A Low Power Communications Station in a Bucket – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.)

Photovoltaic (PV) Power

Power can be supplied by an internal or external source. For long-term fixed installation, a single wire pair can deliver power from a 12 to 24 vdc from a PV panel to a battery stored inside, or placed outside, or directly to the voltage step-down converter inside. A Baofeng battery eliminator can accept the higher voltage of a PV panel and step it down to 7.4 volts that the transceiver requires. However, there is no battery present to be charged and consumed after sunset, whereas with the voltage step down covert charges the transceiver’s battery. This is the most efficient use of PV power.

Anytime electrical power is converted into a chemical form and then reverted back to electrons (on discharge), there is power lost in the conversion, approximately 15% by some estimates. Bypassing a storage battery and a charge controller, and the usually long runs of DC wire that can represent an additional 5&% loss, improves the efficiency of a small PV system, greatly. And an expensive MPPT charge controller that can improve efficiency during cloudy periods is not needed. The step-down voltage converter is a homemade item, and is detailed in ny SurvivalBlog article Commo for Family, Group, and Community, Part 5. This allows one to use either solar direct power or battery operation, or both.

For the more sunny six months of the year, when no storage battery is used, 10 watts of PV power is a minimum for each one handheld transceiver that needs to be in operation 24/7,and when, and where one transceiver is turn on and receiving, while a second transceiver is off and charging from the same power source. As a minimum, 10 watts is needed for northern latitudes, because the crossband repeater has two transceivers that are turned on 24/7. Ideally, they should both be outfitted with the large 3800Mah batteries that will supply power during overcast days when the PV panel output drops to 10 to 20% of full production.Continue reading“A Low Power Communications Station in a Bucket – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at fighting shotguns.

Some Defensive Shotgun Wisdom

Reader B.G. suggested this piece written by Sheriff Jim Wilson: Thoughts On The Defensive Shotgun.

Nine Best Home-Defense Tactical Shotguns

From PewPewTactical: 9 Best Home-Defense Tactical Shotguns 2023 [Hands-On].

Nauru: The Best Tech Elite Retreat Money Could Buy?

FTX lobbyist tried to buy Pacific island of Nauru to create a new superspecies, lawsuit says.

Two Women Found Dead in State Park Near Las Vegas

Reader F.J. sent this, from The New York Post: Two women found dead in state park outside of Las Vegas. JWR’s Comment:  Their first clue should have been the name of the park.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 26, 2023

On July 26, 1956, the Italian passenger liner Andrea Doria sank after colliding with the Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket in the Atlantic Ocean; 51 people were killed.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $825,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 107 ends on July 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.

A Low Power Communications Station in a Bucket – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.)

Transceiver Selection

These are various sizes and types of radios. For the purpose of size comparison, the photo illustrates why we should choose the smaller-size transceivers that will allow one to pack as many as possible into the metal can that is housed inside the 6-gallon bucket. The metal can is needed for protection from EMP, and as an additional protection from the environment when stored inside, or outside the bucket.)

The smallest in size is the tiny Anytone Smart which is a 10 Meter FM, and 16-watt PEP CB AM/FM that has 400 channelized frequencies between 24 to 30Mhz. It covers 10, 11 and 12 Meter and CB services in foreign countries if the owner performs two modifications. Unmodified, it is a 10 Meter AM/FM that might be of just limited utility. It does not have SSB, but it is inexpensive. A small-in-size and inexpensive (less than $100) Uniden CB would be a better choice for most. While there are better CBs, the smaller size transceivers makes room for other important equipment. The lower-in-cost CBs should transmit with the same amount of power as the most expensive mobile CBs.

Each of the two 25-foot coaxial cables can be put into a tree, or on a pole and attached to several 1/2 wave dipoles antennas for CB, 10 Meter, VHF, or UHF 1/4 wave ground plane wire antennas. The other mobile transceiver transmits with a maximum of 45 watts, however, it is relatively large and only covers VHF. The largest 1/4 wave ground plane antenna is for 70cm. 1.25CM and 2 Meter/MURS are dipoles.Continue reading“A Low Power Communications Station in a Bucket – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

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.

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U.S. Army’s New Advanced Enhanced Night Vision Goggles Look Like Predator’s Vision.

o  o  o

Biden Administration Rule Would Ban Nearly All Portable Gas-Powered Generators.

o  o  o

SurvivalBlog reader Jerome X. sent us this troubling news: At High School Debates, Debate Is No Longer Allowed.

o  o  o

I just heard that infamous hacker and later cybersecurity consultant Kevin Mitnick has passed away.

o  o  o

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 25, 2023

July 25, 1898: U.S. forces under General Nelson A. Miles invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War.

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On this day in 1797 Horatio Nelson loses more than 300 men and his right arm during the failed conquest attempt of Tenerife (Spain).

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $825,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 107 ends on July 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.

A Low Power Communications Station in a Bucket – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introduction

This five-part article is about a low-power communications station that fits into a 6-gallon plastic bucket that can be operated in or out of a bucket, or perhaps two buckets. Included are tips to help maintain the station, and improve its effectiveness. Some can afford to buy better equipment, and some will also be interested in gathering Signals Intelligence (SIGINT). I believe that SIGINT will become essential in the future. This example was put together on a tight budget, so I can afford to make several communications stations, and still perform SIGINT and use digital modes. We should assemble several basic stations first, and then later, work on making these stations more capable.

