Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Every person has a natural, fundamental and inalienable human, individual, civil and Constitutional right to obtain and carry their weapon of choice without asking anyone’s permission.” – L. Neil Smith, addressing the Libertarian 2nd Amendment Caucus

Letter Re: EMP Grounding Straps and Cables (Updated)

Good Morning Sir,
My question pertains to a February 24, 2010 blog post, where there was mentioned an EMP ground for one’s vehicle. This is the first I have heard of a ground wire for today’s vehicles that would prevent electronics from being damaged. Is this true sir? Thanks for providing us all the education to survive. – Tim S.

JWR Replies: A grounding strap offers only marginal EMP protection for a vehicle. The type that were mentioned are the sort that you can see used on many trucks, especially fuel delivery trucks, where the concern is a buildup of static electricity.

With a quick web search, I found one vendor on the Internet with straps at reasonable prices. They do eventually wear out, so you should probably buy several. But again, they are more for static electricity discharge protection than EMP protection. Sadly, the only way to make your vehicle truly safe from close proximity EMP is to convert it to a traditional ignition system. Alternatively, if you leave the electronic ignition system installed, you’d have to carry spare ignition components in a couple of layers of Faraday protection. ( Alternating layers of aluminum foil and ziploc bags should work fine.

I should also mention that once parked, while preparing to unload fuel, gas tanker trucks use a separate grounding cable, for even greater protection, from a static discharge kablooey.

It is important to note the EMP is a different animal than lightning, so the grounding rules are not quite the same. For example, a ground connection can actually be counterproductive to EMP shielding if you use a lengthy linear object underground, such as a water or sewer pipe. For anyone with a basic understanding of lightning protection, it may sound hard to believe, but EMP can actually couple with underground linear metal objects! So if you do decide to use a ground for any of your electronic gear, then don’t use anything longer that a six foot long ground rod.

A SurvivalBlog reader who is an Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) engineer added these comments:
“Many people are under the false impression that a ground connection is some sort of magic sump into which they can dump electric current and electromagnetic fields they don’t want. To some degree this impression comes from the fact that power lines and other electrical wires entering our buildings are grounded at the point of entry. The reason for this ground is to give a path for lightning strikes to wires external to the building a lower resistance path back to the source of the electric current (in this case the Earth) than though something inside the building. The service entrance ground rod does not play a part in electrical safety insidethe building provided by the ground wires run with the hot and neutral power wires. The key issue here is that the ground wires are connected to the neutral wire at the service entrance bond point. That same bond point is where the ground rod is connected, but the physical path to earth ground is not why the ground wires in the house help safety.

By the way this is why portable generators do not need to be grounded per the National Electrical Code (NEC). All they need is the internal bond from neutral to the ground wire.

In a similar way, when it comes to electromagnetic energy (radio waves) the important issue is shielding rather than grounding. The most effective shielding is made of a continuous conductive surface that totally surrounds what we want to protect. This is why the advice to wrap equipment that we wish to protect from EMP in aluminum foil is excellent. The continuous conductive surface of the foil with joints that overlap each other provides extremely effective shielding from all types of electromagnetic waves including those from EMP. Grounding the foil to an earth ground makes no difference in its effectiveness.

Static electricity also is stopped by shielding, and discharges to a conductive shield flow around the outside surface of the shield and do not damage equipment inside the shield. Again a connection to earth ground will make zero difference in the protection provided by the shielding.

Ground straps on vehicles provide a path to equalize the local static electric potentials and reduce the chance of a static discharge that might cause fuel fumes or other explosive or flammable gasses or liquids to ignite. A separate ground wire as you mention is even more effective. In both cases they work because they reduce or eliminate static electric potential differences that could cause a spark, not because they are tied to the physical earth.”

Letter Re: Thermoelectric Generators for Wood and Coal Stoves

Hello
You folks do an outstanding job of informing those who want to learn! I was just wondering if there was information about homemade thermocouples out there. I was watching my woodburner last night and it has one of those little fans sitting on top that start to spin when they get hot and was wondering if I could find plans to build a bigger version of the thermocouple. I envision something about the size of a briefcase . In a grid down situation this would be set on top the woodburner that would be going for heat and cooking and hopefully produce enough power to run a few lights and charge some batteries etc. Is there anyone who has an information source that could tell me how to go about building this?

Thank You, – Rich N.

