What did you do today to prep?

[Doc In UPlace]

I think 5k of .22LR is a bare minimum number which should be set aside in sealed cans and just 'forgotten' it exists.

Before this started I had 3k and it seemed like a lot until December 2012 which is when it REALLY hit the fan. Not '6 years' ago in my experience.
Before the Sandy Hook incident I was not having any trouble ordering from Midway, etc.

Otherwise, today I got out all 6 of the GMRS radios and made sure their batteries were all charged up and the associated gear (chargers, headsets, car adapters) was squared away and in the proper case.

 

[CoastRange57]

Otherwise, today I got out all 6 of the GMRS radios and made sure their batteries were all charged up and the associated gear (chargers, headsets, car adapters) was squared away and in the proper case.

Ever give any thought to going to ham radio ? Pretty much a requirement in today's world.

 

[SIG383]

I'll be taking my first ham radio test when I get back. so I can get started myself

 

[U201492]

The Tech class is easy sneezy, SIG. No foolin' it's like 30 questions, very simple. General class is 400 or 450 questions- I simply memorized all the answers because I'm an old man and I've got the books to look up the engineering spec's from when I was working as an electronic technical and electrician. YOU on the other hand need to "learn" it. 80% of all hams seem to stop at the "General" Level. Well I decided to challenge myself at the age of 52- blew the dust off the brain cells, tried to recharge them and they're flat. Had to remember- I purchased the flash cards for $60- some 800 questions. Passed with a 98%.

http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training to get an overview.

 

[SIG383]

The Tech class is easy sneezy, SIG. No foolin' it's like 30 questions, very simple. General class is 400 or 450 questions- I simply memorized all the answers because I'm an old man and I've got the books to look up the engineering spec's from when I was working as an electronic technical and electrician. YOU on the other hand need to "learn" it. 80% of all hams seem to stop at the "General" Level. Well I decided to challenge myself at the age of 52- blew the dust off the brain cells, tried to recharge them and they're flat. Had to remember- I purchased the flash cards for $60- some 800 questions. Passed with a 98%.

http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training to get an overview.

Thank you! I know a lot about electricity and some communications stuff so thankfully I'm not going in completely blind, lol. Since I can't test over here, I'll just have to wait till I get home.

 

[U201492]

Thank you! I know a lot about electricity and some communications stuff so thankfully I'm not going in completely blind, lol. Since I can't test over here, I'll just have to wait till I get home.

Roger that. My biggest headache- and it's a $15,000 dollar headache- is what kind of transceiver system I should set up. You can drop $10,000 on a transceiver in a New York second, another $5000 for the antenna system's required, and another $2500 for things like microphones, etc. So round up to $20K

Then you look at that microphone and two things occur to you: 1)It looks like an erect johnson is near your lips and thats bad and 2)Your mind will go blank from stage fright as you realize you have nothing to say on the air.

I've had my license KD7KBG now for 15 years, I have spent 10 minutes on the air doing radio checks in all that time. A lot of guys will "chew the rag" (Just talk like over coffee about nothing) on 80, 40, 20 to 10 meter's. 6 meter is somewhat local at a few hundred miles, and anything above 2 meter/1.75/70cm is usually local "rag chewing" and for emergency services.

Radio's I have considered? Usually cost around $3500 but the chinese are now starting to enter the market- and this sweet little radio http://radioaficion.com/cms/xiegu-x108-qrp-transceiver/ for $600ish. Once the Chinese figure out what they're doing? Those $10,000 ICOM's that are now going for $8000 will drop to around $4000- they're getting a free ride right now.

 

[SIG383]

I'm in search and rescue there in Pierce County so that is my biggest reason why I'm getting mine. I have an ICOM of some sort a friend game me sitting in a box that I plan on putting in my truck. I also want to have a small base station set up at the house in my "Shed/cabin" I'm going to be building in the backyard. I can't stand the Chinese made stuff but I am glad that it's going to be bringing some serious competition to the market.

 

[U201492]

I'm in search and rescue there in Pierce County so that is my biggest reason why I'm getting mine. I have an ICOM of some sort a friend game me sitting in a box that I plan on putting in my truck. I also want to have a small base station set up at the house in my "Shed/cabin" I'm going to be building in the backyard. I can't stand the Chinese made stuff but I am glad that it's going to be bringing some serious competition to the market.

I don't care who made it- as long as it works well, is reliable and is simple to operate. Between ICOM and Kenwood they've had a pretty much a stranglehold on the market- the chinese will shake'em up like you said

 

[CoastRange57]

You do not have to spend thousands to get set up. Start with 2 meter for local stuff and expand up to 6 and 10 meters all on the Tech ticket. That will get you about 4 states. You can make contacts and log those, you now know like minded people in other areas. I work the 2 meter linked repeaters here in Oregon and talk to people all over 3 states. I talk to people in Medford, Coos Bay, Wenachee, Central Oregon, Klamath Falls, Redding on a weekly basis. Just a quick check in with them and wish them well, maybe a fishing or shooting topic.

I have a Radio Shack mobile base unit in my shop with a J pole antenna up about 35 feet. Another J pole on my house, the same Radio Shack unit in my vehicle with a mag mount antenna. I have one of the Baofeng hand helds also. I have a third J pole that I like to take up in the hills, find a spot where I can run it up a tree with a rope and work 2 meters simplex from 3000 feet.

