Vacuum Tube Radios for Preppers

I often have SurvivalBlog readers write to ask me about vacuum tube technology and its robustness in EMP and CME events, and which antique multi-band vacuum tube radios to look for. I’m also asked how to determine which models can be run on both AC and DC power.

To begin, vacuum tubes are inherently “hard” to EMP and CME but not invulnerable. They are also relatively safe from lightning strikes–but again not invulnerable. Modern integrated circuits are at the opposite end of the scale for vulnerability. In essence, the smaller gates in a microcircuit, the greater its vulnerability. In recent years, chip makers have been creating chips with gates smaller than .3 microns. They are very vulnerable! In fact just an inadvertent discharge of static electricity can destroy a chip.

Often, questions from my readers turn to the now legendary Zenith Trans-Oceanic portable radios. Although I love the older tube type Zenith Trans-Oceanics, I must admit that they’re not the best choice for preppers. This is because they require two different DC voltages to operate, and they lack a beat frequency oscillator (BFO). Furthermore, since they are now so collectible they are also much higher-priced than many other vacuum tube multi-band radios. Therefore, as much as I love my G500–I think it’s one of most handsome radios designed in the 20th Century–I wouldn’t recommend it for a serious survivalist. For details on Zenith Trans-Oceanics, see the book Zenith Trans-Oceanic: The Royalty of Radios.

The tube radio that I recommend most highly is the Hallicrafters S-38E. This is a very sturdy four band radio that has broad coverage from 550 KHz on the AM band all the way up to 32 MHz. This model was manufactured from 1956 to 1961. It has several advantages over the Trans-Oceanics:

  1. It requires only one input voltage that can range from 105 to 125 Volts, AC or DC.
  2. It has a proper vernier scale (horizontal) tuning dial. (Which all of the the early Trans-Oceanics lacked.)
  3. It has a separate band spread tuning dial (which all tube type Trans-Oceanics lack.) Band spread tuning makes fine tuning much much easier.
  4. It has a BFO setting. Granted, this is not a modern pitch-adjustable BFO, but the pitch can be adjusted by using the band spread tuner. You will find that it takes just a bit of practice to become accustomed to adjusting the the BFO for either manual Morse or single sideband voice transmissions.
  5. It has a “standby” setting, which temporarily deactivates the receiver so that a separate transmitter can be used side-by-side, without destroying your receiver’s circuitry.
  6. It was a very popular model and hence produced in large numbers for several years. This means that spare parts are readily available and the price of used radios is quite reasonable.

One disadvantage is that a S-38E draws more current than a Trans-Oceanic. But at at least it draws less current than a big 9-tube “Boat anchor” receiver with a huge transformer.

Granted, there are many other general coverage vacuum tube receivers available, made by a variety of makers including Drake, National, Heathkit, and Hammarlund. And many of those have some features that are superior to the S-38E. But most of those radios do not have AC-DC flexibility. And most of them are much more expensive and use much harder to find tubes. And, as I mentioned, most of them draw much more current, which is a poor choice if you are going to power a radio from a battery bank. For the money, I think that a restored Hallicrafters S-38E is ideal for preparedness-minded families. There are very few other radios available for under $100 that will fill the same role. And incidentally, at an average auction price of $65, that is very close to the radio’s final catalog price of $59.95. Given the ravages of inflation on the U.S. Dollar, I consider these radios a tremendous bargain. (A product that cost $60 in 1960 would cost $455 in 2011 Dollars!)

The All-Americans
There are many other vacuum tube tabletop radios that can operate on both AC and DC that were made for the mass market. These are often referred to as “All-American Five” and “All-Americans Six” radios. (In auction listings, sometime written “AA-5” and “AA6”.) These are typical tabletop radios produced in the US and Canada from the 1930s to late 1950s. They can be identified by simply looking in the back of a tube radio set. If you don’t see a large transformer, but instead see only five or six vacuum tubes sticking up from the chassis, then odds are that it is an AC and DC compatible radio. But if it has a big transformer, then it is an AC-only radio. (This is just a general rule for identification, so be advised there are some exceptions. For details, see the book The All-American Five Radio: Understanding and Restoring Transformerless Radios of the 1940’S, 50’S, and 60’s.)

Many of the All-American Five” and “All-Americans Six” are two banders that can receive both AM and shortwave. But be advised that many of these have shortwave coverage only from 2 to 5 MHz, which is not particularly useful for modern international shortwave listening in the northern hemisphere. Coverage from 5 to 12 MHz is better, and coverage from 5 to 18 MHz is ideal. Also, be advised that very few of these radios incorporated a BFO. This makes them incapable of the modulating continuous wave (CW) and single sideband broadcasts. I suppose that you could use an add-on BFO module, but that would probably be solid-state circuitry, and hence vulnerable to EMP.) Lastly, nearly all of them lack band spread tuning. This makes precise tuning and compensation for drift very difficult.

Sources
The best place to find multi-band vacuum tube radios (such as the Hallicrafters S-38E) is on eBay or at your local ham radio swap meet. Unless you have considerable experience with soldering iron, then I’d recommend buying one that has already had all of it’s older-style electrolytic capacitors replaced with modern capacitors. The slang term for this procedure is “re-capping.” If you buy a tube radio at a garage sale, even if you’re told that operates perfectly, don’t take it home and just plug it in. Old leaky capacitors have a tendency to go “bang” with the initial high current in-rush of switching on a radio. So I recommend that you immediately take a new “find” to a friend who’s an experienced in radio electronics and have it thoroughly checked out. Make sure that it’s been recapped and is safe to operate. It also may or may not need to be “realigned”. If it is an untouched tube radio, then odds are that at a minimum it will need a new power cord installed and will need to have its electrolytic capacitors replaced, in order for it to be safe to operate.

