Gun & Prepping News #50

 Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:  

• "Weekend Knowledge Dump"--Active Response Training. First, I want to thank Greg for his link to my recent compendium of articles on weapon retention. One thing I will note is that if some of these topics interest you, be sure to save or print out the articles because they can disappear. I had originally compiled those articles about a year ago but, for some reason I don't remember, had not immediately published the post. When I got ready to publish it, I discovered that several articles had been "retired"--the links were dead and searches did not pull up the titles. Moving on to Greg's Weekend Knowledge Dump, it has lots of great links, as always, but here are few that especially stood out to me:
• An article about shootings at houses of worship noting 379 such incidents in the 2000 to 2024 time frame. Since most of these attacks actually occur outside the building, the author has suggestions on focusing on countering threats early on.
• An article on prepping an apartment or suburban home for riots and civil unrest. One of the points raised is be prepared for fire. This is always a concern, not just from rioters throwing Molotov cocktails or setting things alight, but also generally in survival situations because fires can start from overturned candles of lamps (e.g., the Great Chicago Fire).
• On a related note, there is an article on the 10 best ways to defend yourself against civil unrest with some tips on how to avoid getting caught up in a protest and some tips if you do get caught out in the open.  
• An article from the Revolver Guy blog on rethinking the tactical reload for revolvers, recommending that you just dump the whole cylinder--fired and unfired rounds--and reload from a speed loader rather than try to pick out the two or three empty cases and reload with loose rounds. 
• Running CPAP machines off portable power sources.
• Preparing to defend yourself against vehicle attacks--i.e., when someone is trying to run you down with a vehicle. 
• An article on the legal implications of using a sap or blackjack. 

And more, so be sure to check out the whole thing.  

• "The Marlin Model 60: A True Workhorse Semi-Auto .22"--Guns Magazine. For a long time, this was the most popular model of .22 semi-auto rifle out there, and certain gave the Ruger 10/22 a run for its money with 11 million sold before Marlin ceased production of rimfire rifles in 2020. The article gives some history of the rifle, including various improvements over the years. An excerpt:

 A big part of the Model 60’s reputation comes from Marlin’s micro-groove rifling. Instead of a few deep grooves like typical rifling, Marlin cut a greater number of very shallow channels into the bore. The idea was to gently grip the bullet and stabilize it without the deformation that deeper lands can cause on the soft lead .22 bullets. The result—especially in a ballistically-forgiving cartridge like the .22 LR — is consistently good accuracy. The Micro-groove rifling was also much cheaper to manufacture, as fewer passes of a rifling tool are required. It was truly a win-win situation for this mass-market-appeal rifle.

•  "Parking Lot Tactics"--Tactical Professor. This article was prompted by a piece written by Greg Ellifritz, to which Claude Werner wanted to expand on a couple points made by Ellifritz, with the first being that you should walk against the traffic:

     Every time you go into a parking lot, you will see people who simply cannot put their cell phones down for ONE Minute between their cars and the store. As soon as they get out of the car, they start texting or talking, completely obvious to the two ton homicide machines moving all around them. When they leave the store, they continue blabbing even while they’re backing out of their parking space and driving down the lane.

    The title of Colonel Rex Applegate’s most famous book Kill Or Be Killed comes to mind. Such people are ready and willing to kill you as they distractedly put their manslaughter machines in motion or they’re ready to be killed while yapping about something of no importance.

    By walking against the traffic, you’ll have more chance to see the distracted driver before they run you down and then say “I’m so sorry” while you’re leaking and being loaded in the ambulance aka ‘amber lamps.’ https://youtu.be/53Bx5PLrOIk?si=zCk8BcJyDLOVFUS0&t=173 Note: in the first part of the video there “may be strong language used by those shown in the video. Viewer discretion is advised, especially for young children and sensitive viewers.”

• "Range vs Carry"--Tactical Wire. Using the Glock 19 and Glock 43X as examples, the author notes that they are roughly the same size, but the Glock 43X better lends itself to concealed carry because it is thinner; but the G19 is much easier to shoot. He also maintains that for concealed carry weapons, the speed of the first shot is more important than split times; and to work on shooting at a distance. For more on the latter topic: "Editor’s Notebook: The Distance Issue."
• "Optimizing the Small Frame EDC Revolver"--Shooting Illustrated. Another piece from Claude Werner. One of the biggest things you can do with a small frame revolver is to improve the visibility of the front sight. If you do not have a front sight which can be replaced, this limits you to painting the sight. Werner recommends using either nail polish or modeling paint (like the Testers model paint). He doesn't say it, but I will: the paints that you see for sale for painting sights are more expensive and don't seem to hold up over the long run. In any event, he recommends applying a white base coat and then adding a second coat with the high visibility color you are using. He goes on to discuss switching the stocks (grips) on the weapon. 
• More: "Optimizing the J Frame EDC Revolver"--Tactical Professor.  This article is to supplement the foregoing Shooting Illustrated article by adding some photographs that didn't make it into the Shooting Illustrated article.
•  "Revolver Reliability"--Shooting Illustrated. While revolvers can be extremely reliable, not being subject to feeding issues or problems from "limp wristing" the gun or shooting with less than ideal holds, Tamara Keel reminds us that there are things that can go wrong. For instance--and this is one I've experienced myself--higher recoiling rounds can actually start to pull the bullets out of cases where there has been insufficient crimp and binding the cylinder. She also mentions problems with moon clips and ejector rods backing out (the latter has also happened to me). And, although not mentioned in the article, I've also bits of grit get into the groove/opening where the cylinder hand extends and bind things up.
• "A Handgun is No Longer Enough: The Evolving Standard for Armed Self-Defense"--Ammo Land.  I'm including this article despite not fully agreeing with it. The author is correct when he points out that a handgun is a poor weapon to be using against a terrorist or mass shooting with a rifle and body armor. But I would point out a couple of things before you start packing around a small AR weapon system as the author recommends. First, if the terrorist is wearing hard body armor rated for rifles, you will still need to aim for vulnerable areas just as with a handgun. Second, if police are looking for one or more persons shooting a rifle, do you really want to be carrying a rifle? I suspect that your better option if you are worried about this situation is to carry a handgun capable of making longer range shots and then practice taking those longer range shots. 
• For you hunters, a reminder that you don't need the latest and fanciest rifle calibers: ".30-06 Springfield: Is it Still the Best All-Around Big-Game Hunting Cartridge?"--American Hunter.  Within 700 yards (and let's be honest, most hunters will probably never take a shot over 300 yards) the author believes that the .30-06 is still the best all-around big game cartridge due to its ability to launch big bullets (when needed), its versatility (i.e., it can shoot light weight bullets for varmints), better magazine capacity than some of the newer cartridges with fatter cases, and can easily reach out to 700 yards. And, perhaps most important, is its availability--you can pick up .30-06 at pretty much any place that sells ammo. The way I look at it, if you hand load, the .30-06 can do everything the .308 can do, but just a little bit better because you have the extra case capacity to bump up the muzzle velocity and it can handle heavier bullets for larger game.
• More: "This Is Why The Popular .30-06 Still Rules"--Petersen's Hunting.  
• "Mushroom picker, 70, has his head torn off in bear attack"--Daily Mail. This incident was in Japan, but a reminder that unless you have a firearm, bears are the apex predators. 
• "Morakniv Garberg Stainless Steel Knife is a Prepper’s Must-Have"--Modern Survival Blog. The two main differences I see with this knife versus some other offerings from Morakniv is that it is full tang and the sheath is set up where you could mount it on MOLLE webbing. The MSRP is about $110, but Amazon currently has it for $87. 
• "Neighbors, Friends and Enemies"--Survival Blog. A woman's experience in a rural setting where she generally gets along with her neighbors, but notes that recent events have really brought out the worst in some of her liberal neighbors. An excerpt:

 My neighbors are a sweet, older, couple.  They have a particular set of beliefs, obviously not Christian, and obviously more liberal than my own.  But they live a clean, quiet, productive life, and have a good reputation in the community.  Their families have been in this community for generations.  I am the newcomer.  Other than avoiding political discussions, I do not consider them a threat.  Would I keep them in my inner circle of friends?  No.  Do I want to keep good relations with them?  Yes.

While the aforementioned neighbors turned out to not be Christian and used a derogatory term to refer to MAGA supporters, she goes on to recount how another of her neighbors apparently had a complaint filed with the health department out of spite because that neighbor had organized a prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk's family. 

•  Since it is hunting season in most parts of the United States: "7 Serious Field-Dressing Mistakes"--RealTree. Some common mistakes. Most of them deal with not quickly locating and gutting the deer so the meat will quickly cool down. 
• More: "Pro Tips for Better Gutting Your Deer "--Meat Eater. A few tips for making the experience easier and get better results. One of them:

     For avoiding contamination, Terry Drury, of Drury Outdoors, recommends one more slightly customized tool to help with this job.

    “Take a good pull saw and round-off the end of it on a grinder, along with about two inches of the teeth to dull them. You can now use this to cut the pelvis bone and sternum without running the risk of puncturing or grabbing anything that might contaminate the meat.”

• "Dressing for Subzero Weather"--Mossy Oak.  This article is from the perspective of someone hunting from hunting stands. The author notes:

Most people believe that your outerwear is your best defense for cold weather. However, I am totally convinced that the base layer is far more important than the outer layer to capture and hold heat. On top of the base layer, I wear Nomad gear, which is a Harvester coat and pant. With those two types of clothing, I can hunt for about four hours without getting cold. I have learned that after four hours, a strong wind can cut through those two layers. So, now I carry a sleeping bag with me, and when I start to get a little cool I get inside that sleeping bag and zip it up. The sleeping bag is also washed in scent-free soap and stored in a scent-free bag. 

• One of the key factors underlying civil unrest according to Peter Turchin is popular immiseration--the economic decline of the general population. Something like this: "Only 48 Percent Of U.S. Adults Under The Age Of 30 Have A Full-Time Job?"--Citizen Watch Report. The article outlines some economic trends that suggest that it will only get worse.  

The Best Succinct Explanation I've Seen On The Iberian Power Outage

And, yes, it absolutely was the result of their switch to the Luddite "renewables" like solar and wind. From the Scuttlebut substack:

    If you haven’t heard, Spain was quite proud that they hit 100% renewable power (wind, solar and hydro.) on the 16th of April. Something they bragged about excessively. Now one of the things I’m very familiar with, and quite good at, is electrical systems; whether electronic, electrical, power generation, or storage: it’s a field I worked in for decades. Of the three “renewable” energy sources, (by the way, nuclear is renewable too, but the watermelons don’t like that one) only one is truly reliable. Hydro. Wind is literally: at the mercy of the wind. Solar can be dramatically curtailed by dust, clouds, and of course, nightfall. Hydro can only be messed with by politicians who are worried about how the salmon will spawn and such.

    Everything but hydro requires power conditioners, converters (solar generates DC power, most wind power does too) and battery storage, against the times when the source falls off… In short, it’s a far more complex system, with more moving parts, and more ways to go wrong, when compared to hydro, nuke, and fossil fuel plants.

    Spain got to learn that just twelve days after their bragging session, when one of the solar farms went into frequency oscillation (remember I said it generates DC and turns it into AC, the system is more complex, and more computerized.Was this a cyber-attack, or a failure of either software or hardware? No one knows yet.) Automatic safeties kicked in and took this farm off line, which caused a cascade failure.

    End result? The entire Iberian Peninsula blacked out for over a day, and things still not fully back up. The cell phones continued to work for at least a while, because the towers have batteries and emergency diesel generators… Same thing for the hospitals, though they had to use the Army to escort fuel trucks to the hospitals to keep the generators running. Everything else, from radio and tv stations, traffic lights, household power, airports (runway lights, internal lights, air traffic control radios and radars) all of it: including all of their trains, because guess what? They’re all electric too.

