, unless it might have been high wind
that has damaged the antenna. If anyone knows the status of either station
send me a message so I can let everyone know.
Lynn also said the Pocahontas County NODE/PBBS, POCAWV/MARLWV is back on the
air. He doesn't have any idea what might have been wrong, but he's glad to
see it back up.
There were some severe lightening storms that went through the state Friday
night and Saturday morning. Let's hope that none of the other NODEs have been
damaged by lightening. The ones that I have tested in this area seem to be
operational.
There were 88 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. The net may have
been down just a little do the WYOMWV and MERCWV still being off the air. Leo
WA8BMA has checked into the net 200 times, and Terry KB8EIR has checked into
the net 100 times. Both of these stations will soon be receiving their
certificates. Bobbie, KB8TBF needs only one more check-in and he will have
100. Two stations KB8WHW and KC8AUS need only one more to make 50. One
station KB8CVX, who hasn't been heard from since December 4, 1993 checked into
the net again. I have one check-in on the list by the call of "NAME". If you
don't see your call on the net announcement this week and think it may have
been you, drop me a note and I'll update your records. It happens to all of
us at one time or another, so don't be embarrassed to let me know.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. April 6, 1997 (.247)
Did every one get there clocks set forward for Day Light Saving Time? SYSOPs
don't forget to set the time on your NODEs and PBBSs.
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 10 of 15
GROUND SYSTEMS: (cont.)
Some may question the need because lightning is no problem in the winter. You
better think again. Many fellows find unusual RF Feedback Problems in winter.
I must repeat the importance of copper strap with the lowered inductance The
steepness of the wave front from a bolt of lightning is the same as a high
frequency alternating current (RF) in its behavior. This behavior results in
most of the current flowing on the surface of the conductor. The common wire
conductor is #2 AWG (American Wire Gauge) stranded copper. However #2 solid
copper is much preferred. If you are using #2 solid copper it is equivalent
to a strap 13/16" wide. This means the effective resistance is of less than
one seventh of a copper strap. It is important to remember that if you are
connecting a ground rod to a metal strap it is necessary to reenforce that
point. Use lengths of heavy copper strap on each side of the strap then clamp
in position. Of course Brazing or Silver Solder is preferred to a mechanical
connection or clamp. Most clamps are as useful as a Politicians Promise.
(continued in part 11)
Tony, N8KNG told me about a new NODE that operates on 145.09 Mhz. The NODE is
MTNPAC and the BBS is MTNMSG. It's running about 44 watts and is located on
the Greenbrier/Nicholas counties border between Richwood and Clearco. The
antenna is a 1/2 wave Ringo on the top of a 160 foot tower. The tower is
located on Beech Knob at about 4000 feet. The NODE should be able to help get
into the PARC Packet NET which is on Thursdays between 7:00 and 10:00 pm.
While I was busy, my daughter Cathy, KC8DJJ ran the net. There were 96 check-
ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. There's a correction to last week's
net report. Jim, KC8AUS had already checked in the net 50 times and should
have his certificate by now. Bobbie, KB8TBF has checked into the State Wide
DAREN Net 100 times and will be receiving a certificate. One station, KB8WHW
has checked into the net 50 times and will be receiving a certificate. Lynn,
AI8I needs only one more check-in to make 200. One station, KF8OM needs only
one more check-in to make 100. And Cathy, KC8DJJ needs only one more check-in
to make 50 check-ins.
Be sure to set your clocks so you won't be late for work tomorrow. 73 Ken
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. April 13, 1997 (.248)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 11 of 15
SOME TABLES OF INTEREST
TABLES APPLYING TO GROUND RODS AND SOIL RESISTIVITY.
