Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood this.” – Ron Paul

Notes for Thursday – July 23, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. 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).

Round 59 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.

To Bee, or Not to Bee – Part 2, by Prepared Grammy

Getting Bees

You have two options for getting bees; you can buy them or capture them. As a beginner, I would suggest buying bees or have an experienced beekeeper help you to capture a swarm. (I will not go into the process of capturing bees in this article.) If you capture a swarm, you must make sure that you capture the queen too.

There are two ways to capture “wild bees”.

  • You can capture a group of bees that are swarming. These are bees that are on the move and looking for a new home. They are relatively easy to capture, and this is a good way of protecting and preserving native bees.
  • If you or someone you know has an established wild hive that needs to be moved, you can lure these bees away from their hive and take them to your hive box.

Lightly misting the box of bees you have bought with the sugar/water solution will calm them down. Smoke can also be used. I have found the sugar to be more effective when moving bees that I have bought. You will move the bees into the hive box, (talk to the people who sold the bees to you about their advice on the best way to release the bees from their shipping box and into your hive box) and block them inside by sliding the outer cover over the inner cover opening, and closing the lower entrance. Blocking the lower entrance may be done with an entrance reducer, or by using old, clean rags. Old socks work especially well. The feeder fits in the open slot on the reducer. If you do not use a reducer, you will need to put the feeder to one side of the entrance and close the rest of the entrance with rags.

Caring for Bees

Your bees will need to be confined for one week after putting them in the hive box. During this time, be sure to keep sugar/water in the feeder. After one week, you can open the entrances. Continue to feed the bees for another two or three weeks. This will ensure your bees will be established in their new home and that they will have enough to eat until they find a natural source of food. If you experience drought conditions that kill the sources of nectar for your bees, you may need to feed them during this time too. As mentioned earlier in this article, be sure that your bees have a constant water source.

I like to occasionally inspect the beehives. When you do this, take care to not injure or kill the queen. You need to be sure that you still have bees in the hive and that there are eggs and larvae in the cells of the comb. Check to be sure the bees are producing honey too. When the bottom super has well-established comb on the frames filled with honey, you may add other supers to the top.

Harvesting Honey

This is my favorite part of beekeeping. I love honey and have a long list of people who are willing to purchase any extra that my family and I do not need. Be aware that you will not be able to harvest any honey for at least one year after you start a hive. You must leave enough honey in the hive to feed the bees during the winter months. If you do not, they will die.

Harvesting and storing honey requires more supplies. These supplies include the following:

To harvest honey, I wear my protective clothing. I smoke the bees, remove the hive covers, and smoke the bees again. I do not harvest honey from comb that contains eggs or larvae. Next, brush the bees off of the honeycomb. Cut the honeycomb from the frame, allowing it to fall into a five-gallon bucket. If you wish to let your bees make their own comb, you will need to leave a small amount of the comb on the top of the frame for a starter. Put the frames back into the hive boxes, put the covers on, and your bees are ready to start again.

You may use an extractor, but they are expensive to buy, and are not always available to rent. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, extractors will not be available. I believe the best way is the simplest way. Five-gallon buckets, time, and gravity are my chosen extractors.

To set up your own honey extractor:

Take a 5-gallon bucket and attach the honey gate valve according to directions. Place the paint strainer bag inside this bucket. Cut the center out of a plastic lid, leaving a rim of about two inches around the edge, and place the lid on top of the bucket. This will allow another bucket to set on top. (The valve bucket is the lower bucket– the last one in the series of filtering.) Drill several holes about ½ inch in diameter in the bottom of another 5-gallon bucket, being careful that the holes will be within the area of the large hole on the lid of the previously prepared bucket when set on top of it. Set this bucket on top of the previously prepared bucket and lid. I like to set the stack of buckets on my kitchen counter. This makes filling the jars easier.

To clarify and review, from bottom to top, the order is:

  • Bottom: Valve bucket lined with paint strainer,
  • 2nd (from bottom): Lid with large hole cut out of the middle,
  • 3rd (from bottom): Bucket with ½ inch holes drilled in the bottom, and then
  • Top: A lid (after you place the crushed comb inside).

I take my heavy-duty grill spatula and crush the honeycomb while it is still in the bucket I used for collection at the hive. After you have broken up the comb, pour it into the top bucket. I loosely place another lid on the very top to keep any insects out of the honey. Now you wait, while gravity does its part. (Backwards Beekeeper’s YouTube video is where I learned this method of honey extraction, and I give him full credit for this method.)

