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41 Comments

  1. I’m loving this great article on ham radio (especially the thinking outside the box for info), but I have a “beans” question and don’t have anyone I can ask.

    Does anyone ever vacuum air out of your mylar bag while storing/packing food into a 5 gal bucket, seal it up, but so many hours later the mylar bag seems a bit looser than when you first sealed it?

    I know oxygen only makes up a smaller portion of what’s inside (and nitrogen is left), but should I assume that I may have caused a pin leak on this one or is this normal? I used a 2,000 and a 500 oxygen absorber which felt warm to the touch on the outside of the 7mil mylar bag after an hour or two so I assume it was working.

    I’m only on my 5th bucket and am still a bit new to this. So far, it’s only been beans and white rice. I try to be gentle with the mylar. Thanks for any ideas.
    I’ll be back on in the late morning to read any of them.

    PS — I bookmark’d the article. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Yes, I do. I have a Harvest Right size Large stainless steel unit. I use these bags:

      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L8MWBQR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

      My vacuum sealer is fairly heavy duty:

      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HFC8V9M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

      I do insert O2 absorbers anyway.

      I have found you can use non-waffled mylar bags if you just cut a two or three-inch strip of vacuum sealer waffle bag and insert it at the sealer area where the bag is held during vacuum; works just fine.

      Scott

      1. Thanks, Scott… I should have specified that I don’t use a vacuum sealer (though I like the idea), but instead I seal all but a few inches of my mylar bag and then use my vacuum and attachment for just a quick second or two to get some of the air out before swiftly sealing the rest of the top.
        (then let the oxygen absorbers do their thing)

        I’m not really confident on this bag though, considering it has loosened up more than I’d like. I’m thinking of ditching it and using it instead to just hold the sugar I plan on putting in another 5 gal bucket with a gamma lid.

      2. I’ve been a ham for less than ten years, but am reasonably well set up if the shtf. One interesting aspect of the hf bands is just to tune around. While you won’t find organized news stations broadcasting, what you will find is a couple of guys rag-chewing in someplace, USA. You’ll get a very good idea of what is going on in their part of the world. You don’t need to transmit, so you can listen anywhere on the band. I would recommend a general license and practice regularly.

    2. I have had this problem when using dry ice, so I let it sit overnight before doing the final seal. I use a vacuum cleaner with small tube attachment, add absorbers, seal all but a small part on top and fold close the small part off with a flat clamp, let it sit outside over night, the next day, do the final seal after sucking the gas out. I still wait half a day just to see if the bag inflates, but have not had to cut it open to suck the gas out again. 24 hours for final seal. [Pinto and Black beans, white rice, steel cut oats, wheat] I use a flat hair iron to seal. The delayed inflation probably had to do with dry ice and temperature…

      I remember the first time using dry ice, filling in the morning, doing the final seal in the evening, and stacking the buckets with lids on. Only to wake up in the middle of the night, to the sound of something falling over. The bags had inflated, blowing off the lids, and toppling the stacks of buckets…

      I get the dry ice at Publix.

  2. I really want to understand ham radios and get into this hobby, But my brain refuses to cooperate. I have a grundig yb400pe that collects dust on my nightstand. It works great as a fm/am radio but I get nothing when i try to dial into anything else.

    1. YB400 is a great radio. Try taking it outside and trying it. Some houses have a lot of interferance and electrical noise when a shortwave radio is close to it. Atleast try setting it by a window. See if that helps find signals, and try it at night. Daytime Shortwave is harder to receive.

      1. Jim, try making a external antenna for your 400. Most antenna’s that are on these radios work ok, but are limited. You will need an alligator clip, 75 to 100ft of #20 or #22 wire. Hook the wire to the alligator clip which you will clip onto your radio’s antenna, run the wire out a window into trees (or along the roof of your house if you don’t have trees) as high up as you can and string the wire straight out, or in a loop, or L shape and see if that doesn’t improve your radio’s ability to bring in stations. Now when a thunderstorm comes up, just take off the alligator clip and put it in a glass jar as a insulator.

