Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 27, 2021

6

On February 27, 1902 Harry “Breaker” Harbord Morant was executed in Pretoria.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 93 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

42

(Continued from Part 3.)

The Quad Barreled Cannon, The Wouxun KG-UV980P, $310.00
The Wouxun KG-UV980P Quad Band Base/Mobile Two Way Radio is a quad band, with cross band repeat, a 50 watt transceiver, that transmits using FM only in these frequency ranges: 26 to 29 MHz, 50 to 54 MHz, 136 to 174 MHz, and 400 to 480 MHz.  It can generally be described in terms of Amateur Radio as a 10 meter, 6 meter, 2 meter, and 70cm, yet this unit transmits outside of these Amateur bands, and is much more than simply a Ham radio.  For example, it also transmits in FM in the CB range of frequencies, and is subsequently in a gray area where FCC regulations are not enforced, and likely not even monitored. For clarification, while it will transmit on the same frequencies, and other frequencies as does a CB, it cannot talk to CBs, because CB uses Amplitude modulation (AM), and not frequency modulation (FM) that this transceiver uses.  It can, however, receive AM-mode CB traffic. Because of this deficit, it does not function as a CB per se, but it is a very capable radio in other regards.  It just barely fits into the theme of this article, and the big price makes it a tighter squeeze. It is mentioned as with this class of radio for the benefit of Amateur Radio enthusiasts who naturally would see the advantages of this radio, that can work injunction with the Anytone Smart, and Anytone AT6666.
AMATEUR RADIO AND YOU
An amateur radio Technician (“Tech”) license could still be in your future.  It allows you to legally key up on the Ham Bands, and does give one access to numerous well-maintained repeaters. However, I would not plan on using repeaters after a collapse, or necessarily even the Ham bands frequencies as these would be carefully monitored by those seeking to develop intelligence in a post-collapse society or possible civil war. When Hams use their call sign, we can look them up on a database and get their full name, physical or mailing address.  And it is possible that one day, that a tyrannical government might use the FCC-granted licenses as a means to target Amateur Radio operators as they are typically a patriotic, and freedom-loving group who would be central to a command and control. During World War 2, all amateur radio activity was prohibited. With that warning said, the 2 Meter Amateur band will likely bring and hold a community together. We should at least have a scanner to monitor all the 2-meter repeaters and other popular Ham frequencies in your area. Fortunately, there are no test licenses for GMRS that give one comparable coverage to that of the 70cm Ham band should there be GMRS repeaters present. Without repeaters, the range of powerful 40-watt GMRS transceiver would be in many regions of the country, be adequate to cover a 20 to 30 mile in diameter area of AO (Area of Operation), your home turf.
GMRS provides most of what most people in this day and age require. To reiterate, the downside of GMRS for preppers is that the inexpensive GMRS handhelds are ubiquitous, and your transmissions will likely be monitored. It is one of the most unsecure means of radio communications. But because it is populated by mostly the average user, it could be an opportunity to hide in plain sight, and to talk to neighbors. Fortunately, the use of a Ham call sign that can be used to locate your address is not used with GMRS.  We should also consider the low barrier to entry — just $35, and the whole family can join in and use the same license. We could then also install our own repeater. In the GMRS section of the article, all the basic components are listed to get one up and running. The GMRS transceivers come already programmed. The radios are relatively simple to operate. These are sort of like a modern CB, but with greater range. We should choose a radio service that can be used by the least skilled member. GMRS, Citizen Band transceiver, and the MURS handhelds fit into this category.
GMRS uses Ultra High Frequencies (UHF), that do not travel as well along the ground and through forests as well as the lower frequencies of MURS (151 to 154 Mhz), that is VHF, or the CB frequencies (27 Mhz). If we use UHF, we should work harder to get all the power we can from the radio to the antenna to best propagate a signal. Although the focus is on GMRS, the principles discussed apply to all radio communications, or transceivers and handhelds.  If one must cut corners to save money by using inferior and less expensive cables and antennas to get the job done in your AO, then there is no need for the added expense, and effort.  In the majority of cases, we need to work harder to get the most range out of UHF.
Looking at a few numbers we’ll discover why we should choose the more expensive components,  and install antenna as high as we can. We can use a 15-foot to 20 -oot metal or wooden pole in the ground as that will do just fine most of the time. We’ll do the best we can without going ‘whole hog’ like a Ham would.  However, if you are surrounded by hills, or a hill or building is between you and the local repeater, we’ll need to either need an antenna that is mounted higher, or we’ll need to move the antenna.  In some cases, the expense of a tower could be justified. But before spending that kind of money, perform a survey of the intended coverage area.

