RCMP say officers won’t enter Fort McMurray homes looking for guns It’s a valid question given the rumors have already started that the RCMP are seizing firearms. – A.P.
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Clinton E-mail Trove Likely in Russian Hands – B.B.
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An interesting concept: They’re Using REAL Bullets? – T.P.
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FBI won’t say whether it listens in through home automation systems – DSV
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-17 (KJV)
Seed for Security,LLC is having a special sale. Their Colossal Security Pack is 15% off. This Pack is a total of seven pounds of vegetable, grain, and herb seeds. All are open-pollinated and non GMO. Included are their three most popular collections: the Super Survival Pack, the 4 Grain Collection, and the Heirloom Herb Collection. This offer is for a limited time.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 64 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 64 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
This should be zero. Synthesized digital radios have no problem accomplishing this; however, vacuum tube rigs may struggle. Surprisingly, the less expensive HW-series transceivers and the SB’s with the vacuum tube based LMO (VFO), in my experience, have little shift between transmit and receive. Later SB-series transceivers with the solid-state VFO may have an offset. If this offset is > 100 Hz, you’ll notice it during SSB conversations (“leapfrogging” as you chase the fellow you’re talking to), and you’ll want to fix that for digital communications. Happily, the solid state LMO includes a FSK (frequency shift keying) terminal where a small trimmer variable resistor of (say, 25K or 47K) from “FSK” to chassis ground will easily adjust the frequency a few hundred Hertz. To make this automatically switch in and out for transmit/receive, add a small transistor switch (2N3904) between this resistor and chassis ground and switch this by driving the base with a 1 Mohm ½ watt resistor to +300VDC available on one of the sections of relay RL2. Choose the connection in order to move the transmitted and received frequencies closer together, then adjust the variable resistor until they are within 25 Hz or so. The problem is solved. A friend on a SSB contact can help you figure out when you sound “right”. Otherwise, you can measure the frequency of a second (solid-state) transceiver’s transmissions to which you’ve tuned, and then compare the frequency of your vacuum tube rig (when both are sending the same audio tone). You can do this with two rigs both connected to dummy loads; send an audio tone into the reference rig and tune the receiver of your test rig until the tones match. Then measure both transmitters’ frequencies.
You need to switch from transmit to receive in under 250 mSec, and preferably around 100 mSec, to keep up with the handshaking responses. The RMS server to which you connect will be firing responses back quickly, and if you miss them your throughput and connection suffer badly. Your Heathkit, when controlled by the Signalink, will usually achieve this (assuming VOX delay and Signalink delay are all minimized), but if you make a small modification to the T/R receiver control circuitry within your Heathkit you’ll have latencies below 100 mSec. V14A audio preamplifier is turned off by a large negative voltage to grid during transmit (through relay RL2), charging capacitor C322 (primarily) to that negative voltage. When the relay moves to “receive” position, a substantial delay occurs because that voltage is leisurely bled to ground through 3.3 Mohm R336. Heathkit purposefully created this delay, to avoid clicks and thumps in the speaker while the relay repositioned, as extremely low latency wasn’t needed then. You can dramatically speed up the transition by wiring a 1N4007 diode in series with a 100K resistor and putting this assembly in parallel with R336 3.3 Mohm resistor, with the cathode of the diode oriented toward V14A (or away from the relay contacts). An alternative solution would be to change the 0.02 microfarad C322 to .001 microfarads. Your latency, as measured by WINMOR, will drop below 100 mSec with this very simple upgrade.
Because Hams typically made up their own mic and speaker connections to Heathkits, Tigertronics provides an unterminated shielded multi-twisted pair cable (RG45 to fit the Signalink) similar to CAT6 computer cable. You’ll need to make your own connections to the microphone and speaker wiring. If you can find shielded CAT6 cable, you can use that. Connect the foil shield to the chassis ground of the transceiver.
