Watchman Fatigue – Part 2, by J.P.

Make No Mistake – The Watchman’s Warning Is To The Church!

Ezekiel 33:8-9 gets us right into the thick of what a watchman had better be about: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die fora their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.”

Ouch! Ouch for the wicked man, and ouch for the watchman, if either does not heed the warning. That understood, we need to look seriously at what could be so evil in this country that it would cause God to bring his sword of discipline against us. It doesn’t take a hypersensitive conscience to make a short list of evils in our country that would sicken our Heavenly Father. Wouldn’t it be appropriate to admit, before an all-knowing God, that the following trespasses are cultural addictions?

  • Divisiveness
  • Rampant sex and sexuality
  • Entitlements
  • Inordinate seeking after pleasure, fun, and entertainment
  • Greed
  • Disregard for authority

If this list seems a little too mundane, let’s read it straight from Scripture: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)

Fellow watchmen, this is reality. This is America, and yes this litany of evil has become prevalent, even in the American church. A dozen years ago, African friends of ours sent two of their children to Midwestern American universities for their higher education. On a visit to our home for Christmas, my wife asked Jolla (an 18 year old sister), “What has been the hardest adjustment for you in coming to America?” Without hesitation, she said, “I cannot tell the Christians from non-Christians.” Sadly, Jolla was blatantly honest, and she was right. Jolla is still right. For some reason we think it’s cool to be precisely like the world.

In a nutshell, Americans, whether inside and outside the church, are absolutely self-focused, and in an audacious, shameless manner, we have turned our backs on God. Is there any wonder why our Almighty Heavenly Father is coming with a sword of discipline and destruction?

Fatigue Turns to Trembling

Do you sense a serious difference here between my perceived, earlier understanding and the actual watchman assignment as it is spoken through Ezekiel? If we are simply called to stand on the wall, scan the distant hills, and warn our friends and family, the repeated message will eventually fall on deaf ears, and the assignment will cause us to tire.

However, that weariness is nothing like the reality of the Almighty God, in anger, advancing on us with drawn sword. There is no defense for prideful, self-centered, and disbelieving mankind in the reality of Who God is.

Let’s double-check this point with another scripture that’s often used to call God’s people to prayer for our nation: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) Here’s how we most often read this passage:

  • Christians, humble yourselves and pray.
  • Evil inhabitants of the world out there, turn from your wicked ways.
  • God responds by saying, “I will hear your plea, forgive your sins, and heal your land.”

Wrong! These are our wicked ways!

God opens this section with “if my people”. He is addressing us– His people, His chosen ones, Christians, believers. He says we must “turn from our wicked ways” if we want to be forgiven and see our land healed. Yes, there is wickedness amongst us, and we must own it. To deny this fact, in the face of the all-knowing God, is to invite His sword of discipline to come upon us and to come without mercy.

Watchman, Listen Up, and Don’t Even Think About Dozing Off

Is God not telling us very clearly:

  • I am on my throne, and don’t you even think about treating me with contempt. Galatians 6:7
  • You (my people) must turn from your wicked ways. 2 Chron. 7:14
  • I am always ready to forgive the one who turns from his/her evil ways. 1 John 1:9
  • As with Nehemiah, prior to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, we must fall on our face and confess our sin before man and God. * Nehemiah 1:4-11
  • Instruct your children in the ways of the Lord, and learn to recognize God’s voice. Proverbs 22:6, Mt 28:20
  • Study God’s ways, and practice immediate and complete obedience. John 14:23

Watchman Basics:

(These steps are gleaned from the experience of a number of God-fearing watchmen.)

  1. From the start, it will be a tough job. Go before the Lord, stay long in His presence, and be fully convinced that He is giving you the assignment.
  2. There are watchmen needed at many levels and in various circumstances. The basic levels are the church, the cell or life group, and within the family. If it’s obvious that a church is without a watchman, humbly bring the issue and need before the elders.
  3. Study the church in Laodicea (as referenced in Revelation 3:14-22), because this church is sadly mistaken. They are neither hot nor cold, and because of this God will spit them out. They say they are rich, but God says they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. God says obtain real riches, which are refined by fire, with which to cover your nakedness. God says, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.”
  4. Stand resolutely against all wickedness, being firm, gentle when called for, and without compromise.
  5. Disciple the individual or group that determines to repent. Teach the truth, and walk them into the Light of Christ.
  6. Be vigilant, and prepare for persecution.
  7. Prepare to take refuge when God gives you the directive. Proverbs 27:12

Fellow Watchmen, Stand Strong

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9). My wife and I are very close to a young family man. I watch this man, who rejects the ideas of personal felt needs and worldly rewards, and in doing so invests all energy and resources in building a godly family. Such a reality humbles me, especially when I think back to my meager efforts as a young dad and husband. I even misunderstood the assignment of a watchman at one time. However, I am reminded that it’s not the looking back that counts, but it is the promises of a loving God who we can know and obey now.