  4. Dear Author, great article. FYI, the drudge report decided to monetize their work products and changed parties to the Democrats. There may or may not be your preferred news site (in other words, it’s not the same Drudge Report from 10 years, its 180 degrees changed).

    Meanwhile, you can use theHill.com or War Room Pandemic with Jack Maxey as a reasonable news source.

    Good luck and thanks.

    1. You nailed it, Squirrel…

      Drudge has went to the “dark side”. If you want a leftist perspective, he’s your guy now… but if you want the old Drudge, I use Rantingly.com as my news aggregate. I’m quite happy with them and there’s a few others who do a fine job too.

  5. I recall back in the day when we would pick up AP broadcast on HF on our ship, either teletype or MC. Back then, I was fast enough to capture the MC broadcast at 30+ wpm. Sadly, those days are long gone.

    All this digital stuff can spin your head pretty quick. The list of acronyms is horrendous, and it changes often. I remember my first foray into the amateur digital world with a CoCo2 doing packet radio stuff. This was a far cry from the Crypto work I did as a sailor, but still cutting edge for what it was at the time. Back then you really had to be a tech to do the hookups and such. Nowadays, it is more like pushbutton than ever before. Sad. Broke my heart when FCC pulled the code requirement for the tests. That was the essence of what amateur radio was all about. It is impossible to find anyone nowadays who wants to talk about tube rigs.

  6. We were surprised when the Wifi Internet installer showed us radio interference from our electric cookstove and refrigerator. It ‘blocked’ the Wifi in our house.

    Later I plugged in LED lights in the shop and my FM radio went static.

    RFI. Killer of transmission and receivers.

    Good article but I would benefit by some fuller descriptions. Keep up your comms work!

  7. I have a few friends who go to the local McDonalds every morning and enjoy a cup of coffee and sit around and talk. They have invited me a few times and I defer with some excuse. Just not that interesting to me to gossip. This is my impression of ham radio. I just don’t see the value. It’s a hobby like “diamond dots art” and if you like that sort of thing it is fine. But I don’t do diamond dots either.

    1. It’s a hobby now, but might be an important lifeline later. I bought some of the baofeng handheld radios talked about on here and once they arrive, will be able to legally listen. If SHTF, will be able to transmit. Couple of guys in our group are licensed and will assist with frequencies and other setup info

      1. For what purpose? If you gather info how do you know it is accurate or true. Talk to who? If you turn it on it can be detected and pin-pointed. If you use it then it will consume some of your time and energy when time and energy is in short supply. The benefit seems elusive. I think that in a list of the pros and cons that it will be difficult to come up with good pros.

        1. “might be an important lifeline later” = is the key reason to have some knowledge about shortwave ‘Ham’ radio.

          The users of shortwave provide a valuable service to people during disasters; especially in Tornado~Hurricane areas. The operators help other people. It’s NOT just chat 24/7. … [They become a big neighborhood watch, and ‘telephone’ system.]

          The ‘Ham’ radio can be powered off of a vehicle electrical system; during a ‘grid down’ situation. … Shortwave Ham radios might be the only communication available to people.

          People at SurvivalBlog typically plan for the worst events. The shortwave radio might be the only source of local and national information.

          +Shortwave radio is another source of News; the Fake News is NOT trustworthy. The shortwave radio can be as useful as a flashlight, when the lights go out.

          1. “might be an important lifeline later”
            Lifeline to what? To who? Too

            “The users of shortwave provide a valuable service to people during disasters”
            This is true. There have been examples where it has helped in a disaster. This will still be true if I don’t have or use a shortwave radio. It has zero effect on me either way.

            “Shortwave Ham radios might be the only communication available to people”
            Communicate to who? If the grid goes down or WW III starts there is no one to call. You going to call 911??? Maybe ghostbusters. That is the “thing” about this; the worse the situation the less good it can be for you while the less serious the situation the less you need “communication”. Seriously, who are you going to need to communicate with?

            “ The shortwave radio might be the only source of local and national information.”
            If the situation is so bad that nothing else is working what can someone 1000 miles away tell me that I haven’t already figured out? In such a situation I need to devote 100% of my time and energy to helping myself and not hanging on a radio.

