Numbers stations are shortwave stations that broadcast cryptic messages that are widely assumed to be used for communications between nation states and spies. But who’s to say it’s up to the government to have all the fun? If you’ve always dreamed of running your own spy ring, you’ll need a way to talk to them too. Start with this guide on how to run your own numbers station.
The requirements are simple – you just need random numbers, one time pads for each recipient (available from our store!) and a way to send the audio – ideally a powerful shortwave transmitter, but for an intelligence agency on a budget, online streaming will work. Then you’re ready to send your message. [Jake Zielke] shares techniques on how to easily encode a message into numbers for transmission, and how to encrypt them with one time pad techniques. Done properly, this is an unbreakable form of encryption. [Jake] then rounds out the guide with tips on how to format your station’s transmissions to address multiple secret agents effectively.
It’s a great way to get started in the world of spooky secret radio communications. All the tools needed to get started are available on the page, so you’ll be up and running in no time. Meanwhile, why not do a little more research on the history of numbers stations?
For about 7 or 8 months now, I've been trying to get into the habit of reality checking to indoor/outdoor transitions. I reckoned it would be a good "dreamsign". It was very difficult in the beginning but after months of practice, it's gotten much easier to remember in reality, however there is still no realization of the transition in dreams. I wonder sometimes if maybe I'm wasting my time with it, or maybe habit formation should take longer than this?
Is there a chance this could ever work?
Thanks
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I'm having some trouble finding the right english word for it. But how does keeping a general overview and your skill of being able to assess information and oversight or control in situations in life, affect your overall lucidity in dreams?
Does anyone else see a connection with this. I mean, bawsically lucid dreaming is having a lucid understanding of the situation that you are in, which is a dream and is malleable. Life likewise produces massive amounts of different situations. Being able to pick-up intent in people's words/tones. Knowing what is going on around you. How people feel is what I focus on. But there's a lot more things you can pick up on I reckon.
Don't get me wrong, normally I go through life with tunnelvision. Generally unaware what's going on around my body. Maybe that is why I think I have only a few dozen lucid dreams during years since my first Lucid dream. maybe
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I am totally a beginner trying to Lucid Dream for last 3-4 days. I have once astral projected and got scared too much(Last year). I've read about all the techniques(From this book and read some pages of Exploring Lucid Dream), I am trying to apply WILD and MILD. There are many more techniques, which technique should I go with? I am a regular sleeper, I sleep at 12 and wake up at 6 AM. I can sleep not more than 7 hours a day.
Thank you!
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The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) broadcasts atomic clock time signals from Fort Collins, Colorado on various frequencies. The WWVB signal on 60 kHz blasts out 70,000 watts that theoretically should reach the entire continental US. Unfortunately for [Anish Athalye], the signals do not reach his Massachusetts dorm, so he built this GPS to WWVB converter to keep his Casio G-Shock self-setting watch on track.
Not a repeater but a micro-WWVB transmitter, [Anish]’s build consists of a GPS receiver module and an ultra low-power 60kHz transmitter based on an ATtiny44a microcontroller’s hardware PWM driving a ferrite rod antenna. It’s not much of a transmitter, but it doesn’t need to be since the watch is only a few inches away. That also serves to keep the build in compliance with FCC regulations regarding low-power transmissions. Heavy wizardry is invoked by the software needed to pull time data off the GPS module and convert it to WWVB time code format, with the necessary time zone and Daylight Savings Time corrections. Housed in an attractive case, the watch stand takes about three minutes to sync the watch every night.
[Anish] offers some ideas for improving the accuracy, but we think he did just fine with this build. We covered a WWVB signal spoofer before, but this build is far more polished and practical.
article via everydaycarryexperts.com, photo John Hritz via on Flickr
A good survival EDC has to do two things well:
To assist you in everyday tasks
To keep you alive in case of an emergency.
The problem with EDCs is that you can only carry so much on your person. Unless you have a job that’s keeping you glued to your car, you’re stuck keeping your everyday carry items in places such as your wallet, your laptop bag, your purse and, of course, your pockets.
Whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural area, you’ll find the exhaustive list below enough to fit most if not all of your needs… so let’s take it one at a time, shall we?
In the post Apocalyptic scenario when rule of law breaks down then householders need to protect their families – but aren’t we almost there already with home invasions and zombies hell-bent not just on taking your stuff but causing harm?
And it’s your right to do everything in your power to protect your family? Well, unfortunately, protecting your family comes with all sorts of rules – make one wrong move and there’s a big fat court case waiting which doesn’t seem fair since it was the zombies who went on the attack.
FBI crime statistics for 2015 released in late September 2016 put the violent crimes figure at 1,197,704. That is a lot of crime and one can expect the 2016 figures to be even higher- it takes them around nine months to collect and process all the data.
Weapons
The weapons you use will depend on the situation. If you are outside in a bug out situation and have a reasonable early warning system – like people standing watch – you can get into position to take out at least some of the zombies before they even know that you know they are on the attack. If you can see them coming across the lawn/through the garden and you have a clear view then the bow and arrow may be a way to engender fear and perhaps stop the attack.
First off you want weapons that can be fired from a long range to deter a zombie mob – you certainly don’t want to be up against them at close range As soon as you fire a gun the zombies know where to fire back – but a silent arrow coming out of seemingly nowhere that finds its mark gives you an advantage.
Longbow versus Crossbow
The entry level and basic longbows aren’t too pricey but as you move to the high end of the range used by professional hunters they get very expensive. The pros are that they have a decent fire rate if you are experienced but you have to nock the arrow – that means adjusting it into the bowstring and pull the string each time.
Long Bows require quite a bit of power and suit the more burly types with plenty of strength in their arms. They are also deadly and silent – just what you need for to surprise a group of zombies on the attack and throw them into disarray. But if you are going to be dodging around trees and buildings fast they can prove unwieldy.