JWR Replies: In my opinion thermoelectric generator (TEG) technology has been pitifully under-developed, given its potential for using otherwise wasted heat.

Here is a video of one experimenter’s project. And here is a commercial TEG site. I also found a web page for a commercially-built stovetop fan that is powered by thermoelectricity, marketed by Sportsman’s Guide.

I encourage readers to do some experimentation with TEGs. Given their irregular voltage output, it would of course be wise to route the power through a charge controller into a battery bank, for later use with a stable output. If nothing else, it will give you the means to trickle charge a few small batteries even when the only fuel you have available is firewood.

Letter Re: Documentary on the Sole Resident of the ANWR

Jim,

I’m watching a documentary titled “Heimo’s Arctic Refuge” that I think your readers would truly enjoy, produced by VBS.tv. It is about Heimo Korth, who is the last inhabitant of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), in Alaska. VBS.tv has many unusual documentaries. I’ve truly been educated by the other documentaries they done about the homeless of Las Vegas living in the network of tunnels under the city (they actually got to film down there), and the homeless orphans of Bogota, Colombia. They also live in the tunnels underneath the city.

I’ve been a daily reader for SurvivalBlog.com for several years and truly enjoy the hard work you’ve put into it as well as your novel. Thanks, Manny in Tualatin, Oregon

Economics and Investing:

El Jefe Jeff E. sent this one: U.S. New-Home Sales Drop 11.2%. “Unexpectedly”??? What planet are they from? I suspect that we’ll see a further drop, seasonally adjusted this summer, as mortgage credit tightens and as another wave of foreclosures further flood the housing market.

GG mentioned an article in an Indian newspaper, wherein Jim Rogers says that the UK will lose its AAA bond rating this year, and that inflation and a currency crisis are inevitable.

I noticed that The Total Investor Blog has had some great posts, recently.

Items from The Economatrix:

Bernanke: Record-low Rates Still Needed

Stocks Rise Ahead of Bernanke Report on Economy

Freddie Mac Loses $7.8 Billion. (Senator Everett Dirksen said it best: “A billion here, and a billion there, and pretty so you’re talkin’ about real money.” )

Bad Credit Sidelines Some Jobless Workers

World Economy to be Hit by Several Sovereign Defaults

Consumer Confidence Down Again

Oil Rally Fizzles, Drops Below $80/Barrel

Odds ‘n Sods:

GG sent this: The Boogeyman Bomb; How afraid should we be of electromagnetic pulse weapons?

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Israelis Building a NBC-Proof Hospital. (Thanks to P.S. for the link.)

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SurvivalBound has just launched a new spin-of web site: SurvivalClassifieds.com. I’m hopeful that it will flourish. Please check it out, and take advantage of their free classified ads.

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Here they go again, this time in Illinois, with another proposed “assault weapons” ban law. I recommend that any Illinois residents contact their assemblymen, to let them know your position on this legislation. (Thanks to Brett, for the news tip.) Oh, and for the record: Marko had it it right, when he wrote: “Assault is a behavior, not a device.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the Atmosphere." – Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Abigail Adams, February 22, 1787

Letter Re: Purchasing an Antique Firearms Battery

Jim:
Just in case laws change, and I must bury my collection of [modern] guns [to avoid registration or confiscation], then what do you recommend me buying for an “above ground collection” of 1898 and earlier guns? I’m assuming that they’ll still be unregulated [in the United States]. That is a great exception in the law, I think!

My thanks to you in advance, sir. – G.K.B.

JWR Replies: These are my recommendations for the most practical and affordable Pre-1899 guns, at the present time:

  • Finnish Model 1939 Mosin-Nagant rifles built on hexagonal Pre-1899-dated actions. (They re dated on the tangs, inside the sock.) Pat Burns is a good Mosin dealer that usually has some Finnish M39s built on antique (1898 or earlier) receivers available. (Scroll down to the second half of the yellow table of M39 listings for the pre-1899 antiques.) Please note that most of the 7.62x54r ammo on the market is corrosively primed. Search for the Russian Silver Bear 7.62x54r ammo, which is non-corrosive. J&G Sales in Prescott, Arizona often stocks it.
  • Mauser military bolt action rifles. These include M1894 Swedish Mauser carbines, and the Ludwig Loewe-made 7x57mm Mausers. (Mostly made for Chilean military contracts.) The years of manufacture is marked on the Swedes, but not the Chileans. But all Mausers marked “Ludwig Loewe – Berlin” are antique, because Loewe ceased to exist in 1897, when it became part of DWM.
  • Early (pre-1899) Marlin lever action rifles. The only models that are certain to be legally antique are the models for which ended production before 1899 are the Model 1881, 1888, 1889, and 1891.
  • Pre-1899 Winchester rifles. In terms of ammunition availability, .30-30 and .44-40 are the best chamberings to look for. You can often find these rifles at gun shows at bargain prices, especially if you don’t mind a gun with a well-worn exterior. Remember, it is the mechanical condition and bore condition that are crucial. Everything else is just a beauty pageant. Sometimes you can get lucky, and find a seller doesn’t realize that what he is selling you is pre-1899, or the significance thereof. So it pays to carry a hard copy of my Pre-1899 Cartridge Guns FAQ with you, when you attend gun shows.
  • Winchester Model 1897 12 gauge pump-action shotguns made in 1897 or 1898.
  • Colt Model 1892 series revolvers chambered in .41 Long Colt. This was one of Colt’s first swing-out cylinder designs. Now that .41 Long Colt ammunition is again being manufactured by Ultramax and a few other companies that cater to the Cowboy Action shooter market, it makes these guns once again practical to own and shoot. The double action models are largely overlooked by collectors, who are fixated with single actions, and Cowboy Action shooters, who are limited to single action guns by shooting competition rules. (Except, if I understand the rules correctly, for double action “Second Guns”, if fired in single action mode.) So this leaves the double action models as some of the most affordable antique Colts.
  • Smith and Wesson top break revolvers. As I’ve mentioned once before in the my blog, I anticipate that S&Ws will nearly “catch up” to Colt prices in the next 20 years. The .38 caliber S&W top breaks are often available for less than $300 each, and .44 calibers for less than $900. My top choice would be one of the “New Frontier” double action variants, chambered in .44-40. (The .44 Russian ammo is also quite potent, and also now back in production.) These revolvers are sold by a number of antique gun dealers including Jim Supica (at The Armchair Gun Show), and Joe Salter.

As I noted in my Pre-1899 Cartridge Guns FAQ, many antique guns models span the Dec. 31, 1898 cut-off date, so you will have to do some serial number research. (I’ve already documented many of the cut-off serial numbers, in my FAQ.)

You can find many pre-1899 antique guns available without a paper trail by mail order through GunBroker.com, AuctionArms.com, and GunsAmerica.com. Just include the word “antique” in your search phrases.

Letter Re: An Easy Method to Determine a Year’s Supply of Any Regularly-Used Items

Dear James;
Here is an easy way to determine a year’s supply of anything. You just need a calendar, a pencil, and the ability to count to two.

Say you’re down to your last jug of cooking oil. Instead of buying one at the store, buy two, and write the item you purchased on the starting date on your calendar. Now, every time you replace that empty item, buy two more, instead of one, and rotate the oldest.

At the end of the year, when you transfer over Birthdays, etc, to next year’s calendar, be sure to add the items you’re tracking to the appropriate months.

At the end of one year’s time, count the items you stored, and write that number down on your calendar. In one year’s time, you will not only have stored a full year’s worth of that item, you’ve recorded that amount on a permanent record. A year’s worth of information eliminates unconscious over/under use or the occasional craving that might skew the desired tally.

If you’ve got a piece of scratch paper handy, here’s how it works…

Make a mark for the one of whatever you’re using. Add two more marks for the replacements, and line out the first mark you’ve theoretically used up. Now line out one of the marks, and add two more… Say you ran this out to 10 marks lined out. You have 11 marks left …10 stored items, and the current one you’re using. Neat trick, eh?

I suppose it’s more fashionable to do the same thing on a shopping database, but we farmers are a stubborn bunch. Now, if only the banks would give out these wall calendars with the pocket for the month, like they used to, I’d be a lot happier. – Feral Farmer

Letter Re: Basque Sheepherders’ Tree Blaze Trail Markings

Jim:
In the 1960s I hunted and fished in the mountains of Southern Utah and as I traveled by Jeep and on foot through the forest I became aware of the many blaze marks on the aspen trees. There was always a clear path, wide enough for my Jeep to pass near the blaze marks, After some observation and study I was able to discern the meaning of the blazes, and have used them ever since to navigate my way from one drainage, over the mountain into the next drainage. One blaze means turn right another indicates a left turn, one indicates water in the distance, yet another tells of pasture, The Basque headers pulled their horse drawn sheep wagons, unimpeded through the thickest forest and over the roughest ground year after year following these blaze marks as they camped for months at a time tending their sheep.