*** TABLE I *** *** TABLE II ***
EFFECT OF MOISTURE on EFFECT OF SALT CONTENT on
EARTH RESISTIVITY EARTH RESISTIVITY
MOISTURE Resistivity OHM-CM * Sandy Loam 15% Moisture
% by Weight Top Soil Sandy Loam % Salt by Weight Resistivity
1.0 1,000x106 1,000x106 0.0 10,700
2.5 250,000 150,000 0.1 1,800
5 165,000 43,000 1.0 460
10 53,000 18,500 5.0 190
15 31,000 10,500 10.0 130
20 12,000 6,300 15.0 100
30 6,400 4,200
(continued on part 12)
Lynn, AI8I reported the Mercer County NODE/PBBS, MERCWV/BLFDWV is back in
operation. He hasn't heard what the problem was, but it's good to see it back
on the air.
Richard, N8KGK now has a new call sign. Rich's new call is K8VE. He didn't
get any of his first choice calls. Rich sponsors the Upshur and Webster
County NODE/PBBS', UPSHWV/BUCKWV and WEBSWV/WBSPWV.
Bud, WA8FFG has the Barbour County NODE/PBBS, BARBWV/PHILWV back in operation.
The station was hit by lightening in May, 1996. The transceiver and power
supply were damaged, but the TNC was ok. The power supply was repaired, but a
different transceiver is now being used. Bud says he will get the transceiver
repaired and use it as a spare. From looking at the NODE List, it looks like
the station still has very good coverage.
There were 99 check-ins to this week's state wide DAREN Net. Lynn, AI8I who
helps manage the DAREN stations in the Eastern and Southern part of the state
has checked into the net 200 times and will soon be receiving his certificate.
John, KF8OM has checked into the net 100 times and will be receiving his
certificate. My daughter Cathy, KC8DJJ has checked into the net 50 times and
will be receiving her certificate. Beverly, N8YZX needs only one more net to
make her 100th check-in. After 26 years of being exposed to Amateur Radio my
wife Dot decided she would get her license. Looks like I'm may start losing
access to my radio equipment since she passed her test yesterday. 73
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. April 20, 1997 (.249)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 12 of 15
SOME TABLES OF INTEREST (continued)
TABLES APPLYING TO GROUND RODS AND SOIL RESISTIVITY.
*** TABLE III *** *** TABLE IV ***
RESISTIVITY OF SOILS TEMP. EFFECT RESISTIVITY
SOIL RESISTIVITY OHM-CM-CUBE * Sandy Loam 15% Moisture
(Range) TEMPERATURE RESISTIVITY
Surface Loam, etc 100 - 5,000 C F Ohms CM-CUBE
Clay 200 - 10,000 20 68 7,200
Sand & Gravel 5,000 - 100,000 10 50 9,900
Surface Limestone 10,000 - 1,000,000 0 32 (Water) 13,800
Limestones 500 - 400,000 0 32 (Ice) 30,000
Shales 500 - 10,000 - 5 23 79,000
Sandstone 2,000 - 200,000 -15 14 330,000
Granites, Basalts 100,000
Decomp. Gneisses 5,000 - 50,000
Slates, etc. 1,000 - 10,000
(continued on part 13)
Not much to report about the DAREN system this week so I'll list some of the
Hamfests in and around the area:
CENTRAL WV HAMFEST, SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1997, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, Braxton
County Middle School, Flatwoods, WV, Exit 67 of I-79. Contact Ed N8OYY (304)
462-5312 or Gerald KG8WB (304) 462-8486.
ATHENS (OHIO) HAMFEST 1997, SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 1997, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, Athens
Recreation Center 733 East State Street, Athens, OH. Contact John NC8V (614)
593-6474.
JACKSON COUNTY HAMFEST & FLEA MARKET, Sunday May 4, 1997, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm,
Ripley Middle School, Ripley, WV. Contact Art W8PBO (304) 273-4997.
There were 79 check-ins to this week's state wide DAREN Net. Beverly, N8YZX
has checked into the net 100 times and will be getting her certificate. From
watching the net last night and noting some "RETRY OUT"s, it looks like the
band conditions are starting to change, and stations that were easy to connect
to are now getting hard and the one that were hard are starting to get easier.
If you start getting early disconnects or RETRY OUTs, you might want to try
another path. 73 for this week.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. April 27, 1997 (.250)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 13 of 15
SOME TABLES OF INTEREST (continued)
TABLES APPLYING TO GROUND RODS AND SOIL RESISTIVITY.