All of these digital phase or frequency-shift signals over audio are fairly sensitive to radio frequency interference, including the Signalink and your computer running the RMS EXPRESS software. If you have trouble connecting to WINLINK servers, and your frequency is correct, this is the most likely cause, and it is very insidious. Use the best grounding RFI prevention techniques you can to insure success. There are two additional items that may make a huge improvement, and you should do these pre-emptively. These two pre-emptive actions are: adding an effective “RF Isolator” to the coax line out of your transceiver, and adding ferrite snap-on cores around ALL signal lines. There are multiple manufacturers of RF isolators.[7, 8]. Ferrite snap-on RF chokes can also be found in various sizes and from many suppliers. Representative chokes can be found here:[9]
The least expensive method of getting digital connection to the WINLINK system is certainly via the WINMOR software-based TNC (terminal node controller), which can use a sound-card type interface such as the Signalink. For most purposes, this provides adequate throughput, somewhere north of PACTOR II. With the email overhead, even a simple message will take a minute or two to transmit. If you really need speed, you can get faster performance by moving to a hardware-based TNC, using PACTOR protocol III (or if outside of the United States, using PACTOR protocol IV). PACTOR is a patented protocol; an example is the P4-DRAGON 7800[10], which is widely available commercially, as it is used by many sea-going sailors. Used PACTOR II or III capable SCS modems are sometimes available at greatly reduced prices. Your transmit-receive latency may not be quite up to what solid state rigs can perform and are normal for PACTOR. Your preferred RMS server station sysop may be willing to adjust upwards their delay (default: 30 mSec); there is an option for them in their Trimode software settings that allows up to about 80 mSec of delay.
Once you get this all going, you’ll want to add some sort of metallic Faraday protection around your laptop (or other computer used to generate, send, and receive your email) and the Signalink, as well as any power supply for the laptop. Pass the AC power wires from the computer through a small perforation through the Faraday enclosure and put ferrite chokes on the AC wires both just inside and just outside the perforation. Pass the wires from the Signalink to the Ham transceiver through minimally-sized holes through the Faraday enclosure, and add another shield around them all the way to the transceiver (using aluminum foil or copper braid) and connect that shield to the Faraday enclosure. Apply ferrite chokes on the Signalink wires just inside and outside the Faraday perforation, just like the computer AC wires. The Heathkit transceiver needs an appropriately-chosen gas-discharge surge arrest or connecting the coax center conductor to shield (350 volts is reasonable for just the transceiver) as EMP protection, and then it probably does not have to be within the Faraday enclosure. Provide three-wire MOV surge protection for the AC lines feeding the Ham rig and the computer. If you are unable to support a vacuum tube transceiver and attempt to use a modern solid state transceiver, significant additions will need to be made to the transmitter output and receiver input circuitry. The antenna feedline is likely the source of your greatest incoming surge, because the antenna is specifically designed to absorb electromagnetic energy.
Being able to maintain access to world-wide email abilities, including attachments, completely independent of the wired Internet is a significant step toward guaranteeing communications redundancy for yourself. Thousands of users have already succeeded, and tens of thousands of messages are handled every month, all over the world, in boats on many different waters and on land in many situations. Many emergency coordinators are also turning to this option. This is a great capability for a prepared individual to attain!
[7]T4+ isolator from RadioWorks: http://www.radioworks.com/ct-4.html
[8]http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-2912 FJ-2912 wall mount balun RF isolator.
[9]Ferrite snap on chokes that accept up to a 0.250” diameter cable. https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/laird-signal-integrity-products/28A2025-0A0/240-2074-ND/242802
Good morning, Hugh,
I thought I might pass along a tip or two about generators. I have several, the most used being one of a pair of Honda EU2000i, which does constant duty as an “unlimited length extension cord” around the property. The other is a much less portable 6500 watt unit, which lives in “hurry up and wait” mode in case power fails and the well pump is needed. I’ve got a homemade kit to couple the 2000s together to double the output, if I find I need some more “portable watts” for a power tool.
The second EU2000 is left oil-filled with the fuel tank empty, and it’s run quarterly; the 6500 watt unit is in the same condition but run monthly. (The two 2000s are swapped semi-annually to equalize wear.) To run them without putting fuel in the tanks, which will eventually go stale, I use a 3-quart metal gas tank salvaged from a dilapidated and soon-to-be-scrapped riding mower sitting behind my local dealer’s building; inspection proved the interior was not rusty, so a few minutes with a screwdriver and $5 got me the tank, complete with shutoff valve.
