Letter Re: A Well Pump Failure Dry Run

Jim,  
In the event that your readers are not aware of a well pump protection device known as the Pumptec, this is a very simple device that you cannot afford to be without.  The Pumptec senses sudden changes in amperage draw from the well pump and will automatically shut the power off to the well pump in the event the well runs dry or other conditions cause a high or sudden change in current draw.  Here is more information on the Pumptec, and some more maker information.   

A real nice feature about this device is that it comes equipped with a timer that allows the owner so set the amount of off time once the Pumptec has been tripped to allow the well water level to recover.  This way you don’t have to go through the hassle of opening up or uncovering the well or well house to reset the device.  It resets itself after the preset off time period has passed.   

We have Pumptec’s installed on all of our wells which are low producing wells.  They have paid for themselves many times over by automatically shutting down the pump with a preset offtime of 90 minutes which allows the wells to recover and function normally.  Aqua Science has the best deal on these that I have found on the internet so far.    
If the $161 price tag is too much for the Pumptec, a Square D low pressure well pump switch will protect the well pump from a well running dry for less money but it will not prevent a burn out from pump overload or from an electrical short.  It  must be manually reset each time it is tripped.    I strongly recommend the Pumptec or similar device such as the Coyote.   

In Major Dad’s case, none of these devices would have prevented the silt fill in of the well but they would have saved the well pump from burning out.    Best wishes for a Constitutionally free, prosperous, and productive 2011!  – Night Hawk

Two Letters Re: Some Practical Experience With Concertina Wire

Sir,  

In response to “Some Practical Experience with Concertina Wire” I would like to add a bit about my experience with the stuff.    About twenty years ago I was deployed to Somalia during Operation Restore Hope.  I was in a combat arms unit tasked with providing convoy escorts, roadblocks and checkpoints, Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Teams and perimeter security to supply areas and support units.   

For several weeks we were working as perimeter security for a Quartermaster Company which had commandeered a vacant embassy and its surrounding fortifications.  I say fortifications because all of the old embassies and foreign corporate campuses had twelve foot tall walls topped with broken glass, guard towers and hardened gun positions.  This particular embassy compound was six or seven buildings sitting on about eight acres surrounded all the way around by a twelve foot tall mud-brick wall covered with stucco and topped with broken glass… except two-thirds of the way back on the western side.  At some point the wall had been breached with explosives, and a section nearly twenty feet wide had been reduced to a pile of rubble.   

The Quartermaster Company had strung row after row of concertina wire in the gap.  To soft American eyes the wire looked formidable.  But looked at by Somalis used to a brutally difficult daily existence, that gap in the wall was an open invitation to pillage.  During the short period that we were providing security we caught dozens of Somalis, mostly grade school age children, crawling through the row after row of wire.  We would watch in amazement as seven year olds would grab the wire with their bare hands and adjust the gaps so that they could work towards the compound.  The cutting edges of the wire seemed to have no effect at all on their skin. Mostly the barbs hung up on their clothing and slowed them down.    Prior to my unit’s arrival, the rear-echelon types had been unable to determine how the Somalis kept getting into their perimeter and stealing.  It was inconceivable to them that anyone, let alone children, would risk that wire so that they could steal a canteen cup or a roll of commo wire.  But every night they would climb right through and loot the camp.   

I suppose that in a nutshell what I’m saying about concertina wire is this:  Realize that it will slow down intruders, but it will not stop determined, desperate people who want what you have.  Don’t depend on concertina wire or any other inanimate fortification to secure your six, or you’re liable to wake up dead.   – An Old 16R 

 

Captain Rawles:
I spent significant time as a USMC tanker in a combat operations. Not only is reader P.J.B. correct, but the same is true for barbed wire and even to some extent, thick commo wire. The deal is, as the wire is drawn up and around the vehicles sprockets, road wheels, and support rollers, it become wound more tightly and the wire tears out grease seals, eventually resulting in a "mobility kill". With significant enough volume, the wire can bind the wheels, rollers, and sprockets themselves bringing the vehicle to a halt. Now, it is very important to note that an armored vehicle can remain effective as base of fire even while immobile. That said, most armor crews will do their level best to avoid wire whenever possible because it is almost impossible to fish out wire from the track and sprockets without the type of maintenance that requires dead-lining the vehicle in a maintenance area. So, knowing this what is the lesson? Quantities of visible wire of all sorts can be a very effective way to channel armor into predictable avenues of approach. – Tanker John

Economics and Investing:

Steve K. recommended a YouTube video that includes clips from the 1981 movie Rollover.