Running on DC
To operate an All-American Five” and “All-Americans Six” on DC, all you need to do is obtain nine or ten charged 12 volt batteries, and cable them together in series, (connecting positive terminals to negative terminals, in a chain). Make sure to use proper heavy duty brass screw-type battery cable clamps, and 10 gauge or larger cable. (And if you will be drawing more current than operating just one radio, then you will need even heavier gauge cabling!) If fully charged, a nine battery bank will yield around 108 Volts DC. Once the charge on each battery starts to drop below 12 Volts, simply add another battery to the series chain, to boost the combined voltage back above 105 Volts. A bank of 10 typical 12-volt car batteries will suffice, but a bank of 20 6-volt deep cycle (golf cart or marine type ) batteries would be fantastic. Warning: Keep safety in mind whenever working with batteries. The combined current of a DC battery bank is enough to kill an elephant. (BTW, so can the discharge of a high value capacitor–so even a radio that is turned off can zap you if you poke your finger in the wrong place!) Battery acid spills and vapor explosions are also well-documented hazards. Do not attempt to wire a battery bank unless you know what you’re doing. If you have any doubts whatsoever, then please consult someone locally who has experience with DC wiring. Any older ham radio operator or even someone that works of electric golf carts will be able to assist you.

Spare Parts
Depending on your radio, the only spare parts that you will need for most vacuum tube radios are a spare main power fuse and a spare set of tubes. Most of these tubes are very reasonably priced. An S38-E, for example, requires one each of these five tubes: 12AV6, 12BE6, 35W4, 50C5, and 12BA6. You can often buy a full set of five on eBay for less than $30, all still in “new old stock” (NOS) condition.

The low-cost tube advantage doesn’t apply if you buy a later Zenith Trans-Oceanic, which includes a 1L6 in the tube line-up. (The 1L6 tube is very scarce and expensive–so scarce in fact that some hobbyists have resorted to some elaborate work-arounds.)

The Sunspots are Coming!
We’ve just gone through more than eight years of horrible shortwave listening because the sunspot numbers were so low. (Good HF propagation depends on the solar wind charging the ionosphere.) This poor shortwave propagation caused a lot of shortwave listeners to give up on the hobby. But we’ve now passed the unusually long sunspot minimum and are coming back into higher sunspot numbers–and hence better propagation. Hooray!

I strongly recommend that anyone interested in buying shortwave radio equipment buy it soon, before strong interest in the hobby resumes. Once the good propagation resumes, HF ham transceivers and general coverage receivers gear will ratchet up in price. Buy now, while the gear is still inexpensive!

What You Will Need
Here are the basics of what you will need to enjoy shortwave radio listening with an older tube radio:

  • The receiver itself, properly re-capped and aligned.
  • Some antenna cabling
  • A long wire or dipole antenna
  • A ground wire and grounding rod
  • Access to frequency listings and broadcasts schedules

(There are frequency listings available on the Internet, but I recommend getting a recent copy of the World Radio & TV Handbook.)

In an Austere Environment
To operate in an austere (grid down) environment you will also need:

  • A battery bank. (Preferably deep cycle marine batteries) In the event of an extended emergency you will need PV, wind, or micro-hydro power, for re-charging.
  • Battery cabling.
  • Battery maintenance equipment. (Goggles, rubber gloves, distilled water, baking soda, terminal brush, cable tools, et cetera.)
  • An antenna lightning arrestor
  • Spare tubes and fuses
  • Hard copy frequency listings. (Such as the World Radio & TV Handbook or print-outs from Internet web pages.)

Provisos

The foregoing represents just one approach to shortwave listening in an post-EMP or post-CME world. Plan B might be to simply purchase several compact battery powered compact modern shortwave radios, and keep them all in separate Faraday enclosures. You can break them out sequentially, as needed. Or Plan C might be to got totally “old school” and build crystal radios or one-tube regenerative radios. (Their drawbacks have previously been discussed in SurvivalBlog.)

My only other proviso about buying and restoring vacuum tube radios is that it is an addictive hobby. (As my late father once told me, “If you’re going to have an addiction, make it a positive one.”) I have accumulated several of these radios, and spend many hours tinkering with them. They are great fun.

Collecting and restoring old shortwave radios represents a great way to teach your children about electronics, electrical safety, batteries, battery chemistry, battery maintenance, circuit theory, antenna theory, antenna construction, radio propagation, and much more. And once you start tuning through the bands, international shortwave listening is a captivating entree to teaching your children about geography, time zones, geopolitics, and the history of the 20th Century. I highly recommend it.