After several hours to a day’s time, the honey should be strained. Now you can fill the clean Mason jars. The difficult part is keeping your fingers out of the honey for a taste or two. I believe in giving into the temptation. After all, you’ve worked hard, and a treat is in order. This is the best time to bake some biscuits and enjoy some honey on top.

Enjoying the Fruits of Your Bees’ Labor

I love honey, and it is an integral part of my TEOTWAWKI preps. Honey never spoils. If it does crystalize, just set the jar of honey in warm, not hot, water and wait for the crystals to dissolve. Granulated sugar will not be available at the grocery store in a TEOTWAWKI situation, so I have honey available. Substituting honey for sugar in your recipes is easy. Substitute 2/3 to 3/4 cup of honey per cup of sugar, and decrease the amount of liquids by 1/4 cup per cup of honey used.  Stir the mixture very thoroughly. Lower the baking temperature by 25 degrees. Watch the baking time carefully, since foods brown more quickly when honey is used. The taste is a bit different but wonderful in its own right.

Honey also has many health benefits, although it should never be given to a child under one year of age. When TEOTWAWKI occurs, these health benefits will be even more crucial.

If you are like me, you won’t want to waste any part of your labors. I believe responsible beekeepers should also use the beeswax. There are many things you can do with it, and another article could be written on using beeswax. It can be used for health and beauty aids, furniture polish, covering cheese, candle making, crafts, and the list goes on.

Conclusion

I hope I have given you some useful information about beekeeping. I have discovered that the more I know, the more I realize there is to learn. I still consider myself a “newbee”. I hope I have given you enough information to decide if beekeeping is right for you. My hope is that some of you will realize that beekeeping is not scary, and you will give it a try. We live in increasingly disturbing times. Beekeeping is one more way of taking care of your family’s needs. Good luck, and may God bless you in your preps.

Letter Re: Steel Buildings

[Editors note: Normally, SurvivalBlog does not usually allow for banter back and forth between contributors of articles and letters, as it has a habit of getting personal and out of hand. However, we will make exceptions when the technical information presented warrants it. Today’s letter is a continuation of the discussion between two such contributors on the effects of NEMP upon metal buildings, and it’s starting to get very technical. If you have a technical bent, enjoy being the fly on the wall.]

HJL,

When subjected to a rapid increase in an electromagnetic field, the differential in conductivity between steel and zinc is what causes the dielectric effect. Zinc has a conductivity of 106 x 16.6 Siemens per square meter, and steel has only 10.1 x 106. Plus steel has a resistance of roughly 10-8 x 9.9 ohms per square meter, and zinc has a resistance of 6.0 x 10-8. It is this differential in the face of an instantaneous rise off induced current that creates a temporary dielectric effect just as if you had parallel plate capacitors. See this website for a description of parallel plate capacitors.

Also see effects of SGEMP. Key here is the electrons are created on the outside of the structure and must pass to the inside through a layer of greater resistance (speaking of the zinc-steel-zinc layers). Yes, once current flow is established, the author is correct; however, it is in the instantaneous rise of current that is a part of E1 EMP that the problems arise. (A good primer can be found here on the differences between the three types of EMP.)

The author is correct in that normal electric currents won’t cause a dielectric effect. HEMP will. HEMP or nuclear EMP also creates a magnetic field in the earth. See this document for a good starter on the true nature of HEMP or nuclear EMP.

Metal fencing, aka zinc coated steel wire, is a known good collector of nuclear EMP effects. See this document for details. It screams capacitor to me.

Finally, as to grounding, as stated above a nuclear EMP does create a ground magnetic field effect. Grounding, however, is for far more than lightening strikes, as the author stated. Most data centers (and I’ve been running them for close to thirty years now and currently have 167 data centers worldwide that I am responsible for) ground for many more reasons than lightening, aka E2 type EMP. See this document for an idea of what we deal with. Mostly we ground to even out the effects of variances and differentials in any long line, be it electric power, data cables, or even the steel structure of the building.

In short, there is about as much difference between regular electrical concepts and those that deal with the first few nanoseconds of HEMP as there is between regular electrical transmission theory and quantum electrical theory. – H.D.