    Spain of course, is doubling down on “this had nothing to do with renewables, look, our nuclear plants went down too.” This of course ignores the fact that there are systems in the nuke plants that shut them down if there’s a problem with the grid… France’s grid, which is set to divorce itself from Spain’s in the event of a catastrophic failure on the Spanish side, and which is mostly nuclear, did not go down…

    Bringing the grid back up from “black” is far more challenging with mostly solar and wind, because they need power to run the stuff that makes power. (like your car needs a charged battery to start and to run the spark plugs until the alternator can take the load.) Contrarily, a fossil fuel generator can fire up, and bring the little section of the grid around it back up, which powers the big breakers to bring more of it up, and so on. A nuke needs either battery or a diesel to get up and running, then it can behave like a fossil fuel plant. To date, solar and wind can not be part of the “bring it up from black” piece.

The Realist: Battery Adapters

I'm pleased to present another guest post from The Realist, who writes:

Adapters with batteries installed are on the top row, while empty adapters are on the bottom row. From left to right are AAA to AA, AA to C, AA to D (insert-from-bottom), AA to D (clamshell style), and 2AA to D.

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by myself. I did not receive samples, evaluation models, or other compensation from any manufacturer or retailer. I have no formal relationship with any manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this article - I have only been an arms-length customer. All brand names and product names used in this review are the trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. This article reflects my unique circumstances and subjective opinions with regard to performance and other characteristics of the products being discussed. Your mileage may vary.

Battery Adapters

    While many of my battery powered devices (e.g. flashlights, radios, remote controls) use AA cells or AAA cells, I do have a few older/legacy/retro devices that use C or D cells. I have an ample supply of AAA and AA cells in my "prepper pantry", but very few C or D cells because I have only a few things that need them. (Don't forget to include rectangular 9 volt batteries in your supplies. Nine-volt batteries are regularly used in smoke detectors and digital multimeters.)

    Wouldn't it be convenient to be able to use AA cells to power your devices requiring C or D cells?

    In the past, I've seen adapters (also sometimes called spacers) for using AA cells to power devices requiring D cells, and I even bought a set. I also tracked down some AAA to AA adapters, which I purchased to enable charging AAA cells in a solar battery charger designed to charge AA cells. At the time, these adapters were difficult to find and were rather expensive.

    A couple of years ago, I needed a set of N to AA cell adapters so I could charge several NiMH N cells in a charger designed to only charge AAA and AA cells. Unfortunately, I could not find N to AA adapters for sale anywhere, so I was forced to make my own. While I was able to make my own adapters and they worked as intended, it was a tedious project.

    Recently, I was perusing TEMU and came across several listings for various battery adapters at very reasonable prices, and they had several configurations I had never seen before. I subsequently discovered those battery adapters are also available on Amazon for reasonable prices.

    I have seen the following adapters for sale:

•     AAA to AA
•     4AAA to C  (4 AAA in parallel to C)
•     AA to C
•     AA to D
•     2AA to D  (2 AA in parallel to D)
•     3AA to D  (3 AA in parallel to D)
•     4D to 6V Lantern Battery (4 D in series to output 6 volts)

Most of these adapters only work with a single cell, while a few gang two or more cells in parallel to increase capacity. Unless you are trying to power something that requires higher current output than a single AAA or AA cell, I don't see any reason to use an adapter that requires multiple AAA or AA cells.

    The 6 volt lantern battery adapter is a specialty adapter, which puts four D cells in series to provide 6 volts. There are still a few flashlights that use a 6 volt lantern battery, and curiously my local Walmart still sells such a flashlight. There may still be electric fence chargers that use a 6 volt lantern battery. If you have a device that uses 6 volt lantern batteries, such an adapter may be useful.

    For the single cell adapters, the negative end of the AA or AAA cell will remain exposed as the negative contact after being installed in the adapter. For the AA to C adapter, both ends of the AA cell remain exposed. For the AAA to AA, and AA to D adapters, the positive end of the AA cell will make contact with a metal stud that will then make contact with the positive terminal of device to be powered or the negative contact of the next cell in series. (For the insert-from-bottom AA to D cell adapter (the opaque white adapters in the photos), it has four fingers at the top of the AA cell cavity to help hold the AA cell in place. When pushing in an AA cell, it will feel like those fingers might break. Just keep pushing, the fingers will not break.)

    For the 2 AA to D cell adapter, there are metal contacts built into each end of the adapter. The AA cells are inserted into the adapter, with the negative ends being pressing against the springy contacts on the bottom when latched closed.

The battery compartment of a radio that requires 4 D-cells. Two different types of AA to D adapters are shown being used.

A Side Note About The Batteries I Store

    I primarily store AA, AAA, 9 volt, CR123A and CR2032 batteries. The CR123A and CR2032 batteries are lithium cells. The 9 volt batteries are alkaline. The AA and AAA cells are alkaline, Energizer Ultimate Lithium, and rechargeable low-self-discharge NiMH cells.

    I also maintain an inventory of other batteries, such as LR44 button cells and CR2 cells, either because they are difficult to find in local stores or are absurdly expensive in the local stores.

    For the alkaline batteries, I am giving up on the major name brands (Duracell, Energizer, and Rayovac) because they usually leak, sometimes leaking in their unopened packages long before their expiration date. When they leak in a device - not necessarily a forgotten device in a drawer, but in a device used daily like a TV remote control - they sometimes cause irreparable damage. I've even had name brand alkaline batteries leak just sitting on the surface of a desk.

    I have started using store-brand standard capacity alkaline batteries (e.g. Sam's Club, Harbor Freight) because, in my experience, they don't usually leak. (I have no experience with the Harbor Freight "Thunderbolt Edge" higher capacity alkaline batteries.)