Letter Re: Recommendations on M1 Garand Rifles

Dear Mr. Rawles,  
I enjoyed R.W.L.’s recent post, “Prioritizing My Prepping”, and noted the choice of the venerable M1 Garand as the MBR of choice. Though the M1 is a terrific choice for this role (“the finest battle implement ever devised” per Gen. Patton), those new to the rifle should keep a couple of critical things in mind when deciding to acquire their very useful piece of history.   Standardization of ammo throughout one’s battery can be a beneficial goal, but be aware that all .30-06 is not equal when it comes to the Garand. The M1’s gas system is designed specifically for the pressures generated by the military M2 ball round, and can be damaged or destroyed by higher pressures generated by many commonly-available hunting loads. I’ve never seen it, but have read that in severe cases this problem can lead to the injury or death of the shooter. Of course, though .30-06 ammo is ubiquitous, the available M2 ball will eventually disappear, as no major modern armies are using it. Federal makes a round to M2 Ball spec under the American Eagle label, but it hovers around $1.00 per round.

The answer is to purchase an “adjustable gas plug” for each of your M1 rifles. Several are available – I’m familiar with the “Schuster DCM Adjustable Gas Plug”, which can be had from any major shooting outfit for around $35. By adjusting this plug you can allow over-pressure to escape before impinging on the Operating [“Op”] Rod, the face of which doubles as the gas piston. You must waste a few rounds to make this adjustment, but it is well worth it when shooting non-M2 ammo! For the record, though very similar to the Garand, the M14 (M1A in civilian form), in 7.62 NATO, is much more tolerant of this problem because of the free-floating gas piston inherent in the design.  

Also, if you plan to use the M1 Garand indefinitely, make sure to acquire plenty of en bloc clips. Without them it is a rather heavy single-shot rifle (as is true for any semi-auto rifle without a magazine as well. I’ve just found that it’s easier to lose clips than magazines!). I would also recommend purchasing one or two of the specially-designed 5 round clips for legal hunting during “normal” times. They are available at the big shooting supply outfits.  

A final note: many “spare parts” lists can be found for the M1, with all the usual suspects: firing pin, extractor, ejector, etc. The one part that I’ve had to replace most often in CMP Garands is the clip ejector spring. They’re cheap, so it wouldn’t hurt to get one. A clip stuck in the receiver considerably slows the re-load process. And besides, you don’t get to hear that famous “ping”!  

Thank you for all you do. I apologize for boring the millions of experienced M1 Garand lovers out there. – S.H. in Georgia

JWR Replies: That is all good advice. My only proviso would be that rather than try to tune a Garand gas system for different bullet weights, I recommend just sticking to M2 Ball or duplication loads, thereof. Granted, you can fiddle with an adjustable gas system and get a Garand to work with lower or higher grain bullet weights. But with original operating rods now worth $130 to $220, why put yours at risk? It doesn’t take much to to bend an op rod, and once it is bent, it useless and probably beyond repair. (A “slightly bent” op rod is like a young lady being “a little bit pregnant.”) A bent op rod represents an expensive mistake if it happens in present day circumstances. But even worse, it means being without a functioning rifle if it happens after the Schumer Hits The Fan. My advice: Don’t risk it.

Economics and Investing:

Loyal contributor C.D.V. sent this: US Housing Crisis Is Now Worse Than Great Depression

Sovereign Man asks: What are the Social Implications of Economic Collapse? (Thanks to James C. for the link.)

Nancy N. sent this: Roubini Says “Perfect Storm” May Clobber Global Economy. I love hearing mainstream market analysts go wild talking gloom and doom.

C.D.V. sent this: Gold to Reach $5,000 Due to Supply Shortage: Report An exhaustive report by Standard Chartered predicts that gold will more than triple to $5,000 an ounce because of a lack of supply, not just because of a surge in demand that most bullion bugs cite in their bullish calls.

Items from The Economatrix:

Investors Withdraw $3B in Stock Funds in May

The Economic Statistics US Elites Keep Hush-Hush

Newmont Mining CEO Sees Gold Heading to $2,000

Economic Data May be as Grim as a Bad Summer Movie

Odds ‘n Sods:

Craig in Montana sent me a reminder that there is a Flathead Preparedness Expo scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2011, in Kalispell, Montana. Guest speakers will include Pastor Chuck Baldwin, Sheriff Richard Mack, and Stewart Rhodes.

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An anonymous reader sent a link to photos of construction of a 2,300 square foot bunker built under a garage. The fancy trim was overkill, but this is a very instructive series of photos.

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I’ve just updated the American Redoubt page with links to Jewish Chabad congregations in Bozeman, Montana (The Shul of Bozeman) and Jackson, Wyoming, (Chabad-Lubavitch). I pray that everyone who is moving to the Redoubt states be blessed with a good congregation, regardless of their particular faith.

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Don’t forget that Ready Made Resources is seeking entries for their Preparedness Video Contest. Instructional (nonfiction) videos on any topic related to family preparedness are sought. The prizes are a brand new Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) complete Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight with a combined retail value of more than $1,400. Please keep your privacy in mind when you create your videos. (Don’t mention any surnames or towns). You may post up to three videos to YouTube for consideration in the judging. Videos up to 10 minute long that are your original work that are already posted to YouTube are also eligible for the judging. To enter, e-mail the URL for video(s) to: grisrob@gmail.com. Do not send the videos themselves or links to videos stored at other web sites. Only nonfiction videos that you post to YouTube are eligible. The creator of the best video will win a brand new a brand new complete Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight. The deadline or posting videos is July 26th. The video judged best will be announced on Monday August 1st, 2011.