*** TABLE V *** *** TABLE VI ***
EFFECT OF ROD DIMENSIONS NUMBER & SPACING OF RODS
MEASURED OHMS ROD DEPTH FEET No. of Spacing Reduction
160 .9 Rods Feet 'R' %
140 1.0 5' 10' 20'
120 1.3 2 60% 55% 50%
100 1.8 3 48% 42% 37%
80 2.4 4 42% 35% 30%
60 3.3 5 38% 30% 26%
40 5.0 6 36% 27% 25%
20 12.0
(continued on part 14)
It's hard to believe this is issue number 250 of the DAREN News. The first
issue was dated July 19, 1992. When it was first started there was only five
NODEs in operation. It seemed like every week there was something to write
about. Since the system is growing very slow now and there's very few changes
it was decided that other articles be added that pertained to Emergency
Communications and Amateur Radio in general. If your club, group, or
organization is having a special event, disaster drill, or other activity that
involves Amateur Radio, drop me a line and we'll get it in the News.
Lynn, AI8I says there's been a problem with the Greenbrier County NODE/PBBS,
GREEWV/LSBGWV. It's been acting up and it's been hard to get connected
through. Lynn thought it might be fixed before last night's State Wide DAREN
Net. If you had trouble getting to the net that may have been the problem.
The Net Control Station on Memorial Day, May 24 will be located on "Bickels
Knob" in Randolph County. Scott, KB8EEO says he and some others (W8GT,
KB8SCJ, and N8VSO) are hoping to operate the net totally portable (Battery and
Generator backup). Most of the NODEs surrounding Randolph county should be
good for access to the NCS. Backup NCS station will be N8JYS which has access
to MONOWV, TUCKWV, RANDWV, and RANDWV. Watch for Net Announcement May 21st.
Phil, K8MHR reported that Bob, WB8OIF has replaced the TNC on the Jefferson
County NODE and it should be back up. I notice that Bob got into the Net this
week, so it must be working.
There were 91 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. One station,
Cecil, N8YZB needs only one more check-in to make 100 and get his certificate.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. May 4, 1997 (.251)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 14 of 15
PLACEMENT OF ANTENNA
Now for the antenna location the tower. Never put the antenna on the
TOP MOST PRT of a tower! If you do it is just a Lightning Rod!. You must
electrically shelter the antenna. This is done by placing an array of rods
1/4 wavelength above the tip of the antenna so the pattern and radiation will
be least affected! This will be several rods in a spray pattern. It is
assumed that the antenna will be 1/4 Wavelength from the tower. Then if the
rods exceed 1/2 wavelength in length for the lower frequency in use. We will
achieve the desired effect. The ends of the rods must not be pointed. The
ends of the rods must be looped around like an Eye Bolt. A similar
arrangement must be place 1/4 wavelength below the antenna. All to minimize
interfering with the antennas radiation and reception. If you are using a
single antenna the tower should be so it is between the antenna and the
direction that a slight loss of coverage is the least problem.
(continued in part 15)
Lynn, AI8I says the Greenbrier County NODE/PBBS, GREEWV/LSBGWV seems to be
working ok now. He says the Jefferson County NODE/PBBS, JEFFWV/JEFFES is also
working good now. He told me the Pendleton County NODE/PBBS, PENDWV/FKLNWV
that was hit by lightening last year should be back in operation on Spruce
Knob in the next two or three weeks. Bob W3RUA has had a temporary NODE in
opertion at his tower site for the last few months so there could be traffic
into and out of Pendleton County. As soon as the Spruce Knob NODE is put back
in operation, Bob will change the ALIAS of his station to PENDWV-1/FKLNWV-1.
This will allow Pendleton County have a backup NODE and PBBS. This is the
time of year we will start losing station due to lightening. I hope you have
all been following the Lightening articles by W3JIW.
As I was getting ready to post the DAREN News, I noticed that I couldn't get
connected to the Randolph County NODE/PBBS, RANDWV/ELKNWV. There was a pretty
severe storm that went through the Wood County area before the DAREN Net last
night. I hope that it didn't do damage to the Randolph County station. I
won't know till I get back home. I'll try to let you know what happened next
week.