Continue reading“The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’m back on the road, to care for an elderly relative. As usual, I’ve put the ordering apparatus of Elk Creek Company on hiatus. If you want to order anything, then mark your calendar for March 31st. Ordering should resume then. Please note that I’m now in the process of cataloging about 20 percussion blackpowder revolvers of recent manufacture. Just as with pre-1899 cartridge guns, NO paperwork is required, in most States! Oh, and you can easily find cartridge conversion cylinders for many of those models.  (A hint for those of you who live in gun-deprived States.) Sorry, no overseas sales.

Now, over to my dear wife, Avalanche Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.

Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.

So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.” – Nehemiah 4: 6-23 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 26, 2021

5

This day, February 26, is the birthday of Major-General Orde Charles Wingate (born, 1903, died 24 March 1944), an eccentric British Army officer who organized special military units in Palestine in the 1930s, and in Abyssinia, Sudan, and Burma during World War II. He is most famous for his creation of the Chindits, airborne deep-penetration troops trained to work behind enemy lines in the Far East campaigns against the Japanese during World War II.

On February 26, 1993: A truck bomb built by Islamic extremists explodes in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 93 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

9

(Continued from Part 2.)

Editor’s Note: The following section of the article describes some high power and out-of-band transmission modifications that are not legal under most circumstances. In an absolute disaster situation, anyone can operate outside of normal bands/channels without a license and probably without any legal repercussions. But doing so in normal times will surely get someone arrested, their gear seized, and some hefty fines. Beware!

BACK TO THE FUTURE, CB RADIO IS BACK!
Although Citizen Band (CB) might not be a part of our primary radio communications plan, we may need to operate a CB to talk to neighbors. Although it appears that CB has fallen into disuse, it is not forgotten, in fact it is fast making a ‘come back’. And there are yet many hidden away that will be dusted off and put back into service in a disaster. It could be the radio that connects and informs the masses. A low-cost example should then be in our radio shack even if it is not our first choice, since it will be the first and only choice for many neighbors. And it would be good enough for most local situations.
Sigle-sideband (SSB) mode CB offers twice the range and four times the COMSEC as a standard CB. Yet if there are no other SSB CBs that we could contact, then SSB is not a practical choice.  Unless of course we planned ahead and SSB CBs were apart of our primary or alternative radio communications, and members standardized on SSB CB. Standard CB radio is a good alternative, if the operation requirement is less than 3 to 8 miles. Cost and technical barriers also weigh heavily on our decisions, and may force us to compromise and choose the CB. If a radio choice is too difficult for the least technical capable member, then it is not a good choice.  CB could at the least be a contingency radio option.
My approach tends to favor lower-cost radios coupled with the best antenna that I can afford.  This usually works out well in the field. Connect a lower-power, or lower cost radio to a optimal antenna, and it usually will outperform, or perform just as well as a better quality, and higher priced and powered radio that is connected to a sub-optimal, or sub-standard antenna.  There is a general tendency to purchase brawn (power output), rather than using ‘brains’ to get the job done.
The choices of transceivers and antennas available is impressive and overwhelming. In this day and age, vehicles have evolved beyond the traditional CB antenna mounts of the past. In this comparison, I’ve chosen to use a decent performing magnetic mount 5 foot long antenna, because it is easy for the average person to install on modern vehicles.  There are better performing antennas, but the goal is to find and examine combinations that are a sensible balance of cost, performance, with a low technical barrier.  Motor homes, pick-ups, and even base stations could use a no ground plane (NGP) antenna if a full-sized antenna is out of reach. Whatever the application, there are numerous options that are offered as solutions that will allow us to install a better antenna. Ask around, and choose the best performing antenna for your situation.
Generally speaking, the longer the antenna, the better it propagates. This is especially relevant when it comes to CB antennas.  As a rough rule of thumb, for every one foot of antenna height, we might expect 1 mile of range. However, there are too many variables to estimate the actual range. If the range requirement is modest, then buying the best antenna one can afford, will likely allow the radio to perform adequately.  There is likely a better antenna that can be used if the installer is up to the technical challenge. Those with older vehicles and trucks would do well to install a Hustler 102″ Stainless Steel Whip that is 8.5 feet in length:
Hustler 102 Inch Whip CB Ham Antenna Stainless Steel – 18 ft RG8X Coax – Spring & Mount
Modern pickups and other modern vehicles are better served with compact radios and modern mounting brackets. Here is an example from CB World’s “Help Center”:
And here is a kit complete with CB for modern pickups found at Amazon:
Pro Trucker Pickup CB Radio Kit Includes Radio, 4′ Antenna, CB Antenna Mount, CB Coax, SWR Meter w/Jumper Coax, Speaker, and Springhttps://www.amazon.com/Pro-Trucker-CB-Antenna-Speaker/dp/B01N7U4Z74/ref=sr_1_5?crid=C9981K8XF9AZ&dchild=1&keywords=swr+for+cb+radio&qid=1611950300&sprefix=swr+for+cb+radio%2Celectronics%2C213&sr=8-5
$199.90

Continue reading“The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

24

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the ongoing commodities boom.