The crossbow is like a longbow placed on its side, set onto a stock and is fired from the shoulder. It is both powerful and accurate even if one isn’t an expert. The advantage lies in being able to nock an arrow and carry it around ready to fire in an emergency – but that’s only once – after this you have to nock the next arrow.
It is also easier to fire so women and men who don’t have the requisite strength (around 80 lbs draw weight and upwards) in their arms to use a long bow, but have the accuracy, can handle the crossbow very efficiently. With the long bow you have to maintain that draw weight until you have loosed the arrow – with the crossbow once you have the arrow in position you don’t have to maintain that pressure – you just fire when you need to.
The cross bow has a slower rate of fire than the longbow and also it is not as silent – you can hear the shudder from the bowstring if fairly close to the target so this may alert zombies. Arrows from both types are reusable but in a zombie attack you are unlikely to have time to go around retrieving arrows.
Before considering these as defense weapons check your state laws – some states have placed bans on certain bows. You know the situation – zombies out to kill you family invade your property, you save your family yet you get stuck in jail anyway because you were in possession of an illegal weapon.
Guns
They are fairly light weight and easy to carry around and almost anyone can use one. Every person who knows guns well will have a personal preference so remember anything said here is just an opinion. The main thing is to know your weapon. Buying a gun and keeping it in an gun safe for an emergency then taking out the unfamiliar weapon is a waste of time – chances are you will be disarmed by the zombies and have your own gun used against you. Statistics in the US indicate that people are more likely to have their guns stolen than to actually use them in self-defense! The good thing about guns is that people don’t usually argue with someone holding a gun – so there may be no need to actually fire it.
The pro-gun and anti-gun lobbies are both vociferous in quoting the statistics that ‘prove’ their point of view but let’s just record here that no one wants to feel the guilt of causing the accidental or unnecessary death of another human being.
Dr Garen J Wintermute is the Director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis Medical Center. He is an emergency medicine physician with a great deal of experience in gunshot wounds. In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine titled Guns, Fear, the Constitution, and the Public’s Health Wintermute says that there are risks if you keep guns at home, mentioning figures of an increase in the risk of homicide from 40 to 170% and the risk of suicide from 90 to 460%. Youngsters who commit suicide with a gun usually do so with a firearm kept at home.
To keeps kids safe guns are legally required to be locked away in gun safes – meaning in the chance of an attack you are unlikely to get to the weapon in time. To be effective the gun needs to be carried on your body at all times– like a police officer. How many homeowners are ready for that?
And as for women who carry guns in their handbags – what chance to they have if the handbag is ripped off them in the street? A gun needs to be in a shoulder holster or ankle holster or tucked into the waistband of pants where a person can reach it immediately if necessary.
Which Gun do I Choose?
What you are looking for in case of a zombie attack is stopping power before the maniacs have a chance to injure or kill your family. There’s a reason law enforcement agencies worldwide choose the Glock 17 9×19 pistol. The GLOCK “Safe Action”® System has 3 independent, automatic safeties to ensure it does not go off by accident and zombies aren’t going to be hanging around to wait for the click when all 17 rounds are used up.
Popular too is the Sig Sauer P229 a more compact version of the SIG P226 – again one favored by law enforcement and the military worldwide.
Making the lists of the most popular handguns in the US are also the Beretta PX4, Taurus, Kimber, Ruger P89 and the Smith and Wesson Model 29, .44 Magnun Revolver. Many homeowners favor a shotgun but it is hardly a personal weapon that is carried at all times – however if you can get to it in case of a zombie attack it can be very persuasive when loaded with #8 buckshot but it is not a long range weapon. For that you need a rifle.
Although they are probably illegal in almost every single state in the US the AK47 is am amazing assault rifle – it normally takes 30 rounds, but you can get 40 and even 75. Easy to reload, they work even if they get wet or are mishandled and with their rapid fire rate are perfect for stopping zombies in their tracks – unless the person using it doesn’t use the standard spray pattern of firing.
Pepper Spray
Don’t waste your time with inferior sprays. You need the police strength one capable of disabling a person for around 20 minutes giving your family a chance to escape, or restrain the zombie. SABRE produces police grade pepper spray that is used by law enforcements agencies worldwide.
Check the range advertised on the canister before buying. Also when using pepper spray it must always be sprayed downwind otherwise you incapacitate yourself. If kids are given pepper spray they need to be made aware of this.
Attacks happen so fast that even if you do have masks for the pepper spray there probably won’t be time to put them on, but especially for kids, masks could be useful.
Flashlights
A serious flashlight can be used to blind an attacker but if the zombie is armed it will usually shoot slightly to the left of where the flashlight is assuming the person is right handed, so hold the flashlight in your left hand and as far away from your body as possible. The TL 1000 Raybeck Outdoor has 1000 lumens –blindingly bright and also gives the user a pretty good idea as to which zombies are creeping across your front lawn.
Stun Guns
They can be useful as a back up if kept charged and someone comes into range that is not carrying a gun. The TASER is the best brand to incapacitate a person giving you enough time to escape or tie them up for the authorities to deal with in a normal situation or for you to make alternative arrangements in a total breakdown of law and order situation. However take a look at this video to see why you should NOT rely on one as your only weapon of defense:
Yellow Jacket Case
The yellow jacket case for the iPhone – sorry not other phones at this stage – provides a back up battery for the phone and with a flip of the switch converts to a stun gun. This is perfect for teens – you probably have gone through the drama when they are separated from their phones for a couple of minutes – so you know with this is will always be with the youngster for defense. There is a video attached here but please ignore the comment section where it says the company went “belly-up”. A different group in fact bought out this company.
says this, “Yes we are still in business and we will have iPhone units for all iPhone Models except Plus in January 2017 during our launch at CES and SHOT show.” This is definitely one weapon to add to the arsenal.