There were 91 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Cecil, N8YZB got
his 100th check-in this week. He will get his certificate as soon as I get
back from a week in Dallas, TX. There were two new stations that checked into
the net this week. One of them was K8KVI, which may be a new vanity call. If
it's a new station, I would like to welcome them to the DAREN system. Even
though my wife Dot isn't a stranger to the DAREN system, it is her first time
checking into the net. She received her call, KC8HAI, last Monday.
=============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. May 11, 1997 (.252)
Lightening by Ray W3JIW - Part 15 of 15
PLACEMENT OF ANTENNA (continued)
When an antenna is spaced 1/4 Wavelength away from a small tower there is
usually no problem. However towers with a large cross section may require a
multiple antenna insulation. However some communication with the antenna
manufacturer may be needed. Believe it or not a "J" Pole with the radiation
part pointed down and its supports grounded to the tower is good. Such an
installation with the antenna pointed often eliminates some icing problems.
Now you are asking why does this system work? I had been found that lightning
can be expected to act as if had a radius. The placement of the rods above
and below the antenna gives the lightning somewhere to land instead of the
antenna!. Of course you cannot neglect using a strap to properly ground the
shield of the coax!! Likewise the tower must have low inductance. This as
any other system is not fool proof. But it can reduce the probability. I
have said little about the arrangement of ground rods. If I figure a
reasonable way to show it as above I will send it later.
If you have questions. Please mail them with a SASE to:
Charles Ray Sinem W3JIW, HC-63, BOX 1840, Romney, WV 26757.
(that's all folks)
The preceding parts of "Lightening" by Ray Sinem, have a lot of very good
information. With the coming of summer comes lightening. I've experienced
several of the items that Ray has written about. I can tell you that you can
prevent damage from your equipment if you follow some of his ideas.
In last week's News I said the Randolph County NODE/PBBS, RANDWV/ELKNWV was
out of service. I got a message from Terry, KB8EIR and he said that a four
legged friend had chewed his way though the floor and knocked the TNC off the
shelf. No damage happened to the TNC, it just got disconnected. He got the
station back in operation the first part of the week.
From a message I received from Bob, W3RUA it looks like the re-installation of
the Spruce Knob, Pendleton County NODE/PBBS may be getting closer.
George, K8QEW has talked to his counterpart, the Section Emergency Coordinator
in Virginia, Frank Mackey. It sounds like Virginia is very interested in the
DAREN system. He gave me an address of the Digital Emergency Coordinator in
Virginia and I'll be sending him a DAREN package. We've been lucky that we
have a frequency that isn't congested with other type of traffic, but we are
starting to get some interference in the Eastern Panhandle now. If other
states were to put together a DAREN system, they may have to find a different
frequency to operate on, other than the one we use. I would be nice to have
all DAREN systems on the same frequency, but different areas use different
frequencies for different types of Packet they operate.
There were 95 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Ray, KA8GOH
needs only one more check-in to make 150 and Rich, K8VE needs only one more
check-in to make 100.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. May 18, 1997 (.253)
Scott, KB8EEO says he and the group (WG8T, KB8SCJ, KB8EEO, and N8VSO) are
ready to be Net Control for the State Wide DAREN Net this coming Saturday.
They will be operating from "Bickels Knob" in Randolph County. They will be
operating a totally portable station, with batteries, using a generator as a
back-up. He says they should be able to get connects from all of the NODEs
surrounding Randolph County. The back-up NCS, in case something happens, will
be N8JYS. The NODEs that he can connect to are MONOWV, TUCKWV, and PRESWV.
They are wanting to do this Net Control over the Memorial Day Weekend.
Not much else to write about at this time so the news is a little slim this
week. If you have something to pass on to others, let me know.