Fellow watchmen, we must avoid any pride in our preparations or in the warnings we bring from God himself. He is willing to forgive the changed heart and pull back his sword. Let us draw in tight with God’s people, turn from all evil, and stand against the schemes of the enemy.

Blessings on your call to duty,

Letter Re: Bird Flu Becoming Critical

James,

Our county department of health is running an exercise to see how well they could do if they had to distribute an anti-viral to the community. They are asking for volunteers to take part in an effort to try to stress their delivery system. I am encouraged that the local officials, even in hyper-liberal Boulder County Colorado, take the possibility of an outbreak seriously enough to run an exercise. – R.R.

Economics and Investing:

The War On Cash: Transparently Totalitarian. – G.G.

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End of cash?. – D.S.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Video: Peter Schiff – FOMC Rate Hike Hints are a Bluff – The best part is when the commentators say, “The market has rallied on 3% or 4% before, so why couldn’t it now.” This just shows the fundamental lack of understanding of debt and interest payments.

Venezuela opposition leader says Jan-April inflation 50 percent

Greece Attacks Creditors as ECB Considers Next Liquidity Step (includes video)

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books

Financial Reckoning Day Fallout: Surviving Today’s Global Depression by Addison Wiggin and Bill Bonner

The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century by James H. Kunstler

Movies

Zero Dark Thirty

Gravity

Instructional Video:

?Patriots – Surviving the Coming Collapse – Trike Flying (The pilot of an experimental trike aircraft flies over the locales of my first novel.)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Muslims, Blacks, and Homosexuals: The Three Faces of Intolerance. – J.C.

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DHS is working on an RFID biometric ID badge that knows when you go the bathroom. – H.L.

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Bear believed to have chased runners euthanized by DEEP for study. – H.L.

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Communication Device Stays on When Power and Cell Service Goes Down. – G.P.

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Some very interesting ways to carry firearms in your vehicle. As always, pay attention to the firearms laws in the state in which you live and through which you travel.

Notes for Tuesday – May 05, 2015

May 5th is the birthday of Pat Frank (1908-1964). This was the pen name of newspaper journalist Harry Hart Frank. His novel Alas, Babylon is a survivalist classic. His personal life was marred by alcoholism, but his writing is admired and still surprisingly popular, today. (Alas, Babylon is still in print, after more than 50 years!) As an homage to Pat Frank, one of the settings in JWR’s novel Expatriates is Mt. Dora, Florida, which was fictionalized by Pat Frank as Fort Repose in Alas, Babylon.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 58 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 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. 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,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. 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,
  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 Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 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 58 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.

Watchman Fatigue – Part 1, by J.P.

If you’ve been at the tasks of continually surveying the landscape, monitoring changes in our country, calculating family needs for the coming months or years, spending 95% of your discretionary funds on dried vegetables and wool socks, encouraging anyone close to you to heed the warnings, and wondering if it’s your last time to hear the national anthem, then you can identify with my sense of being tired with it all.

Yes, I’m tired beyond fatigue. Worse yet, when I went back to the Bible to reexamine the teaching in regard to the task of a watchman, I discovered I’ve been mistaken. I’ve not been advocating a false teaching, but in my exuberance to define the task I missed the most critical point. Walk with me up to my recent reexamination of Ezekiel chapter 33.

Tired But With No Lack of Interest

Watchman fatigue has been a heavy weight on my shoulders for the past two or three months. Actually, it’s been gnawing at my craw for probably a year, but it felt more like a personal failure, or perhaps it was the sinister effect of growing old. After all, anything that has life and moves forward with gusto in this world is creative and draws in new blood. Apparently I’d lost it, and as is often the case, I was the last one to catch on to what seemed like my own demise.