    For the NiMH cells, I've had good success with the low-self-discharge (labeled "pre-charged" on their packaging) Duracell and Eneloop cells. I charge them using an intelligent charger designed specifically for NiMH cells - not the cheap charger frequently supplied with a package of NiMH cells.

Conclusion

    I purchased AAA to AA cell adapters mostly for the solar chargers that only charge AA sized batteries. I also purchased AA to C, AA to D, and 2 AA to D adapters for other devices (primarily for radios that use C or D cell batteries).

    Battery adapters are not exciting or sexy, but they can add flexibility to the supply of batteries you keep in your inventory of supplies. Battery adapters are readily available online for very reasonable prices. And, from personal experience, I can attest that buying adapters is far easier than making your own.

Biden Administration Backs Away From Terrorist Designation For Houthis

I saw a couple articles this morning complaining that the Biden Administration is not designating the Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization:

• "State Department to Redesignate Houthis As Terrorists; Except Not As Real Terrorists"--Red State.
• "'Bait and Switch': Biden Decision To Water Down Houthi Terror Designation Draws Outrage"--The Washington Free Beacon. 

As the Red State article explains, rather than designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), as Trump had previously done, Biden is instead declare them to be Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). As the article explains:

    The difference between the two designations is more than semantic. 

    Doing business with an FTO subjects you to sanctions, or if you are an American, to a lengthy prison term for material support of terrorism. Collaborating with an SDGT means nothing.

    Key to the issue here--and why the weaker the SDGT designation--is that banks are required to seize the funds of FTOs. As I recently explained, Saudi Arabia is at a delicate juncture in its attempts to reach a peace deal with the Houthis; a deal that would involve Saudi Arabia transferring substantial sums to the Houthis. If the Houthis were designated as FTOs, requiring banks to seize those funds, it would scuttle the whole peace deal. And since Biden has sabotaged the U.S. oil industry so that we are again dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil, the U.S. has no choice but to act to protect the Saudi deal with the Houthis.

Related: And speaking of Biden sabotaging the oil industry: "Forest Service pulls right-of-way permit that would have allowed construction of Utah oil railroad."  

    The U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday withdrew its approval of a right-of-way permit that would have allowed the construction of a railroad project through about 12 miles (19 kilometers) of roadless, protected forest in northeastern Utah.

    The decision affecting the Ashley National Forest follows a U.S. appeals court ruling in August that struck down a critical approval involving the Uinta Basin Railway, a proposed 88-mile (142-kilometer) railroad line that would connect oil and gas producers in rural Utah to the broader rail network. It would allow them to access larger markets and ultimately sell to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico.

A Sci-Fi World: "A potentially revolutionary solar harvester just left the planet"

Popular Science reports on a small prototype satellite designed to harvest solar energy that launched earlier this week. "If its initial experiments are successful, arrays similar to Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD) could one day beam essentially endless renewable energy back to Earth via microwave transmitters."

Over the next few weeks and months, the roughly 110-pound prototype will send back data on three main projects. The Deployable on-Orbit ultraLight Composite Experiment (DOLCE) will test lightweight, foldable structures that can unfurl to collect sunlight. Meanwhile, ALBA (Italian for “dawn”), a collection of 32 different varieties of photovoltaic cells, will determine which could work best in the space’s extremely harsh environment. Finally, the Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment (MAPLE) will test microwave transmitters that may one day transmit the collected solar power via wireless electricity.

A microwave array, once it is scaled up in size and power, would probably make a good weapon as well. 

Library of Photovoltaics Books

When I discussed some of the more general sources of info and put together my E-Book Resource page, I generally listed some major repositories with the warning that you would need to explore those repositories to find the books and information that might interest you. But I thought I would periodically post more specific links to a collection, library, or specific titles that would be of interest to the prepper/survivalist.

    Today's selection is a collection of books on the subject of solar power and photovoltaics. 

    The books are in PDF format, but you may find the following programs useful to view them on your computer or to convert to a different format: First is Calibre, which is a free-to-download e-book management program. What makes it useful is that it can read many different formats of e-books and can convert between different formats (e.g. from epub to MOBI) as long as there is no encryption, and allows you to organize files into useful libraries. Second, and more basic, is SumatraPDF which also allows you to view all sorts of e-book formats but without the ability to convert a file from one format to another.

Disclaimer: I'm not the author of any of the documents, applications or things linked above and cannot vouch for their accuracy or completeness--use them at your own risk. I am not responsible for the posting or offering of any of the documents or things in the collections and/or libraries and have no control over whether they are posted or taken down. 

MSB: "Battery Corrosion | Why They Leak And How To Prevent It"

A good article from Modern Survival Blog on why batteries (focusing on AA and AAA in particular) will leak and corrode. It is mostly a problem with alkaline batteries because, due to the chemical reaction driving the production of electricity, hydrogen gas can build up and the pressure can rupture the seals on the ends of the battery and/or the metal body of the battery. To avoid leaks and corrosion damaging electronics, the author recommends buying Energizer MAX brand batteries, which are guaranteed not to leak, or to remove batteries from devices that won't be used for significant periods of time.

     My experience is that problems with leaks and corrosion are disproportionately high with cheap batteries--particularly the bulk packs of inexpensive off-brand batteries you can pick up at Costco. A good brand, such as Duracell and Energizer are less likely to give you problems over the long run. So, for instance, while I continue to buy the cheap Costco batteries for TV remotes or video game controllers, where there is a high turnover in battery usage, I've turned to higher quality batteries to use in equipment that may sit for awhile or, as the author suggests, remove the batteries.

    I recently came across Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries which claim a 20 year shelf-life, leak resistant, and good performance under extremes of temperature. I bought some AAA to use in pocket flashlight and see how they work, but may put more aside for long term storage if I like them. Duracell also had some long term storage batteries. Again, it might be cost effective to buy these batteries for everything, but if they work well, I will probably put these in flashlights and other items.