Charles Hugh Smith: The Big, Continuing Stories That Could Derail 2011

Recession turns to depression in Japan.

Karl Denninger: Here Come The “Tanks In The Streets” Threats!

Items from The Economatrix:

Reasons Why 2011 Is Going To Be Another Bad Year For America’s Middle Class  

29% of Americans Say it’s Difficult to Afford Food  

Fed: Economy Still Weak Despite Improvements

Private-Payroll Report Lifts Hopes For More Jobs  

Jump In Hiring Sends Bonds Lower And Stocks Higher  

Numismatic’s Are Fool’s Gold     

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yishai mentioned this article: More than two million children are homeschooled in the United States.

   o o o

Dan G. notes: “People in Europe may want to keep a eye on Iceland’s volcano Katla which seems to be lit more and more like a Christmas tree every day”

   o o o

Reader Steven W. mentioned a high-quality homesteading magazine based in Oregon. Steven noted: “I talked with the editor and she asked me to send you a link to her magazine and blog site. While she may be a bit of an Oregon flower child, her magazine information is very practical, detailed and down-to-earth.”

   o o o

Firearms are indeed equalizers: ‘Fed up’ 82-year-old held alleged thieves at gunpoint. (Thanks to T.H.R. for the link.)

   o o o

Two captivating news articles, by way of The Woodpile Report (The Ol’ Remus blog): Sweden deploys vintage trains to battle the snow and, No police in Mexico town after last officer kidnapped

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.  

Letter Re: Taking the Plunge and Buying a Rural Retreat

James,  
I may be a little late to the party, but I have spent a considerable time lately worrying about what to do if this economy of ours crashes.  I started thinking about what I would do if TSHTF. I had no answer. I have read about lot of peoples concern over solar flares, and 2012 scenarios, and while they may happen, I am more convinced of the coming collapse of the dollar and the global economy. I think this is much more of a probability and certainly less speculative that the other fears—at least at the moment. So, rather than let my already damaged IRA drift further down the road to worthlessness, I decided to bite the bullet and pull money out to secure a retreat for my entire family. It will be a place we can go to in any type of disaster. I paid the taxes and penalties like a good American, and set out to find a place to go. I also put a large sum of money into hard assets (gold and silver). I will call for delivery of it on the first sign of trouble. The rest I have left alone for the moment. I set some criteria for what the retreat would have to have. Fresh water, the ability to heat without power, the ability to grow a large garden, the ability to harvest game, and a place to house 10 people. I had to do this all for less than $100,000.

I found a newly renovated 1,950 square foot home, on seven acres, with a fresh water spring, a seasonal pond, wood stove, no central air or heat, two acres of cleared land, five acres of deer infested cedars, a lake close enough to fish, a 30 x 30 barn and a 10 x 30 – three-horse stable. The property is half a tank of gas from where I currently live. I have taken a sample of the spring and will have it tested this week. My son will be moving into the home soon and we will begin to get it set up. There are some things I know we need to do, and I can use any advice anyone has to move us to the point of self sufficiency. I have bought a couple years worth of heirloom seed for the garden. I have am ATV we can use to till the garden spot. I need to get power to the barn while we have it because we will need to build storage capacity for food and supplies in the barn. I have all the woodworking tools I need to do this. I imagine I will need to cut some cedars for posts so we can fence off the garden. Right now the deer walk through the yard every morning right past where the garden will go. I plan on setting up a perch on the upper level of the barn so when the time comes for surveillance of the home and property, we can do it from there. The barn will give us full view of the home and road leading to it. It sits about 100 yards from the home. We’ll also build a wood rack big enough to hold a cord of wood. In the meantime we need to get started with gathering emergency supplies like food, first aid/medical, canning supplies for when we harvest the garden etc. So, if the Republicans can mouth off some debt reduction rhetoric, and buy me some time to get a first garden harvest in, we will have food, water and shelter covered by fall of next year.

