Letter from “F1” on Amateur Radio Gear and Out of Band

A couple of comments on a couple of things: All of my (ham) radios are modified for out of band operations. No, it’s not legal to use them to transmit on those frequencies, except
in an emergency. However, I can listen to public service agencies (not using trunked radios), listen (in the city) to the direct feed helicopter traffic reporters and get traffic reports all the time (one helicopter crew will report for a half-dozen or more different stations at different times during the hour), etc. Since most modern radios are very, very easy to modify (clip a diode or jumper) it’s silly not to. My [Icom] IC-706G radios in the vehicles go just about from DC to daylight in frequency range. They don’t transmit too well on certain bands but they receive on all of it. And, when I’m out of cell phone range (5-10 miles off an interstate freeway in the desert will usually do it although there are stretches of interstate highways that have no coverage at all) and nobody is answering on a ham repeater, I can call a public service agency for help. To use the radios on these frequencies, you need to have some technical data including not only the receive frequency but the transmit frequencies, and the CTCSS (Controlled Tone Coded Squelch System, also known as PL or Channel Guard) frequency since virtually all agencies use repeater systems. Getting this data is sometimes difficult, but it can be done. I concentrate on the state agencies (Highway Patrol, DPS, etc) and Federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Border Patrol. These agencies are changing their technology to trunking and so-called APCO-25 technology, these radios are still quite expensive to buy, and are not terribly ham radio friendly.
The radios that are capable of 10-meter bands are also usually able to be modified to cover the CB band (11-meter band). Also, for the old crystal controlled radios, for a small degree of instant secure channels, one can simply swap the transmit and receive crystals for a particular frequency and be on totally different [than expected] frequencies. This doesn’t require finding new crystals (which is a lot harder than it used to be, and more expensive). BTW, the HF radios on AM bands (including CB bands if modified) put out a lot of power, which can burn out the front end of receivers if they’re too close — don’t listen for a high-powered signal with a cheap handheld next to the antenna. Marine band handheld radios are pretty durable (water and shock resistant) and pretty inexpensive (on sale, well under $100 each). In a post-Schumer world, they may provide a convenient form of communications for those that are not technically adept. They have somewhat better range (similar to 2-Meter ham radios in simplex) than FRS radios, which are very short range.
Of course, a comprehensive communications setup will have a variety of frequencies and bands (circuits) available, since each band has it’s advantages and disadvantages. There’s no one-size fits all radio (except maybe the MBITR, but nobody can afford one but the military).
Hmmm, maybe I should write an article for consideration on communications…Imagine the howls of outrage you’ll get from the die-hard hams about my sacrilegious suggestions to modify radios and use them for different services than intended 🙂  Telephone company backup batteries are a bargain. To refill them with acid, all that you have to do is buy some battery acid to refill them. Carboys (plastic bags in a box) of battery acid are available from auto parts stores, that’s how they fill dry shipped batteries the first time. [Unless you own a forklift],  the phone batteries have to be emptied anyway for transport to a new location. If someone finds a deal like that, they should jump on it. The batteries have a service life of perhaps 30 years or more, and can have 1000 amps capacity. Yes, you have to wire them up for whatever voltage you want but if one cell goes bad you just replace the cell. Again, we wish you a happy, safe and secure new year. – “F1”

JWR Replies:  The phone companies are religious about rotating their batteries, and tend to do it when they still have about 1/3 of their useful service life left. So whenever you see any offered fro sale by the phone company itself, jump on them.  Be more cautious about those offered on the secondary market, as they may have been sitting around for a few additional years and hence may be badly sulfated.

From the Army Aviator on Military Surplus Transceivers

Jim:

Fred the Valmet-meister’s letter got me thinking about radios. I’ve been using the SpecOps AN/PRC-104 HF radio, I have more than one, and I am continuously amazed. This afternoon, from my box canyon in central Colorado, wearing the backpack 20 watt radio, I held conversations with friends in Michigan, Virginia, SoCal, Oregon, Kansas and others of “The Group”. This isn’t what some call skip, this is a knowledgeable amateur operator plying the trade. The conversations were generally telephone quality. Tying this into Mr. Coffee’s posting, I also use the SpecOps OP-177 power and battery charger kit which consists of four solar cells, a hand crank generator, and an AC charger which works on all common AC voltages [50 and 60 Hertz] and has matching plugs for all countries. I’ve used the solar cells to charge my truck batteries and sundry other things. The point about the radios and solar cells, in addition to being relatively inexpensive and extremely reliable, they are surplus. The military of all countries have more than just WW2 and Korean War guns, magazines and worn out canvas. There is a veritable wealth of modern stuff available. EMP proof computers. local and long reach radios, power producing items and simply lots of neat stuff. – The Army Aviator

Letter Re: The Future of the U.S. Dollar, Peak Oil, and Iran’s Nuclear Program

James:

In researching data this afternoon I came across a article in the MuseLetter (#149, dated August of 2004) at http://www.museletter.com/archive/149.html. It has an interesting history of our U.S. dollar and it’s potential future. It also has reference to an petroleum website http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/ that you may find interesting reading. (Also published 2004.) As an aside, World Net Daily mentioned that a reporter from Der Spiegel printed a story that the U.S. is preparing action against Iran’s Nuclear program, possibly by March [I think that] 2007 and 2008 may be interesting times.

Letter Re: New Year’s Resolutions: Recommended Reading Material

Hi Folks,
How about New Year Resolutions? Made any yet? We all will make plenty I’m sure. Why not make one to read the following books (if you already haven’t) Patriots, Unintended Consequences, Enemies Foreign and Domestic, and Molon Labe. Also read the shareware novels Lights Out and The Bug Out. IMHO they are all excellent manuals for when TSHTF and TEOTWAWKI. They have all touched me deeply and profoundly. They have opened my eyes wider than back when we were preparing for the Y2K fire drill. The latest one that I read was The Bug Out [a short story by SurvivalBlog reader David Crawford, a.k.a. “Half Fast”.] He also wrote Lights Out. I believe it was suggested by a SurvivalBlog reader. By the way, thank you. It’s a short read of maybe an hour or two. Have your spouse read it as well. Heck, how’s about the whole family. This would greatly help everyone be on the same page or at least understand where you are coming from (a big problem sometimes.) I would suggest that after reading it that you sit down and make a list of the right and wrong things the hero of the story did or didn’t do. Review your answers with your own preparation plans. Plan accordingly. Honestly, it scared the Schumer out of me. I know we are all working as hard as we can and that’s another reason why it scares me. Some of us, for whatever reason, will not be prepared. Besides Murphy’s Law, I believe that nature will thin a lot of us out before we really get going. I don’t want my family, myself or you and yours to be one of them. I hope this helps folks. – Larry in Kansas

JWR Replies: Thanks for making those book recommendations. Here are some sources for those books:

The Bug Out is posted online at: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=172494

Lights Out can be read in its entirety at: http://www.giltweasel.com/stuff/LightsOut-Current.pdf

The novel Molon Labe is available from Boston T. Party’s Javelin Press.  (http://www.javelinpress.com/)

The novel Enemies Foreign and Domestic is available directly from Matthew Bracken’s web site. (http://www.enemiesforeignanddomestic.com)

Most of the other books cited are available through Fred’s M14 Stocks. As of this writing, Fred is still offering a great three book package deal: one copy of my novel “Patriots” + one copy of Matthew Bracken‘s novel Enemies Foreign and Domestic + one copy of Boston’s Gun Bible, all for $50.

Please mention SurvivalBlog when you order any of these books!

Odds ‘n Sods:

The hens at the Rawles Ranch are starting to lay early this new year. One year it was “every elk recipe known to man.” This year, I suspect, it will be: “every recipe containing eggs known to man.”

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I just heard that KT Ordnance is offering 10% off of all orders (all 80% complete frames, not just 1911s), that come from SurvivalBlog readers from now until the end of January. The sale pricing excludes tools and jigs. This is a great way to get yourself guns with no paper trail, since 80% complete receivers that you finish yourself are EXEMPT from Federal regulations! Make sure that you mention SurvivalBlog to get the 10% discount.