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Mainstream media uses a psychopath as an example to slander the survivalist movement: Undersheriff: Montana Manhunt Target a Survivalist. (Thanks to S.G. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"A man with a surplus can control circumstances, but a man without a surplus is controlled by them, and often has no opportunity to exercise judgment." – Harvey S. Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Prioritizing My Prepping, by R.W.L.

First of all, a note of praise to JWR: thanks for all you do.  You’ve got an amazing reference blog site going here and are providing an immeasurable amount of help to your readers.  I stumbled across SurvivalBlog via a link in the comments section of another blog called The Deliberate Agrarian, last October. The link included the warning: “Just see if you can escape from the archives in less than four hours.”  Two weeks later, I emerged from the archives with blood shot eyes and was both enlightened and scared at the same time.  I had a lot of work to do, and became a daily SurvivalBlog reader. 

If you read the post referenced in the above link, you’ll see that I was already interested in preparing for what I foresaw as the coming hard times.  My accounting background coupled with an interest in current events gives me an understanding about the world which is not comforting.  I began seeking advice on the best ways to prepare.  The advice in that post mirror what JWR and many others have said here in terms of the investments to make in your future.  I write today not only to show examples to add context to some of these ideas, but also to bring the issue of priority back to the forefront of all of your minds.  This essay is written to both help others in my position and also get my own thoughts organized for what needs to be done.  I would also love feedback from any of you that have a moment.  I’ve linked to a few of my own blog posts where you can leave comments and critiques. 

The prioritizing of my endeavors since then has been the following, and I’ll discuss each:

  1. Real Estate.
  2. Water and Food.
  3. Tools and Skills.
  4. Precious Metals.

Real Estate

The land part is self explanation in its definition – you need a homestead where you can be self sufficient.  I grew up on a farm raising grass fed beef, and intermittently raised other animals as well.  Last summer my wife and I raised pastured poultry and I wrote about the experience here on SurvivalBlog.  Many acres are required to grow enough food and also raise enough animals to support a growing family. 

Debt free land which is agriculturally productive could perhaps be one of the greatest assets to a homesteader.  My wife and I are renting at the moment and looking for the right deal to come along.  We’re trying to find as many resources as we can on purchasing foreclosed homes or pre-foreclosure properties.  That is where the real deals are, but they require a significantly larger amount of work (and patience) to find. 

While I appreciate the American Redoubt concept, we made the decision to relocate to northern Colorado.  Our reasoning was that we didn’t want to be too far out there so that we still had a fairly decent sized town nearby for our needs such as groceries, hospital and church.  This is a far cry from the concrete jungle of southern California and we feel much safer.  Another reason to stick closer to civilization has to do with our future business plans.  We hope to grow our homestead (once it is located) to a size large enough that we can not only feed our family but have excess that we can sell.  Raising animals according to a grass-farming model allows you to enjoy some pricing premiums if you can market directly to the consumer.  I feel that we need to be closer to a few large towns in order to capitalize on this market.  Northern Colorado, having a number of universities is ripe for a business of this type. 

Water and Food

We have a few 5 gallon bottles of water in our basement for short term weather related emergencies in the room where all of our canned goods are stored.  At this point we’re ready for a tornado and a few days without public utilities.  Long term, our plan for water purification is boiling.  I also really like the idea discussed here previously in the Forever Preps article about storing a quantity of dry calcium hypochlorite.  It is still unclear to me what the best way to store it (mylar bag? Ball Mason jar?) might be, so more research is needed.  If anyone has more information on this, please write to JWR and share with the rest of us. 

My wife and I are avid canners, usually doing jams, green beans and tomatoes or whatever is abundant and cheap at the moment, but we’re slowly pushing our comfort level into other things like butter and chicken and also watching for deals on various produce at the store/farmers market that we can preserve.  I’ve got a 120 VAC food dehydrator, but I’ve read a lot about solar rigs too.  I’ve bookmarked a guide from Mother Earth News on a New Mexico style solar food dehydrator.  Many locals say that Colorado actually has more sunny days in a calendar year than southern California.  Learning to take advantage of the sun would be a great benefit. 

While we do have quite the stockpile of various canned goods, we have an even bigger job to do on the rest of the food.  My wife recently stopped at a local grain elevator and picked up a few ten pound bags of various types of beans.  We look forward to watching for bargains this fall during harvest time on not only beans, but wheat and rice as well. 

The nice thing about storing these types of food (raw ingredients) is that it is the next logical step for us.  We have been getting more in tune with our diet and focusing more and more on cooking from scratch and optimizing the nutrient density of our food.  A most excellent book that I’d like to recommend is Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon of the Weston A. Price Foundation.  A lot of preppers have done the storage, but now the challenge is proper utilization of the stored food.  This book will help a lot and I urge you to give it a shot.  Plenty of explanation and research is provided on the scientific background on their recommendations, which we find very helpful. 

Tools and Skills

The basic tools of self sufficiency hold many forms.  I find them used for very affordable prices at garage sales and refinish/refurbish where necessary.  We’re not just talking about shovels and posthole diggers, although they are very important.  I’ve recently written about what I’ve collected so far on my own blog, so I don’t need to elaborate here.  These posts include hand tools, mechanical tools and  kitchen tools. 