My wife and I have three adult children, and they’ve produced our dozen grandchildren– a quiver that brings great joy on all fronts. We raised our family in the Midwest, where they were guaranteed to be above average. Then, as empty nesters, we eventually found our way about as far to the north and west as we could go and still be in America. Most opportunities are not random, and we interestingly ended up beyond the American Redoubt. Eventually, one of our adult children and his family relocated to the same city, and we enjoy gratifying extended family times both here and on visits back to the Midwest. We are technically retired but with a lot left to do.

Becoming Aware

Although I had yet to discover the definition, I became a self-assigned watchman of world affairs in the summer of 1998, and as such I pursued keeping my family alert to the potential pitfalls that could come with the eminent turn of the century and a subtle world-wide computer glitch. The kids were gone, so we went about gathering and storing with an eye toward welcoming any of them home in the event the world became unlivable. Without much ado we let them all know of the plan, then we quietly waited for midnight 2000. We said, “Huh, that didn’t amount to much.” We didn’t despair in the least. After all, we liked creative eating and living somewhat off the grid, and we had become especially fond of trying exotic bread recipes built from home-ground grains. A few weeks later a close friend exhorted us not to come to any quick conclusions. The growing consensus was that Y2K was a dry run and the real thing was yet to come. Our response was “Okay. We’re still in.”

A few years later we found ourselves migrating from our semi-rural, somewhat off-the-grid homestead, several thousand miles away, temporarily relocating to work with families in a medium-sized church to a city of all places. Being outdoor adventurers, we could have made the change for any number of exciting reasons, but we simply felt the nudge from the Lord and wanted to be obedient. We left our stores behind, thinking we’d return in a few years and pick up where we left off. It wasn’t long before, with our ear still to the ground, that we realized we needed to get back on track with an updated pre-2000 focus. While there was still time we should look at Joseph’s Biblical example and be ready for some tough years in Egypt.

Watchman for a Broader Community

Working in a church with dozens of families and men who were committed to be Biblical providers caused me to take seriously the task of helping these men stay alert to the realities of the world. 1 Timothy 5:8, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (KJV) In my mind, providing meant three things. It meant to:

  1. assure my family has its basic needs met;
  2. teach truth; and
  3. protect them in a world that didn’t often have our best in mind.

Men of Issachar

The focus intensified when a dozen men started meeting weekly in my office for lunch, where for an hour we’d look at the condition of the world, search the Scriptures for God’s truth, and pray for His wisdom and direction as to how we should live. We saw how important the “Men of Issachar” were to King David and his army. In 1 Chronicles 12:32, we read about these men who understood the times and knew what to do. We also assumed they were obedient, so we regularly and humbly asked God to speak to us in our time by saying, “Lord, would you show us what to do?”

Now, nearly ten years after our move, we have several hundred additional acquaintances, 50-100 fairly good friends, and more than a few folks with whom we are very close. While I don’t consider myself fanatical with my self-assigned role as a watchman, and it’s only one of a number of my involvements, I care very much for our friends and family, and I would not hold back on information that I’d consider critical to life and our convictions. As the waters of the world continue to grow muddy, often even foul, I’ve become more discerning and strategic in approaching the subject, and I’ve learned to perceive a cold shoulder even before it is turned in my direction. Sadly, with a couple of good friends– men with whom I’ve shared mutual concerns– I have to admit we’ve drifted apart, I believe because we simply grew tired of being on the alert. Eventually it began to feel like all the reality out there, which we knew was headed our direction, had somehow just bogged us down. Our relationship didn’t survive being built solely on the assignment of a watchman.

Just What is Watchman Fatigue?

First, in a Biblical framework, what is a “watchman”? It was years back when someone first drew my attention to Ezekiel chapter 33 and pointed out the role of one’s assignment to stand at a key observation point (on the city wall or prominent place) to warn the people of any incoming danger, or that is what we assumed from a cursory reading. There it was, and I now had a Biblical justification for keeping my eyes on world events and warning my friends and family of what was coming.

That understanding of the job may be accurate for a military sentry. There is certainly justification for America being acutely alert and to defend our land against the encroachment of our enemies. The watchman responsibility grays when our moral and spiritual enemies permeate multiple areas of our life. When a nation becomes spiritually generic, who decides or warns of the destruction ahead? In reality we haven’t kept them out, nor do we have the resolve to expel the enemy from our midst.