A Monday Medley of Videos (9/23/2019)

"What Fighters KNOW, and Shooters DON’T..."--Warrior Poet Society (12 min.)

"Blonde Buttermaker: After Hours - Women's Self Defense Corset Holster"--Red Ice TV (3 min.)

"How to Practice Shooting"--Lucky Gunner Ammo (9 min.)

"The Ideal Air Rifle for Survival (PCP with built-in Pump)"--The Modern Survivalist (aka FerFal) (7 min.)

"The National Personnel Records Fire of 1973"--The History Guy (13 min.).

Decades of military veteran's records up in smoke.

"5 basic judo throws everyone should know"--Shintaro Higashi (3 min.)

I like the progression from the initial throw, and then, if that doesn't work here's another you can transition to, and so on.

"Sparring Partners Will Not Like This | Two Dirty Trips or Sweeps for Kickboxing, Muay Thai or MMA"--Hard2Hurt (6 min.)

"Why 'Islam IS RIGHT About Women' is Causing 'Confusion & Anger'"--Black Pigeon Speaks (9 min.). The cognitive dissonance is too great.

"Virtual OPFOR Academy Task 3 - Raid"--OEC G&V (11 min.)

A couple thoughts about this video. First, this and some others in this same series presume that the opposition force has access to high explosives and anti-tank weapons, which may not be the case. Second, I would presume that a raid on a command post, as portrayed in this video, would have to deal with thermal imaging being used for surveillance, but does not address it.

"The Brits teach the Germans to bugger off! - WW2 - 056 - September 21 1940"--World War Two (12 min.)

"Ur: A History of the Great Sumerian City"--10 min.

I find these short histories to be useful in better understanding the Old Testament

"Intro to Ham Radio"--Black Pilled (50 min.)

The Realist: Grid-Down Cell Phone Charging

Another guest post from the Realist:

(Source)

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by myself. I did not receive samples, evaluation models, or other compensation from manufacturers or retailers. I have no formal relationship with any manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this review - I have only been an arms-length customer. Further, this review reflects my unique circumstances and subjective opinions with regard to performance and other characteristics of the products being described. Your mileage may vary.

After the recent hurricanes there has been a lot of discussion about the benefits of cell phones during the hurricane event and during the subsequent rescue operations, and the importance of keeping them charged after the power goes out. Hurricanes are only one of many reasons to have alternative means of charging your cell phone. There are many scenarios where having an alternative means of charging a cell phone could be beneficial.

Being able to keep a cell phone charged under a variety of circumstances has been a concern of mine since I first got a cell phone. When I finally got a smart phone, this concern became more pronounced as I started using my smart phone for a variety of non-telephonic tasks, including keeping abreast of local severe weather events in which I found myself.

This article is not intended to recommend any specific products or suppliers. Instead, by highlighting a few different evolving solutions I have put together for grid-down charging of my cell phone, I intend to give you an idea of what is available and give you a few data-points to aid your search for products to address your specific concerns and circumstances. I'm not going to show you the products I've purchased that have disappointed me, which were usually cheap or gimmicky.

 A typical cigarette lighter plug 12 volt USB car charger and cell phone charging cable.

Automotive

First off, you do have a 12-volt USB car charger and cable for your cell phone in your vehicle? While 12-volt USB car chargers are available for as little as a dollar, spend a few dollars more to get one with higher current capacity to facilitate quicker charging. For most practical circumstances, my vehicle is usually nearby wherever I happen to be, which is why I include it as a grid-down charging solution.

MintyBoost (top center), 2500 mAh flat lithium ion battery pack (center), 5200 mAh lithium ion battery pack (bottom center), multi-USB charging cables (far left), short Lightning cables (left), and micro-USB charging cables (right).

PowerFilm and MintyBoost

My previous grid-down cell phone charging solution, which also gave me the ability to charge AA and AAA batteries, incorporated a Powerfilm folding AA solar power charger and a MintyBoost AA battery powered USB charger. The Powerfilm solar power charger would charge AA nickle-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which would be used to power the MintyBoost charger, along other AA (or AAA) powered devices such as flashlights.

The PowerFilm AA folding solar power charger (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RMF7P8) weighs 4.4 ounces and folds up into a shirt-pocket sized package. It will charge two or four AA or AAA NiMH cells in pairs. Adapters are required to charge AAA cells (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EH5MJZW/). Unlike many solar battery chargers, this unit has a built-in charge controller and, via a pair of LEDs, provides a visual indication of operational state of the charger, including when the batteries are charged. In my experience, this solar charger would only charge NiMH AA cells to about 80-percent of capacity, but I was hanging it vertically in a window and not putting it in direct full sunlight.

The MintyBoost (https://www.adafruit.com/product/14) allows you to charge any device normally charged via USB, including cell phones, tablets, and other devices from alkaline or rechargable NiMH cells. The MintyBoost is only available in kit form, and requires modest soldering skills to assemble. You also need to be able to cut a slot in the side of the tin for the USB port. The MintyBoost was designed to fit in an Altoids gum tin. Although Altoids gum was discontinued several years ago, Adafruit sells a similar sized tin for two dollars.

You need to supply your own charging cable to plug into the MintyBoost. The MintyBoost will charge iPhones and Android cell phones.

Keep in mind that most cell phones and tablets have internal batteries whose capacity typically exceeds the capacity of a pair of AA batteries, so don't expect the MintyBoost to fully charge a completely dead cell phone battery. And, while operating, the AA batteries may get warm, and a small inductor on the MintyBoost circuit board will get hot.

The Goal Zero kit, which includes the Nomad 7 solar panel, battery pack, flashlight head, fan head, micro-USB charging cable, and a pair of small carabiners

Goal Zero

My latest grid-down cell phone charging solution is a Goal Zero solar panel that charges lithium ion battery packs that can subsequently be used to charge a cell phone. This is a less complicated - fewer "moving parts" - cell phone charging solution than the Powerfilm plus MintyBoost solution.