Tactical Tomahawks
Refer to our article on tomahawks and how to choose them. The tomahawk makes a self-defense weapon most zombies won’t argue with – unless they have a gun in which case you should be deadly accurate with your tomahawk throwing skills before they see you. Like the Vikings, you should go into battle with two tomahawks – and be good at using them with both hands.
Machete
The machete with its far longer handle can make a useful weapon to get yourself out of danger. Use it as a staff to deflect a knife attack and wait for your opening.
Airguns
Although these don’t actually have the stopping power of a rifle or handgun they can keep the zombies at bay while you reinforce defenses. In certain gun free zones you can carry an air gun, so this video shows some ideas of how to pick one:
Staffs / Clubs
Don’t underestimate the power of a club in self-defense – it gives you a longer reach to put someone out of action. The thing is you don’t particularly want to close with a zombie wielding a knife.
In bug out situations finding suitable sticks to use for defense is usually pretty easy From an early age both boys and girls can be trained to defend themselves in stick fighting – around the home in an emergency a hockey stick, baseball bat, stand up paddleboard oar, or a lamp stand could help them defend themselves. Kids are much more agile than most adults – train them to use this agility to either escape or slow up a zombie. Here’s another video on the Bo staff – what kids see as agility and fun spinning of the stick could one day save their lives by being able to disable a knife wielding zombie:
Watch the Zulu and Filipino stick fighting styles demonstrated here:
In Africa people carve themselves a knobkerries – it is basically a branch of a tree with the part where it grows from the trunk left attached and carved into a circular knob. This can easily be done in a bug out situation if you don’t have access to other weapons. Usually one stick is used in the defensive position as shown in this video but here people are showing off their skills not aiming to kill each other, so two sticks are used instead of the second one being a knobkerrie or a spear:
Spears
You can either make your own by attaching a knife or dagger to a strong stick or metal shaft or you can order a Spartan spear from this website. The spear is 83 inches long giving a person lots of reach but using such a long weapon if the zombies are inside the house could be problematic. This is where a short stabbing spear is better as used by the Zulus where the length of the traditional spear was shortened for more maneuverability in closer in-fighting.
Slingshots
Highly effective to take out zombies at a distance –and the slingshot has been around since long before the days of David and Goliath. A well-placed shot can take out a much larger enemy. Some people use steel balls and lead balls instead of the usual stones. This guy has made some adaptions to his slingshot that zombies would find pretty off-putting; it combines knives, tear gas and a slingshot!
The Western Dankung slingshot is one to go for – it is flat and fits in a back pocket easily and with a few lead balls in the pockets is always ready to use in a tight self defense situation. The product is made in China from titanium – be sure to order the “Western” model that will be more suited to the size of hand rather than the more complicated Eastern models for smaller hands.
Knives
If you are prepared to use a knife for defense you need to know how to use it and be careful not to be disarmed otherwise it can be used against you. Here are some tips on choosing a knife:
When buying one, take into account the particular laws for your area or state regarding the type of knife and blade size.
Bottles
These are other survival weapons you can use in an emergency – if caught in the kitchen by an a intruder smash a wine or spirits bottle and keep it in front of you to deflect someone trying to pin you down – remember to reverse your grip on the bottle for better use as a weapon.
Lamb to the Slaughter written by Roald Dahl is a short story in which a pregnant woman, whose husband who has mentioned that he is going to leave her for someone else, murders him with a frozen leg of lamb. So just about anything hard and heavy could be used to disable a zombie from vases to the frozen Sunday roast.
I've been trying to MILD for around a week now (overall trying to LD for over a month) and I just can't seem to get it. My recall is fine and I am really determined to LD. What can I do???
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Hiiiii dear friends! I have returned to this forum after one year:cheeky:....I missed you all....
I had many odd experiences about LD which i want to share one of them with you...it is also a new method for LD which you may like to be inspired by that....
when i read about Raduga technique, a personal method came into my mind. Raduga said that when you wake up in the morning, first try to get out of your body...but do it mentally...because your mind and body are in the best situation for LD. Also i have read somewhere else that when you wake up, your astral body is not yet merged to your body for some seconds ...so it came to my mind that i can create my own technique....:chuckle:
I said to myself that when i wake up every time during night and morning, i try to really wake up and sit in my bed even with my PHYSICAL BODY!!!!!!!!!!!! yes, even with my physical body....
so if i am in theta brain wave then no matter if i try to move mentally or physically, i will enter to dream world because i can't move my real physical body in dream because it is paralyzed...but if i sit with my physical body then i wasn't in proper state for LD...
an important thing is that i MUST try to do is to sit down when i wake up in less than 1 SECOND....very very quickly.....if i waste one more second then i will wake up in my real body....so i call it attacking technique....
I tried this method only 3 times...and i stopped it for one reason...my bad experiences...
the first time i tested it, it gave me an FA ..... but it was so real that i was scared when someone hit the door and disappeared....In dreams we are usually more brave than reality but i was as coward as i am in daily life using this technique...the second time it didn't work...the third time, after doing this method, although i woke up in my physical body and sat down but my brain wave was still in theta state and i saw 8 people in my room which made me to scream....it is said that sometimes our brain remain in theta state some seconds after we wake up and move our body...it is rare but it happened in my method due to its nature...these bad nightmares made me to stop using this technique but it may help to someone here who wants to have Adrenalin boost in blood:D.
So the summery of this Attacking technique is:
- have some hours of sleep
- wake up and stay awake for some minutes but when you want to sleep again remind yourself that you will wake up again several times....
- when you wake up, try to sit down even physically in less than 1 or 2 seconds...very quickly...like someone who wants to attack something....
