Category: Retreat Security

MURS Dakota Alert IR Sensors and Antennas – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) a Radio Survey Performing a radio survey of the area first is a necessary step before purchasing or fabricating the appropriate antennas. You might find that no directional antennas will be necessary, the cost reduced, and the remaining budget used to purchase additional sensors.  The range of any transmitter is in the end limited by or enhanced by the surrounding terrain. Given that very low power transmitters are being used, the 1 watt transmitted by these sensors, versus the 5 watts of a handheld transceiver, the challenge is greater. Having favorable terrain …


MURS Dakota Alert IR Sensors and Antennas – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

The case for using directional antennas to contain signals within an area of operations (AO), has hopefully been adequately made in my previous SurvivalBlog articles. Today, I will describe how directional and omnidirectional antennas can be used with MURS Dakota Alert Sensors. With the advent of HF equipment that can now be operated on very low power, there has been a growth in interest among some Amateur radio operators in QRP (low power).  It is a style of HF (High Frequency, a.k.a. shortwave) radio that challenges operators to communicate very long distances using only very low powered transmitters.  This style …


A Home Perimeter and Defense Model For The Prepared, by P.F.

I will admit it; I’m slightly paranoid, especially these days I’m more suspicious than ever. However, I take comfort in knowing that I’m in good company.  Some degree of paranoia is probably good, like the fight-or-flight survival mechanism, since without it our prehistoric ancestors would have become dinosaur appetizers. So, viewed in a positive light, slight paranoia is a survival and coping mechanism. I am also an Eagle Scout and so I’ve lived the “Be Prepared” mindset since my early teenage years.  My second adult career is as a remodeling contractor, so I am a bit handy with most things in …


Bushnell Trail Cameras, by Pat Cascio

I’m old school – especially when it comes to hunting. I always thought that the word “hunting” meant you got out there and beat the bushes for the game you wanted. I guess things have changed over the years, and now it is a scientific and calculated thing – doesn’t sound much like a hunt to me. It is more of a game, if you ask me. Have you ever wondered what is going on at your digs, when you aren’t home, or who – or what – is on your property in the dead of night? Yeah, I thought …


A Scanner for TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) External Antennas, Detecting Potential threats at greater distances When using a scanner to sweep the band, or scan a list of frequencies, the scanner is much more sensitive and hears weak signals as well as strong signals. When using the Close Call feature that also sweeps the band, only strong signals that are very nearby (within 100 to 200 yards), might be detected. Some brands of scanners other than Uniden, may also have a similar Close Call feature, and might have more a sensitive receiver Sofware Defined Radio (SDR) frequency counter or …


A Scanner for TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) ‘Sweeping’ a Band If one can afford to buy several scanners, then that would be optimal. We should have at least three, given the old adage: “3 is 2, and 2 is 1, and 1 is none.” We can keep one spare scanner in a Faraday cage, and store it elsewhere. Then use the other two scanners: One to scan from a list, and the other to sweep the band, or particular parts of a band. Each scanner will have an operator’s manual to help. If I could only sweep one band, then it would be …


A Scanner for TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introduction: Why Should We Use A Scanner? To most people, scanners could not be any more sublimely unimportant, and boring, and completely irrelevant pursuit of yesteryear. Especially as we have aged, and because the age of digital radio is here. Apparently, our old dusty scanner is obsolete. So why bother? Because security will be job #1. Scanning provides a golden opportunity to improve our situational awareness. We must do all that can be done to remove the element of surprise at a survival retreat. A simple scanner is one of those low-cost options that is a significant force multiplier. It …


Hardening Your Stick-Built Home, by Jeff G.

Imagine the world is full of looters, in the end of times as we know it, it will be. When grid power goes down everyone else food from the urban and suburban areas find food. You are prepared aren’t you? You have done everything right. You have food stored for you and your family, you have guns, ammo, seeds, batteries, etc. The closer you are to an urban area the sooner it will happen. Even if you are in a remote area west of the Missouri River they will probably find you. No matter how many safeguards you have in …


Considering Drones – Part 1, by Oregon Bill

Love them or hate them, remote controlled flying devices are everywhere and offer “game-changer” capabilities everyone should consider for their personal protection and toolset. Commonly referred to as “drones” I’d like to offer some personal experiences and learnings both in using and trying to deter them from use around me and my property. Specifically, I will discuss any remotely-controlled flying device including quadcopters, helicopters, or airplanes piloted by a remote operator and how they can aid in personal or property protection or pose a real threat. I’m not going to get into military tools but will focus on devices easily …


U.S. Military Field Phones, by Ken in Michigan

If you are looking for a secure communication system for your farm, ranch, or retreat, then look into a military phone system. You can create an ideal communication system, any size, from two positions overnight to multiple positions in a large permanent retreat. Military Field Phones (“MFPs”) do not require external power. They are designed to operate in adverse conditions and most importantly, do not emit any electronic signal. MFPs cannot be overheard by radio scanners or radio direction finders. MFPs keep your location undetected by electronic surveillance, unlike today’s radio communications that can be overheard and DF-located using today’s …


PACE-BB: Distribute Your Guns

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It is clear that we are living in perilous times.  I’ve often referred to our present era with the phrase:  We Are Living In The Age Of Deception and Betrayal. (WALITAODAB.) Now that the Democrats are again ruling Washington, so-called “gun control” measures are going to be coming at us at a gallop. So it is wise to complete your firearms battery soon.  For now, private party sales are still legal in about 34 of the 50 States. So stock up, before we have a nationwide  “Universal Background Checks” law. The purpose of this essay is to underscore the importance …


Hardening Your House, by R.R.

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Preparedness has gained a lot of attention and a whole new meaning in 2020. First, everyone got hit with the threat of infection. Next, a lot of supplies which some households stock regularly, while others buy as needed, went out of stock in the stores causing further panic. Next came civil unrest because folks could not seem to obey simple instructions and suddenly the bad guys became saints and poor victims, but I digress. Altogether, I have to be honest – I’m waiting now for a threat of a meteorite strike or an alien invasion! It seems that in 2020 …


Thoughts on Surviving Civil War, by 3AD Scout

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Author’s Introductory Note: I am not advocating for armed conflict; I am specifically writing this article to get people prepared for a different type of disaster than we normally have to be prepared for. I suspect that the majority of people just want to live their lives in peace but may be caught up in a civil conflict. This article is to help families be prepared should it occur. — Normally I am a very optimistic person, but we are not in normal times now, are we? As “Preppers”, “Survivalist”, “Homesteaders”, and others with a self-sufficient mindset, we strive to …


Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 5, by J.M.

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(Continued from Part 5.) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words One of the most useful capabilities of mobile devices is their ability to take pictures and videos. If you’re out on a patrol you can photograph people you encounter, potential enemy locations, plants you discover for future foraging, abandoned material for future scrounging, etc. Pretty much every mobile device has a built-in camera, and most have both a front and rear camera. My Armor X5 has a 13 megapixel (MP) camera, which can take high-resolution pictures. I recommend that you always use the highest resolution possible for photographs, since …


The Reality of Aging and Prepping – Part 1, by Muscadine Hunter

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To one extent or another I have been a prepper since I was in junior high school, 50 years ago. My dad was an avid outdoorsman who taught me to fish when I was old enough to hold a pole and taught me to shoot when I was 6 years old. By age 15 I was shooting skeet in state competition and began learning the art of reloading. I started bowhunting with a recurve bow when I was about 13 and had learned to make my own arrows, using blank shafts, by the time I was 15. Also, during my …