August 31, 2008 (.842)
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.
I got a telephone call from the Multiple Sclerosis Society this week asking for help. They will be holding their annual West Virginia MS-150 bike ride this coming weekend, September 6th and 7th, and they need Amateur Radio help. Since there is no cellular telephone coverage in the area of the ride they would like for the Amateur Radio operators to help provide the Safety Communications for their activity. The bike ride is a two day event starting early Saturday morning and ending Sunday evening. The first leg of the bike ride starts in Lewisburg, Greenbrier County and ends at the Ski Resort at Snowshoe, Pocahontas County. The second leg of the bike ride starts Sunday Morning at the Resort at Snowshoe and rides back to Lewisburg. Amateur Radio has been the major communications for the MS-150 rides in all of the states that holds the event. At the end of the ride on Saturday, there is a dinner hosted by the Multiple Sclerosis Society for the riders and for those who help. The ride will be using West Virginia Routes 92, 39, 28, and 66. They think that five or six operators may be able to cover the bike route and provide the needed communications, but from my experience with the ride, the more the better. I'm not familiar with that area of the state and what voice repeaters that may be available, if any. This is a time to show how Amateur Radio can come together and provide communications. The MS-150 bike ride used to start in Charleston and go to North Bend State Park in Ritchie County. After a few years the ride was moved to Greenbrier/Pocahontas County. After 13 years the ride was moved to Wood/Ritchie County. The bike ride stayed in Wood/Ritchie County for three years. Even though the Multiple Sclerosis Society officials wanted the ride kept in Wood/Ritchie Counties, the bike riders (who bring in the money) wanted it moved back to Greenbrier/Pocahontas County. You can do a GOOGLE search on the internet for MS 150 WV and find out some information. If you have any questions contact Kami Baker at kami.baker@nmss.org or the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Charleston at (800) 344-4867, or (304) 343-5153, and ask for Kami. If you can help either, or both days, please contact them and also let me know. I'm thinking about going down myself, but I need to know if there will be any other Amateurs willing to help.
Another DAREN Packet operator has passed away. Bill Wetzel, WD5GKE, in New Martinsville, died August 21st at Wheeling Hospital. Bill hasn't checked into the State Wide DAREN Net for awhile since he had moved his tower and never got a Packet antenna back in operation. Anytime the Wetzel County NODE/PBBS, WETZWV/NMARWV would have a problem Bill would survey the problem and fix it if he could. If I would have to make the trip to Wetzel County to work on the NODE/PBBS, I would stop in and talk with Bill. I'm going to miss talking with Bill and having the help with the DAREN station.
There were 60 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 150 check-ins and will be receiving his certificate.