Wood County
Emergency Communications

Serving Wood County West Virginia and surrounding areas

DAREN News

July 29, 2007                  (.785)

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'.

Last week I gave the names of the DAREN PBBSs where messages such as the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) RADIOGRAMs and MARS (Military Affiliated Radio System) MARSGRAMs can be posted, knowing they will be picked up and delivered, and the names of the operators who said they will see to it.  Since I gave the information in last week's DAREN News, I have a couple more operators who said they will watch over their local DAREN PBBS.  Roy Humes, N8RH, will be watching the Hancock County PBBS of WEIRWV, and Tom White, W3JTW, will be watching the Mineral County PBBS of KEYSWV.  If you're willing to keep track of message traffic on a DAREN PBBS in your area, let me know so that I put it in the DAREN News, and everyone will know where they can post the above type messages, and know that they will be picked up and delivered.  Post messages going into the area of the monitored PBBSs.

The DAREN News is a day late getting typed up because I wanted to give an update on the Ritchie County station.  I made a trip to the site on Monday to change out the station and install the Chat Room "DAREN".  The Ritchie County NODE/PBBS of RITCWV/HRVLWV is now running 50 watts and the Chat Room system of "DAREN" is using the same transceiver.  Now that the Chat Room is located at the Ritchie County tower site, there is access from several NODEs including: JACKWV, KANAWV, MONOWV, PENDWV, PRESWV, RALEWV, RANDWV, TUCKWV, WOODWV, and maybe others.  I would like to start the monthly ARES Net this coming Thursday. The net will start at 6:00 pm, the same time, as the West Virginia FONE Net and will stop at the end of the Mountain State Emergency Net.  There are a few commands that you can try when you get connected.  The first command is the "U" for Users.  This will allow you to see who else is in the Chat Room.  While you're connected to "DAREN", it can also be used as a NODE.  If you use the "C" for Connect, you can connect to another NODE or PBBS.  I don't know why you would want to do it, but it is there.  The letter "T" is for Talk.  This will put you into the Chat Room itself.  To leave the Chat Room, you must use the "/EX" command.  The last command you need to know is the "B" for Bye.  Here are a few instructions for using the Chat Room.  The NUMBER ONE instruction is "DO NOT" type more the 70 characters in a row.  In other words don't try to "Wrap" you sentences.  When you get to about 10 characters from the end of the line, hit an .  If you try to wrap your sentences, anything beyond about 70 characters will be lost.  When you are in conversation with someone, be sure to give an indication that you are finished with you transmission, by giving a "K", an "over", or other indication.  This will keep the conversations straight and not intermingled.  You don't have to identify who you are when you're sending information, the Chat Room takes care of that for you.  Other information may be forthcoming.  If you get a chance, try it before the net.

There were 58 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net.  Dave Wright, N8NWV, who's been participating in the net since March 26, 2005, has completed 100 check-ins.  Daniel Ritchie, KC8ZLK, who's been participating in the net since June 24, 2006, has completed 50 check-ins.  These operators will be receiving their certificates.  Jerry Arnold, NQ8B, needs only one more check-in to make 650.  Charles King, KB8YIT, needs only one more check-in to make 300. And, Jim Woodford, KC8MLK, needs only one more check-in to make 150.