A very important tool for family safety would be a firearm.  On my own blog post I’ve written about what I have so far.  The obvious gaps are the sidearm and the MBR.  I’ve decided to order an M1 Garand through the CMP to use as my MBR.  Reasons being both budget limitations and also the fact that I’ve already got a Remington 700 chambered in .30-06 so I will standardize my small arsenal around that cartridge. I’ve already begun collecting plenty more ammo including AP and Tracer cartridges in that caliber so that I have many options at my disposal.  Once I have the Garand, an Appleseed shoot will be next on the list so that I can become acquainted and hopefully master the gun. 

Gardening skills are a must.  We’re renting a house until we find our homestead, so I can’t till up the sod in our backyard.  So, we’re container gardening as much as we can.  It is a challenge in its own right, but you’ve got to keep your green thumb sharp!  We’ve joined a Community Sustained Agriculture (CSA) co-op for the summer here and I’m volunteering my time at the farm when I can to learn the differences in growing crops in this area, and also learning about the water rights issues. 

Precious Metals

Thankfully I’ve had an interest in precious metals for a number of years now.  I certainly don’t own a ton of it, but at least I have a general level of comfort and knowledge about coins.  I’ve used JWR’s advice to purchase Mercury Dimes on the dip days and have also started to pile up rolls of nickels.  I agree with the advice echoed many times on SurvivalBlog that precious metals investments are to be a lower priority.  Get the rest of your preps in line first and then plow the excess into silver.  That is my plan.

Conclusion

I’m blessed to have a wife that understands the world the same way I do.  This is a team effort and we’re in it together.  We look forward to the day when we have excess food storage that can be shared with others or donated to food pantries. 

A final word about priorities: I do believe the above list is in the correct order.  We’re out of the city and feeling great about the safety that comes with that.  We’re working on food and water.  Tools and skills come about slowly as deals are found.  All of this is done with the knowledge that it is through God that we are enabled to do this and so the glory is His. 

Letter Re: Survival Electronics and the Lowly Vacuum Tube

James:
This is in response to an earlier letter where a reader asserted that his knowledge as an electronics engineer will be of little use after TEOTWAWKI. He is wrong, we will not abandon all the technology invented over the past 100+ years. Say for example we are hit with the big solar event, several EMPs and most solid state electronics are destroyed. One component that will survive is the vacuum tube. There will still be means to generate electricity here and there that will not be affected, hydroelectric generators will still spin, steam turbines, some of these can be homemade on a small scale. Once you have any electricity you can use vacuum tubes to build all kinds of communication gear. Sure there are some very high priced tubes geared to the high fidelity audio market, but all the old radio and television tubes from yesteryear can be had from free to just a few dollars from various sites and garage sales. You can build a decent sounding audio amplifier with some 6GH8A tubes and a number of different horizontal output tubes for example.

Tubes are easy to design with and very forgiving. The circuits are simple. If you keep on hand a collection of tubes, resistors, capacitors, some various sizes of magnet wire to make your own transformers and coils and old transformers to modify, most laminated (E-I core types) power transformers can be de-laminated and redesigned and rewound by hand if need be, even some old tube radios, the possibilities are endless. Sure you will need some way to solder things together, a fire and a chunk of copper with a handle even works in a pinch as a soldering iron. You just have to think 100 years ago.

An old fan with a modified motor on a pole can make a small amount of electricity from wind, all you need to do is take it apart and put some magnets in the rotor, maybe isolate some windings, this is easier done now with machine tools.

An electronics engineer should start thinking what he needs to have on hand now before the SHTF. Do not discount your knowledge, just think old school, and you will be amazed what you can do. No you can’t make a computer easily but you can really help your community more that you think. As an electronics engineer I love the challenge of fixing anything. Thank you James for all you do and God bless. – Jimmy in California

JWR Replies: I agree! Don’t under-rate ingenuity and resourcefulness. Speaking of which, I’ve posted a YouTube video from France once before in the blog, but it is apropos to repeat the link: Hand-Making Vacuum Tubes. OBTW, tomorrow, I plan to post an article that I penned about 1950s-vintage general coverage receivers that use vacuum tubes.

Three Letters Re: The Yellowstone Super-Volcano and the American Redoubt State

Mr. Rawles,
I work for the US Geological Survey, and I have had discussions with the country’s foremost experts on this topic. For all intents and purposes, we have absolutely nothing to worry about. Your suggestion to locate upwind of the ash dispersal trend is good common sense, but not required. The missile sites in Montana are a far more relevant concern for anyone looking to relocate. Thank you, – H.D.

 

Mr. Rawles,
Much of the hype regarding super volcanoes is based on the discredited “millions of years” historical time-line. The creation model of geologic history puts this sort of cataclysmic eruption squarely during Noah’s Flood and it’s immediate aftermath. The Earth’s crust (and climate for that matter) have become increasingly stable since that time.

I highly recommend Answers In Genesis to your readers for further information on the effects of Noah’s flood and the subsequent ice age.

Thanks for all your great work! Regards, – Secret Argent Man

 

Mr. Rawles,
A friend forwarded an article in the St. Louis Dispatch written by a expert that was formerly with the USGS. Here is a quote: “Bernard Shanks, an adviser to the Resource Renewal Institute, has studied the six main-stem Missouri River dams for more than four decades. He has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey and served as director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He has written three books on public land policy and is completing a book on the hazards of the Missouri River dams.”

He says there is a very real possibility of unimaginably bad flooding along the Missouri if the giant earthen dams fail.