An old microphone stand, which cost $2 from the thrift store, and a modified coat hanger holds the gas tank for gravity feed, and several feet of fuel line connects its valve to the fuel inlet on the generator carburetor. I run it for 10-15 minutes under load. (Always test-run your generators under load to confirm that not only does the engine work okay but it actually puts out juice; a small electric heater works well.) After this 10-15 minute test, I shut off the tank valve and let the generator run out of fuel. When it cools, I’ll remove the temporary fuel line, replace the carb-to-tank fuel line, and open the drain valve in the bottom of the carb bowl to ensure no gas is left to turn into gum, and the chore is done. This way there is no fuel in the tank to go sour, the inline fuel filter stays clean, it’s always tested with fresh gasoline, and the carb is left dry to prevent gum formation.
A microphone stand isn’t very stable, so to prevent tipping either drive a piece of 1/2″ rod into the ground and slide the hollow stand shaft over it, or fasten two pieces of 1/2″ plywood (about 16″ square seems to work well) to a couple of 2X3 scraps. Drill a 1 1/4” – 1 1/2″ hole in the center of one plywood panel and cut a corresponding width notch from the edge to the hole. Slide the stand base between the panels into the slot and it’s much less likely to tip over.
N.K.
J.C. Penney Still On Bankruptcy Path
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Physical Gold Flows East as Manipulated Paper Markets Lose Credibility
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
Raw Venezuela: Looter Burned Alive, While “Streets Filled With People Killing Animals For Food” – We really have been hid from what is going on in this collapsing country….
Stop Blaming Consumers, They Can’t Help It!
Former Brazilian Soccer Star: Don’t Come To The Rio Olympics – This will be interesting and yet another collapsing economy, maybe not as bad as Venezuela
Senate Appropriations Bill Spends More Than Obama Requested – A Republican Senate mind you. Great example of the one party system that we really have.
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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
Bayer Said to Explore Bid for $40 Billion Seed Company Monsanto – More in the ever-continuing centralization of ownership of our food production, processing, and marketing…. Danger ahead! – RBS
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Massachusetts and the town of Longmeadow scored a huge victory for gun rights when three proposals to severely restrict the rights of lawful gun owners was (excuse the pun) “Shot down” check Masslive.com for Channel 22 News about the story. – Sent in by K.
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Another Bundy standoff possible as groups call for US to seize livestock – B.B.
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Feds open Texas border to 4,000 Cubans, security interview lasts just 1 hour before release
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Here’s why Canada’s largest water bomber wasn’t “available” in Fort Mac – Sheila Gunn Reid looks into the question many are asking about why the Martin Mars, Canada’s largest water bomber, wasn’t made available in the devastating Fort Mac wildfire nicknamed “The Beast” by Fort Mac fire chief Darby Allen. – T.J.
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.” – Amos 9:8-9 (KJV)
May 13th is the birthday of firearms engineer Theodor Koch (born 1905, died 1976.) Koch, along with Edmund Heckler and Alex Seidel salvaged tooling from the bombed-out Mauser factory at Oberndorf, and with it founded Heckler und Koch.
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Today, we present another entry for Round 64 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 64 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
There are multiple possible scenarios that may result in a regional an/or national combined loss of Internet connectivity and cell/telephone service, during which you would probably wish to maintain communications to loved ones and others. EMP may destroy routers, cell towers, and power sources; solar coronal mass ejection (CME) may remove power from all communications systems; cyber warfare may have similar outcomes. Travel in some of these circumstances will be difficult, or dangerous to impossible.
Ham radio VHF/UHF repeaters may go down, due to power outages or EMP. Direct, point to point simplex VHF Ham radio will still work (even after an EMP, if hand-held radios were at all hardened or protected) over modest distances. Long range HF direct Ham radio communications will work (possibly after a delay of any EMP), presuming you had protection (if EMP) and have your own power. However, they will be of less usefulness if you haven’t established communications plans, frequencies, modes, and protocols with your loved ones. Without prior pre-arranged schedules, connecting directly with your intended recipient may take precious hours of transmissions, create immense interference to others, use precious power, and provide a very easy radio signature from your location.
It would be really nice to be able to reach people via asynchronous email, so that direct radio contact and simultaneous radio communications aren’t necessary. You’d prefer to connect to a server, digitally send your message, and have your intended recipient be able to do the same at times that are convenient to both of you. Such communications may allow you to set up direct communications (if desired), or pass crucial information or requests. If you are not familiar with Ham radio digital communications, this reference may help:[1].
