Discussions
Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted December 22, 2020

Giving advice on emergency preparation can be confusing because different degrees of emergency require different measures. If we’re talking about something like the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area that knocked out phones and the power grid for about a day, two meter ham radio came in handy to keep in touch with friends and family members who also had two meter radios and who were local. To communicate with friends and family outside of the Bay Area, battery powered HF ham radio was needed.  If you experience a disaster that knocks out the phones for a day or two in your community, you’ll feel fortunate to be equipped with two meter ham radios. If the disaster knocks out power and communications with a 100 mile radius or greater, you’ll wish you had a HF radio station as well as two meters. To repeat, equipping yourself with two meter radios isn’t expensive and getting the license isn’t terribly difficult. It’s a good, reasonable measure to consider for emergency preparation. To go beyond two meters and set up an off-grid HF station will increase your range of communication but I’m not sure it’s worth the time, expense, and effort unless you also want to adopt ham radio as a hobby.  I have two meter radios and a solar powered HF station but I also have a Garmin inReach Mini that can send and receive texts and email via satellite. I’m not sure how satellite communication will function during a wide area catastrophe, but I have it just in case. The monthly fee is about $12, which stings a little, but satellite communication is more reliable than ham radio and it would be convenient to communicate directly with friends and family outside of the catastrophe zone who don’t have radios.

Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted December 21, 2020

Jonnie, I think your reservations are valid. I agree that ham radio can easily become a rabbit hole and for it to a reliable, long range communication resource. You not only have to pass a test, but you’ll have spend a fair amount of time and effort familiarizing yourself with how it works and to troubleshoot when things don’t go as expected. If you’re hesitant on taking it on as a project, yes, you might want to pass on it or consider a lower tier of involvement. You also need to figure that when ham radio is an alternative means of communication, it usually needs an alternative power source. You’ll need a solar power setup, a gas generator, or an easy way to connect it to your car battery. Keep in mind that I’m talking about HF, the 40 and 80 meters bands, which will allow semi-reliable communication from 200 to 800 miles. To set up a station for HF with new equipment, you could spend as little as $800. For old, used equipment, maybe $500 if you’re lucky. The two meter band is a different ballgame. You can set up a two meter radio for $150 and it doesn’t require the time, energy or preparation of HF. Two meters will come in handy for emergencies when the phones are out and they have a range of about 20 miles and farther when used with repeaters. Many repeaters have battery back up but during a serious emergency, their use will be restricted. Is getting a two meter radio worth the time and investment? I happen to think so, without hesitation. In some disaster situations,  it will come in handy. As for HF, I’m glad I’m set up for it, but it’s not something I’d recommend for everyone.

Reply to: Review: Sawyer Point ZeroTwo Bucket Purification System Posted July 24, 2020
Reply to: Review: Sawyer Point ZeroTwo Bucket Purification System Posted July 18, 2020

This is a good review. I bought the Point One Sawyer bucket system which costs $99 because the Point Zero Two wasn’t available. It’s now selling on Amazon for $139 but I’m not sure I’ll get it. The .02 will eliminate “most” viruses, but I use Chlorine Dioxide when I feel nervous about viruses. Viruses, I’m told, are rarely found in water sources in the USA. Of course, after SHTF, that might be different. Covid-19, I’m told, is a fat virus that can be filtered out with 0.5 filtration. (But actually that doesn’t matter because Covid-19 is not water bourne.) The reviewer appears to have had some difficulty installing the system. I’m not good with tools but I had no problem installing my mine, but I used a drill right from the start. There were no leaks and it took me just ten minutes. The reviewer says it would be nice to have charcoal filtration. I’ve used charcoal filters before and they improve the taste and the appearance of the water but my main concern has been bacteria. You can add an inline charcoal filter to this system if you like. Platypus sells one for $19. But here’s the problem: they don’t last very long unless your water is very clean to begin with. Would upgrading to the Point Zero Two be the smart thing to do? I don’t want to worry about the expiration date of my Chlorine Dioxide tablets. But how likely will viruses be a concern after SHTF? One man’s paranoia is another man’s smart preparation. When I’m in a level-headed mood, I think that 0.02 is overkill and that it’s highly unlikely that viruses will be a problem after SHTF. After a natural disaster, the most likely problem with water will be contamination from sewage. To purify it, all you’d need is the 0.1. And the 0.1 will purify the water a lot faster than the 0.02. A couple of days ago I asked Customer Service at Sawyer about the 0.02 system. This is what they said: “Our SP191 system is temporarily discontinued. It is used mostly with our international partners in countries and communities where water borne viruses are still an issue. They have been eliminated in the United States.” And in another email: “The SP191 is temporarily discontinued as we work with outfitting our international partners with our inventory. They were designed specifically for those communities and they are being prioritized for them at this point. In regards SP191 we do not have certified dealers selling the 0.02 micron system at this time.” So that means that Amazon is not a certified dealer. Naturally, I want my water to be as pure as possible, but after applying facts and reason, it looks like the 0.1 bucket system is the way to go. By the way, it’s also smart to have on hand several propane tanks to purify water by boiling it. I purchased a heavy duty two burner propane stove specifically for that purpose.

Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted June 26, 2020

The most common backpack HF unit is the Yaesu FT817nd because it’s decent and been around the longest. It puts out 5 watts. Elecraft has the KX2 and the KX3 which are newer and superior in design. They put out around 10 watts. There are a couple of radios coming out from China, the Xiegu, one that puts out 5 watts another another one that puts out 20. The best of the bunch in terms of quality, expandability, and ease of operation would be the KX3. It’s also the most expensive. There are small mobile radios like the Yaesu FT891 that will fit in a backpack and run 100 watts but need a power source like a car battery or a 100 ah battery connected to a full size solar panel. Conditions will allow 5 watt radios to work sometimes. You’ve got to be fairly lucky. Twenty watt radios will work a lot more often, and a 100 watt radio works even better. But even with a 100 watt radio, you are subject to daily band conditions and the time of day. A portable HF radio set up makes communication possible, but not reliable. Even a good HF base station isn’t always reliable. Radios that put out 5 to 10 watts are challenging to operate which make it an interesting hobby, but not very good for a preparation plan. A small size 100 watt HF rig, preferably with a built in antenna tuner, would be the best way to go unless you know you won’t have any way to power it. My HF base station runs off a battery and a solar panel. I also have portable HF  5 and 20 watt radios and a 75 watt 2 meter radio  To supplement emergency ham radio communication, I have a Garmin inReach Mini satellite device for two-way email. It costs me $12/month but it’s very reliable and enables communication with anybody worldwide.

Reply to: Best home water filter Posted April 25, 2020
Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted April 24, 2020

The main purpose of my ham radio station is to be able to communicate with the outside world in the event of an earthquake or similar disaster. Without power from the grid, I can reliably communicate with others 500 miles away. My power source is a 100 AH battery which is charged by a 100 watt solar panel. That cost me about $200. My ham radio is a used Kenwood TS130 which I bought off eBay for about $200. My antenna is just a 110 foot piece of insulated copper wire which cost me less than $20. The antenna tuner I use cost $100. I test it every afternoon on the 40 meter band and every evening on the 75 meter band. For the past two years it hasn’t failed once. With ham radio, it’s possible to communicate a lot farther than 500 miles, but with my station, which is designed for NVIS, I wouldn’t be able to so with reliability.

Reply to: Best home water filter Posted April 24, 2020
No activity yet.
Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted December 22, 2020

Giving advice on emergency preparation can be confusing because different degrees of emergency require different measures. If we’re talking about something like the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area that knocked out phones and the power grid for about a day, two meter ham radio came in handy to keep in touch with friends and family members who also had two meter radios and who were local. To communicate with friends and family outside of the Bay Area, battery powered HF ham radio was needed.  If you experience a disaster that knocks out the phones for a day or two in your community, you’ll feel fortunate to be equipped with two meter ham radios. If the disaster knocks out power and communications with a 100 mile radius or greater, you’ll wish you had a HF radio station as well as two meters. To repeat, equipping yourself with two meter radios isn’t expensive and getting the license isn’t terribly difficult. It’s a good, reasonable measure to consider for emergency preparation. To go beyond two meters and set up an off-grid HF station will increase your range of communication but I’m not sure it’s worth the time, expense, and effort unless you also want to adopt ham radio as a hobby.  I have two meter radios and a solar powered HF station but I also have a Garmin inReach Mini that can send and receive texts and email via satellite. I’m not sure how satellite communication will function during a wide area catastrophe, but I have it just in case. The monthly fee is about $12, which stings a little, but satellite communication is more reliable than ham radio and it would be convenient to communicate directly with friends and family outside of the catastrophe zone who don’t have radios.

Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted December 21, 2020

Jonnie, I think your reservations are valid. I agree that ham radio can easily become a rabbit hole and for it to a reliable, long range communication resource. You not only have to pass a test, but you’ll have spend a fair amount of time and effort familiarizing yourself with how it works and to troubleshoot when things don’t go as expected. If you’re hesitant on taking it on as a project, yes, you might want to pass on it or consider a lower tier of involvement. You also need to figure that when ham radio is an alternative means of communication, it usually needs an alternative power source. You’ll need a solar power setup, a gas generator, or an easy way to connect it to your car battery. Keep in mind that I’m talking about HF, the 40 and 80 meters bands, which will allow semi-reliable communication from 200 to 800 miles. To set up a station for HF with new equipment, you could spend as little as $800. For old, used equipment, maybe $500 if you’re lucky. The two meter band is a different ballgame. You can set up a two meter radio for $150 and it doesn’t require the time, energy or preparation of HF. Two meters will come in handy for emergencies when the phones are out and they have a range of about 20 miles and farther when used with repeaters. Many repeaters have battery back up but during a serious emergency, their use will be restricted. Is getting a two meter radio worth the time and investment? I happen to think so, without hesitation. In some disaster situations,  it will come in handy. As for HF, I’m glad I’m set up for it, but it’s not something I’d recommend for everyone.