If I lived downstream I would give some serious thought to that possibility. – Tip in Eastern Washington

JWR Replies: As I recall, the highest of those earthen dams on the Missouri is at Fort Peck Lake, in Montana. Living downstream of there would not be advisable!

Economics and Investing:

C.D.V. sent this alarming article: US Is in Even Worse Shape Financially Than Greece: Gross. JWR’s comment: Default may be delayed, but it looks inevitable!

The latest from Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge: The Fed’s $600 Billion Stealth Bailout Of Foreign Banks Continues At The Expense Of The Domestic Economy, Or Explaining Where All The QE2 Money Went. (Thanks to C.R.W. for the link.)

Sue C. suggested: Goodbye Recovery, Hello Recession. Sue’s humorous comment: “Wish I had noticed when we came out of the recession.”

Also from Sue: “Meaningful probability” of a China hard landing: Roubini

A.N.R. sent this bit of commodities news: Nickel Plunging Into Bear Market on Biggest Glut in Four Years. This means that we will likely have an extra year’s reprieve to stock up on U.S. Nickels (5 cent pieces) before the Treasury debases their composition.

Items from The Economatrix:

St. Louis Fed Chief Sees US Default as Big Global Risk

Fed: Default Would Be Dangerous

Martin Armstrong: Is The End Near?

Pimco’s Bill Gross Says Get Out of Treasuries

30% of People With a 401(k) Have Taken a Loan Against It; New All Time Record

Odds ‘n Sods:

Kamie sent a link to a great 8 minute long chicken slaughtering and butchering video.

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Hooray! The U.S. has done away with the black beret. I always thought it was absurd to give everyone (the entire “Big Army”) an “elite” beret. That struck me as Lake Wobegon grandstanding. (“…and where all the kids are above average.”)

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Norm G. spotted this Nanny State news: EPA Bans Many Household Rat and Mouse Poisons. Stock up on d-CON, pronto!

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Steven M. forwarded this one: ‘Doomsday Plane’ Would Save President and Joint Chiefs in Apocalypse Scenario

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A friend of mine in Afghanistan sent this news article link: FBI expands agents’ investigative power. Well, gee, let’s all just go on a great big fishing expedition, and not bother to keep any records… Do you feel safer, now?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.” – Senator John Thune

Note from JWR:

A couple of SurvivalBlog readers have written me to mention that they’ve been getting error messages when they first try a search using SurvivalBlog’s “Search” box.This box is located at the top of the blog’s right-hand bar. I recommend re-trying the same search, using the same text in the same browser session. For some reason the second (and subsequent) attempts works fine. We are tracking down the problem, which seems to be with our Movable Type configuration. (Since the problem exists with several browsers and operating systems.) My apologies! In the meantime, please just repeat your searches, as a work-around. Thanks!

Pat’s Product Reviews: Ruger SR1911 .45 ACP Pistol

There had been quiet rumors for a while. I even asked my contacts at Ruger if they were going to make a M1911 pistol – I was met with silence, it said a lot. With 2011 being the 100th anniversary of the M1911 pistol, I was happy to see Ruger jump on the bandwagon with their own version of this grand old pistol. Many gun companies are producing limited edition 1911 pistols this year, some are only producing their standard line-up of 1911s. You can say what you want about the 1911, but it has endured – I can’t think of many firearm designs that have been around for a hundred years – maybe a handful – at best.

My Ruger SR1911 was slow in coming. Many gun writers got their sample SR1911 in the middle of April – I didn’t get mine until the middle of May. Grrrr!!! I suspect Ruger sold out of their first production run in short order – there seems to be no end to the thirst for quality 1911s in just about any variation. With today’s manufacturing techniques, I think the 1911 pistol is made better than it has ever been made. With modern CNC milling machines, that hold tolerances much tighter, we are now seeing high-quality 1911s with custom touches, that would have easily cost thousands of dollars just a few short years ago.

I like Ruger firearms because they give you outstanding firearms at more-than-fair prices. I also believe that Ruger over-engineers a lot of their guns. This is a good thing. They are built stronger, to withstand a lot of use – the consumer benefits! If memory serves me correctly, I believe that Ruger is the largest producer of handguns in the USA. And, to be sure, all of Ruger’s firearms are proudly made in the USA.

My SR1911 sample is made out of stainless steel – at least the major components – the slide, frame and barrel. Some smaller parts, like the magazine release, mainspring housing, grip safety, thumb safety and slide stop are made out of carbon steel and finished in a nice subdued black finish. The sights on the SR1911 are Novak’s – with three-dots, two on the rear sight and one on the front sight. I have liked Novak’s sights since I first saw them on some S&W pistols.

I understand that, the stainless steel barrel and bushing are made at the same time, from the same piece of steel, and these two parts stay together during the assembly process – again, this is a good thing. My sample’s barrel and bushing have a “just right” tight fit together, which contributes to great accuracy. BTW, the SR1911 comes with a non-marring plastic bushing wrench, to help with disassembly – a nice touch! The barrel is throated to easily feed any and all types of JHP ammo, too. The feed ramp on the frame is nicely polished to an almost mirror finish, too. Again, this aids in feeding the rounds into the chamber.