We will also have time to get our survival supplies stored up which will shorten the time we need to be ready. I have put together a list of critical items I will need to haul out of my current residence if I have to bug out on short notice. I am hoping that a lot of it can be relocated soon. These items include my lawn tractor, 4 wheeler, tools, guns and ammo, (except the ones I will keep for my travel to the retreat), all my hunting and fishing supplies, and the like. I have a 12 foot trailer so it will probably take a couple of preliminary trips to move all the things I want to move ahead of time. That will leave me with enough room in our two vehicles and the trailer to bug out with the remaining essentials I really can’t move early. But like I said, if the rhetoric from Washington will just settle the markets for a little longer we should be okay. If not I will just have to re-prioritize. As for whatever is left behind, we’ll just need to learn to live without it. I have a list of survival stuff to gather/purchase and have begun getting it together. It includes food, food processing equipment, a portable solar generator, water filtration, fuel storage, some security and personal protection items, medical supplies etc. I have learned a lot from this blog. Keep the posts coming and I’ll take whatever advice you all have. – Paul F.

JWR Replies: Congratulations for having the courage to cash out and buy a retreat.

My advice on precious metals is simple and hasn’t changed in more than a decade: Buy precious metals only after getting your beans, bullets, and Band-Aids squared away. And then when you do buy, purchase only physical precious metals that you keep very well hidden at home. Bonded vault storage and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and other promises of future delivery are just promises, and modern history is replete with broken promises. Take immediate delivery!

Letter Re: Some Practical Experience With Concertina Wire

CPT Rawles:
I just wish to add that not only does concertina wire (C-wire) work well at stopping civilian vehicles such as cars and trucks, it also works on military vehicles such as the tracked Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. During a rotation through the Combat Maneuver Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany in 1992, my Bradley ran through a line of deployed C-wire and was brought to a complete halt within 50 meters. Not only was the wire totally entangled through our tracks, but as we were moving and dragging it that 50 meters, it caught on to and subsequently dragged everything it came in contact with including brush, debris, limbs, bushes, and trees. Needless to say, we were dead in the water for a considerable period of time, and it was my fire teams job to dismount the Bradley, and cut away the C-wire while the driver, gunner, and track commander covered us from inside the track in sub-zero weather. Loads of fun! “Rock of the Marne!”,   – P.J.B.

Letter Re: Establishing Private Radio Communications Using Consumer Grade Equipment

Jim:
One thing I see omitted over and over again is about the FRS and GMRS radio “privacy codes”. A lot of people mistakenly think this is a “scrambled” communications form.Not True.It is just what the title says it is: a Privacy Code setting. It means that you cannot hear anyone not set to your code setting (36 possible settings on the standard set) or talk to them. However, your conversations CAN be listened to by anyone on that particular channel.

To clarify, let’s say you are on channel 6 and your privacy code is set at 31. Anyone on channel 6 can hear what you are saying but only people on code setting 31 can talk to you. It seems trivial but anyone hoping to mask their communications by this method needs to be aware that this only locks out two-way communications,not receiving alone. No matter what your code setting, anyone who is in range and on your channel can hear you. Regards, – Ed S.

Economics and Investing:

This article in Barron’s hardly comes as a news flash to SurvivalBlog readers: Barron’s: US Will See Run on Treasurys, Hyperinflation

John R. suggested these two related articles: Pressure builds on Spain’s banks; Are credit markets predicting a bank run in Spain?, and 2011: Year of the bank run?

R.D.F. sent this news of Nonsensical Nanny State Nosiness from California: Police issue warning about buying and selling gold. They must be referring to some local anti-fenced goods law. R.D.F.’s comment: “This is the latest example of Big Brother trying to outlaw and control those who refute paper money and worthless coin currency.”

Items from The Economatrix:

Why Gold Is Money  

Holding Physical Gold is Absolutely Critical to Your Financial Survival  

Explosion Of The Western Public Debt Bubble

Unemployment Rises In Two-Thirds Of Metro Areas  

Auto Sales Up Since First Time In Recession  

Factory Orders Rise 0.7% In November  

Odds ‘n Sods:

K.T. mentioned: Biospharms – Sustainable Agriculture Mini Farming

   o o o

Cheryl (aka “the Economatrix”) sent: Food Emergency:  Millions of Americans Are Heading To Food Banks For First Time

   o o o

Natural disasters ‘killed 295,000 in 2010’

   o o o

Bob G. sent this: Everything Is Falling Apart: 20 Facts That You Will Not Want To Read If You Still Want To Feel Good About America’s Decaying Infrastructure

   o o o

Timeline of a Bee Massacre: EPA Still Allowing Hive-Killing Pesticide. (Thanks to Jeff B. for the link.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) 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 32 ends on January 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.

