This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.
—
We’ll start today with a note that Mike in Alaska sent, with the photo above:
“Today I modified the power connectors for my SDR rig using all Anderson power pole connectors and built a BNC cable for the AX1 antenna for 20-meter and 17-meter use. The radio works great for digital applications. I’m working today (4th of July) so when I get home I’ll connect it to my JFK antenna and see how far it’ll reach. The battery is a very lightweight Dakota Lithium battery 12v /10 AH rating.
This could quite possibly be a huge game changer for EmComms. The heart of the system is a Raspberry Pi 3 running WSJTX and other programs if wanted. The transmitter can output up to 25 watts RF or be dialed down to QRP levels. This rig is very user-friendly and as the open source software is upgraded I will load it up.”
o o o
Video: Receive HF Digital Communications — Even if You’re Not a Licensed Ham. (John Jacob Schmidt).
o o o
A pericope:
“The number of U.S. amateur licenses has held at an anemic 1 percent annual growth for the past few years, with about 7,000 new licensees added every year for a total of 755,430 in 2018. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission doesn’t track demographic data of operators, but anecdotally, white men in their 60s and 70s make up much of the population. As these baby boomers age out, the fear is that there are too few young people to sustain the hobby.”
o o o
You Can Live Off The Grid In This South Dakota Town Considered The Best In The Country. (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.)
o o o
An essay by Brandon Smith: Americans Are More Likely To Go To War With The Government Than Submit To The Draft.
o o o
Reader D.S.V. mentioned this New York Post article: Jailhouse crock: NYC blows $59K on Playstation games for prisoners. JWR’s Comment: I wonder if they bought any copies of Grand Theft Auto 5. That game surely would be popular, with that crowd.
o o o
Video of an Alaska tradition: 2024 Alaska Extreme Car Launch July 4th Celebration.
o o o
Hezbollah’s concrete launchers: A new threat to Northern Israel.
o o o
Is Blogging dead in 2024? Not exactly, but it’s harder now.
o o o
Our friend Patrice Lewis (of the long-running Rural Revolution homesteading blog) is also a columnist at WND: 99 more things you never knew were ‘racist’.
o o o
H.L. spotted this headline: Surviving Tuskegee Airman Turned 100 on Independence Day.
o o o
And, finally, a video with some analysis from Armed Attorneys: ATF Post Chevron.
Please Send Us Your Snippets!
Please send your snippet items for potential posting to JWR. or AVL. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.