Notes from JWR:

Last Day! Safecastle is completing their last Mountain House cans sale of the year, with maximum allowable discounts, free shipping, and some special loyalty reward bonuses for buyers club members. The sale ends at midnight on November 20, 2013.

—

On November 20, 1903 (110 years ago, today,) in Cheyenne, Wyoming, “Range Detective” Tom Horn went to the newly-invented Julian Gallows for the murder of Willie Nickell, a 14-year-old son of a sheepherder. Horn was hanged just one day short of his 43rd birthday. One interesting detail: He braided his own noose rope.

Also on this day, in 1953 (60 years ago, today,) Operation Castor began in French Indochina. This was the airborne drop /landing of more than 9,000 troops into the Dien Bien Phu region. The full assault by the Viet Minh didn’t begin until 13 March 1954, after months of preparations. SurvivalBlog reader M.B. noted: “Dien Bien Phu showed that arrogance and resting on one’s laurels are dangerous when facing a patient, wily enemy.”

—

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225, and I.) VPN tunnel, DigitalSafe and private e-mail annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $265.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 23 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $210 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., F.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises , and G.) A Nesco / American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator with an extra set of trays, and the book The Dehydrator Bible, from Mayflower Trading. (A $210 value.)

Round 49 ends on November 30th, 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.

So, You Bought Fish Antibiotics. Now What?, by TX ER DOC

1

First, the disclaimers:  Nothing in this article constitutes medical advice.  It is for information purposes only.  It is not meant to diagnose or treat any disease.  Fish antibiotics are not for human consumption.  Never take any medication that was not prescribed specifically for you by your physician.  Hopefully, this information can help you be a more informed and involved patient.  Short of a true post-SHTF scenario, I strongly advise you not to self-diagnose and treat.  (Health care professionals are especially notorious for doing this.)  I have seen significant harm come to many patients because of this.  Recently, someone killed off their kidneys because they took cow doses of antibiotics.  As long as doctors, nurses, and other providers exist, please use them!  I say this not to drum up business (believe me, if anything I want less business in my emergency department), but rather for concern for the significant harm that I have seen happen to patients time and again.

I have just received my order of fish antibiotics.  (For my fish, of course!)  As a physician, I could easily hit up one of my colleagues to write me a prescription for any number of medicines.  So, why order fish antibiotics from the internet?  I live in a state with a medical board who likes to go on witch hunts for “non-therapeutic prescribing,” and I would not want to cause one of my co-workers to be the target of an investigation.  (This is a common reason your physician might not be too willing to prescribe medications for your personal preparations.)  Also, I was curious to see if they would come as advertised.

When the bottles arrived, I dug out my photographic drug reference and found that these are indeed the same pills that are given to humans, right down to the tablet color and markings.  It makes business sense.  It costs less for drug manufacturers to have one production line for each drug, rather than to build a separate process exclusively for veterinary medicines.  These are the same generic antibiotics that can be found on many pharmacy formularies on the “4 dollar” list.  They cost more to purchase as veterinary antibiotics, but are not prohibitively expensive.  (Please remember SurvivalBlog advertisers when shopping around.)

After checking my order, I placed the bottles in airtight bags and put them in the fridge.  The general consensus is that antibiotics will still retain most of their potency for years after their expiration date, especially if kept cool and dry.  The notable exceptions are tetracycline antibiotics, including doxycycline.  These can cause kidney damage if taken after their expiration dates.

The antibiotics I ordered were (US brand name in parentheses, if in common usage):
Amoxicillin (Amoxil)
Cephalexin (Keflex)
Metronidazole (Flagyl)
Clindamycin (Cleocin)
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)
Doxycycline
Erythromycin

Judicious use of antibiotics

First, we must know when not to use antibiotics.  When they become a precious commodity they will need to be used very wisely.  Many of the patients I see in the adult emergency department, and most of the patients I see in the children’s Emergency Department for various types of infections do not need antibiotics.

There is also a growing and very real danger with antibiotic resistance.  It is a very legitimate fear that we may use antibiotics to the point that they are no longer effective, at which point it will be just like it was in the pre-antibiotic age.

Also, antibiotics are not completely innocuous.  They have the potential to cause harm.  (All medicines do, including the “safe, natural” remedies.)  Allergic reactions are common, and the only way to become allergic to a medication is to be exposed to it in the first place.  Drug reactions are also very prevalent, and range from the annoying (e.g. rash, diarrhea), to the life-threatening (e.g. skin sloughing off in sheets, causing the equivalent of a bad total body burn.)

Most infections involving the nose, sinuses, throat, and respiratory tract are viral and will not respond to antibiotics.  Even some presumptive bacterial infections like otitis media (the common middle ear infection) will usually do just fine without antibiotic usage.  If you have one of the following, think twice before using your precious antibiotic supply:

Cold, cough, runny nose
Sinus pain or pressure
Bronchitis (coughing up phlegm)
Ear pain or pressure
Sore throat (there is debate about whether even strep throat needs antibiotics)

Obviously, this list is oversimplified.  For example, a middle ear infection can spread to the bone around it and cause mastoiditis.  The difference between a viral bronchitis (not requiring antibiotics) and a bacterial pneumonia (requiring antibiotics) can be difficult to distinguish.  Doctors, lab tests, and x-rays frequently get this wrong.  If symptoms persist for an extended period, or if you are getting worse, it may be more complicated than a simple viral infection.

When and how to use antibiotics

Which antibiotics to use is always a big subject of debate.  A roomful of physicians will seldom agree on the proper treatment of any disease, much less antibiotic use.  In fact, there is a medical specialty (Infectious Disease) in which physicians train for 5 years after medical school so they can run around the hospital and tell other physicians what antibiotics they can and cannot use.

If you are going to use antibiotics, remember some guidelines.  (Again, for information purposes only.)  Dosages are given in milligrams (mg).  Pediatric doses are given in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg).  All dosing notations here assume they are taken orally.

What follows is a list of common diseases and the antibiotics that treat them, limited to the list available above.  Remember that there are many antibiotics, most of which are not listed here.

Pneumonia/bronchitis—doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 7-10 days, erythromycin 500 mg every 6 hours, amoxicillin (more often used in children) 45 mg/kg two times a day for 10 days.  Ciprofloxacin can be used in conjunction with another antibiotic, but it is not commonly considered a “respiratory drug.”  Its sister drugs, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, are, but are not available without a prescription.

