March 30, 2008 (.820)
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, or to my E-Mail: wa8llm@yahoo.com. A State Wide DAREN NET is operated every Saturday from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and lately, before and after those hours. The DAREN Net Announcement, 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'. The DAREN News can also be found on the wc8ec.com website.
Bob Ott, WB8OIF, has been working with the Winlink 2000 (WL2K) Telpac program called "Airmail". Airmail is a program that looks about like, and works about like, any of the Internet browsers such as Internet Explorer, except it is used for Packet Radio. Bob wants to make it possible for someone who's not familiar with Packet Radio, Digipeaters, NODES, Mailboxes, PBBS', BBS', etc., such as Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Emergency Services (OES) Officials, to be able to send and receive E-Mails via the WL2K program. Bob downloaded the Airmail program and started working with it, trying to make it do what he wants. He has mixed feelings about the program; it does look and work like Internet Explorer, but it doesn't do what needs to be done. Even though the documentation says that you can connect to a WL2K Telpac NODE by digipeating or NODE connecting through more than one Digipeater or NODE, he can't get it to work. I haven't had the time to work with the program myself, but I do need to learn how it works. If anyone has worked with the Airmail program, and can make it Digipeat or NODE Connect through more than one Digipeater or NODE, you might let us know. The Airmail program will be a big help in sending and receiving E-Mails at Emergency Operations Centers, Disaster Sites, and other emergency locations, if all other Internet access is unavailable. There has been some discussion of whether it's legal for non-Amateurs, such as OEM, or OES Directors to use Airmail and Packet Radio. My feeling is there isn't much difference between a non-Amateur using voice to talk on Amateur Radio, or one that uses Packet Radio. As long as the control operator is there, and is responsible for the operations, there's not much difference. With the Airmail program the system, or control operator, will set up all the commands, the connection paths, use his callsign, and make sure the program is working properly. All the Non-Amateur, OEM/OES Director is doing is using the keyboard to send and receive the message. It's a good subject for discussion.
I got busy this week and didn't get the DAREN Package mailed out to Jim Perry, KB8LSR, like I had planned to do, but it should be in the mail in the next couple of days. Jim is going to setup the main Cabell County DAREN NODE/PBBS at his home so there will be one in the Huntington area.
Not much other news this week. Randy Thomas, K8KHW, who maintains the K8KHW-10 Telpac WL2K NODE is still out of the country, but his system is still in good working order.
There were 64 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. John Johnston, KF8OM, who's been participating in the net since December 3, 1994, has completed 600 check-ins. And, Mike Whitco, KC8OAN, who's been participating in the net since February 3, 2001, has completed 300 check-ins. Both of these operators will be receiving their certificates.