With God there is no gray line. He assumes of His people a deep commitment to righteousness and to honoring His name. Such a commitment necessitates a watchman with an acute capability to see any advance of the enemy from without, as well as a courageous, uncompromising oversight of His people from within. God is absolutely unwilling for His people to cohabitate with wickedness. There is more on this in a moment. Ezekiel now warns us that the greatest danger is already from within.

The Sword!

More recently I’ve been convicted to look again at Ezekiel 33, in light of the sword, and ask who is actually wielding the sword and why? I’m finding this passage is not simply a warning from God to put a guard on the wall to warn us of danger. As I take a new look, I see a more powerful warning here. This is God saying, “When I bring the sword (most likely weapons of serious destruction) against a land…” Clearly it is God who is wielding the sword, it will be devastating, and He is bringing it against His own people.

What is going on here? Why is God wielding the sword against His own people? It’s a gut-wrenching reality that God brings the sword of discipline and punishment against His people because there is wickedness or evil amongst us. Remember, God does not compromise; in His scheme of things, righteousness and wickedness cannot co-habitat. The line is black and white. When God’s anger is stirred, He will bring punishment and even destruction. Evil is an insidious enemy, and it resides within. We must consider ourselves warned.

Front Line Watchman Duty: Warn the Wicked!

A good part of the challenge we have– to see reality in America as well as in the Church– is our history as a Christian nation. Our nation was built on a desire to be free, and in that freedom God has blessed us beyond imagination. However, with that freedom has also come a susceptibility to making wrong decisions. With wrong decisions comes a slow, subtle drift toward evil.

A slow drift towards evil, while keeping one foot in the “we are a Christian nation camp,” produces the “having a form of godliness but denying its power” syndrome. (1 Tim 3:5). So, now we have a serious case of clouded vision. Clouded vision can hardly imagine that such a powerful, blessed nation could merit God’s sword of discipline coming against us. Aren’t we the Body of Jesus Christ– His Church? Are we not the good guys?

Letter Re: Google Almighty

HJL:

Search with Google, the candidate “Scott Walker” and then use Duck Duck Go to search the same thing. When I did it, Google queued up 10 articles on him that were all negative. The Duck queued up 6 favorable articles with four negative articles. I’m not necessarily endorsing Mr. Walker, but he is a controversial figure, due to his anti-union measures, making him a good example of Google limiting not just what you see but what you should think. – RV

News From The American Redoubt:

The Conservative Christian Identification Act. Montana citizens should contact their legislators about this dangerous bill.

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In the same week, Idaho had a Muslim-Turned-Christian Warn of the dangers radical Islam in Idaho and then had to hear about hundreds of Muslim refugees headed to Idaho.

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Fake Boise lawyer to spend 21 days behind bars, pay back clients. – RBS

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Snow Melt: ‘It’s about a month earlier than we would expect normally’

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Sam Culper (of Guerrillamerica.com and Forward Observer Magazine) will be teaching several Intelligence and Analysis courses in the American Redoubt and even has a couple of dates open if you want to facilitate bringing him to your town (min. 5 students + sponsor/facilitator).

The first training weekend is May 29–31 in Spokane, WA. There are three-day or two-day options…whichever works for you. It’s good to have him back in the American Redoubt.

‘Intelligence Preparation of the Community’

See more details and other scheduled dates/locations

Odds ‘n Sods:

ISIS ‘claims responsibility’ after two gunmen ‘carrying explosives’ killed in attack on anti-Islam art contest near Dallas: Suspects are shot by cops and security guard is wounded at ‘draw Muhammad’ event that offered $10,000 prize. – JBG

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Want a lawless police force? Federalize it.. – B.B.

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One Man’s Message To Americans – “Start Giving A Damn!”. – B.B.

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Medical equipment can be taken over and controlled remotely by hackers. – D.S.

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Immigrants to U.S. From China Top Those From Mexico

Notes for Monday – May 04, 2015

On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others. Also on this day in 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed an accord on Palestinian autonomy that granted self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho, creating what the world believed would be peace at last in the Middle East. Of course, the Palestinians, then as now, threw away the peace agreement and resumed hostilities towards Israel.

Scot’s Product Review: Quantum Harvest Model 120

This review is part of my continued exploration of backup power during disruptive times. Life without electricity, even for a few hours, is unpleasant and could even be life threatening. I was reflecting about this during our last Scouting campout as I saw how many battery-operated devices were in evidence. It was mostly flashlights, but there were also two-way radios for communications, cell phones for emergencies, and the like. We are supposed to leave entertainment gadgets behind, but I admit to having a book reader on most trips, and I keep copies of first aid guides and similar materials on it as well as the book du jour I’m reading. This was only a two night trip, so there was little issue with battery life for any of this. However, if it had been a week long trip, I would have needed a way to charge stuff.