Odds ‘n Sods:

The portable WIND TURBINE to charge your phone: Collapsible Wisp will power up all your devices in the wilderness – JBG

o o o

Jewish Holocaust Survivor Saving Christians from ISIS to ‘Repay Debt’ – B.B.

o o o

Armadillos believed to have caused LEPROSY in nine Florida patients – T.P.

o o o

These 41 Companies Donate Directly to Planned Parenthood – D.S.

o o o

Lawmakers: Thousands Of Violent Felons To Be Released In November – G.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“There can be no greater stretch of arbitrary power than is required to seize children from their parents, teach them whatever the authorities decree they shall be taught, and expropriate from the parents the funds to pay for the procedure.” – Isabel Paterson

Notes for Wednesday – July 22, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. 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).

Round 59 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.

To Bee, or Not to Bee – Part 1, by Prepared Grammy

About Me

When I was a small child, I know I was a bit odd. I loved bees. I played with bees and tried to get them to crawl on my hands. I caught them, put them in a jar, and wanted to keep them as pets. I wanted my own beehives, so I could harvest my own honey. I told you, I was odd. Yes, I was occasionally stung, but my love for bees did not waiver. I never got over the desire to have bees.

My husband and I have three grown children, and our third grandchild is due this year. We occasionally have extra time on our hands and a little extra income, now that the kids are all out of the house. So, I am experiencing my mid-life crisis. I didn’t get a sports car; I got bees! My husband calls it a middle-aged person’s adrenaline rush. He may be right.

What This Article Is and What It Is Not

  • This article will give you some basic beekeeping information.
  • It will help you to decide if beekeeping is something you wish to pursue as part of your TEOTWAWKI preparations.
  • It will give you lists of basic equipment needed for beekeeping.
  • It will give you some basic information you will need to begin beekeeping.
  • It will give you information on harvesting honey.
  • It will not tell you what kind of hive to get or the type of frames to use. This is completely up to your personal preferences. Research it for yourself, and choose what you think fits your needs.
  • It will not give you information about all of the problems you may incur while beekeeping. It is impossible to cover that in one article.
  • It will not give you information about winterizing your beehives. This varies among climates, and I would advise getting information from other local beekeepers regarding this.

Are Bees for You?

Should you get bees? They are not for everyone, but I think it is worth considering.

  • Are you or a family member allergic to bee stings? How severe is the reaction? If anaphylactic shock is possible, maybe you should not pursue beekeeping. Regardless of the precautions you take, you will eventually get stung.
  • Can you afford the start-up costs? Although bees aren’t the most expensive homesteading endeavor or hobby out there, they aren’t cheap. The equipment needed, which I’ll talk about later, varies in price and is an investment, but it’s one that I feel is worth it. I believe you should buy new hive boxes. Used ones may contain harmful chemicals or disease-causing organisms.
  • Do you have the time to care for bees? Getting started will take more of your time than after your hives are established and you are more experienced.
  • Will you have the help you need? Do you have someone to give you guidance and advice? Will there be someone to help when you need it? Not everyone likes bees as much as I do. That makes it difficult to leave at certain stages of your hive’s development. I was recently out of town for a mission trip and had to find someone to feed my newly-established hive. Getting people to care for the animals we have is relatively easy. Finding someone who is not afraid of bees is somewhat of a problem. Fortunately, I have a friend who has always wanted bees. Taking care of mine gave him the opportunity to give beekeeping a try. I think he’s been bitten (or stung, as the case may be) by the beekeeping bug. He’s now looking into getting his own beehive.
  • Are there zoning issues that prevent you from having a beehive on your property? I live in a rural area, as many of you do, and am not bound by zoning regulations that prevent me from beekeeping. Check to see if you are restricted from having bees.
  • Will bees survive in your environment? Do they have adequate habitat? Will your neighbors cause problems for your bees? The latter has been my greatest challenge. We live in mining and farming country. The chemicals from our farming neighbors could kill our bees. One of our neighbors is supportive of our endeavor, while the other is less than enthusiastic. We will continue to work with the uncooperative farmer and hope he is more careful with chemicals in the future.

How Bee Colonies Work

As the name indicates, bees are social beings and live in groups. The queen, drones, and workers each have specific jobs that keep the colony functioning. Simply put, the queen’s main function is to lay eggs. The drones mate with the queen, and the workers do what their name indicates; they do the work in the hive.

Getting Started with Beekeeping

If you decide that beekeeping is for you, gather all of the information you can.