Considering how many DAREN users I saw at the Dayton Hamfest yesterday, there
was a pretty good turn out for this week's State Wide DAREN Net. While I was
on my way back from Dayton, Cathy, KC8DJJ was watching the net. She had 85
check-ins this week. Ray KA8GOH has checked into the net 150 times and Dick,
K8VE has checked into the net 100 times. They will both be getting their
certificates soon. We had one new check-in to the net and that was KC8BTF. I
want to welcome him/her to the DAREN system.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. May 25, 1997 (.254)
Ashby, KB8OPH sent me a message telling me the little varmint that kept
getting into the building where Randolph County NODE/PBBS, RANDWV/ELKNWV is
housed passed away and had to be physically removed from under the building.
The building had to be jacked up high enough to allow Doug, KC8AJH to crawl
under and remove the corpse. Doug told me the groundhog, that had caused the
station to be off of the air a couple of weeks ago, died from lead poisoning.
The MARS operators that use their Packet Stations for both regular Amateur and
MARS should NOT be ashamed if they make a mistake and forget to change their
call back when they check into the DAREN Net. If you do happen to forget,
just let me know so I can make sure you get credit for the check-in. MARS and
other such organizations are needed to help keep are Amateur frequencies from
being lost to commercial use.
Did anyone have trouble getting into the DAREN Net this week? Did you read
the Net Announcement to find out where the Net Control Station was going to
be? Remember I won't always be the Net Control Station, it will change from
time to time. I ran into Rich, KA8UEU at the Dayton Hamfest last weekend, and
he says the Preston County group would like to be the Net Control Station at
their Special Event Station for the Buckwheat Festival again this year. The
Buckwheat Festival will run from September 25 through September 28. Rich and
his group will be the NCS on September 27.
Even with a rough start at this week's State Wide DAREN Net, Scott, KB8EEO and
the group (N8VSO, WG8T, KB8SCJ) on Bickles Knob, in Randolph County, reported
60 check-ins to the net. I want to thank the guys for taking the net and help
support the DAREN system. Jack, N8MDZ needs only one more check-in to make
his 100th. If any other stations want to operate as NCS for the weekly State
Wide DAREN Net let me know. Also if your group or organization is having a
Special Event and would like to let others know about it, let me know so we
can get it in the DAREN NEWS. 73 and have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. June 1, 1997 (.255)
George, K8QEW is having HF Rig problems. Since George's HF Rig is on the
blink he may not be on HF much. He says the trouble is in the rectifiers and
finals area of his TS 530 S. Since the rectifier and final boards are no
longer available, he's going to have to piece part the rig back together. If
anyone knows of an old TS 530 S that may junked, let George know so he can get
his rig back together and back on HF. Leave him a message at K8QEW @ WEIRWV.
Thanks
There's been a couple more vanity callsign changes of users of the DAREN
system. Maurice, KB8YAW has changed he call to AB8E and his fathers call has
been changed from KB8YAX to N8VA.
John, N4OKL has put a DAREN Page on his Web Site. The information that will
be available about DAREN is a description of what DAREN is, an updated NODE
list, and all of the old DAREN News. It's not complete yet, since I need to
send him a copy of all the DAREN News articles. His DAREN Web Site url is:
http://www.newwave.net/~jharmon/daren/ Check it out when it's complete.
There were 84 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Jack, N8MDZ has
now checked into the DAREN Net 100 times and will be receiving a certificate.
John, K8ZPR and Charlie, WB8CNN both need only one more check-in to receive
their certificates for 150 check-ins. Tom, KB8QER who has been away from the
net since May of 1994 made it back. I want to welcome Tom back to DAREN.
==============================================================================
D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. June 8, 1997 (.256)
While Cathy, KC8DJJ was posting the Net Announcement this week for Lynn, AI8I,
who went to the hospital, she found the NODE/PBBS, POCAWV/MARLWV was off the
air. Bob, W3RUA also sent me a message letting me know that he was unable to
connect to it. I guess Lynn will have something to do when he gets back home.
The last time POCAWV/MARLWV was last heard was around 10:40 am on June 2nd.
George, K8QEW says he's unable to connect to the Hancock County NODE/PBBS,
HANCWV/WEIRWV. He says their 146.94 Mhz voice repeater was installed on the
same tower this weekend, but hopes they didn't mess things up on the DAREN
NODE. I'd rather hope they may have just bumped the power switch on the radio
or power supply or something like that. It would be easier to fix than have
the station hit by lightening.
While verifying if the NODEs POCAWV and HANCWV were still down, I thought I
would check to see if the NODE/PBBS, WYOMWV/PINEWV was still off the air.
WYOMWV/PINEWV was last heard some time just before March 19th. While Lynn,
AI8I was posting the net announcement on March 19th he found the Wyoming
County NODE/PBBS was off the air and it hasn't been heard since. WYOMWV is or
was a very important NODE in the system, connecting the Northern and Southern
sections of the Western part of the state.
I had Bobbie, KB8TBF change the "MYA" of the Tyler County NODE, TYLEWV, to the
ALIAS of "DAREN". A few months ago we started playing with "Cellular" Packet
just to see how it would work. The theory is about the same as Automatic
Packet Reporting System (APRS), where location information is BEACONed thru
several stations, all using the same ALIAS. The big difference between APRS
and "Cellular Packet" is instead of BEACONing, you connect to another station
VIA the ALIAS. In theory, you should be able to operate Mobile Packet while
moving from one location to another without losing your connection. This
system SHOULD only be used while mobile not from a fixed location.
I want to thank Gene, N8JYS for taking the Net Control this week for the State
Wide DAREN Net. This was a busy weekend for me with several activities like
Fire Department Ice Cream Social and Bicycle Safety Rodeos. He reported 79
check-ins this week. John, K8ZPR has checked into the net 150 times and will
be receiving his certificate. Eugene, N8ER needs only one more check-in for a
total of 200, and N3AAS needs only one more check-in for a total of 100. There
was one new station that checked into the net this week. I want to welcome
KC8HFK to the DAREN system.
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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. June 15, 1997 (.257)
George, K8QEW and Chuck, WD8DNC made a trip to the Hancock County NODE/PBBS
site Thursday to get HANCWV/WEIRWV back on the air. When they got there they
found the station had been moved and jammed into a very small space. The TNC
was turned off and one cable was unpluged. He says that so many things have
been added there's not much room for anything else. The transmitter which is
a Kenwood TM-241 is only running medium power. He thinks the rig may need a
fan on it so it can run high power. Any time that you are working at some one
else's tower site always be careful not to disable another person's station.
What happened to HANCWV/WEIRWV could have happened to an emergency transmitter
such as a Fire, Police, Ambulance, or Emergency Services, any of which could
cause someone their life or their home. I know DAREN isn't a high priority
service, MOST OF THE TIME, but when it is needed, it would be nice to have it
in service.
Don't forget that Field Day is coming up June 28 and 29. As in the past, the
State Wide DAREN Net will be run the 24 hours of Field Day, so you can check
in any time the rig isn't being used for other contacts. This is the one time
of the year that BEACONs can be used to let others know where you're operating
Field Day and what NODEs to contact you. BEACONs shouldn't be any more often
than every 10 to 15 minutes. Hope to contact you at Field Day.
There were 80 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Gene, N8ER has
checked into the net 200 times. Charlie, WB8CNN has checked in 150, and Jim,
N3AAS has checked in 100 times. All of these station should be getting their
certificates this week. Scott, KB8EEO needs only one more check-in to get his
certificate for 50. One station that hadn't been heard from since June 18,
1994 is back. Earl N8JXT checked in this week. We had two new check-ins this
week and they were: Tom, KC8GDV and Mac, W8XF. Mac's old call was WD8OZT. I
want to welcome them to the DAREN system. I heard that Mac was in Parkersburg
Friday and he had said something about having some equipment ready to go on
either Packet or DAREN, I got the message third hand so I'm not for sure. Oh,
well he made it into the net anyway. 73 for now
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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. June 22, 1997 (.258)
Lynn, AI8I is turning the posting of DAREN News and Net Announcements on the
Northeastern part of the state back over to me until the Pendleton County
(Spruce Knob) NODE is back in operation. At the present time Lynn has to go a
long way out of his way to get to them, and he gets too many re-tries before
he can get them posted. We haven't heard any more about the Spruce Knob NODE.
John, N4OKL says he's had at least 110 hits on his DAREN Web Site. Some of
the bites has been from Virginia and California. He's also had some EMAIL
messages about it too. I now have the DAREN News on disk and ready to go in
the mail to him. John also filled me in about the Packet station that Mac,
W8XF has ready to put on the air. The station will be an Automatic Packet
Reporting System (APRS) digipeater, used to keep track of moving vehicles,
using the Global Positioning System (GPS). The APRS network operates on
145.79 Mhz. He said that Mac and Brian, N8PQI are planning another Balloon
launch for some time in July. APRS will be used to keep track of the Balloon.
There were 81 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Judy, N8UFQ has
checked into the net 250 times, and Scott, KB8EEO has checked into the net 50
times. Both of them will be receiving their certificates. Jim, N3BHY needs
only one more check-in to make 100. We had two new check-ins Bob, WA4JKK and
the Marshall County ARES Club station, KB8ZMZ. Also we had one check-in with
the callsign "LF". If your call doesn't show up on the Net Announcement on
Thursday, and you think the "LF" callsign was yours, leave me a message on
"PKBGWV" and I will get your records caught up. 73 Ken
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D.A.R.E.N. NEWS of WV. June 29, 1997 (.259)
I'm a little late getting the DAREN News started this week. Field Day weekend
is a killer, but I'm sure I don't have to tell a lot of you. I had a good
time at Field Day and hope that you did to. I only got three contacts on
Packet, but the State Wide DAREN Net made a record. We had 114 check-ins, and
15 of them were new calls. Three of the check-ins were from stations that
haven't been heard from for over a year or two. Field Day is one time of the
year that exposes a lot of Amateurs and Non-Amateurs to what Amateur Radio is
all about. There can be plenty of activity to keep everyone busy from cooking
the food to staying up all night trying to get as many contacts as possible in
the 24 hour period. And how about the weather this year, wasn't it great. I
don't remember the last time we had Field Day and we didn't get a thunder and
lightening storm. Jim, N3BHY got his 100th check-in on the State Wide DAREN
Net and will be receiving his certificate. Jim, N8COG needs only one more
check-in and he will be receiving his certificate for 50 check-ins. The three
stations that hadn't been heard from for some time were: AA8UL, KB8EHT, and
KD4ZUA. There was one new club call that checked into the net and that was
the WB8WV, the Pioneer Amateur Radio Club in Glenville, WV. The other first
time check-ins to the net were: Edgar KB8GAR, Justin KC8EMR, Tom KC8GDV, Tim
KC8FZK, Bernard KC8BTZ, Ralph K8AN, Bob W8KBM, Mike KC8GCV, Valorie KB8ZIS,
Charles KC8GBD, Berlin KB8YDJ, Pat WV8E, KC8HRQ, and KC8GUX. I'm sure that
most of them were at a Field Day site some where and I hope they get
interested in getting into Packet on a regular basis. The State Wide DAREN
Net was in operation from 2:00 pm on Saturday to 2:00 pm on Sunday. That gave
everyone plenty of time to get checked in and allow the new people to see what
the DAREN System can do. Field Day is the weekend that you get to try out new
antennas, and generators that haven't been started or used since last Field
Day. Radios that were put away and hope they would work the next time you
need them. Field Day is the time to make sure that you have everything you
might need in case of a real disaster, and you are the only communications
that is available because commercial power is off and Public Safety and
Business Radios are off the air, or Telephone service hampered due to downed
telephone cables, or Cellular Telephone service is interrupted from the loss
of the main switching center that may have taken a lightening hit. All of
these things do happen, and they happen at the worst possible time, "when you
need them". Did anyone have anything unusual happen during Field Day they
would like to pass along to others. Things that were funny, serious, or just
something that was learned. If you do let me know what they were and we'll
put them in the next few DAREN News. As you can see I have rambled on long
enough, but that's what happens when you're tired. Like I said a few years
ago after Field Day was over, "Never again...See you next year". 73 Ken
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