Establishing Private Radio Communications Using Consumer Grade Equipment, by R.E.G.

Sometimes it is ideal for your radio transmissions to be overheard by outside parties but sometimes it is highly undesirable. Radio by its very nature is an open medium. Interception equipment such as radio scanners are commonly available and easy to use. With such a device an unwanted listener could easily intercept your communications. How do we guard against such security vulnerabilities? Digitally encrypted public safety grade radio equipment is certainly an option albeit a very expensive one. Fortunately consumer grade equipment is commonly available that is capable of providing a high degree of privacy against unwanted interception. It is ideal for short range Neighborhood Watch or survival group communications. This writing will mostly focus on short range, point-to-point communications.       

Some very common forms of radio communications equipment are: CB radio, FRS, GMRS, MURS radios, and Marine band radios.  Unfortunately these forms of communication offer very little in terms of privacy although some do offer analog voice scrambling options       

Voice scrambling is technically illegal on CB, GMRS, and MURS frequencies. However, some FRS radios come with a feature known as voice scrambling. The voice scrambler in these radios use a technique called fixed frequency inversion and it is trivial to break. Online software (Invert), hardware de-scramblers (Ramsey SS-70) or simply another radio with a fixed frequency inverter could be used to descramble the communications. Many Marine Band radios offer the ability to add on a voice scrambler, but once again the security level is fairly low. Some Marine Band radios made by ICOM offer split band scramblers or rolling code scramblers (slow hopping split band). Split band offers a low level of security as there are only 32 possible scramble codes and the slow hopping split band scrambler offers a medium level of security at best with slightly more than 1,000 possible codes. For the purpose of this writing I won’t get into the inherent weaknesses of analog voice scramblers

Note: Legality issues may exist with using Marine Band radios on land, but in a worst case situation it may be a viable option. Some marine band radios will do 25 watts and coupled with a good 5/8 wave mobile VHF antenna you could achieve good range. ¼ wave antennas are more compact but more of the signal is radiated upwards so you will sacrifice range. The aforementioned communications options will work, but establishing privacy could be a challenge. Better options exist.       

The FCC recently approved the use of 1 watt radios for voice communication on the 900MHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) band. Some radio communication devices that use this band are the: TriSquare eXRS radio; Motorola DTR radio; and Nextel (now Sprint) phones using the Direct Talk option in the menu (not all Nextel phones have this option). What makes the 900MHz ISM band radios so great? First off, they all use frequency hopping technology (A requirement to use the ISM band) and some are digital which adds another layer of security.

Let’s take a look at these radios individually:    

TriSquare eXRS radio: 1 Watt 900 MHz ISM band        
The basic model (TSX-100) offers 1000 channels and the high end model (TSX-300) offers 2 billion channels. You can get a pair of the basic model radios for around $50 and a pair of the high end radios for about $90. The eXRS radios use frequency hopping technology (Hop rate: 400mS or 2.5 frequency hops per second) and analog narrow FM voice. The frequency hopping will prevent interception by a radio scanner. However, since the voice is still analog the slow frequency hopping can be tracked and the voice demodulated by a near field surveillance receiver such as the Optoelectronics Interceptor or the newer Optoelectronics Xplorer. (An audio sample of the TriSquare eXRS radio being tracked and demodulated by a near field surveillance receiver can be heard here in the “Files” section).    

Motorola DTR (Digital Two-way Radio) 1 Watt 900 MHz ISM band       
The Motorola DTR uses frequency hopping technology that changes the transmission frequency every 90mS or almost 11 times per second. As an added bonus the voice is digitally modulated using VSELP (Vector Sum Excited Linear Prediction). Most Motorola DTR radios, such as the DTR 550 come with five public channels enabled. By following the instructions that come with the radio you can enable channels 6-10. If you want private communications to secure against the possibility of another DTR radio from overhearing your transmission you can purchase an optional keyboard programmer from Motorola (approximately $40) which will allow you to create private channels by setting your own unique 11-digit radio I.D. (1 Trillion codes). This will give you a fairly high level of security since no other DTR radio, unless it has the same 11-digit I.D., will be able to hear your transmission. As far as being able to hear a DTR transmission by using a near-field surveillance receiver- it won’t work since the audio is digital. The surveillance receiver can track the frequency hopping, but the “audio” will sound like popping. Even if a high-end frequency counter (being fed to a digital scanner) were able to track the frequency hopping of the DTR it would still not be able to decode the audio because digital scanners can only decode APCO P25 digital, not VSELP. Another nice feature of the newer DTR radios is that they have a removable antenna so you could use them as mobile radios. With a high quality magnet mount 900MHz antenna mounted on a car you should be able to increase your range substantially. The only drawback of the Motorola DTR is the price. They usually run at least $250 per radio, new. They are however more durable and reliable than the TriSquare eXRS radio. For those on a budget who still desire private digital communications, I’m going to let you in on a little known secret called Nextel Direct Talk.          