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I recently updated my FAQ on Pre-1899 Guns. I hope that you find useful. See: www.rawles.to/Pre-1899_FAQ.html

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The price of photovoltaic panels continues to drop. (Hooray!) For example, the folks at Ready Made Resources (one of our advertisers) has 200 watt panels for as little as $4 a watt! That is about 1/4 of what we paid per watt when we put in our first six panel tracker back in 1991.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.” – Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791

Note From JWR:

Please patronize our advertisers, since they provide most of the means to keep SurvivalBlog up and running! Seven of our 17 advertisers now track their click-throughs, so they are aware when it is a SurvivalBlog reader that visits their web site. If you haven’t yet visited all of their sites to peruse their merchandise and services, please do so. Thanks!

David in Israel on Glock Handguns

James:
I must agree with the previous poster, after becoming expert at diagnosing and smithing the Model 1911, I finally went the polymer gun way. A Glock will massively outlast a steel firearm–take abuse like an AK but still shoots accurately,. [Limited to a] “one handgun arsenal”, the Glock 17 won. Shooting +P 9mm which vastly outperforms standard 9mm loads safe for antique firearms also allows me compatibility with military ammo stockpiles [Israeli Uzi SMG ammo] if imports here are stopped. BTW, I suggest that everyone at a minimum (and in addition to your regular bench reloader) have a “Lee Loader” hand (pocket size) reloader set, primers, powder, and both lead molds as well as factory bullets.

Letter from Fred the Valmet-Meister Re: Finding Quiet Amateur Radio Bands

Jim:
I was listening to a bunch of hams chatting last night; some from Arizona and some from California talking about radios and bands etc. One of the things they talked about was that outside of the big cities, even on the popular 2 Meter band, it is pretty dead; even in [populous] California. Still, the most popular and most reliable means of two-way communications on the road is the CB radio. It is also much “cleaner” outside of the cities as well. Anyway, it was interesting to hear since some of these guys that travel a lot. The hams that travel have a CB too. – Fred the Valmet-meister

Letter from Mr. Coffee on: Longer Term Survival, Photovoltaics, Dog Breeds for Retreats, and Ballistic Protection for Windows and Doors

Jim,
I have really enjoyed reading your blog the past five months of 2005 and look forward to reading it in 2006. Who knows what 2006 will bring? Something is coming and we all should continue to prepare as best we can.  The information you and your other contributors share is invaluable. Thanks for going to all the trouble of maintaining the blog every day of the year for the benefit of all of us.
I found the letters from Norman and Mr. Whiskey in your Dec. 21st and 22nd editions about the idea that things may not return to “normal” even after one year to be really thought provoking as well as depressing.  It is difficult enough to store food, water and fuel for one year. But to think those stored items will run out and there still aren’t supermarkets and gas stations to go to is mind boggling. I have started to think “long term” as a result. Thanks.
I also appreciate the material you shared on “Resources for Going Off-grid” (Dec. 28th). In 2006 I am going to investigate installing solar panels just to run a small refrigerator or my computer at times to be able to access all of the material on surviving that I have stored.
I enjoyed the information you and others have shared on “Best Dog for a Retreat”. I have an Airedale and a Rottweiler and agree that both are excellent dogs for a retreat even though both are large and do eat a great deal of food. They are [in effect acting as] my LP/OP. Especially the Airedale which is incredibly alert all day and all night). BTW, my SOP is to bring them inside my “Alamo” (my retreat house) after they have served their purpose of waking us up when strangers approach the house. I wouldn’t want to let them be shot and
killed.
I have come up with an idea that I would like to share. I know that you believe in steel plates to protect doors and windows in your retreat. What do you think about making wood “molds” and then pouring in concrete with re-bar reinforcement to make panels to protect doors and windows I have seven large windows, a back patio sliding door and front and back wooden doors in my retreat. Would three inch thick concrete slabs stop bullets? Just a thought.
Jim, thanks again for all your hard work and great information. It must be a great feeling to know that your blog may be helping thousand of people to survive the difficult times ahead. Your friend, Mr. Coffee

JWR Replies: Even if reinforced with re-bar, three inches of concrete will not stop repeated rifle fire.You will also find that 3″ thick concrete panels any larger than about 24 inches square will be very difficult to move. (BTW, if you do take this route, be sure to cast in some protruding loops of rebar to act as handles.)