            “Shortwave radio is another source of News”
            Seriously! Have you ever listened to it. Recipies, cars, grandkids, all from people you never met and don’t know.

  9. Been a ham for 40 some years, there is a lot available. Best way to get going is to find a local group to join, but the old guys and gals (OM & XYL) are becoming silent keys at a rapid rate.

    BBSs were really going in the 80s and 90s and a message could even go coast to coast on VHF AX.25. (before internet).

    HF has less infrastructure requirements and therefore is more robust is case of grid issues. There are many scheduled Nets going everyday, hundreds of not thousands of hams in daily contact. The conversation goes from weather to rigs to keeping track of each others health to reading Bible verses.
    Most Nets are regional but traffic is passed nationwide.
    Just Keep on keeping on and you will find many exciting facets in ham radio.

  10. Great article. I have had a “general” license for a couple of years but due to financial constraints I just now am up and operational via UH/VHF. I have an antenna up 45 feet and am amazed at how far I can reach with it. Most of the learning is like “drinking out of the fire hose” for me. But…I am getting there. Articles like this help lessen learning curve. Thank You!

  12. I was too tired earlier to add that I would love to figure out how to download radar pics from our weather satellites using HAM radio and a computer…

    The idea cropped up in the middle of A. American’s Going Home series of books.

    There’s so much we can do with transceivers than just talk. It’s incredible really.

    1. You should look at getting a Raspberry Pi which is a single board fully functioning Linux based computer and a cheap $20 software defined usb dongle for a software defined radio mine is from RTL-SDR

      1. Thanks, Stephen…
        I’ll have to look into that. Julian (OH8STN) and Josh (Ham Radio Crash Course) on Youtube have a few vids on the subject I’ve already bookmark’d, but haven’t been able to watch and study them yet.

  13. A slightly different topic – One of the staff of a Christian media company – was arrested in Idaho yesterday. (Crosspolitic), together with two other Christians after singing psalms in a car park. Partially in protest at the mask mandate no-one socially distanced, or wore a mask. https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/our-incident-at-city-hall.html.https://twitter.com/VirgilWlkrOMAHA/status/1309103206493040640?s=20
    https://twitter.com/ImKingGinger/status/1309197405955342336?s=20

    Moscow City Idaho Council members can be emailed here:

    blambert@ci.moscow.id.us
    mlaflin@ci.moscow.id.us
    abettge@ci.moscow.id.us
    gtaruscio@ci.moscow.id.us
    azabala@ci.moscow.id.us
    bsullivan@ci.moscow.id.us
    skelly@ci.moscow.id.us

    1. The article was linked here a day or so ago. I also ranted about it.
      I ALSO emailed the Chief of Police and implored him to not enforce unConstitutional laws, basically “mandates” by Marxist/Communist City Council and Mayor. I didn’t get a response. But, whatever. Moscow, where U of Idaho is located, is crawling with Marxists – thanks to the University system. Yes, even here in Idaho.

      1. Good for you SaraSue! More people need to be doing this. Last year I wrote a “one-pager” and hand delivered it to City Hall (for the mayor) and to the Law Enforcement Center (for the sheriff). I also called the latter of the two on his cell number, which was supposedly not supposed to be publicly available and gave him the “facts” on his voicemail. He called back less than an hour later. I won’t reveal all the details, but will say it is going to go a lot higher before things hit the fans. They know it too, because I informed them of that fact.