Ear infection—adult: amoxicillin 500 mg 3 times a day for 7-10 days, children: amoxicillin 30 mg/kg 3 times a day for 7-10 days

Sinusitis—amoxicillin 500 mg 3 times a day for 10-14 days, doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 7 days

Sore (strep) throat—amoxicillin 500 mg 3 times a day for 10 days (child 25 mg/kg two times a day for 10 days), clindamycin 450 mg three times a day for 10 days (child 10 mg/kg three times a day for 10 days)

Intra-abdominal infections (diverticulitis, etc)— ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice a day PLUS metronidazole 500 mg three times a day for 10 days

Infectious diarrhea—ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily for 5-7 days

Urinary infection—child-bearing age females without a fever who are not pregnant: trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 160/180 mg two times a day for 3 days, ciprofloxacin 250 mg twice a day for 3 days; pregnant female: cephalexin 500 mg twice a day for 7 days, amoxicillin 500 mg three times a day for 7 days; other adults: ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice a day for 7-10 days; children: trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 5 mg/kg twice daily for 7 days (this dosing is based on the trimethoprim portion, which is usually 160 mg per tablet)

Bacterial vaginosis—metronidazole 500 mg twice daily for 7 days, clindamycin 300 mg twice daily for 7 days

Skin infections— trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 160/180 mg (child 5 mg/kg) two times a day AND cephalexin 500 mg (child 6.25 mg/kg) four times a day for 7-10 days, clindamycin 300 mg (child 10 mg/kg) four times a day for 7-10 days, doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 7-10 days. (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, aka MRSA, is a consideration in all skin infections nowadays.)

Not common household diseases, but possible biological weapons:

Plague (Yersinia pestis) post-exposure prevention—ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice a day for 7 days, doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 7 days
Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) post-exposure prevention—ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice a day for 60 days, doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 60 days

Caution!  Do not cause harm to yourself or others.

Beware of allergies.  If you are allergic to a medication avoid any drugs in its same family.  Some of the families are related, such as penicillins and cephalosporins.  Depending on where you read, there is a 2-10% cross-reactivity.  However, as long as the reported reaction is not serious (e.g. a simple rash when someone takes penicillin), I will often give cephalosporins to penicillin allergic patients.

Antibiotic classes:

Please note that these lists are not comprehensive:
Penicillins (“-cillins”): amoxicillin, ampicillin, methicillin, dicloxacillin
Cephalosporins (“cef-”): cephalexin, cefaclor, cefuroxime, cefdinir, ceftriaxone, cefepime
Lincosamides: lincomycin, clindamycin
Fluoroquinolones (“-floxacins”): ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin
Sulfa drugs (this is a very broad category, and includes many non-antibiotics): trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, sulfasalazine, dapsone
Tetracyclines (“-cyclines”): tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline
Macrolides: erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin

Not all antibiotics can be used across all patient populations.  Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children deserve special consideration.  Although some antibiotics should be avoided in certain patients, there is always a risk/benefit consideration.  For example, if my pregnant wife developed a life-threatening pneumonia, and all I had was doxycycline, I would give it to her and accept the risk to the baby.

Avoid in pregnancy:
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)
Doxycycline

Avoid in children and breastfeeding women:
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Doxycycline

I recommend getting some good references, mostly in EMP-proof paper editions.  These can often be picked up for free, as local physicians shed their bulky paper medical libraries in favor of putting everything on a portable smartphone or tablet.  I picked up several copies of the Physicians’ Desk Reference this way.  I think it is aptly named because it is the size of a desk.  However, it sure is good fun to shoot with various pistol calibers to see how many pages they will penetrate.  For a more portable version, I like the Tarascon Pharmacopoeia and the EMRA Antibiotic Guide.  Many of the regimens listed in this article are referenced in these books.

Be wise, be safe.  Remember with all your preps, primum non nocere—“First do no harm.”

JWR Adds: Several or our advertisers sell veterinary and aquariast antibiotics. You will be amazed at the prices, versus the cost of human antibiotic doses.

Five Letters Re: Tips on Selecting and Operating a Generator

Sir:

Re: Gary D.’s piece on generator use. Good article; I’ve learned a few additional things over the years about generator usage which your readers may find helpful.

Power cords – usually, they’re undersized for the load. There are different American Wire Gauge (AWG) specifications for current carrying capacity:

16 gauge – 12 amp maximum for 25 ft, 3.4 amps for 100 ft.
14 gauge – 16 amp max at 25 ft, 5 amps at 100 ft..
12 gauge – 20 amps at 25 ft, 7 amps at 100 ft.
10 gauge – 30 amps at 25 ft, 10 amps at 100 ft.
 8 gauge  – 40 amps at 25 ft, 14 amps at 100 ft.
 6 gauge  – 65 amps at 25 ft, 22 amps at 100 ft.

The smaller the gauge number the larger the actual diameter of the wire and the greater its current carrying capacity.

Large AWG weather resistant copper-conductor cable (8 gauge, for example) will be expensive. 100 feet of 8-3 SO (three 8 gauge conductors, weather and oil resistant sheath) will cost between $200 and $250, but it will carry a lot more current safely than “home center” extension cords.

Twist lock connectors, especially female connectors, are expensive. Use them anyway – they won’t partially disconnect due to vibration or being bumped.

Use high capacity cable as a primary feed, and build a multi-outlet box on a short, lower capacity cable to connect to it. Mine is a 4-gang steel box with duplex receptacles on a 15 ft 10-3 cable with a male twist lock connector to connect to the 8-3 cable.

Do put a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) receptacle into your multi-outlet box, and wire it to provide protection for the outlets. My 4 gang box has the GFCI, which also protects 2 of the remaining 3 receptacles. One receptacle is not GFCI-protected for those instances where there may be equipment with internal circuitry that frequently trips the GFCI. That one duplex receptacle is red to identify it as non-GFCI protected, purchased in that color from an electrical supplier.

An earth anchor, designed to anchor garden sheds to the ground, permanently installed, provides a place to chain and padlock your generator. Your local utility can sell you one of the big ones they use to brace power poles if you need a bigger one. Dig a shallow hole with a post hole digger to install it, so when installed the loop is just below ground level. Put a lawn irrigation system valve box around it, flush with the ground. Your lawnmower will thank you.

Use the earth anchor as the ground connector for your generator. An inexpensive auto jumper cable with large clamps can be used to connect the generator frame to the anchor if there’s no ground lug provided on the generator. Remove the paint from the generator frame where you connect the cable clamp to get a good connection.

If you’re building, or doing major remodeling, put in one electrical circuit that feeds one outlet in each room. If possible, put each room’s ceiling fans on this circuit, too.  If you have, or are installing a transfer switch, put this circuit on it. This allows easy distribution of generator power to each room.

It’s handy to have one or two convenient outdoor receptacles on the transfer switch in case you need power outside.

Put in another dedicated circuit with 2×3 (duplex receptacle-sized) outlet boxes in the ceiling in strategic places (hallways, kitchen, bathrooms, etc.) Control this circuit with either the breaker in the transfer switch box and/or 3-way (or 4-way) wall switches in case you need complete dark. Install Pass & Seymour or Cooper Wiring LED night lights in those boxes; the night lights draw almost no power, and provide just enough light for navigating around the house and for target identification, and are safer than candles.