Sprint (Nextel) Direct Talk (off-network) 700mW 900 MHz ISM band       
Not to be confused with Nextel Direct Connect, Direct Talk requires no contract or activation through Nextel (now Sprint). All you need is a Direct Talk capable phone (the i355 and the i570 are excellent choices with the i355 being the cheapest) and a SIM card installed. Your best source for these phones (and SIM cards) is eBay. A used i355 can be had for around $20 a phone. I have three of them and I just recently purchased three newer i570’s with SIM cards, batteries, and chargers (AC and DC) for $55.       

Direct Talk uses the exact same technology as the Motorola DTR (900 MHz ISM, 90mS frequency hopping and VSELP digital voice), but they are not compatible. Direct Talk offers 10 channels with 15 selectable privacy codes per channel. It also offers a “Private individual call” function where you can individually call another phone without any other group member overhearing the conversation, even if they are on the same channel. More information on how to use Direct Talk is available from Nextel.    

Communications Range       
As I previously noted, Nextel Direct Talk phones have 700 mW transmit power compared to 1W of transmit power from the Motorola DTR and TriSquare eXRS radio. In head-to-head range tests the 1W radios provided no appreciable increase in range. Radio manufacturers are known to exaggerate the useful communication range of their products. I have extensively tested the Motorola DTR and my Nextel phones set to Direct Talk and have found the following:  

  • Superior performance over 5W VHF/ 4W UHF commercial radios in tough RF environments such as high rise structures and large cruise ships.
  • Typical point-to-point range with both parties outdoors in an urban setting (common obstructions such as houses and small buildings) is 1.5 – 2 miles.
  • In an open environment such as a field or area with little or no obstructions [“true “line of sight”], 3-5 miles of communication range is possible.  

Further Information and Accessories       
After you have selected your radio equipment, it is a good idea to purchase a few extra radios in case of failure or if you add a new member to your group. I recommend purchasing at least two spare batteries for each radio. The Trisquare radios can be powered with standard alkaline batteries. DC chargers are available for both the Nextel and Motorola DTR. Both the DTR and Nextel phones use the same style charger, but keep in mind they are not compatible with each other communications wise.      

It is also a good idea to purchase some form of headsets for the radios for stealth communication. I prefer the surveillance type headsets. These are the type with the push-to-talk (PTT) mic that can be clipped on your shirt collar. They also have an earphone for covert listening. A note on the earphones, it is a good idea to get one that has an attachment that goes over and around the top of your ear to hold the earphone securely in place. Once again, a good source for these is eBay. But keep in mind you get what you pay for. Some are made overseas and are of low quality materials so they may not hold up in the field. (Note: I have read that Nextel phones using Direct Talk can only use the speaker mode, so a private headset may not work for Direct Talk. I have not personally tried to test them with headsets.)  

Conclusion       
The radios I’ve just described (900 MHz ISM band) are a welcome arrival to the consumer market. They are capable of providing private, interference-free communications. Try getting that on CB, FRS, or GMRS. While they do provide a high level of privacy, keep in mind that no radio transmission should be considered 100% secure. Even though these radios use frequency hopping and some are digital, the transmissions will still show up on a spectrum analyzer and can be detected with near-field surveillance receivers. If you require more security, radios with digital encryption can easily be procured in the used market by civilians. [Although they are restricted from use in the United States.] You will need to know about programming the radio, cryptographic key loading and management, encryption ciphers available to you (DVP, DVP-XL, DES, DES-XL, AES, etc) and their strengths and weaknesses. Look for this information in a future article. In the mean time, pray, procure, and prepare.