Reply to: Review: Sawyer Point ZeroTwo Bucket Purification System Posted July 24, 2020
Reply to: Review: Sawyer Point ZeroTwo Bucket Purification System Posted July 18, 2020

This is a good review. I bought the Point One Sawyer bucket system which costs $99 because the Point Zero Two wasn’t available. It’s now selling on Amazon for $139 but I’m not sure I’ll get it. The .02 will eliminate “most” viruses, but I use Chlorine Dioxide when I feel nervous about viruses. Viruses, I’m told, are rarely found in water sources in the USA. Of course, after SHTF, that might be different. Covid-19, I’m told, is a fat virus that can be filtered out with 0.5 filtration. (But actually that doesn’t matter because Covid-19 is not water bourne.) The reviewer appears to have had some difficulty installing the system. I’m not good with tools but I had no problem installing my mine, but I used a drill right from the start. There were no leaks and it took me just ten minutes. The reviewer says it would be nice to have charcoal filtration. I’ve used charcoal filters before and they improve the taste and the appearance of the water but my main concern has been bacteria. You can add an inline charcoal filter to this system if you like. Platypus sells one for $19. But here’s the problem: they don’t last very long unless your water is very clean to begin with. Would upgrading to the Point Zero Two be the smart thing to do? I don’t want to worry about the expiration date of my Chlorine Dioxide tablets. But how likely will viruses be a concern after SHTF? One man’s paranoia is another man’s smart preparation. When I’m in a level-headed mood, I think that 0.02 is overkill and that it’s highly unlikely that viruses will be a problem after SHTF. After a natural disaster, the most likely problem with water will be contamination from sewage. To purify it, all you’d need is the 0.1. And the 0.1 will purify the water a lot faster than the 0.02. A couple of days ago I asked Customer Service at Sawyer about the 0.02 system. This is what they said: “Our SP191 system is temporarily discontinued. It is used mostly with our international partners in countries and communities where water borne viruses are still an issue. They have been eliminated in the United States.” And in another email: “The SP191 is temporarily discontinued as we work with outfitting our international partners with our inventory. They were designed specifically for those communities and they are being prioritized for them at this point. In regards SP191 we do not have certified dealers selling the 0.02 micron system at this time.” So that means that Amazon is not a certified dealer. Naturally, I want my water to be as pure as possible, but after applying facts and reason, it looks like the 0.1 bucket system is the way to go. By the way, it’s also smart to have on hand several propane tanks to purify water by boiling it. I purchased a heavy duty two burner propane stove specifically for that purpose.

Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted June 26, 2020

The most common backpack HF unit is the Yaesu FT817nd because it’s decent and been around the longest. It puts out 5 watts. Elecraft has the KX2 and the KX3 which are newer and superior in design. They put out around 10 watts. There are a couple of radios coming out from China, the Xiegu, one that puts out 5 watts another another one that puts out 20. The best of the bunch in terms of quality, expandability, and ease of operation would be the KX3. It’s also the most expensive. There are small mobile radios like the Yaesu FT891 that will fit in a backpack and run 100 watts but need a power source like a car battery or a 100 ah battery connected to a full size solar panel. Conditions will allow 5 watt radios to work sometimes. You’ve got to be fairly lucky. Twenty watt radios will work a lot more often, and a 100 watt radio works even better. But even with a 100 watt radio, you are subject to daily band conditions and the time of day. A portable HF radio set up makes communication possible, but not reliable. Even a good HF base station isn’t always reliable. Radios that put out 5 to 10 watts are challenging to operate which make it an interesting hobby, but not very good for a preparation plan. A small size 100 watt HF rig, preferably with a built in antenna tuner, would be the best way to go unless you know you won’t have any way to power it. My HF base station runs off a battery and a solar panel. I also have portable HF  5 and 20 watt radios and a 75 watt 2 meter radio  To supplement emergency ham radio communication, I have a Garmin inReach Mini satellite device for two-way email. It costs me $12/month but it’s very reliable and enables communication with anybody worldwide.

Reply to: Best home water filter Posted April 25, 2020
Reply to: Beginner’s guide to amateur (ham) radio for preppers Posted April 24, 2020

The main purpose of my ham radio station is to be able to communicate with the outside world in the event of an earthquake or similar disaster. Without power from the grid, I can reliably communicate with others 500 miles away. My power source is a 100 AH battery which is charged by a 100 watt solar panel. That cost me about $200. My ham radio is a used Kenwood TS130 which I bought off eBay for about $200. My antenna is just a 110 foot piece of insulated copper wire which cost me less than $20. The antenna tuner I use cost $100. I test it every afternoon on the 40 meter band and every evening on the 75 meter band. For the past two years it hasn’t failed once. With ham radio, it’s possible to communicate a lot farther than 500 miles, but with my station, which is designed for NVIS, I wouldn’t be able to so with reliability.

Reply to: Best home water filter Posted April 24, 2020