I have less than $ 400 in this current set up. I will spend another $ 400 or so to set up my 6 and 10 meter set up, and will probably just build that antenna myself. E Bay is a great spot to find reasonably priced radios. My son has pretty much the same set up as I do and it all came from E Bay.

 

[jluck]

Oh I also learned and put to practice a few new fire techniques over the weekend. My new favorite is the log cabin method. Great makeshift cooking surface as well as stable fire platform.

Have you done the "Sweetish camp fire"?


I spent a few days down at my property,Planning,Playing and enjoying. We planted the first item there too, Aloe-Vera(sp?).

 

[U201492]

You do not have to spend thousands to get set up. Start with 2 meter for local stuff and expand up to 6 and 10 meters all on the Tech ticket.

I have less than $ 400 in this current set up. I will spend another $ 400 or so to set up my 6 and 10 meter set up, and will probably just build that antenna myself. E Bay is a great spot to find reasonably priced radios. My son has pretty much the same set up as I do and it all came from E Bay.

Oh I quite agree Coast! It's not totally pay out the wazzser it just seems like it!

http://www.buytwowayradios.com/prod...=amatradio&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=top <<<---$350 starter kit complete with matching antenna! Saves some headaches on the math and making stuff fit.

http://radioaficion.com/cms/xiegu-x108-qrp-transceiver/ <<<---5-10-20 watt Chinese transceiver. It's gotten good reviews, there's video's on Youtube showing it in operation and its like $600. People are hungry for them- they sold out in the United States toot-sweet.

http://www.hamradioscience.com/alinco-dx-sr9-hybrid-sdr-transceiver-review/ <<<--100 Watts 80-10 meter for $800ish.

There's some great deal's out there- I monitor the market pretty closely. Living in the ground floor of an apartment building if I keyed up with anything more than 5 watt's they'd hunt me down with DF gear and proceed to beat my tail. I'm allergic to pain- makes me break out in hives.

Sig, when you get back stateside we'll hook up- I live in Peirce County off exit 125

 

[Member 34319]

One place is the Army Survival Manual
Go to The survivalistblog.net
Fourteen survival Guide PDFs for free

Log cabin method. Been my favorite lately due to size of small sticks available.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

So the daughter called and asked if the old man would give her a hand butchering her "three little pigs" this weekend so I went and dealt with the whole enchilada to a grand total of 500 lbs of good home grown pork including some excellent sausage and about 5 gallons of rendered fat. MMmmm MMm, good eats.

 

[SIG383]

Not sure if this counts for prep, but shortly before deploying, I found a huge upright freezer for sale on Craigslist, along with a full size fridge (no freezer, about 6.5 ft tall) and got both for $75! Both work perfectly and now I will have more room to store my game meat and fish

 

[Michael Js]

Just received my body armor - vest only.

Getting ready to order 2 sets of gas masks...

just got a new Ruger 10/22

Still stocking the food...

Still looking for new jobs to get out of San Diego and up to WA or OR!!! Any leads on job sources appreciated...

thanks!
Michael J.

 

[uscsoldier]

Just received my body armor - vest only.

Getting ready to order 2 sets of gas masks...

just got a new Ruger 10/22

Still stocking the food...

Still looking for new jobs to get out of San Diego and up to WA or OR!!! Any leads on job sources appreciated...

thanks!
Michael J.

what type of work do you do?

 

[salmonriverjohn]

I sent Mike a PM as well, you have to admire a person wanting to get out of that hole in the first place.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Nice to catch up on a lot of reading here. Traveling/work has been nuts. You know, the booming economy where people believe there are no bubbles, nothing wrong ahead - surely not the greatest economic decline we've ever seen, no sir.

I did my part to beat the drum for a long, long time and there comes a time where you just have to do your best to prep, but live your life as happy as you can while you can. I am all for the Ponzi continuing until the day I die.

Been very remiss about practicing my shooting which I'll get going soon - my steel plates are lonely.

As far as prepping, I make a point of doing something weekly - last week was harvesting tomatoes/squash from my friend's shared garden.

Hats off to those wise enough to know the Petro dollar party is coming to an end and doing what they can to prepare.

Even the most meager prepping is always better than doing nothing. Remember, the 98% do nothing at all.

(KOIN news on right now - have you got your Mercury laden worthless flu vaccine yet? in August now lol ... it never stops ... no wonder people's brains are fried ....)

 

[salmonriverjohn]

I was starting to wonder where you went, Burton old boy, good to hear from you again!

 

[U201492]

*Snickers* Poor friend of mine who works for the Navy is "normally" sent to Portsmouth, NH in the snow, sleet and ice between Thanksgiving and February. Last year, they sent him to Japan- they were going to make him stay another 3 months and tried to pull him off the airplane but they were too late- he was already seated!

Starting Sept 1, he's going to "San Dog" and he's not happy at all.

Meanwhile, today I decided to do an "endurance run" on the motorcycle, to see where I am physically, mentally etc. Well, I've discovered that living in an apartment is killing me- I rode 120 miles, had to stop 4 times to rest, drink liquids, recoup, then back on the road.

This getting old c rap is for the birds- my spine is killing me, my butt feel's like it's been stretched 6" wider both left and right. My feet smell like,,,ick. The good news is- I really appreciate the creature comforts God has given me like a 12,000BTU air conditioner for a 10 by 10 room. It's pleasantly ice cold in here.