- do RC as you might be dreaming...
- if nothing happened return back to sleep and remind yourself that you will wake up again and do this method....
So the most important difference between this method and Raduga's is that the first one is with even physical body but the second one is only mentally which is less efficient as many people are not good at visualization...if you get used to sit down with your real body then the other nights it become part of your subconscious mind and you will do it with your dream body as soon as you wake up....
thanks for reading:)
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Building a log cabin is not complicated, but it is difficult. The work is back-breaking, and the process requires incredible tenacity. If you are doing the work by yourself, the build will take months and possibly years depending on how much free time you have to work on the project. That being said, it is incredibly rewarding to know you took natural materials and made a home from them.
There are dozens of ways to build a log cabin. You can purchase kits, have lumber delivered, and even build a multi-room, multi-level luxury fortress if you like. However, this is not what I think of when I envision building a log cabin. In this article I will cover a simple process to build a small, one room cabin with almost entirely found materials. All you should have to purchase are metal spikes, roofing, windows, and doors. The rest we can find in the woods.
Selecting a Location
There are several factors that need to go into your decision for a cabin location. These variables can be as trivial as your view out the window and as vital as the possibility of your cabin collapsing. Here are some things to consider before you start building:
Level ground – It is very possible to build a cabin on a hillside, but it is much more difficult and risky. There would be lots of digging involved, and retaining walls may be needed to keep the soil in place. For our purposes, level ground is best.
Accessibility – If you plan to drive to and from your cabin, the path to your build site is very important. Be wary of hills that could ice over in the winter or low areas that could flood in the spring. You will also need to get roofing materials, doors, and windows to your build site.
Water Source – If you plan to spend any significant amount of time in the cabin, you will want a water source close by. Never build so close to water that flooding or moist soil could be an issue. Springs are best, but a creek or river will do. Water can attract mosquitoes and predators, so I would suggest being at least 100 yards from the source.
Soil Quality – No matter how you build your cabin, it will be heavy and will have a tendency to settle over time. You are best to build on a very solid foundation. If you build on flat rocky ground you are okay to start construction. If you build on softer soil, you should bury some posts below the frost line to support the foundation. You should never build on sandy or loose soil.
Environmental Concerns – Before you start to build, think about the direction from which the wind will blow. This could affect how drafty your cabin gets. Think about having trees on the south and west side of your cabin but not on the north and east side. This will shade your cabin in the summer, but allow the sun to warm your cabin in the winter. Also be cautious of dying trees that may fall on your structure. If you choose to build near dead trees, drop them before you build. You may also want to consider the view from your location.
Proximity to Logs – You may not want to have to transport your logs over a great distance to get to your work site. If you can build near the logs, it makes the process that much easier.
Design
Before you can determine what supplies you need to gather, you first have to design your cabin. This does not have to be a complicated process. Here are the points you need to decide before you start cutting logs:
Decide how large you want your cabin to be. Remember that the larger it is, the harder it is to keep warm in the winter. For this plan we are assuming it will just be one room. Also, the larger your cabin is the more money you will spend on roofing. Keep all this in mind.
What kind of corner notch will you use for your logs? Be sure you have the skill and tools needed for that option.
What kind of roofing will you use? You really have three options. You can buy sheets of metal roofing, buy shingles, or cut wood for a shake roof. Building a shake roof by yourself is very time consuming, so this would be my last choice. I like the idea of a metal roof as you can lift large sheets in place and move faster. You may also want to buy sheets of insulation to go under the roofing.
Where will your windows and doors be and what size. You will need to order your windows and doors unless you plan to make your own.
Will you trim your logs by hand or use a chainsaw mill? I highly suggest either free-handing your cuts with a chainsaw or getting a mill. Using an axe would take much, much longer. Also, if you want planks for floorboards or roof decking you will need a mill.
Building Supplies
There are three kinds of supplies that you will need for this project. You need tools to get the job done, plenty of trees to cut for your logs, and then an order to purchase items such as your windows, doors, roofing, and spikes. Chances are you will have several months before you need many of these supplies, so shop around and find the best deal possible. If you can haul them to the site yourself, that will cut costs as well.
As for tools, you should not need much. A large chainsaw with a mill, a sledge hammer, and a draw knife to peel the logs should be about all that you need. Of course you will need a hammer and nails when you get to the roofing, windows, doors, and flooring.
For your logs, there are logistical aspects you have to consider. Think about these things when selecting target lumber:
Type of Tree – Not all trees are good for building a cabin. It has to be resistant to rot, resistant to insects, lightweight, straight, and strong. Most evergreens fit the bill including pine, spruce, juniper, and cypress. You also see some people use oak or aspen for log homes, but they are not nearly as common.
Size of Logs – If you are building this by yourself, you have to decide how much weight you can carry, drag, load, and set by yourself. This may also help determine the size of your cabin since you do not want gaps or joints in the wall where two logs meet. Remember that the logs will be slightly smaller and lighter once the bark is stripped off.
Proximity to Site – When you find trees ideal for your cabin, you will have to transport them to your site. You can bundle them and drag them by truck or horse. However, if you are within a few hundred yards you can probably save time by carrying them.
Terrain for Transport – If your logs are on a hillside, it could make for a very difficult trip. You are better to pick trees that are on flat ground so they can be moved easily.
How to Peel – You need to have a site set up for peeling logs. This will likely be a set of saw horses to raise the log so you are peeling at waist height. It will give you more leverage and put less strain on your back.