The ejection port is lowered and flared, for sure and positive ejection. The slide has cocking serrations that are angled, on the back of the slide, where they belong. Many 1911 makers are putting serrations on the front end of the slide these days. While I can take or leave ’em, I believe it only adds to the overall cost of a 1911 by adding these serrations on the front of the slide. The front sight is dove-tailed into the slide, too. Novak’s sights give a very fast and sharp sight picture, and my ol’ eyes appreciate this.

The barrel and bushing were expertly fitted to the slide. There was just a hint of movement when I pressed down on the barrel’s hood. I knew this was gonna be a good shooter. There was also just a hint of play between the slide and the frame, again, I knew the tightness would contribute to better than average accuracy, and still allow the SR1911 to function under any circumstances. There simply wasn’t any “slop” between the frame and slide – the CNC process really keeps the tolerances close. Way to go, Ruger!

The hammer is a spurred design for faster lock-time. And, the slide is stamped “Ruger Made In USA” on one side, and the other side of the slide has the Ruger logo – that’s all that’s on the slide in the way of markings. As we move further onto the frame, we see that there is the beaver-tail grip safety, that is fitted nicely – just the right amount of play side-to-side. The grip safety also has a “bump” on the bottom of it, to help ensure that it is fully depressed when gripped properly. The grip safety was also expertly designed, too – just the right amount of movement to disengage it for firing. The mainspring housing is made out of steel – this is a nice touch, in a day when many 1911 makers are providing plastic mainspring housings. Nothing “wrong” with the plastic housings, and I’ve never heard of one breaking. However, given my druthers, I’ll take a steel mainspring housing.

The plunger tube is also integral with the frame. I’s not a separate piece, that is staked on, as it is on so many other 1911s – so no worries about the plunger tube coming loose. The magazine release is slightly extended for faster and easier mag changes, too. The mainspring housing is also checkered – I like that – for a very secure grip. The trigger is a match-grade affair made out of aluminum, and my trigger pull broke at 4.5 pounds, just about right for a gun carried for self-defense. There was a hint of backlash when the trigger was pulled, and a minute or two corrected that by adjusting the over-travel screw in the trigger – and I Loc-Tited it in place after I had the trigger adjusted to my liking.

The thumb safety is of the combat variety – extended – and it snicked on and off with authority – with no play. The slide release is standard and not extended. FWIW, I don’t care for some of the overly extended slide releases – they can lock the gun open during firing – not a good thing. Nice hardwood grips adorn the SR1911, they are of the double-diamond checkered pattern with the Ruger logo emblem in the center of the grips. The magazine well is also slightly beveled for faster magazine changes. the SR1911 comes with two magazines, one is a 7-rounder that fits flush and the other is an 8-round mag that extends below the frame. I found both mags had very stout springs, that will insure reliably feeding rounds into the barrel.

The SR1911 is a full-sized, Government Model 1911, with a 5″ match-grade barrel, and it weighs in at 40-oz empty. It has a good heft to it, and balances nicely. Then again, I don’t think there is a better handgun design than a 1911, in just about any configuration. The front strap on the frame was left smooth – I would like to see Ruger finely checker the front strap in 25-LPI for a more secure grip. What I usually do is add a piece of skate board tape to the front strap of 1911s that have a smooth front strap – it’s a cheap fix – and I only have to replace the friction tape about once a year. This takes only about 3 or 4 minutes to do.

I make no apologies when it comes to the 1911 – it’s my all-time favorite semi-auto pistol, bar none. So, I have some prejudices when it comes to 1911s – I like ’em – period! Also, when doing a Test and evaluation on any 1911 pistol, I’m a hard person to please – they’ve gotta be done right. I’ve built a number of 1911s over the years, and customized – well, more than I can remember, 1911s. It’s not that I’m hard to please, it’s just that I think I can improve on just about any 1911 that comes into my hands. With the SR1911 – there was only one “improvement” I made – I removed the nice hardwood checkered grips, and put on a pair of (my design) “Code Zero” 1911 grips – that are manufactured by Mil-Tac Knives & Tools. I just prefer my design over all others, and everyone I’ve talked to who has tried my design agrees.

I collected an assortment of .45ACP ammo for testing in the SR1911. I had 230-gr FMJ and JHP from Black Hills Ammunition as well as their 185-gr JHP. From Winchester Ammunition I had white box, USA brand, 230 grain FMJ ammo. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition I had 230-gr and 185-gr JHP which is +P rated, as well as their 230-gr FMJ, again, +P rated.

When breaking-in a new 1911, I like to run some FMJ through the gun first, it helps take some of the burrs off the action. I used the Winchester USA 230gr- FMJ ammo for this. On my second magazine, I had a malfunction – which surprised me. The 3-rd round from the magazine jumped in front of the extractor, instead of sliding up under it. After that, I didn’t have any further malfunctions with any of the ammo I tested. I’m sure it was just a fluke of some type.

The SR1911 fed all the JHP ammo from Black Hills and Buffalo Bore without any problems – never once did the gun hesitate when feeding JHP ammo.  In all, I’ve put just slightly over 350-rds of ammo through the SR1911 and I’ve only had the gun for a few short days. As to accuracy, the Winchester 230-gr FMJ was giving me groups in the 3″ range – and this is more than combat accurate at 25-yards. The Black Hills 230-gr JHP ammo was giving me groups in the 2″ range if I did my part. Same goes for the Black Hills 185-gr JHP ammo. The Buffalo Bore 230-gr JHP +P ammo was giving me groups in the 2.5″ range and their FMJ ammo was giving me groups slightly larger than that. I was shooting over a rolled-up sleeping bag, on the hood of my SUV – in the rain! I believe, the SR1911 can do better, when I get out there in better weather conditions.