  • Talk to any beekeepers you know. If you don’t know any, you can check with local beekeeping clubs or associations. Your state agriculture department or home extension office may also be of assistance. Any of these can get you started and keep you successful with beekeeping. Club members are also good about “splitting their hives” to share with other members who are trying to reestablish hives after having lost bees.
  • Read, read, read. There are many books and blogs devoted to beekeeping. I have my favorites, and soon you will too. I would recommend sampling a few books on Amazon and ordering one or two of your favorites. Some beekeeping electronic books are free to download. Check out a few blogs, and bookmark your favorites. Blogs are a good way of asking any questions you may have. Most beekeeping bloggers are eager to help.
  • Watch YouTube videos. This will give a close-up view of beekeeping without leaving your home. This is especially helpful for those of you who live in remote areas. One of my favorites is Backwards Beekeepers. He is a down-to-earth, no-nonsense beekeeper who uses simple equipment.

Habitat

Before you even think about getting equipment or bees, ask yourself if you have a good habitat for them. Honeybees travel as far as four miles to collect nectar and pollen from flowers. If you do not have habitat, establish it. I live in a rural area with clover fields, crops, pastures, and wildflowers. In addition to the clover, honeysuckle, and wildflowers, my bees are currently enjoying the blooms in my garden. It’s no surprise that thanks to the bees’ pollination of my plants, I have such an overabundance of vegetables that I have been sharing with family and friends.

If you need to establish bee habitat, I would suggest planting a few fruit trees and a garden. These will benefit you as well as the bees. I would also advise planting flowers. Native wildflowers are my first choice.

Bees also need water. If you do not have a natural water source, you must create one. I have a pond on my property, and so do all of my neighbors. A birdbath, child’s wading pool, and a small fishpond are good water sources for your bees.

Beginning Equipment

Now that you have habitat, it is time to think about getting your equipment. I would suggest getting good, high quality, hive components. This will save you money in the long run, as you will not have to replace your hive boxes as often. Good boxes just last longer. You can order your equipment online or from a catalog, or possibly shop locally. (Everything is available on Amazon.) I was surprised to find a “mom and pop” bee equipment business only about 45 miles from my home. They were also a great help when I was getting started.

To start out you’ll need the following equipment:

Many companies offer beginner kits and other hive kits that include all or most of the above listed items. Some kits also include a jacket or coveralls. In order to keep costs down, I choose to wear long pants and long sleeves at times that I am working with the bees. Most of the time, I do not wear any protective equipment at all. Contrary to what most people believe, bees are not typically aggressive. They don’t bother you, if you don’t bother them. I just stay calm and move slowly when I work with my bees.

Getting Ready

There are a few things you need to do before you get any bees for your hive boxes.

  • You will need to paint the wood on the hive boxes. This will protect your equipment and extend the time before you have to replace it.
  • For ease of beekeeping and to help with moisture issues, I would advise raising the hive off of the ground. I used a few concrete blocks to achieve this.
  • Make sure the ground is relatively flat, with only the slightest degree of slope toward the east. This slope will help with drainage, if you ever have any water issues.
  • The hive boxes need to have some protection from the wind, and they should face east. Facing east gives the bees the opportunity to get early morning sunshine. The sun will wake them, and they will start gathering nectar earlier in the day. The more they gather, the more honey they produce.
  • Do not put the beehives near where children will be playing or where adults will be congregating. Bees will not attack you for no good reason, but if you intrude on their home they may protect it. The area around the hive boxes is very active when the bees are coming and going to collect nectar.
  • Set up your hive box super with the frames inside (and foundations, if you have frames that need them), and place the inner and outer covers on top.
  • Mix, by weight, one part sugar to one part water. I mix four pounds of granulated sugar with eight cups of very hot water. Mix well, until the sugar dissolves. This is what you will feed your bees when you get them.
  • There may be regulations regarding registering your beehives with your state. Check on your particular state.
  • In order to protect my bees from chemicals being used by my neighbors, I have registered my hives with driftwatch.org. I did not give permission for the site to publish my name or the address of my beehives to the general public. Driftwatch is available for anyone who applies chemicals to consult, making them aware of the location of beehives so they may take special care to protect the bees. This is by no means a guarantee that your bees are protected. Consulting the site is strictly voluntary. Also, your bees may be gathering nectar on a plant being sprayed. Bees do gather nectar during the day when spraying is also being done during this time.