Assembling the Cabin
Again, the process for assembling the cabin is simple, but it is not easy. Once you have decided on a foundation, it is time to start dropping, peeling, and stacking logs. This is the back-breaking work that can take several months. Please be patient and do not hurt yourself. The steps are fairly simple:
Drop your first set of logs, get them to the peeling site, and remove all the bark
Trim the logs to give you a slightly flat side on the top and bottom
Notch the ends to match up with the notch type you selected for your cabin
Lay the logs and do any trimming needed to get them to fit squarely
Complete logs on all four sides and then lay the next layer
Use steel spikes to attach the second layer to the first layer
Continue this process to roof level. You will need to use leverage to get your logs high enough. Put one end on the structure and then lift and slide the other to get to a pivot point. Then you can move it wherever you need to.
Fill any cracks in the logs with dry moss for insulation, and mill logs to create rafters for the roof
Lay roofing with a layer of moss underneath as insulation and attach tightly
Use the chainsaw to cut doors and windows
Install doors and windows
If desired, lay slabs of wood for flooring and nail in place.
Additional Steps
There are some additional steps you can take to make sure your cabin works out well.
Stuff every crack and space with dry moss. The more you cut down on drafts, the warmer your cabin will be.
You can seal the outside of the cabin to further prevent decay. It can add some cost, but can also add several years to the life of your cabin.
Use tar paper under your roofing. This can further protect your roof from leaking.
Make the pitch of your roof steeper. This will shed snow and rain much better than a shallow roof.
Add a chimney. You can funnel the heat and smoke through a pipe making your cabin warmer and more smoke free.
What you can count on is that any cabin you build with your own two hands will be more rewarding than any other home you have lived within. However, I cannot express enough how much more labor intensive this project will be versus your expectations. It will be worth the effort once the project is finished. Take the time build it properly, and your finished product will bring you satisfaction for decades.
Hi guys. How do you specifically go about re-entering dreams in a lucid state after you've woken up?
I want to clarify that I'm not referring to a certain technique, but your answer may include none or multiple of the following:
* DEILD - This is the most applicable technique obviously. I'm not asking this question about DEILD in particular because I'm not limiting it to staying still or being awake for only a few seconds.
* VILD - In case you are changing the dream you are re-entering, or even creating a new one altogether.
* WBTB w/WILD - If you're staying awake longer but still going back into a dream state that you may have previously just been in.
What approach do you take when this happens during the night? What thought process do you go through before you go to bed, and while it happens? How often are you able to successfully re-enter a dream lucid? I'm asking for specifics, especially about how your technique may be different from the classical methods above.
I am not talking about inducing a DILD after you go back to sleep.
Thank you :D
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Old American radios (and we mean really old ones) took several kinds of batteries. The A battery powered the filaments (generally 1.5V at a high current draw). The B battery powered the plate (much lower current, but a higher voltage–typically 90V). In Britain these were the LT (low tension) and HT (high tension) batteries. If you want to rebuild and operate old radios, you have to come up with a way to generate that B voltage.
Most people opt to use an AC supply. You can daisy-chain a bunch of 9V batteries, but that really ruins the asthetics of the radio. [VA3NGC] had a better idea: he built a reproduction B battery from a wooden box, some brass hardware, a nixie tube power supply, and a 9V battery (which remains hidden). There’s also a handful of zener diodes, resistors, and capacitors to allow different taps depending on the voltage required.
The project looks great. The wooden box apparently was a recycle item and the brass hardware makes it look like it belongs with the old radios it powers. This is a good example of how there’s more to vintage restoration than just the electronics. Sure, the function is important, but to really enjoy the old gear, the presentation is important, too.
Not all tube radios took 90V B+, but since this battery has taps, that isn’t a problem. The old Radio Shack P-Box kit took 22.5V. Of course, if you are going to build your own battery, maybe you ought to build your own triodes, too.
A frequent complaint you will hear about amateur radio is that it is a chequebook pursuit. Of course you can work the incredible DX if you spend $20k on a high-end radio, big antenna, and associated components. The reality is though that because it’s such a multi-faceted world there are many ways into it of which the operator with the shiny rig is taking only one.
On the commonly used HF and VHF bands at the lower end of the radio spectrum you will definitely find chequebook amateurs of the type described in the previous paragraph. But as you ascend into the microwave bands there are no shiny new radios on the market, so even the well-heeled licensee must plow their own furrow and build their own station.
You might think that this would remain a chequebook operation of a different type, as exotic microwave devices are not always cheap. But in fact these bands have a long history of extremely inexpensive construction, in which skilled design and construction as well as clever re-use of components from satellite TV systems and Doppler radar modules play a part. And it is a project following this path that is our subject today, for [Peter Knol, PA1SDB] has repurposed a modern Doppler radar module as a transmitter for the 10GHz or 3cm amateur band (Google Translate version of Dutch original). The best bit about [Peter]’s project is the price: these modules can be had for only three Euros.
Years ago a Doppler module would have used a Gunn diode in a waveguide cavity and small horn, usually with an adjacent mixer diode for receiving. Its modern equivalent uses a transistor oscillator on a PCB, with a dielectric resonator and a set of patch antennas. There is also a simple receiver on board, but since [Peter] is using a converted ten-Euro satellite LNB for that task, it is redundant.
He takes us through the process of adjusting the module’s frequency before showing us how to mount it at the prime focus of a parabolic antenna. FM modulation comes via a very old-fashioned transformer in the power feed. He then looks at fitting an SMA connector and using it for more advanced antenna set-ups, before experimenting with the attenuating properties of different substances. All in all this is a fascinating read if you are interested in simple microwave construction.
The result is not the most accomplished 10 GHz station in the world, but it performs adequately for its extremely low price given that he’s logged a 32 km contact with it.
Though we cover our fair share of amateur radio stories here at Hackaday it’s fair to say we haven’t seen many in the microwave bands. If however you think we’ve been remiss in this area, may we point you to our recent coverage of a microwave radio receiver made from diamond?
Although it wasn't known as WBTB at this point, in ETWOLD Laberge advocated staying awake for up to 1-2 hours 1 hour before you would usually get up in the morning. Now a WBTB is more modestly considered anything from 2-90 minutes long.
Sensei had great success fairly early in his LDing career by having many "micro"-awakenings during the night. Also, waking after each REM period is associated with greater recall, possibility of DEILD etc.
I had always found that lucidity correlates with length of WBTB period. But the last couple of nights I've been having "micro" WBTBs (auto-shutoff alarm, roll over, MILD) with greatly increased recall and lucidity.
So, what do you guys find more effective? One long period of wakefulness mid-sleep, or many short interruptions?
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It used to be pretty keen to stuff a radio receiver into an Altoid’s tin, or to whip up a tiny crystal receiver from a razor blade and a pencil stub. But Harvard researchers have far surpassed those achievements in miniaturization with a nano-scale FM receiver built from a hacked diamond.
As with all such research, the experiments in [Marko Lončar]’s lab are nowhere near as simple as the press release makes things sound. While it’s true that a two-atom cell is the minimal BOM for a detector, the device heard belting out a seasonal favorite from [Andy Williams] in the video below uses billions of nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) centers. N-V centers replace carbon atoms in the diamond crystal with nitrogen atoms; this causes a “vacancy” in the crystal lattice and lends photoluminescent properties to the diamond that are sensitive to microwaves. When pumped by a green laser, incident FM radio waves in the 2.8 GHz range are transduced into AM fluorescent signals that can be detected with a photodiode and amplifier.
The full paper has all the details, shows that the radio can survive extreme pressure and temperature regimes, and describes potential applications for the system. It’s far from a home-gamer’s hack at this point, but it’s a neat trick and one to watch for future exploitation. In the meantime, here’s an accidental FM radio with a pretty small footprint.
I have been focusing pretty consistently on lucid dreaming and using dreams to understand ones self and solve problems for about two years. I have run in to a strange issue however, and I can only describe it as being lucid without the triggering event, and thus while making conscious choices and actions (I can only say I know and feel I'm in control of myself as opposed to simply being along for the ride) I rarely have an aha moment and attempt to control or change the dream. I simply make my own choices and actions within the dream. I'm a pretty boring and practical person so my dreams aren't often very outlandish.Any ideas as to why this is? Is that not even lucidity? DILD seems to be the only way I can achieve lucidity("full" lucidity or otherwise), WILD leads to insomnia and SSILD leads to chains of false awakenings.
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Unless you live under a rock, you have heard of ISIS. Most of us have seen their atrocities on the internet or on the news, no matter how much we try not to. Who are these people that we were so blissfully ignorant of only a few years ago, how did their name become so prominent in our vocabulary and how are they able to reach so many people around the world?
By now you’ve probably heard both titles for what is undoubtedly the most notorious terrorist group in recent history but you may not know why there are two names for them or why they are different. The primary difference, believe it or not, is the geographical reach implied. “ISIS” stands for The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria while “ISIL” stands for The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. Levant refers to the area from Southern Turkey through Syria to Egypt and includes Israel. As you can see, “ISIL” is much more ambitious and gives them far more prestige than they deserve.
ISIS began as a small insurgent group in Iraq around 2006 but finding it difficult to gain any progress as their own entity, they moved into Syria when the Syrian Civil War broke out. Their hope was to make gains there that they could not make in Iraq but Syria proved to be difficult as well. Their problem was funding and arming their efforts which the United States would resolve for them in a few years.
It wasn’t until 2014 that they were able to obtain many of the weapons that the Obama Administration had sent to the Free Syrian Army and they were able to take their newly fitted army back into Iraq to resume their claim for fame. Though unacknowledged by most of our government, many of the so-called Free Syrian Army members were actually ISIS members. It is believed by some that the administration was aware of this and continued to arm them anyway.
ISIS first became known for their grainy, poorly produced execution videos that began showing up on the internet. Primarily showing beheadings, their cell phone videos took the news cycles by storm and they immediately saw the value of social media in trying to boost their prominence. It didn’t hurt that they were simultaneously making military gains in Iraq at the same time, with their US supplied weapons.
Faster than cities in Iraq could fall to their fighters, social media became a victim as well. Using Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Silent Circle, What’s App and messaging apps like Telegram and Surespot, ISIS was suddenly able to spread its messages of propaganda all over the world and reach millions directly. They could encourage disenfranchised westerners to either travel to Syria and join their army or stay at home and attack whatever was around them. It was cheap, easy and largely untraceable.
Many of the videos and much of the propaganda that was released online were not beheading videos rather public works projects, economic development tasks and other rebuilding efforts that were supposed to show ISIS’ commitment to the towns and villages that they were invading. They were, according to their countless documentaries and posts, the “Good Guys”.
ISIS also began releasing a magazine to the west that was thoughtfully translated into English. The name of it is Dabiq and it can be found all over the internet. Not only the most current issue but also as many back issues as you would like to read. This magazine is high gloss, well developed and carefully edited. If you could forget what you were reading for a moment, you might think you picked up a copy of Better Homes and Gardens. Of course, when you get to the bomb-making instructions you will likely be jolted back to your senses.
These magazines, and others like it, are available on multiple websites who claim to be performing a service to the world by documenting them and keeping them forever. I suppose they do not feel responsible for the actions of whoever downloads them.
It has been reported that ISIS has, in some cases, even highjacked hashtags of unrelated subjects in order to direct unwary surfers to vivid and bloody photos as they did in 2014 when they commandeered “#worldcup” (which displayed a severed head).
ISIS videos became more sophisticated and they began filming with HD cameras, blue-screens, and even began producing little graphical introductions with each film. This same time last year, it was estimated that through social media, ISIS was releasing an average of 38 new items per day.