The WINLINK system[2], which is available to all Ham radio operators, was designed over the last 20 years with this exact capability, and it currently serves ships at sea as well as anyone who has a communications need that requires radio contact. Their system is provided by volunteers and is free and reliable, though not without controversy, as some object to what they see as automated interference to their activities in the name of providing free email to “yachtsmen”. Critics do not recognize the catastrophic scenario benefit. WINLINK has the ability to do intelligent automated radio forwarding from server to server, completely independent of but similar to the Internet, and thus it provides a fairly comprehensive alternate communications system. Email attachments are allowed; in the event of national emergency, you might be able to attach encrypted material, which is not legal under current FCC regulations. This may not even be necessary, as the request/acknowledgment packet handshakes make it difficult for anyone but a very capable and well-funded foe to decipher your communications. Users specify to three “message pick up stations” (MPS) where their mail will be delivered and from which they can retrieve it. You might want to pick a couple within your geographic area and one that is totally out of your nation.
It is extremely likely that the WINLINK system will continue to operate in some form after most catastrophes. Their five central servers are distributed across multiple continents. Their volunteer RMS email-server high frequency Ham radio stations are located all over the world, and these stations function with different equipment of different vintages and manufacture. There is a very good chance that some of them will either be unaffected or have equipment that is impervious to the catastrophe, with some stations likely EMP-hardened. Since HF signals can easily span continents and oceans, you will have multiple options to make the necessary contacts. The flip side is that HF radio communications modems are relatively slow, compared to the broadband connections to which much of us are accustomed. Transfer speed is back to what you may remember from the old telephone modem days. However, for email, it works!
If you have (or can borrow for your initial learning curve) a newer, solid state HF Ham radio transceiver with digital frequency readout, you will have little trouble learning and using this system. After the initial setup of your equipment and software (follow the directions in the videos on the WINLINK site!), it will take you less than 30 minutes to have it all figured out. Many new solid-state Ham rigs include their own sound card that will work with RMS-EXPRESS and its embedded WINMOR software terminal node controller (TNC). However, If your rig doesn’t have a built-in sound card, you can a buy Signalink-USB, which works with any Windows computer that has a USB port. In either case, download the free RMS-EXPRESS software from their web site[3], carefully watch the videos on their web site to understand how to use the system and create a free account, and you should be good to go. You may want to do your configurations by going step-by-step through the videos, which lead you through the process. Note that you must USE your new account, via either TELNET or actual Ham radio contact, at least once every 400 days or it will lapse. You automatically get your own WINLINK email account, to which you can set size limitations so as not to overburden your downloading ability. The system resists spam wasting precious bandwidth by using “white lists” of email addresses allowed to send to you; until you send to THEM, they can’t send to you. Otherwise, it works just like any other email account and receives and sends regular Internet email.
Now let’s shift focus to the more important point of this article: getting older, EMP-resistant vacuum tube gear working well with the WINLINK system. The most vulnerable portion of your communications equipment is the part connected to long wires: the transceiver. It has an unavoidable connection to antennas, which may deliver thousands of volts and amperes for nanoseconds in the event of an EMP. Thus, we focus there primarily. The computer and other equipment is more easily protected. (We’ll discuss this later).
Although it is frequently claimed that you should not try digital Ham radio using an older vacuum tube transceiver, those are exactly the systems that will best survive the EMP scenario, and it turns out that once configured properly it really isn’t difficult at all to send and receive email via the WINLINK system using 40-50 year old vacuum tube single-sideband Ham radios. I use them routinely with 40+ year old Heathkit SB-102/101/100 and HW-101/100 style vacuum tube gear that is relatively immune to EMP with minor protection additions.[4] This article is designed to help you discover how to take advantage of these inexpensive, older and readily available Heathkit rigs, with their inherent hardening to EMP. Entire stations can often be obtained from eBay for $200-$300. The remainder of this article is predominately devoted to the review of each hurdle and how to overcome them.