Even quiet generators make noise. Put sound absorbing foam on two pieces of plywood, 4 ft wide and long enough to extend past your generator a foot or so at each end. attach the long side of each to a 2X4 with hinges so they can be placed as an A frame over the generator. A 4ft x 4ft piece covered on one side with sound absorbent can be placed vertically several feet in front and behind the A frame. I attached pieces of 1/2″ EMT (Electrical Metallic Tubing) to mine, to act as stakes. Leave room for ventilation, and if more air flow is needed for cooling, plug a fan into the generator, set to blow air through the A frame cover.

If you’re using a generator to power your well pump, replace the small pressure tank the builder put in (probably about a 6 gallon draw down) with one or two larger tanks. I put two 46-gallon draw down tanks in parallel; when water is needed, turn off all circuits in the transfer switch except the well pump, then turn on the well pump. It will run for however long it takes to fill both tanks, and you’ll have 92 gallons to use before needing to turn the pump on again. In day-to-day use the pump won’t start/stop as frequently, making the pump motor last a lot longer.

Talk to your well driller or plumber who understand wells about a second, smaller well pump. It is possible to install a second pump with a check valve between it and the delivery pipe to the house. In day-to-day use the 1 HP or 3/4 HP pump supplies routine needs, in a SHTF situation the 1/8 HP – 1/4 HP  pump draws a lot less current, allowing a smaller generator. A smaller pump will need to be installed higher in the well and electrically on its own circuit, and it will deliver less volume, usually at a lower pressure, but 2 GPM at 25-30 PSI beats 0 GPM at 0 PSI. And, “two is one, one is none.” – Nosmo King

Hello,
I really enjoy reading the articles contained on your blog and wanted to mention a few items related to the subject above. As a person that lives on generator power 24/7 I wanted to contribute to the conversation.

Gary wrote a wonderful article and I wanted to add a few things. The first thing is that not all generators are rated for continuous use and most of the “off the shelf chinese models” are only rated occasional and should only be used in light duty situations. The small “suitcase” style generators definitely have their place and the quiet Yamaha and Honda powered ones are the cream of the crop but I wouldn’t want to depend on one for the long term.

If you are mechanically inclined, don’t rule out purchasing a used “take out” generator from an RV, some of these can be had for a real bargain and can be found in junkyards, on Craigslist as well as other places on the web. In addition to having multiple fuel options available, these units are 4KW and above and can be easily run from a gas can, propane tank or other external fuel source. The smaller units (4KW) can be easily mounted to a garden wagon for portability, the downside being having to have an electrician wire up a junction box.

When you purchase or even if you presently own a portable generator take a good hard look at the connections on the panel. Have adapter cords made for any twist lock or RV style outlets so that you can fully utilize the power from the equipment, RV style adapter cords and plugs can be purchased from most camping stores or even Wal-Mart.

Lastly and probably most important, make sure the generator is grounded whenever it is in operation. – B.I.

James,
That was a great article on generators by Gary D.

As he points out, noise is bad, but it can be mitigated. There is a good method described over at the Alpha-Rubicon site. Best Regards, – Don in Oregon

James,
I have no argument that accidentally “backfeeding” power from a generator (even a small one) through a house outlet-to the electrical box, and to the power grids can hurt or kill a utility worker, but it will also burn out, the portable generator in question within 10 seconds. The gas engine will be fine but the generator half of the machine becomes useless. This fact is not often reported. – Bob M.

JWR,
With two recent posts on operating a generator and alternative power systems, both of which mention transfer switches, I thought it might be valuable to again mention a device that might be of interest to your readers. The Generlink device is an alternative to a transfer switch at lesser cost and more versatility in operation.  Regards, – Keith  

Odds ‘n Sods:

My thanks to everyone who has helped Orange Jeep Dad in the aftermath of the fire that destroyed his home. Please continue to pray for him and his family, and do what you can to help.

   o o o

Prepper Recon Podcast: TEOTWAWKI Communications with John Jacob Schmidt of Radio Free Redoubt

   o o o

Several readers have mentioned this exemplar of pudge and braggadaccio: So-called “prepper” fail: “We’re going to take what you’ve got and there’s nothing you can do”. His attitude closely resembles the despicable looter mentality that was cleverly illustrated in an October, 2009 SurvivalBlog gedanken post: Retreat Security: I Am Your Worst Nightmare, by Jeff T. By the way, the text of that copyrighted post was pirated by New America Now into the now notorious Monsters of Anarchy video, in 2011. That small minority gives all preparedness-minded individuals a bad name.

   o o o

W.D.F. suggested this from Chuck Baldwin: Our Friends Are Killing Us

Notes from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 49 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $8,500+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225, and I.) VPN tunnel, DigitalSafe and private e-mail annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $265.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 23 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $210 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., F.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises , and G.) A Nesco / American Harvest Gardenmaster Dehydrator with an extra set of trays, and the book The Dehydrator Bible, from Mayflower Trading. (A $210 value.)

Round 49 ends on November 30th, 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.

Alternative Power Systems: An Update, by David J.

A couple years back I wrote a piece for SurvivalBlog about alternative energy in the suburbs.  I described a strategy for dealing with a potentially prolonged blackout in suburbia.  Essentially the plan is to keep a low profile, by camping in my grid tied, stick built, difficult to defend home.  This was accomplished by shrinking our energy footprint by using a well-insulated basement, propane heat and small scale solar to primarily power DC appliances.  The article is still available in the SurvivalBlog archives.   It is a sound strategy, well within the reach of most suburbanites and could keep many people safe especially if the grid went down over the winter.  If you have any interest in this topic I suggest you read it.

Its two years later. God has seen fit to allow me to not only live, but to prosper a bit.  I have used this additional time to add additional capacity to my home’s PV system.  Power outages are now a minor inconvenience.  

In this article I will guide you on how to make your suburban home livable beyond “camping” during an outage using alternative energy.  It has been personally tested. A step by step would be a very long article, but this over view can get you going.

The point of view is not just as an alternative energy hobbyist, but as a resilient, suburban prepper.  A guy, who is very motivated to avoid large, angry, scared crowds, like the ones at gas stations after Superstorm Sandy trying to get fuel for their generators.

This upgrade was a financial stretch, about $2,800, and took me about six months to construct.  I will describe where I did and did not cut corners.  For brevity, I will only give a brief summary of each component of a PV system.

Without grid power, I can do some laundry, (washer, but not dryer), run the fridge and furnace enough for them to do their respective jobs, and have hot water.   I can do this quietly for a long time.   The system runs when the grid is up to lower my electric costs.  The hitch is that this is a small, relatively inexpensive system, so I can only do one thing at a time and I have to actively manage use.

Financially, this is may not be a  good investment in a traditional return on investment model, although it could add some resale value to the house; it will take many years before savings on my electric bill pays off this system.   Staying in my home and avoiding mobs is priceless.