These efforts began paying off in dividends and according to CNN, as of this past spring, 3,400 westerners have traveled to join ISIS, with as many as 250 being from the United States. As stated, those that do not travel, or cannot, are encouraged in social media to attack whatever they can at home. This, too, proved successful.
While it is nearly impossible to list every attack that is attributed to ISIS in the West, some of the notable attacks in the US are:
April 15, 2013; Two brothers created bombs out of pressure cookers and placed them at the Boston Marathon. 3 dead.
October 23, 2014; An attacker armed with a hatchet attacked 4 NYPD Officers in a subway, injuring 2.
May 3,2015; Two gunmen attacked the Curtis Colwell Center during a “Draw Muhammad” cartoon exhibit in Garland, Texas. 2 dead.
December 2, 2015; A married couple in California shot their coworkers who were throwing them a baby shower. 14 dead.
June 12, 2016; A shooter entered a nightclub in Orlando, Florida and kills 49.
There can be little doubt that many of these attacks as well as others across the West would not have occurred had it not been for the shrewd exploitation of social media by ISIS. So the ultimate question is “Are we winning this war or losing it?” I will not pretend to know the answer to this.
If you believe what you see on television, we are winning battles in Iraq and ISIS is losing geographical territory there on a weekly basis. The problem with this is that ISIS is far more entrenched in countries other than Iraq. While their “core” countries (meaning they occupy territory) are Iraq and Syria, they are present in many more countries, making their reach astounding. They are thought to have a significant presence in Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, the Sinai Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Caucasus in southern Russia as well.
This likely means that even after the horrors presently being committed in Iraq and Syria have abated, the attacks and propaganda which rely heavily on social media will continue. As long as it continues to be effective we have to assume that ISIS will continue to see its use as a valuable tool.
So far, the US government’s efforts at counteracting the presence of Radical Islam on the internet have not been very effective. They have attempted to create Twitter accounts, run by the State Department, that encouraged would-be recruits to turn away from radical tweets and propaganda. This often resulted in philosophical arguments between the State Department and pro-Jihadis which turned out to be largely unproductive.
Their more recent efforts, according to the Wall Street Journal, are to get Islamic leaders involved in trying to undermine the draw of ISIS and other groups on young, disenchanted westerners. What makes these countermeasures so difficult is that they should be targeted to a narrow, specific demographic and it is difficult to determine what that is.
Additionally, the government has financed competitions to encourage college students to come up with ideas on how to combat this social onslaught by radical groups. While there are some encouraging signs such as fewer tweets being registered by the Islamic State, this could be because of a move to heavily encrypted messaging and not necessarily a reduction in recruitment.
The reality is that it is difficult to prevent ‘copy-cats’ or anyone else who views an extreme position or action as an answer to their own discontented lives. Some of the attacks committed under the flag of ISIS can be contributed to these type of people as well as the mentally ill. In truth, there may never be a way to counter the attractiveness of such organizations for these people.
CNN interviewed a former terrorist recruiter who told them that one of the problems with the government’s attempts to counter ISIS’ social media blitz is that the government’s videos simply do not appeal to a gaming generation the way radical videos do. Up until this point, the government’s efforts have been mostly seen in the form of something akin to slide shows. His recommendation is that the US use social media, non-stop just as ISIS does.
It seems odd to think that some wanna-be terrorist, who may be undecided about killing the innocent people around him, might be swayed by whichever side has the most ‘game-like’ videos. I would hate to think that this is our new reality but some believe that it is.
One thing is clear. Something must be done. As ISIS continues to slip terrorists into the West under the guise of being ‘refugees’, as they continue to use chemical weapons in Syria and their hateful rhetoric is still taught by many Islamic leaders around the world, it is imperative that we contain the fight to those outside of our own populations.
The Brookings Institute which is a prominent ‘think tank’ on social issues thinks that the answer might be the ability to intervene with a potential recruit before he or she reaches the final stages of radicalization. This would require friends, family, and law enforcement to be able to recognize the signs of indoctrination and does not really address the problem of the initial attraction of social media content. Until this is addressed it is likely that the recruitment will continue.
Some believe that as ISIS loses ground in Iraq and Syria, the allure of recruitment will be reduced as a byproduct of that. After all, they argue, who wants to be associated with a losing team? There may be some truth to this but do we really want to wait to find out?
So, basically, i want to say that lucidity is a state of being, or you can call it a state of mind, a mindset. It's not a goal, not a technique. it's both the method, the path and the goal, all in one. So you accomplish (goal) lucidity by being (path) lucid (method).
That is not to say that techniques are not helpful. They certainly are, when they lead us in this direction of being lucid and not just wanting to be lucid for the moment of a RC. We must create the habit of being lucid, not the habit of being lucid for a few moments. And surely one should not try to only be lucid while dreaming. Then, it will never happen perfectly, because one always carry oneself into the dream. How can you expect to be unlucid during the day, and lucid at night ? Or rude during the day, and loving at night ? They will cancel each other, neutralize themselves
Basically, one has to learn to stay with the experience in an open, unprotected, vulnerable, accepting way. One has to learn to not use the moment as a means to an end, but as a journey with no end other than itself. Life has no meaning other than itself. It simply is and that is enough to justify its existence..
Each moment must be joy in itself and not just for the sake of the future reward, because then one will stay right here and no future promise or past regret will distract us from the joy of this moment, the joy of this integrity of being with the experience, completely available and connected completly loving, giving all your presence to life, not fearing or pushing away unpleasantness, or doing it less amd less.
If we chose to dissociate away from this moment, either by multitasking or by thinking about the experience instead of living it directly or by paying attention to something more pleasant or less boring, we are saying this experience is not good enough, and this habit of aversion and wanting will keep you distractible and restless. Therefore your presence will be much more difficult. So you must change it bit by bit.
