DAREN of WV News December 28, 2008 (.859)
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 an E-Mail from Paul Derosky, K8GLA, again this week about the Hancock County NODE/PBBS of HANCWV/WEIRWV. Paul says the NODE/PBBS is back off the air again. I told him that I had an idea what might be happening to it, and that I would keep an eye on it. I told him if the station comes back up that I would go in the back door and make a command change which might help it. I consider Packet Radio a gentlemen type system. If a Packet station hears another station on the air, it won't transmit until the other station quits transmitting. One problem with Packet is the fact it can't distinguish between noise, voice, and data, unless it is told to only recognize data. There is a command in the Kantronics TNCs that does just that. The command is "CD". If the "CD" command is set of "INTERNAL" the TNC will think that anything it hears on a channel is data, and won't transmit until it goes away. If the "CD" command is set for "SOFTWARE", the TNC will only recognize data and any other noise or voice is ignored. The "INTERNAL" command allows the Packet station to work on channels that it shares with voice transmissions, that way it won't transmit if someone is talking in the channel. The "SOFTWARE" command is used on dedicated Packet channels and to allow the station to operate with the radio squelch open, allowing it to hear weaker signals. My thoughts on the Hancock NODE/PBBS is that it may have a lose squelch, or it is hearing a weak carrier signal. In any case it won't transmit until that noise goes away. I checked the NODE this morning and it was back up, so I went in the back door and changed the "CD" command from "INTERNAL" to "SOFTWARE". All we can do now is wait and see if it takes care of the problem. I want to thank Paul for keeping me posted on the station.
I need to pass on some sad news. We had the passing of another Amateur this week. William (Bill) Jacobs, WA8YCG, went Silent Key this past Tuesday. Bill wasn't real active on the DAREN system, but he did check into the State Wide DAREN Net in few times in 1998. Condolences need to go to his family.
I just want to wish all of you a Safe and Happy New.
There were 64 check-ins to this week's State Wide DAREN Net. Eugene Roy, N8ER, who's been participating in the net since May 1, 1993, has completed 800 check- ins. Tricia Magyarosi, KC8VLI, who's been participating in the net since December 28, 2002, has completed 250 check-ins. Both of these operators will be receiving their certificates. Roy Humes, N8RH, needs only one more check-in to make 600. There was one new station on the net this week, and that was Elizabeth Myers, W8LIZ, from Beckley. Elizabeth is the ARRL Emergency Coordinator in Raleigh County. There was one station on the net this week with the call sign of "NOCALL". The station checked into the net last night at about 9:43 pm. If you don't see your call sign on this coming week's State Wide DAREN Net Announcement, and think it may have been yours, let me know so that I can update your check-in records.