After Christmas, I ran across a Goal Zero "Switch 10 USB Multi-Tool Kit"
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OLINB12/) substantially discounted on clearance at a local store. While I would have never paid full price for the kit, it was reasonably priced on clearance. It had two items worth mentioning - the Nomad 7 solar panel and an accompanying 3,000 mAh lithium ion battery pack. The Nomad 7 solar panel is primarily intended to charge USB devices. The lithium ion battery pack can be charged by the solar panel, and has a USB port for charging other devices.

The Nomad 7 solar panel itself weighs a little over 16.2 ounces, and has a small pouch sewn on the back to contain its attached cables and hold other accessories. The entire Switch 10 USB Multi-Tool Kit kit weighs 24.7 ounces.

There is nothing special about the Goal Zero battery pack beyond its ability to accept an LED flashlight head or a small fan. The battery pack also has small white LED on the side that is intended to be used as a flashlight. The battery pack can be unscrewed to replace the internal proprietary lithium ion battery should it fail.

The Goal Zero solar panel will charge other lithium ion battery packs that are charged with a USB cable. So, you can even charge the inexpensive lithium ion battery packs intended for recharging cell phones. I have purchased additional lower capacity (2500 to 5000 mAh capacity) lithium ion battery packs to supplement the Goal Zero battery pack. They can be recharged in a reasonable period of time by the Nomad 7 solar panel.

Goal Zero sells a USB powered AA charger (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D2SQ6W8/). However, I believe it is overpriced and has some serious shortcomings.

Powerfilm (top) and Goal Zero (bottom) solar panels.

Experiment

As an experiment, I cobbled together a solar charging system for a parts cost of around ten dollars (twenty dollars if all parts were purchased new). This included a solar panel I'd purchased from a thrift store for $3.50 many months ago, a one-dollar 12-volt USB car charger from Dollar Tree, and a less-than six-dollar 2500 mAh lithium ion battery pack from Walmart (Walmart sells 2200 mAh battery packs for less than five dollars). (Not included in the cost of this experiment is the cable with a female cigarette lighter socket and alligator clips which I utilized simply for this experiment.)

The solar panel is very similar to a 1.5 watt unit sold by Harbor Freight for $14 (https://www.harborfreight.com/15-watt-solar-battery-charger-68692.html). It is inefficient and fragile compared to the previously discussed solar panels, but cheap.

The one-dollar USB car charger works, but is poorly made. Its internal construction quality actually makes me a bit nervous. Further, the side contacts intended to hold the charger in the cigarette lighter socket by friction are weak and the charger easily works its way out of the socket sufficiently to loose power.

In full sun, this cobbled-together solar charging system supplied about 75 mA per hour to the battery pack. It would take around 33 hours of full sun to charge a fully discharged 2500 mAh battery pack. And, since the typical smart phone has a battery capacity of around 2000 mAh, that means you would probably get enough power to fully charge you cell phone every three days if you had clear skies and diligently kept the solar panel aimed at the sun all day long.

Two or three similar solar panels could be ganged together in parallel to increase charging current and reduce charging time. With two of these solar panels in parallel, you could probably get a full charge ever other day. And, with three of these solar panels in parallel, you could probably get a full charge every day.

This experimental solar charging system is not very practical given its low charge current, but demonstrates that inexpensive or scavenged components could be utilized in a pinch to put together an off-grid cell phone charging system.

An experimental solar charging solution cobbled together with around ten dollars in parts.

Lithium Ion Battery Packs

While I consider lithium ion battery packs to be a component of a larger grid-down cell phone charging solution, others have suggested them as a primary solution for short-duration grid-down cell phone charging.

There are a wide variety of lithium ion battery packs being sold for recharging cell phones, tablets, and other devices. These battery packs usually come with a short USB (type-A) to micro-USB cable. The full-size USB end of the cable plugs into the USB port on a computer or a USB power supply, while the micro-USB end of the cable plugs into a charging port on the battery pack. The full-size USB jack on the battery pack is used to charge other devices.

Cables

Most Android phones are charged via a micro-USB port, so the charging cable supplied with the lithium ion battery pack can be used to charge an Android phone. For those who have an Apple iPhone or iPad, an additional Lightning cable is required for charging. Fortunately, there are a variety of Lightning cables on the market.

In the photo with the USB cables, I have shown two different short Lightning cables. The stubby fat cable was sold at Walmart for a while, but appears to have been discontinued - similar cables are available from other sources. The other short cable is a Belkin cable, which cost as much as a regular length cable.

Also in the photo with the cables are two "multi-USB" or "charge buddy" charging cables. These cables were being given away by exhibitors at a convention I recently attended, but similar models are sold on Amazon and eBay. These cables are only for charging and not for data transfer.

Not pictured is a cable I recently purchased at a gun show that has both micro-USB and Lightning built into a single plug to support both Android and Apple products - it looks like a micro-USB plug with lightning contacts on one side (http://www.cordsofsteel.com/). It supports charging and data transfer. I don't have a lot of experience with it yet. My only concern is that it fits a little too tight into the lightning port of my iPhone.

Final Thoughts

The PowerFilm and Goal Zero solar panels described above are marketed primarily for hiking and camping. Both solar panels have provisions for attaching the solar panel to a backpack, if hiking, or to something else to properly aim it at the sun. Lightweight cord or rope should be included with your solar panel kit for attachment to something else. In an emergency scenario, some care in placement should be exercised to minimize the risk of theft.

Don't go cheap on the USB charging cables. In my experience, most cables are somewhat fragile. I have tried to buy quality cables, and will keep the convention-give-away multi-USB charging cables for backup.

I am not going to suggest any particular type of alternative/emergency charging capability. The products mentioned above reflect my ongoing search for products that can charge and power my cell phone and other battery powered devices in an emergency.