Investments in energy conservation have a much higher return.  Energy efficient appliances and weather proofing/insulating also make small alternative energy systems viable by lowering electric and heating requirements.

This is still a work and progress – and your mileage may vary.

Equipment Summary – I used ground mounted DM Solar 145 panels, a used Outback FM 60 charge controller, Wal-Mart marine type 29 deep cycle batteries, a Samlex 3,000 watt, 120 volt inverter, and modified cord set to allow a 120 volts inverter to work with a standard 240 volt transfer switch.

Here are the details-

The transfer switch
My earlier PV system, I had small inverters to convert DC to AC power to run a few very small appliances.  Whenever possible I utilized DC appliances (fans, my RV style cooler, battery chargers etc.).  There is certainly a limit as to how many DC gadgets one can utilize
 
Central to my upgrade plan was a transfer switch. The transfer switch allows you to isolate certain circuits from the grid.  Your power source whether gas generator or alternative gets plugged into the transfer switch, and when the switch is engaged, electricity runs through your homes wiring to the selected circuits.  They are designed so that electricity cannot back feed into the grid and injure utility workers.  Transfer switches are safe and eliminate most extension cords.

I purchased a Protran 8 circuit transfer switch made by Reliance from a big box hardware store.  The cost difference between this model and larger units in not large, but I wanted to limit the temptation of overloading the system and keep the costs as low as possible.   The transfer switch is generally placed inside near the circuit breakers. There were some key differences between this and a typical installation.  Most transfer switches are designed for 240 volts and come with two plugs for the power source.  One is on the switch and the other is wired some distance in an outlet box, generally outside for the generator.  I had the 2nd plug placed in an ideal place for a gas generator and the wire run but did not have the final connection.  The plug on the transfer switch was completely wired.  If a conventional generator was called for, with 20 minutes of work the outside plug could be connected and the inside plug disconnected.  Conversely, less than ideal, I could also run an extension cord through a window to connect a generator to the transfer switch.

I opted to have only one plug wired to avoid any possibility of a situation where power is feeding in from two sources.  While I totally understand the system, if I am out the picture, I want to make it safe as possible for those remaining.

Picking the circuits requires some careful thought.  I picked my furnace, refrigerator, whole house fan, power vent for gas hot water heater, a few choice outlets, and an ejector pump for the basement bathroom.

I purposely avoided any lights.  Lighting requirements are easily met with rechargeable LED lanterns, and flash lights.  The clothes dryer, microwave and central air conditioning are out of the question due to the load requirements.

Picking the electrician also requires some thought.  Many have little understanding about alternative energy.  I ended up with a guy I know from the rifle and pistol club.  We have similar political views, but he lives some distance away.   I kept my preps out of site while he was around.

Special Power Cord
My inverter (more on inverters soon) produces 120 volts; my transfer switch, like most, is set up for 240 volts.

The step here is to make a special cord that has a 240 volt plug on one end, and a 120 volt plug on the other.  The cord is wired so that only one leg of the 240 volt is utilized.  The transfer switch is only using ½ of its potential, but that’s the tradeoff for using a small PV system and is enough to keep what I need running.

[JWR Adds: If you ever fabricate any sort of “male to male” power cord or “220 to 120” cord, then you must consider that it might be in the hands of a friend, neighbor, or relative (for example an heir, after your death) with less electrical knowledge than you, and they might end up hooking it up to a generator and inadvertently back-feed the local power grid and put utility workers at risk of electrocution. It is far, far better to pay an electrician to install a more elaborate transfer switch. But at the very minimum, be sure to attach permanently laminated safety wording tags to both ends of the cord!]

You need to know what you are doing to make this 240/120 cord, beyond the scope of this piece to describe.  Your electrician can do it, or you can order one from the Internet, I used nooutage.com for my backup cord and my electrician for the primary.  Improperly wired cords can be very dangerous, get qualified help if needed.

With this cord, my inverter is compatible with my transfer switch.  There are two ways to avoid this special cord, either a 240 volts inverter (way out of my price range), or a 110 transfer switch (limited choices, as most are designed for docked boats.)

The inverter
The inverter takes DC power from your batteries and converts it to AC power for your appliances.  Significant power is lost during the conversion.  DC appliances are more efficient in that department. There is plethora of inverters available, I don’t have enough space for a complete discussion, but what follows are some of the main points, type, size and outlets.

Inverter type – pure sine wave or modified sine wave
For putting electricity in your household wiring, a pure sine wave inverter is needed.  Cheap, modified sine wave, inverters make “dirty” electricity, and they have their uses. If you use a modified sine wave (MSW) inverter then you may damage your appliances, at which point the MSW inverter may not seem like such a bargain.  More likely than actual damage is that your Energy Star-rated efficient appliance won’t run properly or run at all.  (Mine are erratic with a MSW.  I ended up with a Samlex 3000 inverter, made in Canada.  I have no idea if they are the best inverter, but the cost seemed comparable.  What sold me on Samlex is that when researching, I promptly spoke with knowledgeable people from Samlex, who spent the time to thoroughly answer my questions.  You aren’t going to get that from China.

The 2nd issue is size.  The size of components could be a complete separate article; a “Kill-A-Watt”current measuring device is invaluable to calculate demand.    My transfer switch will take up to 5000 watts, which is adequate for most homes.  Plan on at least a 2000 watt inverter for a suburban home for this type of system.  Inverters are not a good place to cut costs, buy the largest and best according to your system and budget.

The 3rd issue is the outlet.  Many inverters have outlets that are GFI protected, which is an excellent idea when running many individual appliance through an inverter.  I do not have space for the details, but GFI outlets from your inverter (or gas generator) to your transfer switch may cause breakers to trip due to floating/bonded neutral issues. From personal experience, If you want to use an inverter through a transfer switch, or to appliances like gas heaters, you can avoid some annoying problems by having at least one outlet not GFI protected.  I have read of a dangerous workaround of removing the ground prong from the cords instead – don’t do it.  A safer, but expensive work around is to use a 1:1 isolation transformer that eliminates the floating neutral problem.  Best is to have at least one non-GFI outlet.  Inverters are not a good place to cut corners.

PV Panels-
I saved money here, by buying Chinese panels.  There are all kinds of panels out there, with their associated opinions.  I went with DM Solar which seemed to be the best tradeoff on price and quality. Panels are highly vulnerable, and I wanted to limit my cost exposure.  Time will tell if I made a good choice, but so far so good.  Again, sizing of components could be its own article, but 400 watts for a system like this is a good start.

PV Placement- Trade Off between OPSEC and Sun

Panels need to be placed where they can get some sun.  There is a tremendous amount of information available about proper placement.  My problem as a prepper is to balance these issues with opsec. Roof mounted panels are safe from minor vandalism and can get good sun exposure.  The problem is that they are proclaiming from the roof tops that this house has PV power.   The other issue is taking them down if I need to relocate or hide them.  I opted for ground mount.  I can easily access them for movement (as can looters).  You might want to keep them in storage and prop them up against a south facing wall when needed.