Then there is the issue of interruptions to service, whether short-term ones following thunderstorms or long-term ones after hurricanes or worse situations. Generators have their appeal and offer a lot of power for the buck, but they have major drawbacks. The biggest one is their thirst for fuel, but running a close second is the amount of noise most of them produce. Unless you put a lot of effort and money into quieting them, they can be heard for blocks and blocks, attracting highly unwanted attention. A better solution, in my mind, for as much of your grid down electrical needs as you can afford is solar. Once you pay the steep upfront costs, solar is free and quiet. It may provide a visual signature with reflections from the panels, but with effort that can be screened and reduced.

Besides the cost, there is another problem with solar, which is that it only makes power when there is sunlight. To have power after dark or on cloudy, rainy days, you have to have a way to store power, which means batteries. Ideally, we want to have batteries that can handle deep discharges and lots of recharge cycles. It is also nice if they require little maintenance. There are many battery technologies, but one of the ones with a sweet spot for capacity, life, and cost are deep cycle, sealed absorbed glass mat lead acid batteries. You often find this sort of battery in the uninterruptible power supplies that many of us use on computers and other sensitive electronics to protect them (and our data) from the fickle nature of grid power. Among the several advantages of AGM’s are that they seldom leak and don’t need to be topped off. They are often touted as being usable in any position, but I get nervous about having them upside down.

While my goal is to be able to go completely off grid with a vast array of solar panels and a huge bank of batteries, the reality is that I don’t have the means to do it. I do have the means, however, to come up with something more modest that can at least power some communications gear, lighting, and perhaps some small appliances. Quantum Harvest, a company in Athens, Maine, provides just the sort of gear that can handle these types of needs. They were kind enough to loan me one of their Quantum Harvest Model 120’s for a review. They have also been generous enough to offer one of these units as a prize in the SurvivalBlog writing contests. It goes for $340.99 with shipping.

The Model 120 is their entry level unit and provides the owner with USB and 12-volt power outputs. It is a full service kit that comes with a 27-watt, folding, solar panel and AC charger as well as a power pack that contains a 10 amp AGM deep cycle battery. They sell an array of similar but more capable products, too. The more expensive ones also include AC power inverters.

In my mind, the most important part is the folding solar panel. It weighs 2.5 pounds and only takes up 11.5x8x2 inches when folded. It unfolds to 36×8 inches for use. It provides two USB charging ports as well as a cord that can provide up to 18 volts, depending on how bright the sun it. It is the cord that plugs into the power units to keep the battery charged. In my bright, southern climate, it can charge the power unit in about 6-8 hours, though Quantum Harvest says that in Maine, it will take all day.

The solar panel itself has one limitation; it does not have a charge controller, so you can’t just connect it directly to a battery and leave it alone without risk of overcharging the battery. There is no need to worry, however, as you can plug it into the port on the back of the power pack and charge its battery since the power pack includes a 3 amp charge controller that prevents damage to the battery.

The power pack is housed in a sturdy 8.75x4x5.75 inches aluminum case. The case itself is actually a bit smaller, but I included the folding carry handle and the protrusion of the connectors as well as the rubber feet on the bottom of the case in my measurements. The handle and rubber feet are nice additions by the way, giving you a convenient way to carry it as well as protecting your furniture. It weighs about 10 pounds.

As well as the port for an external charger on the back, there is a circuit breaker to protect the unit from overloads or short circuits. The breaker is far better than having a fuse as inevitably, when things are going wrong, you won’t have the right size fuse.

Moving to the front, you will find an on-off switch that has a blue LED that indicates when it is powered up. There is a row of LEDs that, when it is turned on, indicate how much power is left in the battery. If the first LED in the row comes on, it tells you the battery is discharged, so please stop trying to use it. Another LED lets you know if you are charging it. There is also a button you can push when the unit is off to get the LEDs to show you the remaining power.

The best parts, of course, are the ones that let you power stuff. There are two USB outlets along with a cigarette lighter socket for 12-volt devices. Both have covers to protect them from moisture and dirt. The USB outlets are marked as a product of Blue Sea Systems, which make marine grade gear. I didn’t see any labels on the other components, but they also looked to be moisture and dirt resistant and of high quality.