I recommend that you obtain the basics first, and skip the items on the list labeled as “optional”. Ultimately the reader decides what goes in the bucket, and if there is a need for a second bucket that supports the first. A basic station will fit into one bucket that includes a small storage battery, and a small foldable PV panel array. Ready Made Resources offers a 21-watt foldable panel that is a good candidate. A copy of this article, and The Guerilla’s Guide to the Baofeng Radio, along with frequency lists, a brevity code, operators manuals, and notes can be added to the bucket. That way, in the event that I become MIA, my friends can pick it up and use it.Continue reading“A Low Power Communications Station in a Bucket – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on another Yellowstone bison goring incident — this one with a happy ending. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

Idaho Fish and Game partnered with local landowners to control deer population and prevent disease spread.

o  o  o

Hayden fire continues to grow.

o  o  o

Evacuations in place for Newell Road Fire.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Got a gun that my granddad gave me

They say one day they’re gonna round up

That sh*t may fly in the city

Good luck trying that in a small town.” – Jason Aldean, from the lyrics to Try That in a Small Town

Preparedness Notes for Monday — July 24, 2023

The late Jerry Ahern passed away on this day, July 24th, in 2012. His survivalist novels created an entire genre.

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Just a few days left! Get your article in for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $825,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 107 ends on July 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.

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Today’s feature article was written by Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

Remington Vantage Pellet Gun, by Thomas Christianson

I recently picked up a Remington Vantage pellet gun at a garage sale for $50. The most surprising thing about that purchase was that my wife, “Kari”, called the gun to my attention. Kari cannot be described in any way as a gun enthusiast. She tolerates guns as a necessary evil, but steadfastly refuses to touch one herself under any circumstances. So I was shocked when she not only drew the pellet gun to my attention, but also supported the purchase and even carried the gun to the car for me while I carried the much heavier box containing her purchases.

I was hoping that the gun would provide a reasonably priced alternative for marksmanship practice and for pest control. At the time of this writing, the current model of this gun (the Crosman Vantage NP) was available for $188.71 from crosman.com. Unfortunately, the gun was not accurate enough to be a good choice for either marksmanship practice or pest control. I would recommend seeking other alternatives.

Description

The Remington Vantage is a single-shot, break-barrel air rifle available in .177 and .22 calibers. The model I have is .177 caliber. It has a wooden stock, and an 18.5 inch barrel. The barrel seems much longer than that, since the compression chamber and other mechanical parts associated with the action are 14 inches long. Overall, the rifle measures 44.5 inches from recoil pad to muzzle, making it longer than many centerfire rifles. It is heavier than many centerfire rifles as well, weighing in at 7.79 pounds. With a muzzle velocity of up to 1200 fps, it is significantly more powerful than the Crosman 760 of my childhood. As a result, the Owner’s Manual recommends that the airgun be used by adults only.Continue reading“Remington Vantage Pellet Gun, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Tuna-Potato Cakes

The following recipe for Tuna-Potato Cakes is from SurvivalBlog reader M.S.. She says that this recipe is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
  • 12 oz of canned tuna, drained
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 12 oz russet potatoes (2 medium russet potatoes, or about 2 cups mashed potatoes)
  • ¼ cup milk (optional, to make the potatoes easier to mash)
  • 2 large eggs (beaten)
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
DirectionS
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Wash and dry potatoes. Use a fork to piece each side of the potatoes 5 times. Place in microwave-safe bowl filled with approximately ½-¾ cup water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Flip potatoes over. Microwave an additional 5 minutes. Remove from bowl, let cool 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel with your hands.
  3. Mash potatoes in a medium-sized bowl. If they’re lumpy, add up to ¼ cup milk to help smooth them out. It’s okay if some lumps still remain.
  4. Mash tuna in a separate bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice. Then, add tuna to the mashed potatoes along with the paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, and grated onion. Mix well to combine. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
  5. Add the eggs and mix well to combine.
  6. Pour bread crumbs into a wide, shallow bowl or Tupperware container. Use a large spoon to scoop tennis-ball sized amounts of the tuna mixture into your hands, and shape them into balls. Roll each ball in the bread crumbs to coat.
  7. Place the balls in a greased casserole dish, then gently flatten into discs or ovals that are approximately ½″ high.
  8. Bake tuna cakes at 400°F for 45-50 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
SERVING

Serve with gravy or homemade aioli.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at some warnings from JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Millennials are hoarding more gold than boomers and Gen X-ers.

o  o  o

Why a Texas Gold-Backed Currency Is a Stand Against the Fed.

Economy & Finance:

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon Lists a Number of Threats to the U.S. Economy.

o  o  o

Monthly mortgage payments reach record highs in US.

o  o  o

Your Paycheck Could Clear Faster With FedNow.

o  o  o

Illinois to Require Landlords Rent to Illegal Aliens as Housing Costs Surge. JWR’s Comments: We are now a nation that has had its legal system stood upon its head. What is next? A law requiring landlords to rent houses to child molesters?

o  o  o

CNN: What markets are saying about when to expect a recession.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”