My solution was to use ground mounted pole system, placed in a fairly sunny, south facing, inconspicuous corner of the yard. I can move them for more optimal placement or bring them in if things are unstable.  

For the actual mounts, I went with an US based eBay seller, “markp-017″7.  He uses what appears to be a modified satellite dish mount, at a reasonable cost.  I only purchased the basic mount and made the frame myself from pressure treated 1×4.   The mounts fit standard fence poles; I used 4 foot pieces, mounted in a 5 gallon bucket with concrete, buried 2 foot deep, so the panels are only about 2 feet off the ground, low profile helps keep them out of casual sight.

[JWR Adds: A mount like that would be insufficient in a high wind area–or even in a normal wind area if there is a microbusrt. The larger an array, the more that it acts like a sail. I would recommend using mount with Schedule 80 steel pipe for the post(s). The amount of concrete that you pour around the posts depend on the anticipated wind loading and your local soil. I generally err on the side of over-engineering these projects.]

The mount is capable of holding 4 panels, but when I tested a 4 panel prototype, it was too heavy to lift by myself, so I ended up with 2 panel mounts.

The other issue with placement is distance.  The placement needs to be inconspicuous; they may need to be some distance from the house.  This means increased wire costs and DC line loss.  Wiring the panels in series instead of parallel lowers the amperage and line loss and could be a good solution if the panels are evenly lit and the charge controller is compatible.   Another possible solution is double lines, when I buried my lines in a PVC conduit, I used a size large enough to allow future lines.

Charge Controller
Charge controllers regulate the amount of charge the PV panels deliver to the battery.   This topic could easily be its own article.  They are sized by amps.  Try to buy a unit larger than the output of your PV panels for a margin of safety and to accommodate future expansion.
 
To save money, my backup controller is a no-name, Chinese unit from eBay.  I tested it for few days, and then put it back in its box, inside the Faraday cage, where it sits with all the other backup electronics.  It was a fraction of the price of an American made unit.  I hope I never end up using it, but it does work.

The more sophisticated charge controllers are capable of more efficiently charging your batteries and can help compensate for less than ideal PV placement.  As mentioned, the better ones can work with panels wired in both series and parallel, and battery banks of either 12 or 24 volts.

A good strategy may be to buy a quality US charge controller, right after a new model has been introduced.  I purchased a used Outback MX60 MPPT.  Its priced drop considerably when the new outback model was released.  You could save some money, buy using an appropriately sized, inexpensive charge controller from China until a higher quality unit can be purchased.  The original could then be saved as a backup.

Batteries 12 or 24 volt
If one were starting from scratch, you could make a strong argument for a 24 volt system, if I were to start again; I would go with 24 volt system.  I stayed with 12 volt due to legacy issues with my previous PV setup.  Research it and make the best choice for you.

[JWR Adds: I concur that a higher voltage system with a larger number of batteries cabled in series, or in series-parallel arrangement is the best option. A typical starter system would use four 6 VDC batteries cabled in series, connected to a 24 VDC inverter. If more batteries are added latter (typically in increments of four), then the cabling can easily be switched to a series-parallel pattern.]

Battery bank
Deep cycle batteries used in alternative energy are rated in amp hours.  Another topic worthy of a separate article.    Batteries are a budget issue, they are expensive, and it’s problematic to add additional batteries later on.

The amp hour requirement could be met with fewer, larger batteries, or more, smaller batteries.   It’s less expensive to go with fewer, larger batteries.  Less wiring costs and the batteries are less money per amp hour.  The down side to larger batteries is that they are heavy and that moving them during a relocate could be even more difficult.

I cut corners on the battery bank, and utilized type 29 marine batteries from Wal-Mart.   Marine batteries are a hybrid, probably not a good choice for a larger, totally off grid home.  I purchased three, 114 amp hour type 29 batteries for $108/each with a two year replacement policy, less than half the cost of a conventional deep cycle battery.  I am not sure what the future will bring, but I am pretty sure that if both I and Wal-Mart are still in business in two years, there will be a visit to exchange batteries.  Every two years after that as well. 

[JWR Adds: Abusing a warranty policy by returning a battery that still holds a charge would be unethical. Be honest, folks and only return goods if they are defective or if they have truly failed within the warranty period. Back when I lived in California, I was sickened by hearing some of my neighbors brag about how they had worked the system to buy gear to use on a short duration camping trip and then returned the items for a full refund, under lenient store return policies. Abusing a warranty or return policy is tantamount to theft.]

Additionally, although I am not a complete novice, I do not have extensive experience with battery banks, if I trash my batteries it’s not as painful with the Wal-Mart type 29’s as it would be a better quality deep cycle battery.  You can make your own choices about type and size.  My opinion is that for a suburban homes’ backup system the range of 300 amp hours is adequate.  Cheaper batteries do not hold a charge or last as long as higher quality batteries.

Wires and Fuses
Wiring holds all this together, fuses help keep it safe.  On the advice of the Samlex engineers, I got thick AWG 00 wires to connect batteries and inverters; I also followed their recommendations on fuses.  Was an expensive one time hit, but thicker gauge wires are safer and more efficient.  I would advise following your inverter manufacturer recommendation on fuses and wires and not cut corners here.
 
I saved some money by making my own connections and crimps.  The 00 wire was too thick for my wire strippers, had to use a separating disk with my Dremel tool.   I could have safely used smaller gauge less expensive wire had I used a 24 volt system.  The wire for the PV panels was 10 AWG and much easier to handle.

Not Enough Sun
Many off grid homes use a generator to make up for shortfalls in sun light; I have that consideration in addition to relatively small hour amp size to my battery bank.  My solution is to use car and truck as a backup generator.  When I had the wiring for transfer switch, I also had a 10 gauge extension cord placed with an outside outlet that runs to the battery bank/inverter area of the basement. 
An inexpensive MSW 1500 watt inverter from Harbor Freight is connected to the vehicle with an AIMS inverter and alligator clamp and a Scoshe fuse.  I don’t think it’s feasible to go much beyond 1,500 watts with a car inverter system.  The vehicle must be idling for this to work.   I can park in the driveway “nose in”, but near the house [with no risk of carbon monoxide intrusion], with the vehicle’s doors locked, and with a steering wheel lock, to help deter theft.  The car inverter/generator is probably less efficient than a generator, but quiet and less conspicuous.  My truck can idle for a long time on a tank of gas.

With the electricity from the car generator, I can charge my batteries with an inexpensive Schumacher battery charger, don’t buy larger than 15 amps.  I would not recommend this type of charger to maintain the charge of batteries, but it seems to be okay for bulk charging.  I can also plug appliances into the outlet or use my modified cord sets and send electricity through the transfer switch. I need to careful what I run due to low available wattage, MSW electricity and the GFI issue.  The fridge work and ejector pump work ok, but not the furnace or hot water heater.

Separate PV systems
I alluded to having previously assembled a smaller PV system.  It is still in place and running nicely, powering my alarm system, router, television cables box and a few other odds and ends.  In a pinch, I could use the old panels and controller to charge my newer battery bank, or my old battery bank with the new inverter and transfer switch.  Not a good idea to charge both banks simultaneously with the same charge controllers, but I can connect the banks for extended run time.  My opinion is that for a prepper, separate standalone systems are a better, more robust strategy than one larger one.  Nothing I have described here interferes with having multiple running systems.

In Closing
I have attempted to give a guided overview of a small PV system, just large enough to run household appliances, that is a resilient option over a traditional generator.   This seems to be a segment of the PV market that is over looked.  While maybe not a beginner system, it can be assembled and installed by a home handyman with relatively little professional help.  I feel it has utility in both TEOTWAWKI or in simply smoothing out the bumps of life when there is a short term power outage.  The Yahoo Groups 12 VDC Group was invaluable in this project.  I have no commercial interest in any products mentioned.

News From The American Redoubt:

I heard about another two prepper-friendly churches the Redoubt. One is Providence Bible Presbyterian Church, in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The other is Mountain View Baptist Church in Pierce, Idaho. Contact:

Mountain View Baptist Church
P.O. Box 186
Pierce, Idaho 83546
Elder’s Phone: (208) 435-4098

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Gary Marbut (of Montana) writes the Supreme Court about the “Made In Montana Guns” law.

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Perhaps the Redoubt is bigger than we thought… New Colorado? Rural voters approve secession idea. Meanwhile, partition plans are still in progress in the State of Jefferson counties. According to the National Constitution Center, a conservative organization based in Philadelphia, the state partition process “has been used successfully to create five states: Vermont (from New York, in 1791); Kentucky (from Virginia, in 1792); Tennessee (from North Carolina, in 1796); Maine (from Massachusetts, in 1820); and West Virginia (from Virginia, in 1863).”

   o o o

Police: Marijuana trafficking in Idaho triples in five years. (Thanks to R.B.S. for the link.) [JWR’s Comment: This news should be evaluated with a sense of perspective. If the California cops found just 800 pounds of loco weed in one year, then they’d be declaring “Victory ” in the War on Drugs.]

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Another very cogent essay has been posted over at Guerillamerica: Soups and Knives. (This one highlights the suitability of The American Redoubt.)

Economics and Investing:

In today’s economic environment, spot silver below $21 per Troy ounce is a bargain. For those who don’t consistently make dollar cost averaged silver purchases, this is a good time to hedge into physical silver.

Some clips from the 2013 Sovereign Man Offshore Tactics Workshop, Santiago: Violent Revolution coming to Europe; Ron Paul, Nigel Farage, Jim Rogers

Cue up an Asian rendering of Carmina Burana or some other ominous doom music: Canadian Province Issues Offshore Yuan-Denominated Bonds. (Thanks to AmEx for the link.)

Ann Barnhardt: The Survival of Civilization Depends on You.

Venezuela jails 100 ‘bourgeois’ businessmen in crackdown. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Citi Warns “Fed Is Kicking The Can Over The Edge Of A Cliff”

The Fed’s 100-Year War Against Gold (And Economic Common Sense)

Moody’s Cuts Top Banks’ Debt Ratings; Doubts Feds Would Bail Them Out

Odds ‘n Sods:

The e-book version of Lisa’ Bedford’s Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst Case Scenarios is on sale for just $3.99 until November 25th. Her popular blog is also quite informative.

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Noah (the ultimate prepper in history) comes to the big screen. Here is a quote from the movie trailer: “When They Come, They’ll Be Desperate; And They’ll Be Many.”

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Reader Peter S. sent: New Mesh Network Documents Confirm Police Vehicle’s Real-Time Access To DHS Spy Cameras

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Appellate court affirms unconstitutionality of California ammunition controls

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An interesting variation on Kickstarter campaigns: Ice Hammer.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." – John Philpot Curran

A Message To Janet Yellen: Welcome to the Crack House

It appears that Federal Reserve Governor Janet Yellen will be taking over as Fed Chairman soon. (Although, I suppose that in the politically correct Newspeak, she will ignominiously be called a “Chair.” ) As she assumes command of that soiled centenarian private banking cartel, all that I can say to her is: Welcome to the Crack House.

Back in April of 2012, I wrote: “Remember when I compared Quantitative Easing debt monetization to crack cocaine addiction? It appears that Tim Geithner and Ben Bernanke have moved up to the level of co-dependency and are only one step away from collapsing on an uncovered mattress on the floor of a squalid roach-infested apartment.”

I still stand by my assertion that the Fed banking cartel and the Treasury Department are hopelessly addicted to debt monetization, commonly called Quantitative Easing (QE.) At this stage, the Fed cannot stop monetizing without triggering an economic tsunami. Presently, they are creating $85 billion per month out of thin air. The Fed is now consistently buying 70% of the bond supply each month, and now owns 32.47% of all 10 Year equivalents. The net effect of the continuing Free Money Fix has been a false economic recovery, artificially low interest rates, and a zombie housing market. (It looks like it is breathing, but in reality it is still putrefying.) Again, the Fed cannot stop or even slow down their monetization, or the entire system will collapse. Mutual fund manager Peter Schiff has called the Fed’s predicament “QE To Infinity,” and he’s right. There is presently no exit strategy for the Fed, and in fact there can be no exit strategy. I now foresee monetization increasing in the months and years to come. Then there will come that inevitable Gideon Gono moment, when confidence in the Dollar is lost and it becomes effectively worthless.

You’re now the Madam of the Crack House, Janet. You might as well accustom yourself to your new surroundings, and buy yourself a dress suitable to playing the part. This is your new life, so get used to it. There is no rehab available. Tell your Wall Street buddies that their “fix” will continue to be handed to them through that hole in the door. Keep that QE money pumping, Janet. Laissez les bon temps roulez.

There is nothing more addictive than a free money fix, is there? – J.W.R.

Pat’s Product Review – Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM II

1

I cut my teeth on the military M14, way back in 1969, during my basic training at (now closed) Fort Ord, California. I learned to love it, and I qualified “Expert” with it – loved shooting that rifle. Later on, while working full-time for the Illinois National Guard, I joined the Illinois State Rifle & Pistol Team, and was issued a match-grade M14 (and 1911A1) along with all the ammo I wanted – those were the days. I shot in many competitions, and always winning in my classification with that M14. I always wanted an M14 of my own, however, they were, and still are a hard-come-by rifle, and are an NFA weapon – and I don’t care to jump through the legal red tape to own a select-fire weapon.
 