Whatever capabilities you choose, be sure to test your equipment to make sure it performs as expected, paying particular attention to the charge state of your lithium ion battery packs (a battery pack that will not hold a charge will need to be replaced). Regularly retest those battery packs to make sure they continue to perform as expected. If you are a blended family with both Android and Apple cell phones, make sure you have cables for both types of devices.

Finally, in a grid-down situation, try to minimize the use of your cell phone to extend its battery life - don't watch movies or play video games with it.

Good luck!

A Portable Solar Power System

One of the more interesting magazines to me is The Backwoodsman. Its emphasis is on topics concerned with primitive or rustic living, but also includes many handy "how-to" or DIY articles on various topics. The most recent issue (Sept/Oct. 2015) contains an article entitled: "Small Solar System: Cheap, Portable, and Readily Available" by Dave Storm. The author sets out his idea for putting together an inexpensive, portable solar charging system intended to recharge small electric devices, such as a cell phone or tablet computer, batteries, and so on. The primary components are the Brief Case Solar Charger (Harbor Freight parts no. 68750) and 3-in-1 Jump Starter and Power Supply (Harbor Freight parts no. 38391). Storm's recommendation is to use the solar charger to charge the battery in the power supply, which then can be used to recharge or operate other devices.

Storm also recommends a couple other devices to go with it that would be useful, such as as a rechargeable flashlight designed to charge from a car cigarette lighter, and a small inverter. He mentions specific models in his article, so give it a read if you track down a copy of the magazine.

Or, for about twice the price of the 3-in-1 Charger that Storm mentions, Harbor Freight also has a 5-in-1 Charger that includes the power inverter, with two 120 V A/C outlets and a USB port.

Brian Green Reviews the Bushnell SolarWrap

Brian Green who runs the Brian's Backpacking Blog reviews the Bushnell SolarWrap--a flexible solar panel/charging system that rolls up like a scroll or window shade.

Shelf Life of Cooking Oil and Fuel

The Preparedness Advice Blog recently posted couple useful articles on shelf-life: specifically, an article looking at the shelf-life of various cooking oils and fats; and another article on the shelf-life of various fuels and batteries.

The Realist: Unboxing the Honda EU2000i Generator

Today, I have another guest post from the Realist ....

Unboxing the Honda EU2000i Generator

by The Realist

The unboxed Honda EU2000i, with owners manual, warranty card, and accessories pamphlet.

For many years, I've lusted after a Honda generator. Whenever I've seen one in operation, it was just quietly purring away. A coincidence of some extra money and a good price at a local store was all I needed to pull the trigger and buy one.

Several models of Honda generators can be paired with another identical size Honda generator with a special cable set. It appears the primary purpose of pairing generators is to provide more current to power an RV. (The alternative would be a single larger and heavier generator.)

There are two variants of the EU2000i, the regular model and the "Companion" model. The Companion model has an outlet rated for 30 Amps for connecting to an RV, and it costs $100-150 more. I got the regular model.

The "2000" denotes the capability of the generator to handle a peak load of 2000 Watts for a brief period of time. It is rated for a 1330 Watt continuous load. The "i" indicates that this generator utilizes an inverter circuit to produce the 120 Volt 60 Hertz AC power. The generator has an "Eco-Throttle(tm)" system mode that allows the engine to run at a lower RPM (less noise, lower fuel consumption) if full power is not needed to supply the electrical load. (The Owner's Manual lists circumstances were the Eco-Throttle(tm) mode is not recommended.)

The Honda EU2000i comes in a double-thickness corrugated cardboard box with the owners manual, a warranty card (with instructions on how to register online), and a small pamphlet listing some extra accessories. Nothing else is in the box.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the 96 page Owner's Manual was produced for this specific model of generator. There was no skipping past material for other models, and no tables to decipher to determine what features, capabilities, or limits applied to this specific model. (The Companion model is only mentioned in the context of pairing generators.) The Owner's Manual describes how to perform regular maintenance on the generator: oil changes, cleaning/replacing the air filters, gaping/replacing the spark plug, and cleaning the spark arrester. The manual also describes how to prepare the generator for long-term storage, and recommends procedures for shorter periods of storage. And, the manual was only in English, so there was none of the garbage normally associated with multilingual instruction manuals.

Necessities to get the new generator running: gasoline can, motor oil, Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer, and long neck funnel.

The generator is shipped without oil. You must add oil before trying to start the generator. This is the first warning you see when you open the box, and there is also large yellow warning tag affixed to the starter pull cord.

At a bare minimum, before you can start the generator, you need to buy motor oil (SAE 10W-30), a gas can, and gasoline. I also got a long neck funnel to help with adding oil. The owner's manual also recommends getting Sta-Bil(R) fuel stabilizer, which I got.

While not necessary, I got a regular replacement spout for the gas can to replace the evil CARB compliant spout that would leak and cause gas to be spilled, that would slip and destroy the screen in the mouth of the generator's gas tank, and that would probably injure me in some unforeseen way. The replacement spouts are available on ebay.

Accessories I considered important: theft deterrent bracket to protect the handle, fitted dust cover, DC charging cable, and replacement gas can spout.

Other accessories I ordered were a theft deterrent bracket that goes over the handle (the generator's plastic handle can be easily cut), a fitted cover to keep dust off the generator while stored in the garage, and a DC charging cable that allows the generator to charge a 12 V battery. At this writing, I am still searching for a suitable locking system to secure the generator during periods of possible unattended operation. (Some people recommend chaining a dog to the generator to deter theft.)

Adding oil to the crankcase only took a few minutes. A screwdriver, or even a coin, is required to loosen the screw holding the side maintenance cover in place. The oil fill/drain port is a bit buried, like it usually is on most things with an internal combustion engine. Screwing and unscrewing the oil port cap/dipstick could be a bit annoying for someone with larger hands. The long neck funnel worked just fine for adding oil. It took about a third of a quart of oil.

The generator started after maybe a dozen fairly easy pulls. Remember, this was a new generator with a dry fuel system, so most of those pulls were sucking fuel into the fuel system.