You must have a stable transmit/receive frequency. This can usually be achieved by letting your radio warm up for 20 minutes or so. You must be within 200 Hz of the correct frequency, and preferably within 100 Hz; otherwise, the automated RMS server station will not acknowledge your connection attempt. The “dial accuracy” of older vacuum tube gear cannot hope to meet that accuracy. There are at least three possible solutions to achieve this frequency accuracy:
[1]https://survivalblog.com/digital-communications-capabilities-for-prepared-families-by-prairie-dweller/
[2]Winlink: http://www.winlink.org/
[3]RMS-EXPRESS client software for Windows: http://www.winlink.org/sites/default/files/downloads/rms_express_install_1-3-12-0.zip
[4]See for example, https://survivalblog.com/emp-hardened-ham-radio-communications-by-prepperdoc/ and https://survivalblog.com/protecting-both-tube-and-transistor-hf-communications-equipment-from-e1-emp-pulse-part-1-by-prepperdoc/
[5]Digital Dial, http://www.qrpkits.com/freqcounter.html
[6]Universal Digital Dial, http://www.electronicspecialtyproducts.com/dd103.html
Hugh,
I understand the situation. The people are desperate. Looking at those pictures it is easy to see they are subsisting on too many starches, which makes them appear well fed, though they are not. So I’m not meaning to criticize, but there is also in those pictures of their food something of note. There’s lots of foods there that can be reproduced. Seeds in the veggies can be planted, beans can be planted, coax seeds from the onions and carrots, plant a potato, etc. Are they doing that? Do they have a place to do that? Would it be stolen from them before they could harvest? I wish someone would address the peoples’ attempts to take care of themselves. We may learn a lot. The time may come when we too would need to be very resourceful to increase our food supply. – J.D.
Frank Holmes: Gold Is Crushing It So Far this Year
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Soaring Silver ETFs to Snap Up as Metals Shine
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Items from Professor Preponomics:
US News
Free Markets Do Not Need Negative Interest Rates (Mises) Excerpt: “An almost line-by-line critique of this article would be necessary, for the arguments in it are so ill-conceived and fallacious that it is hard to ignore them.”
Freddie Mac Narrowly Avoids Tapping Treasury for Money (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “Lawmakers and officials have been concerned that, as government stewardship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stretches into an eighth year, the companies could require more Treasury funds, creating tumult among investors and members of Congress.”
Puerto Rico to Default Further on Debts (USA Today) Excerpt: “…faced with the inability to meet the demands of our creditors and the needs of our people, I had to make a choice.”
How Puerto Rico’s $70 Billion Crisis is About to Get Catastrophic (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “Puerto Rico missed a $400 million debt payment on Sunday, and bigger, more consequential defaults could follow.”
International News
Warnings Mount on World’s Corporate Debt, China Crisis (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “The body flagged a double threat: a five-fold rise in company debt to $25 trillion in emerging markets over the past decade; and record junk bond issuance in US and Europe, along with shockingly-irresponsible levels of US borrowing to buy back shares and pay dividends.”
Eurozone in Crisis: Greece Set to Default AGAIN and Italy Panics Over £270BN of Bad Loans (Express) Excerpt: “DEFIANT Greece has again turned down creditor demands, taking the country a step closer to another default crisis and subsequently crashing out of the eurozone.”
Tackling Bad Loans at Italian Banks Will Take Years – ECB Angeloni (Reuters) Excerpt: “”Legislation to accelerate insolvency procedures and the liquidation of collateral should be an important part of the solution,” he added.”
Personal Economics and Household Finance
How to Figure Out How Much Debt You Really Have (Clark Howard) Excerpt: “Between student loan payments, a monthly mortgage (or your rent), credit card bills and maybe even an old gym membership that somehow (whoops) went to collections, it can be all-too-easy to lose track of how much debt you actually have on the books.”
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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
Video: Nightmarish Dashcam Footage Shows Escape from Fort McMurray Fire – Sent in by RBS
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The new EMP/Collapse/Martial Law movie AmeriGEDDON will be released on May 13th. Although the budget and production value look low, the theme will be of interest to most SurvivalBlog readers.
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Ammon Bundy had intended refuge occupation to end up in civil court, lawyers say – Sent in by B.B.
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An excellent review of “How London got its new Muslim mayor”: London’s new Muslim mayor confirms urban Britain’s cultural transformation. – M.B.
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‘We could have been there’: Squadron member speaks out on stalled Benghazi response – B.B.
“Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the distinction between government and society. As a result of this, every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all.” – Frederic Bastiat
Camping Survival just started a factory authorized three day sale on the lifestraw products. It is flying out the door at $14.95. This sale expires on 5/13/16 and no coupon is necessary. You might also checkout their Boone brands canned foods while you are there as well.
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I just noticed that Cold Steel has put the few remaining limited edition Rawles Voyager knives up for sale at Amazon.com, for less than $85 each. Order yours, before they sell out! – JWR
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Today, we present another entry for Round 64 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 64 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