Over the years, I’ve owned a few Chinese-made M14 clone rifles, they were okay, some better than others, and they all functioned just fine. [JWR Adds: See the warnings on soft Chinese M14 bolts posted by walt at Fulton Armory.] But they still weren’t an M14. Almost three decades ago, Springfield Armory came out with their semi-auto (only) version of the M14 and dubbed it the M1A – it was, and still is a big hit for Springfield Armory. I’ve owned several over the years, and found them to be outstanding shooters. Well over a year ago, I reviewed a Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM II, that was set-up in a very compact bullpup configuration, that rifle — loaned to me by the good folks at US Tactical Supply — is called the Juggernaut. I was totally blown away by how compact this set-up was. However, for my own personal use, I decided I just wanted a SOCOM II as it came from the factory. Prior to testing the Juggernaut set-up, I had actually been searching for a SOCOM II at my local gun shop. They had a couple brand-new ones come in the shop, but I couldn’t afford the price.
 
About a month after testing the US Tactical supplied M1A SOCOM II Juggernaut set-up, my local gun show picked-up a like-new SOCOM II in a trade at a gun show. I was able to work a deal on a trade to get it – and cost me two M4-style rifles to get it! My sample was probably 98% as-new, too – but with no box, and the fellow who traded the gun, forgot the magazine. A quick trip to US Tactical Supply, and I was in business – they carry the outstanding, and mil-spec Checkmate Industries (“CMI”) brand of M14/M1A magazines – both 20 and 30 rounders – and the Checkmate 30 round mags are the only 30 round mags that I’ve found that will function 100% of the time. Over the years, I’ve tried some no-name 30 round mags, and there was a reason the maker didn’t stamp their names on the magazines – they didn’t work!
 
A quick rundown on the M1A SOCOM II is in order. It has a 16-inch barrel, compared to the full-sized M1A that comes with a 21-inch barrel. It is also capped with a muzzle brake, a very effective one, at keeping the muzzle down for faster follow-up shots. The rifle fires either .308 Winchester or 7.62×51 NATO rounds. The trigger is a 2-stage military set-up, with a trigger break between 5-6 pounds, but it feels lighter than that. Springfield Armory supplies one 10 round magazine with new guns. The front sight is the XS Sights post with a Tritium insert for night or lo- light shooting. The rear sight is an enlarged military aperture (Ghost Ring) adjustable for windage and elevation. The gun weighs 8.8 pounds and the overall length is 37-25-inches – every so slightly longer than an M4 with the telescoping stock fully extended. And, the 8.8 pounds – well, that’s actually lighter than many M4s I’ve handled – with so many added-on accessories – the guns were weighing in at a lot more than the SOCOM II’s 8.8 pounds. There is also an accessory rail on the top of the SOCOM II – should you want to mount some type of red dot sight up there – I didn’t!
 
When I got home from picking-up some magazines for this little beast, it was pouring down rain, and I didn’t go to my usual shooting spot, but I was determined to at least function-test this rifle. All I had on-hand, were a couple boxes of Russian-made .308 ammo – I loaded-up two magazines, and cut loose in my back yard – no functioning problems at all. Ah, one of the joys of living in the country – I can shoot my guns on my own property. However, I rarely do that, as I don’t like disturbing the neighbors – so I usually make a 5-6 minute drive up a mountain, to a couple shooting spots that everyone uses.
 
I contacted Black Hills Ammunition and Buffalo Bore Ammunition for some .308 ammo – some GOOD .308 ammo, to run through the SOCOM II. In short order, I received from Black Hills, their outstanding 168-grain Match Hollow Point load – that keeps on winning long-range shooting matches all over the country, and their 168-grain Hornady A-Max load, which is a great hunting round. From Buffalo Bore, I received their 175-grain JHP Sniper loading, and that one is known as a great long-range, flat-shooting load.
 
With my targets set-up at 100 yards, and using the a sleeping bag as a rest, over the hood of my car, I set out to see what the M1A SOCOM II could do – with open sights. Okay, for long-range, precision shooting, the XS front sight isn’t my first choice – it’s a bit large. And, no matter what I did, I couldn’t break 1 inch on the target, with 3-shots. I came close, very close a few times, but no matter what, that large front sight wouldn’t allow me to break 1 MOA. I believe the rifle is capable of sub MOA with a scope or a smaller front sight. The Black Hills loads tied each other – neither one was better than the other. The Buffalo Bore load shot a tad higher, which I expected, with the slightly  heavier bullet, and even with this load, I simply couldn’t break one inch no matter how many times I tried, and I went out several times over a month and just couldn’t do it – I believe the rifle can do it – with a smaller front sight, though.
 
I also fired several hundred rounds, rapid-fire, through the SOCOM II with a mixed variety of various foreign-made military surplus ammo – and the gun functioned 100% of the time – never had a failure of any sort, with any ammo, nor any problems with the Checkmate 20 or 30 round magazines. My local gun shop once gave me a no-name 30 round magazines – it was junk, I couldn’t fire more than a few rounds without rounds getting hung-up in the magazine.
 
Okay, one of the first things I learned was, do not shoot the SOCOM II over the hood of my car, without a blanket under the muzzle of the rifle. The very effective muzzle brake, has horrendous muzzle blast, that was magnified off the steel hood of the car. I placed a blanket on the hood, and that absorbed a lot of the muzzle blast. While I appreciate the effectiveness of the muzzle brake in keeping the felt recoil down, I didn’t much care for the muzzle blast. I checked around, and at some point, I’m going to replace the muzzle brake with a flash suppressor, and that will take care of the terrible muzzle blast. It was strong enough that I could feel it on my face.
 
So, where does the SOCOM II fit into the scheme of things? Good question! The SOCOM II could easily be used as a big game rifle, with a 5 round magazine – Oregon requires a semiautomatic rifle to hold no more than 5 rounds in the magazine – not a problem. It is a fast-handling rifle, no doubt about it. I can easily see the SOCOM II being used by law enforcement – especially rural sheriff departments, when back-up is a long time coming, and you might have a suspect firing on you, from behind heavy cover. A short, fast-handling “carbine” like the SOCOM II, firing powerful .308 Win rounds, will get the job done. I don’t see the SOCOM II being used in a building clearing scenario – not with the muzzle brake attached – if you fired it in a room – heck, in a big house, the muzzle blast would be too much, and there is the chance of over-penetration with the .308 round, too. In a survival situation, I can see the SOCOM II being an outstanding weapon to have, especially in the wilderness. And, needless to say, in a combat situation, I would love to have this rifle – short and easy to handle, but it still is shooting a powerful round, that can easily take out an enemy soldier beyond 500 yards or farther.
 