If you are handy with a saw and a screwdriver attachment for your drill motor, the following is a lighter-weight solution that will provide better ballistic protection than poured concrete. It is a variation on Joel Skousen’s retreat door design: Make a framework out of 2x4s or 2x6s that will fit in each window frame. For each, cut two pieces of 3/4″ thick plywood (preferably marine grade, for your wet climate) that will go on the front and back, in effect creating a box that is four or six inches deep. Tightly fill each box with gravel that is 3/4″ or smaller (“three quarter minus”–but nothing smaller than large pea gravel) before power-screwing on the second plywood panel. Because the gravel will shift downward each time a bullet hits the ballistic panel, it will stand up to repeated high power .30 caliber FMJ rifle bullet hits in the exact same spot.  The beauty of using plywood is the bad guys will eyeball it and assume that it is vulnerable. They will hence waste lots of ammo, thinking that they are filling you with lead.  You can make a fake protruding gun ports with raised molding (painted black in the middle) in the center of each, and a small real gun port near the  off-center bottom of each panel. Paint some black squares and rectangles in a random pattern, to help conceal the real gun port.

Odds ‘n Sods:

There is some interesting data on how to run a self-sufficient farmstead on a tight budget at: http://www.eartheasy.com Yeah, they’re tree huggers, but that does not detract from their useful knowledge. Anyone that can make a living like that deserves some attention.(The editors live on next to nothing in British Columbia.) They publish a free e-newsletter.

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The gent who operates Freeze Dry Guy recently updated his website (http://www.freezedryguy.com).  And BTW, we just updated the link from his ad on SurvivalBlog.  (The link formerly  was to e-mail him.  It now goes directly to his web site.) Check it out!

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Wow! The last time I checked, the spot price of COMEX silver was at $8.80 per ounce, and gold was at $516.60.  It looks like they’ve bounced back after their profit-taking, just as I predicted. If you think that you’ve missed the boat, not to worry. The precious metals are just starting a secular bull market run which will probably span a decade or more. Buy on the next dip.  A couple of years from now, you will look back wistfully at any spot silver price of under $12 an ounce as a great bargain. Don’t hesitate. Otherwise, you’ll kick yourself, doubtless with vociferous “Shoulda, Woulda, Couldas”!

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I made a few more additions to the SurvivalBlog Glossary.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It is our sacred duty to transmit unimpaired to our posterity the blessings of liberty, which were bequeathed to us by the founders of our Republic.” – Andrew Johnson

Note From JWR:

I wish all of the readers of SurvivalBlog a happy, healthy, prosperous, and well-provisioned new year. I pray that “Aught Six” will be a great year for you. Let me know your new year’s resolutions related to preparedness, via e-mail, and I will be glad to post them anonymously.

Letter Re: Recommendations on CB Radios?

Sir:
I am new to the blog.  Just got your book “Patriots” and realized I am nowhere near ready.  Question is:  What are the best Citizen’s Band (CB) radios for both base and mobile use.  Can you give me a few brands and models? I am interested in long range. I am a ham so am familiar with the terminology, but not familiar with CB. I think when the crunch comes there are going to be more CB people out there than hams. Thanks. – R.I.P.

JWR Replies: I tend toward either:

  • Pre-1980 crystal-tuned 23 channel SSB-capable CBs with a full five watt output, or
  • Late-1980s or early-1990s synthesized 40 channel SSB-capable CBs that have multiple IC designs.

The advantage of the radios in both of there eras is that in an emergency they can easily be modified for out-of-band (“free band“) transmission by someone with basic electronics skills. In the case of the crystal-tuned radios, by simply substituting special out-of-band “bastard” crystals, and in the case of the later synthesized radios by clipping wires and adding resistors, jumper wires, and/or switches.) See the SurvivalBlog Archives for some specific maker/model recommendations and web site links for free band modification details. (Posted on Sept. 14, 2005, under the title “Marine Band and Out of Band (“Free band”) CB Radio Modifications.”) Note that I do not encourage any illegal modification or operation of CB radios out of band, and that any information on such modifications is for scientific/educational purposes only.