I looked inside the unit and liked what I saw. It was clearly hand assembled– the way electronics used to be made– and done with good craftsmanship. The solder joints were clean and bright with no globs of excess solder anywhere in sight, proving that I clearly was not the fabricator. Everything looked right. The wires were cut to provide room to get to serviceable components without excess wire to get tangled up. There was a sturdy bracket to keep the battery from shifting and damaging any of the components, and I found foam padding to protect the parts. Insulation was provided to prevent connectors and circuit boards from touching the conductive case.

Another feature I highly approved of is the use of a readily available 12-volt battery of the type used in computer uninterruptible power supplies. This means you can easily replace it when necessary. Quantum Harvest expects you to get several hundred charge/discharge cycles, but how you use it affects that. If you continually run it flat, it won’t last as long as it will if you take care of it. My research and pestering people who are smarter than I am indicates that never pulling out more than ½ of the power before recharging it will provide close to maximum life from this sort of battery. Certainly an occasional deeper discharge won’t be much of a problem, but do it day after day and you will be buying another battery sooner than if you can control your need for power.

So, how much power can this thing provide? Quantum Harvest provides a chart that lists 17 charges for an iPhone, 38 AA batteries, or three charges for an iPad 3. This is pretty much running the battery flat, so it would be better to cut those in half, but that’s still a good deal of power. I found the ratings to be pretty accurate as I charged Android tablets, a Kindle book reader, and a bunch of AA and D cell batteries. I didn’t have any of the Apple products to test, but since watts are watts, I would expect you to get the rated number of charges for your iDevices.

If you are charging stuff during the day, you could certainly get more by connecting it to the solar panel, which has a nice 16-foot long cord enabling you to put the panel outside and keep the electronics inside and out of the sun, heat, or an unexpected shower. While I wouldn’t want to get the panel wet either, it is better protected than the power pack and the typical cell phone or tablet.

Speaking of protection, I would probably use some low residue, electrical tape to cover the joints on the power pack, just for peace of mind. A small tool bag from one of the home stores would hold the pack and the panel and also offer some protection to both while traveling.

When storing the pack, Quantum Harvest recommends just leaving it connected to the solar panel. You can lay the panel in front of a window that gets a lot of light and it will do a good job of maintaining the battery. You could also leave it connected to the 2 amp AC charger for the unit that can charge it in six or so hours from a low state of charge.

To get the most out of the solar panel, you will need to put it outside and keep it oriented at a 90 degree angle to the sun. If you are draining the power pack at night, you will want to do that in the morning and reorient the panel several times during the day.

Quantum Harvest makes units that are expressly designed to resist EMP events, but you have to spend more money to get that protection. That said, however, they feel the 120’s aluminum case provides some protection against an EMP. They also say that there is a consensus in the industry that solar panels are fairly resistant to EMP, so the combination probably gives you a chance to get through an EMP and still have some power. There would be more concern if it is connected to grid power for charging when it happened, though.

The included instruction manual was quite clear and provided all of the information I needed to use it. The solar charge controller is covered by a three year warranty. The battery is covered by a one year warranty, while everything else is covered for five years. A nice feature of the warranty is that Quantum Harvest covers the shipping both ways. Another neat provision is that should something fail after the warranty expires, there will be no labor charge to fix it. Reasonably, none of this covers misuse or carelessness.

I am really going to regret sending this back, but I don’t have the funds at the moment to buy it. I did ponder assembling something similar myself and decided that while I might be able to beat the price, I couldn’t approach the quality. My version would look like something from Dr. Frankenstein’s castle and would probably be less reliable. I am going to have to save some money up.

Armasight Spark CORE Update

My review of the Armasight Spark CORE night vision device should have run by the time this publishes. While I am still very happy with the unit, I am disappointed and perplexed with their customer service. I had hoped to borrow some of the accessories for the unit for an additional review. I also had several questions, and they have not replied to emails or phone calls. I approached them both as a reviewer for SurvivalBlog as well as a customer. I received no response whatsoever. While I can’t hold their apparent unwillingness to provide products to review against them, I can rationally be annoyed with not getting questions about the product and its use ignored. This may speak poorly of getting service, should you ever had need. I still plan to review some of the accessories for the unit, but I now have some reservations about recommending Armasight products to readers.

– SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor, Scot Frank Eire