Now, while I like the XS front sight post with the Tritium insert, I would replace it with a standard GI front sight, or an M14 match-grade front sight – if I knew I had to make some long-range shots – the XD front sight is too big for precision shooting beyond 100 yards. And, as mentioned, the muzzle brake would be replaced with a flash suppressor of some type. Other than that, I wouldn’t make any changes. The SOCOM II also comes with a poly stock, so there’s no worries about it swelling in wet weather – and that is always a concern in the western part of Oregon, where we get a lot of rain! Wood stocks can (and do) swell, and that can affect the accuracy of your rifle, especially at long-range shooting distances.
 
Before this article was complete, US Tactical Supply, sent me an X-Products magazine, 50 round M1A/M14 magazine for testing. This is a very compact 50 round drum magazine. All internal parts are machined out of steel and aluminum, for a sure-fire magazine that won’t fail you. It also loads easily and it is designed to work in semiauto and full auto rifles. (It is capable of cycling 950 rounds per minute without failing.) Best of all, it is the same length as a 20 round box magazine – yes, it’s much wider, needless to say, but it doesn’t stick out from under your M1A or M14 any more than a standard 20 round magazine does. I fired a good number of 7.62 NATO rounds through the X-Products 50 round magazine, and I also mixed in some Russian-made poly coated .308 rounds, and some of the Black Hills and Buffalo Bore ammo – and the magazine never once stuttered – it just kept firing – and I’m telling you, I put hundreds and hundreds of rounds down range, as fast as I could pull the trigger and reload the magazine – the SOCOM II got hot – VERY hot, but it never missed a beat. Of course, the loaded 50 round drum magazine added some serious weight to the SOCOM II. However, if I were in a combat or survival situation, this is the magazine to have locked and loaded in your gun – for some serious, initial fire-power down range when lead is flying your way. The X-Products M1A/M14 magazine runs $275 from US Tactical Supply – and it’s worth every penny, too.
 
The Springfield Armory SOCOM II is a real winner in my book, and I know it has sub MOA accuracy there, if that front sight is replaced – and that’s easy to do. And, in my humble opinion, the muzzle brake needs to go. (Yes, it does what it is supposed to do, but the muzzle blast was just too much for me, especially during a long shooting session.) I’d like to see Springfield Armory offer the SOCOM II with either a muzzle brake or a flash-suppressor to give the buyer a choice, and I’m betting a lot will prefer the flash-suppressor over the muzzle brake.
 
I won’t even attempt to give a price on the SOCOM II – as they are a hot-seller, and always in demand. And, we still have a buying frenzy going on these days, which only adds more to the cost of military-style rifles. Check around on Gun Broker and see if you can find a SOCOM II of your own. If you see one, then snap it up. They are one super-nice little .308 carbine.   – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: My Experience in Expatriating to Panama

Dear JWR,
Regarding “My Experience in Expatriating to Panama”, by Chuck Holton: I too lived in Panama from 2008 to 2012 and while I agree with almost everything the author says, there are some exceptions I’d like to discuss.  First covers the medical system.  I was in the local hospital four times from 2010 to 2012 and the doctors were never able to discover what my problem was.  Nothing earth shattering or unusual, I have cancer and not a rare type either.  I used a private hospital the first two times and after running up bills in excess of $15,000 and still no answer to what the problem was, I signed myself out.  My next two sessions under Panamanian medical care was at a state run hospital and although the cost was much less, the results were the same.  So I’d have to say that my experiences there with the local doctors was vastly different then the authors.  I had to return to the states to find out what my problem was/is and that took about three days at a small county hospital.  My experience taught me that the private doctors are only out for the money when a “gringo” is the patient and the state run hospitals are seriously lacking in training or abilities.
 
I’ll address next the gun laws in Panama.  The author is correct in what he says, up to a point.  Guns are available, at a very steep price compared to prices in the US.  And it takes almost forever to get said license from the government, after you have first purchased a firearm, but not received it, and supplied all the necessary documentation.  It took me almost a full year to get my license and in that time I was robbed of almost everything we owned of value by three young men.  The fact that I had been robbed didn’t do anything to speed my application either.  The author also didn’t go into the cost of purchasing a firearm and ammunition.  As I indicated, the costs are almost double for a pistol in Panama compared to what it costs here.  I purchased a Taurus .38 revolver that cost me almost $700 and ammo for it was going for about $30 a box or 50 full metal jacket (FMJ) ammunition.  You can’t legally buy any sort of more effective ammunition either, nor can you bring it with you when returning to Panama after a visit home.  On the flip side, firearms can be purchased from private parties without going through the time and hassle of doing it the legal way.  I was able to buy an old Colt police positive revolver from a neighbor after the robbery for about $100.  But when I tried to bring some frangible ammo back with me in 2010, it was confiscated at the airport and cost me almost $150 mordita [“the bite”] (aka bribe), to the local federal cops.  BTW, it took the police over an hour to get to my house after several calls were made reporting the incident.  The police couldn’t find my house.  In other words, response time in rural Panama is much worse then even Chicago or Detroit.
 
As for la mordita, that’s a way of life in Panama.  Most things can be gotten quicker if your willing to pay for it.  But not all.  About a year after my robbery I read in the local paper that 3 men had been arrested for a robbery similar to mine and their pictures in the article looked very similar to the men who robbed me.  I went to the police station and asked to look at the men in a line up to see if was them and to be able to add my experience to the current case against them.  I was told that my case was an “old one” and that I’d need to get a lawyer and petition a judge to “allow’ me to see the men and re-open my case.  In other words, I’d need some lawyer to “grease” the way for me to get some form of justice.  Mordita in another name.
 
All in all I agree with the author on most aspects of his article.  My experiences there were not all bad and I made some good, lasting friendships with the locals.  The climate is wonderful, the water is the best in the world, the foods are fantastic and the beaches are great.  But it isn’t for everyone.  It has some problems that need to be understood and addressed before you make a decision to move there.  One thing the author didn’t discuss was the taxes in Panama.  For me, a retired veteran owning my own home, there were no taxes.  However if you are working and own a business with local employees, the tax structure and employee benefits package can be tricky, especially if you have to fire an employee.  That can cost you big bucks.  Also the banking system in Panama has allowed the International Order to monitor and change it’s laws and procedures.  It is no longer the tax haven for expats it once was. – K.A.S.

JWR Replies: The situation for firearms ownership in Panama has actually worsened, since you left. There is currently a “freeze” on gun importation by gun shops in effect, and it is “hoped” that this freeze will end sometime in 2015. There is also a ban on centerfire semi-auto rifles as well as on any guns chambered for military cartridges. (The latter is the norm in countries that have been wary of potential coups and uprisings.)

It is unfortunate that one of the countries with the lowest crime rates in Central America has become less appealing, in recent years. The banking advantages are just about gone in Panama, and firearms ownership rights look doubtful. I am hopeful that some new free trade zones and zones and semi-autonomous districts might be developed in the next few years, but that remains to be seen.