  14. Great article, and I agree with “Old Ham Guy’s” reply. As an Amateur Extra I have couple of items I like to address. Firstly, a XYL is an unlicensed wife of a OM! A YL, such as myself, (Young Lady….is a lady of ANY age that has in her possession a ham license of HER OWN!!) Secondly, APRS or any computer reliant ham interface is great while there is internet. In a “grid down” scenario a “KISS” (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach will be your best bet and is the approach that I have taken with ham radio. HF and simplex (2 meter FM and SSB) will be your best and reliable sources. There are many regularly HF nets to participate in. Some are NTS (National Traffic System) and their main focus are to pass traffic from one station to another. These traffic nets are very efficient in their purpose. Other HF nets include “social” or had a particular function….but they welcome ALL duly licensed ham operators to check in, and there is lots of valuable information that can be had by participation in these nets, or at least listening in on a net or a QSO. Some of these nets include the Navy Net, YL System, “Do Da” Net…among numerous others. My suggestion would be to “google”–while the internet is still available) and find nets to suit your needs, and check into to them, or become a member of them! There are so many nice folks to chat with on the air! And if you are licensed, but are “mike shy”, checking into a amateur radio net hones radio skills and lessens that mike fright. Good Luck to all “88” and “73”

  15. interesting article on ham radio. This is another one of my interests that I’ve had since grade school but didn’t follow up ( raised in rual area and the closest ham club was 30 miles away ) on. Since my wife passed and I was / is emotionally home bound, I have started flying lessons, ham radio is next on the list as is scuba diving and maybe horse back riding ( I always wanted to be cowboy ). I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone like everyone is telling me, I’m in my mid 70’s and it has been 3 yrs, and now I’m starting to notice girls again( well, the senior variety I mean ). Gotta go, pup is calling the shots again

  16. my problem is every time I ask for info to try to get started the person I’m asking launches into acronymize and prattles on in slang and acronyms as my eyes glaze over till I once again regret that I asked and wander away with even less knowledge than I started with.

  19. The Hams in my area have done a great job at installing new repeaters and upgrading the old ones, including GMRS, and 6 meter. The coverage in this area is impressive as a result. MURS is in most radios as well. It will tie the community together.

  20. So, I had been thinking about something similar to this about a week ago, so great timing for the article (for me 🙂
    I ran across something called the HINTERNET, which is a combination of internet and ham radio. Evidently there exists IP4 internet address space in the 44.0.0.0/8 space, which was set aside for experimentation for internet over ham radio. The nice thing about this is that local intranets could exist, even if the internet kill switch is enabled. Amateur operators could set up their own servers (very easy to do), loaded with wordpress or just static web pages, (the less graphics the better because of bandwidth) and provide news, publications for download, etc.

    There is more information here: https://www.kqed.org/quest/8440/ham-radio-helping-to-build-a-fast-and-free-internet

    here: https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/HInternet

    and here: https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/HInternet/HSMM

    I also found this: “The Hinternet is the “ham internet”. In the US, and likely in other countries also, several WiFi channels fall into the 13cm ham band; being in the ham band is advantageous because licensed hams can use higher power than non-licensed ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) band users. So the hinternet generally refers to hams using WiFi gear, often with modified firmware and higher power, to communicate.

    There are restrictions on what hams can communicate, however. Hams aren’t allowed to pass any messages for commercial use, including advertising. Hams aren’t allowed to broadcast entertainment. Hams are allowed to pass messages for other people, but if the other people are in other countries then the other countries must explicitly permit such messages. (Most first-world countries do.) Hams aren’t allowed to encrypt over-the-air messages. Curse words aren’t allowed. Hams must send their call signs periodically when transmitting.

    Because of these restrictions, hams can’t just connect a router on the ham bands running higher power to the regular internet and call it good. Generally ham radio communication has to be from a ham, to another ham, with the content either generated by the transmitting ham, or at least carefully monitored by the transmitting ham if the content is a recording. Sorry if this bursts your bubble. Hams are doing some interesting stuff with this technology though; for instance, hams are reprogramming WRT54G routers to make ad-hoc mesh networks transmitting sound, video, and data. If this sounds interesting to you, you could get started with just a Technician-class license, which isn’t too difficult to earn; we could point you in the right direction.”

    … from this site: https://ham.stackexchange.com/questions/6567/what-is-hinternet-in-simple-terms

    Would love to see more discussion about this…

  22. Not ham radio, but I’d like to see the old FidoNet make a comeback. Given cell phones with unlimited talk time and long distance charges no longer a limiting factor, as long as the grid is up it could go a long way to filling this need.

    More fun would be figuring out how to transmit the Fido updates over ham radio.

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