Three Letters Re: A Home-Based Business–Your Ticket to The Boonies

Jim:
I thought the point was to have a home-based business that could survive in the boonies…?
 
I don’t see much need for a locksmith, gunsmith, or alarm installer in the boonies where most structures are on huge acres of land with fences and who knows how many dogs on the property, let alone a cantankerous old coot with a heavily worn double-barrel shotgun… <grin>
 
Even repairs are pushing it when neighbors may be a mile or more away… that is a SMALL customer base.
 
How many guns near you in the boonies that need custom gunsmithing? Another small customer base. Only the BEST gunsmiths get guns shipped to them for work…, then shipped out when finished.
 
The truly promising home-based businesses are either MAIL / UPS / FEDEX based, such as mail order and Internet sales, or home based businesses over the internet, such as accounting, med. Transcription (now mostly foreign cheap labor), etc…
 
Just some thoughts and possible target realignment. – Robert


Jim-
Here’s some to home based businesses to consider:
Professional Genealogist. See http://www.apgen.org/ . If it sounds interesting, do research on your own family to see if it’s your kind of thing. Start by going to http://www.familysearch.org/ , click on “Order/Download Products”, click on “Software Downloads–free”, download the first Personal Ancestral File (PAF) in the listing. PAF is as robust as any program that you’d pay money for–plus all genealogists know it well. You can offer your services to search in your local area. If you like being a detective you can have a lot of fun/make a bit of money.

JWR Adds: The Memsahib and I have used PAF for organizing our genealogical research since about 1988. However, we recently switched to Reunion for our Apple Macintosh computers. We find that Reunion is easier to use, has more features, and most importantly it produces “clean” GEDCOM format files for export for use with other genealogy programs and word processing programs. (With the Mac version of PAF we had numerous file corruption problems with GEDCOM export files. But we’ve heard that the PC versions of PAF are less glitchy.)
 
Indexer. You receive manuscripts electronically and use special software to set up indexed words, concepts. If you are a careful reader (and especially if you smirk when you find a typo!) this may be for you. http://www.asindexing.org/site/indfaq.shtml. Hey, index “Patriots” so we can find all those cool ideas without having to read the thing nine times!

Scopist. A scopist takes a court reporter’s dictation and transcribe it via special software into appropriate format for attorneys. Very interesting work–I suggest doing civil work rather than criminal because it can get pretty gruesome. Find scopists on the internet. Don’t spend bucks on a “school.” Instead, find a scopist who needs help (they like to go on vacations, too!) and volunteer to work for free to get trained. You’ll need a transcription machine to transfer info into the computer. Check your favorite attorney to find who the local scopists are and what the typical rates are for your area.
 
Grow and dry wild flowers. Search the web to see what’s hot, what’s not. One of my daughters worked for a man with a piddly 1?2 acre lot who sold his stuff by mail throughout the country. Can you grow Baby Breath? I remember teenagers in my Church going to Eastern Washington to pick Baby’s Breath (your wife will know what this is) for florists. Here in Hawaii, you can buy a lei made from about 25 tennis-ball size orchids for $3!! Too bad they can’t be shipped stateside. But here’s a clever graduation tradition–use Saran Wrap and twist in bite-size candy to make a candy lei (for graduation from 6th grade?). Advertise in the PTA.
 
Grow Lavender–it’s a big deal for growers in Washington State; if your climate can support it, give it a look.
 
I know a guy who has a multi-acre rose-growing operation–he sells rose plants at Farmer’s markets, and he must be making money because he’s there every weekend.
 
Which reminds me–check out the possibility of growing plants used in spices–do you know what you pay per pound for spices–Yikes!
 
Look into Square Foot Gardening, http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ , especially to become a supplier of garden-fresh produce for up-scale (or wanna-be upscale) restaurants. His book/DVD has good stuff and he tells you exactly how to pitch the produce to local places. And a plus–you get to learn all about intensive gardening.
 