Precious Metals:

‘Gold is going to be outpaced by silver and platinum’ – Bill Baruch

o  o  o

Kansas Bill Would Make Gold And Silver Legal Tender In The State

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Got Inflation? The Fed Just Printed Another $100+ BILLION This Week.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: What Happens to the Markets If Long-Term Interest Rates Double from Here? Did Low Interest Rates Boost Auto Sales? Do These Covid Markets Make Any Sense?

o  o  o

Shipping Costs, Trucking Rates Soar Despite Demand Below Prior Years. Now Add Diesel Price Surge to the Mix

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 25, 2021

14

February 25th is the birthday of bluegrass music legend Ralph Stanley (1927 – 2016). His harmonizing and high tenor solos had an almost haunting sound to them.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 93 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

17

(Continued from Part 1.)

UHF Business Band Transceivers
This is a more versatile radio than the Midland MXT400 that can access off the beaten path frequencies, and provides much better COMSEC (Communications Security). These can use the same antenna, cable, and adapters detailed for the GMRS transceivers. This type of radio can be programmed per your instructions by BuyTwoWayRadios.com, and the radio is easy to use and rugged. Our choice of frequencies are limited by the radio to the UHF band, and the limits of the antenna that covers only a section of the UHF band. We can also purchase an exclusive license for the private use of a frequency from the FCC using their service:  https://www.buytwowayradios.com/services/radio-licensing.html
UHF Business Band Base Station Transceiver
Icom IC-F6021-51B UHF Base Station Radio (Complete with power supply)
$459.99
UHF Business Band Mobile Transceiver
Icom IC-F6021-51B  (same as base station, but without the power supply)
$299.99
UHF Business Band handhelds and Mobile Business Band Transceivers.
These UHF handhold can be used with a UHF linear amplifier, or we can get a UHF mobile, and base station in your flavor and choice.
Wouxun KG-805G GMRS Two Way Radio
This is the only full 5-watt GMRS radio I can find. It is GMRS repeater capable, a strong point if you have a GMRS repeater in your area.
$79.99
Or,
Olympia P324 Two Way Radio
4 watts maximum. Memory is limited to 32 channels, and it may not be GMRS repeater capable,
yet the price is right so that we can buy replacement radios, or enough radios.
$49.99
BTECH AMP-U25 Amplifier for UHF (400-480MHz), 20-40W Output (2-6W Input), Analog and Digital Modes, Compatible with All Handheld Radios: BTECH, BaoFeng, Kenwood, Yaesu, ICOM, Motorola
$137.89

Continue reading“The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

72

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at a re-purposed Atlas Missile silo.

Silo, Sweet Silo

First up, Tim J. sent us a link to this at The Natural Building Blog: Underground Home Recycled from a Missile Silo. Here is the article’s opening:

“A Cold War–era missile silo base in Eskridge, KS on 32 acres was converted into an underground home and has come on the market. It was built as an Atlas E missile structure in the early 1950s and was operated by the Air Force in the early 1960s, but was decommissioned in 1965 in favor of newer technology and more robust facilities. Built to withstand bomb blasts, it is made up of epoxy-resin concrete and heavy rebar. The current owners purchased the property in the early 1980s. It had been vacant for some time, with some areas filled with as much as 8 feet of water, but the current owner did his due diligence before purchasing. He explored the underground space with a canoe and flashlight, even diving in, before deciding to take on the project.”

Since I’m sure some readers would ask about it, here is a link to the real estate agent’s listing.

Pole Reversal Caused Sudden Climate Change

Reader C.B. sent us this, at Phys.org: Earth’s magnetic field broke down 42,000 years ago and caused massive sudden climate change

Claire Wolfe’s Updated Blogroll

The sagacious libertarian blogger Claire Wolfe has re-launched her blogroll: A note about the forums + recreating the blogroll. I feel honored to have SurvivalBlog included!

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“We hear a great deal about the rudeness of the rising generation. I am an oldster myself and might be expected to take the oldsters’ side, but in fact I have been far more impressed by the bad manners of parents to children than by those of children to parents. Who has not been the embarrassed guest at family meals where the father or mother treated their grown-up offspring with an incivility which, offered to any other young people, would simply have terminated the acquaintance? Dogmatic assertions on matters which the children understand and their elders don’t, ruthless interruptions, flat contradictions, ridicule of things the young take seriously sometimes of their religion insulting references to their friends, all provide an easy answer to the question “Why are they always out? Why do they like every house better than their home?” Who does not prefer civility to barbarism?” – C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 24, 2021

4

On February 24, 1970 an avalanche took the lives of 29 Swiss Army officers in Reckingen, Switzerland.