With the knowledge that these blazes were made by Basque sheepherders as a method to get from one spring to the next or one mountain meadow to the next I have been able to pull my Range Camp behind my Jeep and go into areas that are sheltered, watered and remote,

Old skills come in handy and could provide you with an “out of the way” place to camp in safety, on government land at no cost. These blaze marks are seen in the forest of California, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, Your readers might want to be made aware of their existence should they have a need to move a Range Camp or Sheep Wagon into an area for a peaceful retreat. – Peter X.

Letter Re: Operational Security (OPSEC) 101

Jim, et al,

Your reader was correct about what your garbage, mail, kids, etc. say about you as a preparer for when TSHTF. But keeping everything too close to the vest has negative consequences, too. So it’s very important to remain open and friendly. Not only is this the right thing to do morally, but it also offers a layer of “social protection” if needed. This is especially vital if you have no choice but to stay where you are in a compromised area. Some tips, if this is a struggle for you:

First, don’t be a recluse. Everybody knows that guy, and not necessarily in a good way. Yes, it can be tough to integrate into communities that we may see as ignorant or troubled, but if you are known to be generally pleasant that will go a long way. Tip your hat or give a casual wave (whatever fits your regional culture) whenever you see someone you have even a casual acquaintance with even if you say nothing. You do not have to give up your ideals or values to become part of a community. Join something that doesn’t constantly test your opinions, or get to know others through activities that meet infrequently and don’t require much disclosure on your part.

Second, remember that most people don’t care if you talk, they care if you listen. The most loved, most respected — and most protected — person is the one who always had a few minutes to hear about the latest injury, illness, family news or local gossip. So practice becoming a better listener.

Third, do something important in your community. That’s not to say it has to be high profile, but is should be service or compassion-oriented. Go ahead and join the gun club, but also consider the Kiwanis, and make sure you’re the hardest worker at the pancake breakfast and that you readily help the old ladies carry their trays to the table. If you are a church-goer, skip the usher job or landscaping, and help with the food pantry or the homeless shelter instead.

Fourth, as Mr. Rawles says so often, practice charity now. Purposefully plan this spring to grow extra produce to give away, and make sure the neighbors next door get at least one of your jumbo chickens after butchering, eggs from your hens, etc. Offer to help with yard or household projects (such as putting up a shed or car repair) when it comes up naturally in conversation, or you see them working outdoors. Although that shows some of your abilities to self-sustain, it also makes you the expert when others need help, instead of some prepper who hides in the house.

In general, work hard and be nice. And that goes for the family, too. Other adults will disregard children’s claims if they see the parent as a sane and helpful person, rather than a “hide in them thar’ hills” type. – Gretchen in Northern Illinois

Economics and Investing:

GG sent this: Buy farmland and gold,’ advises Dr Doom

Also from GG: Prices are rising fast, even if the CPI isn’t

Corey was the first of several readers to forward this: Banks at risk of going bust tops 700. Gee, with 7,000 banks in the country, that is a 1 in 10 chance that your bank is on the list. Those are practically Russian Roulette odds.

From Flavio: Harvard’s Rogoff Sees Sovereign Defaults, ‘Painful’ Austerity

Items from The Economatrix:

Real, Uglier American Unemployment

Death By Trillions of Dollars (The Mogambo Guru)

US State Pension Funds Have $1 Trillion Shortfall

Wealth Disparities in US Approaching 1920s Levels

More Generations Living Under Same Roof

Bad Economies in States to Worsen

Odds ‘n Sods:

Several readers mentioned this Wired article: Extreme Test: Going Ballistic on Bulletproof Vests

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Our Editor-at-Large Mike Williamson sent this: Nature’s power plants; On the hunt for renewable energy, scientists revisit Mother Nature’s original power source: Photosynthesis and plants

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Here in the U.S., a new Federal law that allows carrying guns in National Parks went into effect on Monday. This will be a relief to our readers that live in bear country. (Up until Monday, all that could be used to stop a bear attack inside a National Park were shouts of “Bad bear, go home!” and pepper spray.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present Part 4 of an entry for Round 27 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $249 value.

Second Prize: 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 $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 27 ends on March 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.