Letter Re: Radio Basics Presentation

Hugh,

This was a great, quick “down and dirty” presentation on “Radio”. I would like to offer a few additions to his list.

Section 3 Tactical Radios

CB – Citizens Band

  • CB actually can have 120 channels; if you include upper and lower “sidebands” in SSB radios, there are 120 total.
  • Channels from 26.965 to 27.405 MHz are not the only ones used. There are also “free band” frequencies above and below these that “pirate” operators use.
  • During a solar maximum, I have talked all over the world on CB SSB, but yes, the normal range is 4-5 miles.
  • “Channel 9 is used only for emergencies or traveler assistance.” True, but I have never had ANY luck raising someone on CH9; also remember that 19 is the “Trucker Channel”, so you can most always contact someone there.
  • “Generally limited to 4 watts” That’s on AM mode; it’s 12 watts PEP (peak envelope power) on SSB, but there are guys out there on the “Super bowl” (CH6) running up to 50,000 watts. Yes, you read that right! [Editors Note: They’re not legally doing this, and your neighbors generally dislike you due to the interference.]

GMRS – General Mobile Radio Service

  • Channels from 462.5625 to 467.900 MHz (just above the 70cm Ham band) in the UHF band.
  • “Range is normally 2-5 miles.” This is so true, NOT The “36 miles” you see on the package; this is “line of sight” type of communication. If you were on top of a very tall mountain, you might get 20 miles out of them.
  • “Requires a license ($85 / 5 years) but no exam.” Yes, GMRS requires an FCC license. Yes, even the little “throw away” handheld radios. You can also run a “repeater” on GMRS frequencies with up to 50 watts ERP; this along with mobile radios can get you up to a 50 mile range RELIABLY.

FRS – Family Radio Service Total of 14 channels.

  • Don’t bother. There is no power here. Also with all the radio systems listed, ANYONE can listen in.

MARINE

  • Limited to “on the water.” (But in TSHTF who cares)

Section 4 Ham Radio

Why Ham Radio?

  • Can’t be controlled by government despite government involvement (FCC licensing, et cetera). Can’t be shut down (during WW2 ALL Ham radios stations were ordered closed. With that much quiet, it would be very easy, with the equipment the FCC has now, to find a rouge transmission.)

HF

  • Night time communications work best on the lower frequencies (75-80 meters and 160 meters). Day time can use 40 meters and up, 20 meters is the “world band”, and it works night and day. Up from there is very dependent on conditions.

Antenna Modification

  • Part of the fun of HF radio is building your own antennas. All you need is some wire and coax/window line.

Thanks for posting the article. – W.A.

Economics and Investing:

Missing Gold, Unpayable Debts, Financial Crises, Bail-Outs and Bail-Ins… There Must Be a Better Way

o o o

Now that the Fed will raise rates, can it? – G.P.

o o o

12 Reasons Why The U.S. Economy Is In Big Trouble

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

More Children Living in Poverty Now Than During Recession

Greek Prime Minister Asked Putin For $10 Billion To “Print Drachmas”, Greek Media Reports – This is an interesting thought…

Odds ‘n Sods:

Driver Pulled Over for Hanging an Air Freshener in His Car The police can stop you for really arbitrary reasons, and once they have their way in court, the damage can be irreversible. – H.L.

o o o

Meet the newest enemy of your financial privacy: George Clooney

o o o

Hackers Remotely Kill a Jeep on the Highway-With Me in It – T.P.

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Venezuelan Government Forces Companies To Hand Over Food As Shortages Intensify – G.P.

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Mystery of dead man and his 1,200 guns deepens – F.S.

It is noteworthy that if this had happened in the American Redoubt, then the police would simply track down the man’s heirs and ask them to “Please come and pick up your father’s nice gun collection.” The modern day “arsenal” perception that is often used in the mainstream media is simply a construct of the Nanny State. Traditional societies respect private property rights, and that includes a family’s gun collection. But the Nanny Statists look for any pretext to seize private property. – JWR

Notes for Tuesday – July 21, 2015

July 21st is the birthday of Ernest Hemingway. He was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. He committed suicide in July 2, 1961 in Ketchum, Idaho, after being diagnosed with haemochromatosis, and after electroshock treatments failed to lift him from chronic alcoholic depression. He lived a sad life but was a great writer.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. 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).

Round 59 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.