I ran the generator for thirty minutes using 750/1500 Watt heat gun as a test load. Most of the time, I let the generator run with a 750 Watt load. Occasionally, I would increase the load to 1500 Watts to observe how the generator responded. When activated, the Eco-Throttle(tm) noticeably reduced the engine speed with the 750 Watt load, and the engine immediately increased RPM when I increased the load. I measured an output voltage of 125.8 Volts AC under load.

I did not try to measure fuel consumption during this short run, but Honda claims the generator will run for 4 hours at the rated load (1330 Watts) or 9.6 hours at one-fourth of the rated load on a tankful (0.95 gallons) of gasoline.

The generator was a little noisier than I remember Honda generators being. This discrepancy between what I remember and what I observed was that when I remember hearing Honda generators in the past, there were several other loud non-Honda generators nearby that sounded like loud lawn mower engines. I was running the generator in front of my garage, but behind one of my vehicles. The generator was scarcely noticeable at the end of my two-car-lengths drive way - the sound was masked by wind and other noises. If I run this generator in an emergency situation, I will most likely put it in my back yard to further mask its noise from the street.

I purchased this generator primarily for emergency use. Two-thousand Watt capacity seems to me to be the sweet spot for operating desirable electrical appliances (e.g. refrigerator, microwave oven, small air conditioner) while charging rechargeable devices. Larger generators consume more fuel, are less portable, and generally make more noise.

Other Options

I'm sure you are wanting to ask why I didn't get brand X or model Y generator. The easy answer is that I was relying on the long-term positive reputation of the small Honda generators, my personal experience with them, and what I saw in the local stores.

There are several other inverter type generators from a variety of manufacturers/importers on the market. They also all seem to be cheaper than the Honda. I didn't see them in any of the stores I regularly visit, so I didn't look at them.

There are cheaper generators, including a 1000 Watt unit frequently available on sale at Harbor Freight for $100. This Harbor Freight generator has a two-cycle engine, so it requires premixing oil with the gasoline. There are YouTube videos of this generator in operation - it runs at high RPMs and is very noisy like a chain saw.

There are many 5000 Watt generators available for $500-1000 from a variety of sources. A coworker has one of these generators, and he has related his experience with it over the course of several multi-day power outages at his home. The main points from various discussions with him is that it is noisy (he describes it as sounding like five lawn mowers), it consumes a lot of fuel, and it is heavy. These generators run at a fixed RPM to produce the 60 Hertz AC.

There are also may whole-house emergency generator options. They are beyond the scope of what I wanted.

Other articles from the Realist: "A Small Survival Library for a Get Home Bag"

A Couple Articles on Growing, Cutting, and Preparing Firewood

I know it is too late to do anything for this year's firewood needs, but spring is only a few months away. Via the Surviving Anarchy site, I found two articles from the Oklahoma State University extension office regarding firewood:

(1)  "Managing Your Woodlot for Firewood"(PDF)--a basic guide for managing a wood lot to grow better quality timber for sale or use, and culling other trees for firewood.

(2)  "Firewood: How to Obtain, Measure, Season, and Burn" (PDF). It has good information on stacking wood, and the BTU output of various types of wood.

Bill Whittle: Lights Out! The Chaos When Our Grid Goes Down

Nuclear Sabatoge

Via Powerline Blog (h/t Instapundit):

Belgian energy company Electrabel said its Doel 4 nuclear reactor would stay offline at least until the end of this year after major damage to its turbine, with the cause confirmed as sabotage. . .

The loss of this reactor may lead to blackouts this winter.

Solar Panel Degradation

If you are considering solar power to supplement or replace your connection to the regular power grid, you should read this article on solar panel degradation. Many of the panels are cheaply made, caused by shortcuts and substitution of cheap materials, and failing in a matter of few years rather than the 25 to 30 years needed to make them commercially viable. One exception specifically cited in the article are those made by Yingli.

Frankly, it doesn't surprise me. The florescent "bulbs" we are supposed to replace our incandescent light bulbs with have also shown much higher failure rates than we were led to believe, or are warranted by the price.

The Mechanical Transmission of Power

Low-Tech Magazine has three articles on historical methods of mechanically transmitting power over short distances--several miles or less.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Peak Oil Update--U.S. Production Overtaking Imports

U.S. oil production is expected to have surpassed imports in March.

The amount of oil produced in the U.S., now at a 21 year high, is nearly even with the amount being imported, and the gap is narrowing.

... Andrew Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates expects the government data to show that U.S. production actually surpassed imports in March, when it releases its final March data at the end of the month.

The bottle-neck is distribution--that is, insufficient pipelines to transport the oil to refineries.

California Facing Blackouts Due to Renewable Energy

Walter Russell Mead notes that California's investment in "green" energy is leading to the entirely predictable result of possible blackouts. (H/t Instapundit). He writes:

The epidemic of power outages and “rolling blackouts” which nearly shut down California in the early 2000s may be returning. Back then, the culprits were unscrupulous energy providers like Enron and a poorly-thought out process of deregulation. This time, renewable energy would be to blame, as the state has pushed to increase the use of solar and wind energy without ensuring that there is enough traditional power generation to keep the grid stable on cloudy, windless days.

Although Mead notes problems with solar and wind energy in other states, it has also been a problem in the U.K. and Germany.  (See also here and here).

When I read this, I thought of something I read some time ago (but unfortunately can't find) that suggested that one of the reasons we see fewer riots now than in the 1960's and 70's is the spread of air conditioning. In any event, there is a correlation between higher temperatures and crime--that is, crime rates such as assaults increase as it gets warmer until temperatures reach 85 or 90 degrees Fahrenheit. (See here, here, and here). So, blackouts in California could lead to people not having air conditioning, not being able to stay inside during hot weather, and a resulting increase in crime.

No matter how you cut it, when you wind up with something less--whether less reliable, less efficient, less inexpensive--it is a decline. The focus on wind and solar power represents a decline in our civilization, not an advance.