Can you set yourself up to treat discarded food oil to make it useable in diesel engines and then supply the locals? It’s going to be more and more popular–but you’ll need a willing bunch of sources–maybe those same upscale restaurants?!
 
Bake whole wheat specialty breads for local outlets (organic food stores, chic restaurants). Hey, that reminds me–timbales. You’ll have to hunt to find the ones that are saucer-sized. When I was a kid, the little concession stands had them hung all lined up on a horizontal stick–you plunked down your money (in those days a dime) and DaMan took one off, sifted powder sugar on it and away you went. Looks like a lot, but it’s mostly air. Easy to do; try it at home first, of course–start with the little timbale forms.
 
Okay, some of these aren’t quite home-based, but think outside the box. Maybe for a relatively small investment you can involve your kinds in a free-enterprise business effort. Like a little concession trailer outside the high school ball game where you’ll sell “shave-ice” (not sno-cones!!!–and NOT “shaveD ice!!!”). Then move it around town to all the public events. Get license, pay the fees, taxes–it makes America great!
 
Did you see the Hostess wedding cake? http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh/images/05/weddingtwinkie.htm . Sure, it’s silly, but if you’d like to get into cake decorating, you can get noticed by offering one of these babies for laughs. Of course, you’d better learn how to do serious decorating.
 
Have you got a nice rural setting? People pay big bucks for wedding receptions in “different” (but not dirty) sites. Also, Public schools have money for taking kids on field trips–can you organize a ride on a hay wagon pulled by your tractor? Develop a maze. How about a couple of those dorky wood characters with a hole for a face, so people can get their picture taken as Ma/Pa Kettle–do it digitally and sell them a photo hot off your photo printer.
 
This reminds me; many people do very well by visiting schools and putting on assemblies–do you have/know/do something that can entertain/involve students? I’ve seen some very mediocre paid-for assemblies in my teaching days, so think about it.
 
Do you live in an interesting area? Do the locals know about places the casual visitors never see? Write up a must-see list and sell it on the Internet.
 
Does your hometown (or nearby town) have curbs in residential areas? Make a cardboard mask so you can block out an area of curb in front of a house and spray a black background; then use stencils to spray the house address on the blackened curb–firemen and cops love this idea–at $2 per sign, you can make quite a few bucks on a Saturday. Get the license! Pay the fees! Don’t harass the homeowner–get permission first.
 
Well, come to think of it, don’t just think outside the box–use the box itself! – B.B. In Hawaii

Mr. Rawles,
One comment on your recommendations for cottage industry jobs. I highly encourage people to learn as much about gunsmithing as possible, but it is very difficult to make a living at this trade. I worked five years part time for a self employed gunsmith who could not have made ends meet if he had not had another skill (made dentures for dentists) and a wife who worked. Our business always suffered when the economy dipped. Having a gun fixed is not a priority in non-SHTF times. And being a small time gunsmith means that you can’t afford to invest in expensive machinery, so most work is very labor intensive. Keeping a stock of parts for most common repairs is costly. There are probably more different kinds of guns than cars. Of course most of these problems can be circumvented with some time, work, and creativity, but only the sharpest and most experienced gunsmiths make a good living.
 
Another minor problem is that lots of people who come into your shop like guns and want to talk to you about them. You need to be courteous and encouraging about gun ownership, but this time spent talking pays zero per hour.
 
And of course to legally work on other people’s guns, you have to apply for and pay fees to get an FFL. That means that an ATF agent can come by and examine your records and inventory. Gunsmiths and FFL holders who work out of their homes are rapidly disappearing because of the general bias by the ATF against anyone who does not (or even who does) have a storefront with regular hours.
 
Gunsmithing is a great skill, and a wonderful hobby, but it’s not a very good way to make money I’m afraid. I hope others have had a more positive experience. – C.G. in NC

JWR Replies: I recommend gunsmithing only if you can develop a specialty and eventually a reputation for expertise in the specialty that will attract mail order business from clients all over the country.