—

To those who have been sending anxious e-mails about the status of their orders for SurvivalBlog Archive USB Sticks, here is an update: The second batch of orders starting mailing Monday, following a brief delay while our fulfillment team was awaiting a new supply of padded mailers.  All orders placed one or before February 20th should be mailed within the next 14 days.  Please note that we had advertised: “Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.” Thanks for your patience. – JWR

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 93 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

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Editor’s Introductory Note:  Because of the length of this detailed article, it will be serialized into five parts.
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I’ll begin with a note of warning for those who would delve into, or recommend sophisticated radio equipment.  The learning curve can be steep, and it requires a significant investment of time to become competent. I recommend using the “Keep, Simple, Stupid” (K.I.S.S.) principle. The apocryphal originator of the K.I.S.S. principle was no simpleton. He was the aircraft design genius Kelly Johnson, and we should heed the advice. It is likely that simple-to-use equipment is the best choice for most.
Here is an example of what can happen with some transceivers: Baofeng handi-talkies can inadvertently become locked, and unusable should the key denoted with the ‘#’ symbol is accidentally depressed. A lock symbol will appear on the upper right-hand corner of the LCD display. To unlock it, simply press the # key again. If one is unaware of this keypad lock feature, the radio is ‘stuck’ on the current frequency, and otherwise rendered mostly unusable.
Here is another example, this time involving a good quality, and nearly new in condition, modern ham radio, a Yaesu 2800M mobile. I recently pulled it out of storage to check the operation, and to physically remove the MARS/CAP (MARS, Military Auxiliary Radio System) that limits the unit to the 2 Meter Ham band by removing solder from a circuit board connection, and soldering to make a new connection in some transceivers. I got it in a trade for a couple old CBs. It was too much radio for the previous owner. They were very happy to dump the NIB Yaesu 2800M, and get two good-looking CBs, one with an antenna. The Yaesu 2800M is a good one for preppers in that the MARS CAP can be overridden, or canceled by depressing the ‘low’ and ‘d/mr’ buttons simultaneously while turning the radio on. The code ”A2” appears on the display indicating the radio is unlocked, allowing it to transmit from 137 to 174 MHz. I had programmed the radio prior to securing it in a watertight Faraday cage. Upon testing it’s function, I found that it transmits and receives, yet no audio was available. I must have depressed a key that muted the radio. The owner’s manual did not shed light on the problem. This radio has a sophisticated menu which on one hand is wonderful, and on the other hand, could be a curse. With so many different radios to deal with, it can be a challenge to master them all. Anyway, the ‘fix’ was to do a factory reset by rebooting it’s CPU and cleaning out it’s ‘brains’ to return it to it’s default settings. This fixed the audio problem, but it wiped the memory clean. Because I cannot get a programming cable, I must now spend hours reprogramming it.
TRANSCEIVER SELECTION
Ham radio is not for everyone. Most people I am acquainted with who have a Tech license know little more after attaining their license than they did before studying for the 35 question examination. Much of the test is about the ‘rules of the road’ that the FCC would like you to know. Sadly they have not availed themselves of the technical knowledge offered by potential ‘Elmers’, or other knowledgeable and helpful Hams in person, or on the Internet. The Smartphone is just too convenient, and provides for all of their communication needs. Therefore there is little incentive to look elsewhere, and to strive to master a new platform that offers less. Besides, they only got the license in case the world blew up, and have little current need for it, just like the Baofeng they got that is still in the box. I end up taking care of their programming and other technical issues, so that all they have to do is key up. I’ve finally accepted this as a fact of life of this day and age.
If you cannot invest lots of time into radio, then I suggest going with simple platforms. If there is someone in your family, or group who has the time to become the ‘resident expert’, perhaps sophisticated Ham radios can be a part of your plan, but not all have to get their Tech license.  We can use MURS, GMRS, and even CB.  The Ham Shack should have all these radios, something for everyone, and an ability to talk to neighbors.  The two most popular radios outside of Survivalist circles is not a Baofeng. Rather, it will be CB, and FRS/GMRS. GMRS will allow you to talk far and near, and to your neighbors. A 40-watt GMRS transceiver on a good antenna, will in most situations, talk farther than a 4 watt CB.  It will also talk to the Wal-Mart bubble pack FRS/GMRS radio most already have. Human error and ignorance can disable an otherwise very capable and sophisticated radio. Over the years I’ve had to fix many Ham radios, and antennas operated by Hams.  They got their surfboard, but still can’t surf. In a WROL situation, you will be on your own, and in big surf. A simpler radio with less buttons to push, however less capable, would be a better choice, than a complicated radio that can not be operated at all.

Continue reading“The K.I.S.S. Principle and Transceivers – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit”