March 11, 2007 (.765)
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 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'.
It's three weeks earlier this year, but it's Daylight Saving Time again, and time to set your clocks ahead an hour. I hope everyone got them set. Now that you've set your clocks to Daylight Savings Time, don't forget to change the time in your Packet Radio Terminal NODE Controllers (TNC), both home station and remote, hilltop or mountain top stations, both DAREN, MARS, and regular Packet stations. When changing the time in the Packet stations, it's a good time to give them a "RESET", which may help them operate better. Not only is it a good time to reset the TNC, it's also a go to do other things too. For one thing, it's a good reminder to change the battery in your Smoke and CO Detectors. Here's how to change the time If you're at the TNC just type the command "DA", <space>, followed by the two number year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. Example: the command of March 11, 2007, at 2:00 am would be; DA 070311020000, and then press <enter>. If you're connecting to a remote station over the air, you must give your pass code. After you get the (prompt:) command, then do the "DA" command. After you finish setting the time, do a "RESET" command. Doing the "RESET" command may clear out any problems that have been building up for the last six months or so. While you're into you remote station, and if you haven't done so already, now would be the time to change the "MYA" to "DAREN".
There is a correction on the date for one of the Hamfests that I announced last week. The Jackson County Hamfest is on May 6 instead of May 7, which I said last week.
I ma a big boo boo setting up the State Wide DAREN Net this week. When I was changing the parameters on my station, I missed one parameter that caused a lot of confusion for stations checking into the net. I forgot to change the parameter of CMSG to DISC. The CMSG parameter is used to disconnect the participating stations, from the NCS, after they have been sent the Connect Text, telling them they have been checked in. Most of the stations force a disconnect to get disconnected from the Net Control Station. I want to thank Terry Mills, KC8TUE, and Opie Nutter, KC8ZBQ, for alerting me of the problem, so that it could be corrected about half way through the net. Everyone who connected to the NCS this week was on both the main participation list, and the back-up list.
There were 67 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Tom Martin, WW8TM, who's been participating in the net since December 31, 1994, has completed 500 check-ins. Tom will be receiving his certificate.