I’m presently carrying the SR1911 is a Blackhawk Products leather cut-away belt holster, and it rides high on the belt and it easily conceals the big SR1911. I also adjusted my Blackhawk Serpa tactical thigh holster to fit the SR1911 – and this is a popular rig with our military and law enforcement personnel. It keeps the gun secure and on the thigh – away from your other gear. Personally, I think the Blackhawk Serpa tactical thigh holster is the absolute best of it’s breed on the market! I also have two spare magazine carriers on the Serpa tactical thigh rig – again, from Blackhawk products.

That lone malfunction, is the only malfunction I had with the Ruger SR1911, and I’m sure it was just a breaking-in period, and that’s why I recommend that people fire at least 100-rds or 200-rds of ammo through their pistols, before they carry ’em for self-defense. If anything is going to go wrong, it will usually happen within those first couple hundred rounds. I know, the price of ammo these days is sky high, and it’s not gonna get any cheaper. So, if all you can afford is to run a couple a 50 round boxes of ammo through your new gun – then that should give you an idea if there are any problems…of course, 200 rounds is better!

Changes to the SR1911? Well, I’d like to see Ruger offer the night sight option, and I’m betting good money, they will. Also, the front strap should be checkered – this is my personal preference, though. I already changed the grips, and as I said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the outstanding hardwood checkered grips that come on the Ruger SR1911 – they are much nicer looking than the cheap rubber grips that come on some other 1911s, like the Kimber Custom model. Some people like a rail on the frame of their 1911s for attaching lights – I can live without that rail, it upsets the balance of a 1911 if you ask me.

I’m hard on 1911s when I get ’em for test and evaluation, as I already mentioned. But I honestly couldn’t find anything to fault with the Ruger SR1911 – it’s good to go right out of the box – there’s really nothing you have to do with the gun, except clean it, oil it and take it out to the range and bang away with it. I like that Ruger supplies you with two magazines, too. (So many gun companies these days are only giving you one magazine.) And, I like that Ruger’s second magazine is a 7-rounder, if you want to more easily conceal the butt of the gun–because the 7 round mag fits flush in the frame.

I like to save the best for last, and that is suggested retail price. On the SR1911, the full-retail is $799 – and remember, you can usually find Ruger’s discounted in most gun shows, gun shops and sporting goods stores. However, right now, demand for the SR1911 exceeds supply – so expect to pay full retail on the SR1911 for a few more months. Ruger’s entry into the crowded 1911 field is a most welcome addition, and if you ask me, it’s a lot more gun, than you get from other 1911 makers, Furthermore, the price is less and it’s made in the USA. All gun makers like to claim that they make the best guns. I know that Kimber makes some outstanding 1911s. However, I’ll put my Ruger SR1911 side-by-side against the Kimber Custom model any day of the week. I think the Ruger is a better gun, and the price is lower.

How much did I like my SR1911 sample? Well, it won’t be going back to Ruger, and I went out and purchased a second SR911, out of my own pocket, and I hate parting with my hard-earned dollars – that says a lot. Ruger, you did the SR1911 up right. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: The Yellowstone Super-Volcano and the American Redoubt States

Dear Mr. Rawles,  
I am heeding your advice about looking at Idaho Montana, Eastern Washington, and Eastern Oregon for my retreat.  But I am very concerned about the potential super volcano beneath Yellowstone National Park. I have researched the past eruptions and their ash falls.  I see from those maps that these areas are very much in that zone.  I’m concerned not so much for my generation but for my children and my children’s children.  I want my retreat to be viable for generations to come.  What is your thoughts regarding this threat?   Thank you! – Guy

JWR Replies: There have been a lot of sensationalistic news reports about Yellowstone supervolcano caldera in recent years. Most of these exaggerate the risk. More realistically, volcanologists tell us: “It could still be tens of thousands of years before the next eruption”. And, the “rapid uplift” that was widely reported in 2004 in 2005 has slowed, significantly.

Because of the prevailing winds, the anticipated volcanic ash fall is primarily a threat to eastern Montana, eastern Wyoming, the Dakotas and the Plains states. There is just a negligible threat to west of Yellowstone. If you consider it a threat in the next few generations, then simply buy property that is at least 100 miles UPWIND of Yellowstone. If there ever is an eruption at Yellowstone, anyone in northern Idaho or Northwestern Montana will only get ash fall that first circles the globe. It it will be people the Plains states that would get buried by several feet of ash.

As a bonus, locating UPWIND of Yellowstone will also put you upwind of Montana’s missile fields. It is noteworthy that Malmstrom AFB (which, BTW, is a locale in the second sequel to my novel “Patriots“, that I’m completing next month) has dozens of strategic nuclear targets. If we are ever engaged in “nuclear combat toe to toe with the Rooskies”, each silo could be targeted for a nuclear ground burst. (It is ground bursts rather than air bursts that create significant fallout.) Again, I wouldn’t want to live downwind.

And as a further bonus, the climate is also much more livable west of the Great Divide. East of the Great Divide, the winters can be bitterly cold, but west of the Great Divide it is more mild.