When it is perfected, then your mind stays on track, wants to stay on track, and your intentions and purpose become crystal clear, and so lucidity has the chance to co-emerge. Indeed, it has to arise, as every condition is present for it to appear.
Singletasking is best for this. Multitasking comes from the rush to reach the next reward, that only comes in the next moment and so you lose this lucidity.
So, how can we better improve our night lucidity if not by being lucid always ?
Remember, its not a technique. It is a way of being. It is called mindfulness.
Tecnhiques can only point at it.
If you love your life with presence you will want to be present to love your dream life too.
Keep this close to your heart.
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Not so long ago i had my first WILD during a nap. I have tried it several times since then but i have the same problem every time. I can´t fall asleep.
Everytime i try to WILD during a nap i can´t fall asleep. And if i manage i only stay asleep for a few seconds at a time. Are there any techniques for falling asleep even if im not extremely tired?
The SSILD used to work well for falling asleep but doesn´t work anymore.
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My amateur radio journey began back in the mid-1970s. I was about 12 at the time, with an interest in electronics that baffled my parents. With little to guide me and fear for my life as I routinely explored the innards of the TVs and radios in the house, they turned to the kindly older gentleman across the street from us, Mr. Brown. He had the traditional calling card of the suburban ham — a gigantic beam antenna on a 60′ mast in the backyard – so they figured he could act as a mentor to me.
Mr. Brown taught me a lot about electronics, and very nearly got me far enough along to take the test for my Novice class license. But I lost interest, probably because I was an adolescent male and didn’t figure a ham ticket would improve my chances with the young ladies. My ham ambitions remained well below the surface as life happened over the next 40 or so years. But as my circumstances changed, the idea of working the airwaves resurfaced, and in 2015 I finally took the plunge and earned my General class license.
The next part of my ham story is all-too-familiar these days: I haven’t done a damn thing with my license. Oh, sure, I bought a couple of Baofeng and Wouxun handy-talkies and lurked on the local repeaters. I even bought a good, solid HF rig and built some antennas, but I’ve made a grand total of one QSO — a brief chat with a ham in Texas from my old home in Connecticut on the 10-meter band. That’s it.
Obviously, there’s a problem. It’s not lack of understanding the art and science of amateur radio. More so than the average Joe who comes in off the street to sit for a license test (and there are far more of those folks than you might think), I have a pretty good grasp of the theory and practice of RF communications. It’s not a money problem, either. At least for now I have enough disposable income to spend on “The World’s Greatest Hobby.” It’s not time either, at least not really. My kids are old enough now to be self-reliant, so it’s not like I’d be working the bands while there are dirty diapers to deal with. And my wife is supportive too, so it’s not that either. So what’s my problem? Why am I not active on the HF bands and checking in on the local repeaters?
Because as it turns out, when you’re a ham you end up talking to other hams. And I don’t like talking to hams.
Lest this be construed as ham-hate, it’s not. Truth be told, I don’t really want to talk to anyone, face to face or over the air. But there’s really something off-putting about the ham style of communication, at least to my ears. Part of this is due to listening to public service radio all my life. My dad was a cop, and hearing dispatches on the radio in his cruiser was the soundtrack of my life from the day I was born. I later listened to scanners as a civilian hobbyist, then with a more professional interest as an EMT and volunteer firefighter. I even worked the other side of the mic as a dispatcher for multiple agencies. So I developed a strong preference in radio style — brief, clipped messages that minimize time on the air while maximizing information content.
In other words, the exact opposite of what hams do.
When I hear two hams chewing the rag, I find myself thinking, “Please, just stop talking and take your thumb off the mic switch.” It’s not so much what they’re talking about, although that certainly plays into it; lots of recounting what the “XYL” made for dinner and updates on everyone’s prostate woes. I could overlook the content choice if someone, somewhere would just unkey the mic once in while and take a breath.
I know, I know — that’s not what ham radio is for. The ham bands are for conversation more than anything else, at least from the sound of it. I think I might have a better experience if I explore the HF nets that meet regularly in preparation for providing emergency communications in disasters; they might be more my style. Or perhaps the digital modes would suit me better – being able to type brief, content-rich messages and make contacts without any of that pesky talking sounds pretty keen to me.
But as it stands, I’m pretty sure I won’t be hanging around the local 2-meter repeater to make sure everyone knows what I’m getting at the grocery store. I’m glad the local hams have built out the infrastructure to do so, and I’m heartened to know they’re practicing the craft. I just don’t want to talk to them that much.
So, active hams, what part of the craft to you find engaging? I’d love to hear your suggestions for ways I, or anyone else, can make greater use of the license and help keep the hobby fun for new and old hams alike.
Walther is a gun company that always seems to introduce a new innovative feature with each gun they make. They’ve gone from a simple target rifle manufacturer in the 1880s to now being one of the most famous firearms manufacturers in the entire world. Walther produces an assortment of high-quality handguns for law enforcement, military, and civilians alike.
The special thing about Walther is how each of their handguns is unique from other guns in their respective classes. Some of their guns have been enormously successful, to the point of becoming iconic, and others not so much. But there’s no denying that Walther is a gun company to be reckoned with when it comes to innovation and reliability.
Regardless of whether you want to begin collecting Walthers or are just looking for a single Walther handgun to own, take heart in knowing that when you buy a Walther, you’re buying a gun that’s going to last you for life.
Here are the top five Walther pistols to own, presented in the order that they were made:
WALTHER PPK OR PPK/S
The PPK is probably the gun you think of first when you hear the name ‘Walther.’ After all, the Walther PPK in .32 ACP is well known for being the sidearm of choice for James Bond 007. Not only is the PPK easily the most iconic Walther handgun, but it’s also one of the most iconic handguns period.
There are more reasons to own a PPK (or a PPK/S) than just to say that you own the James Bond gun. First and foremost, the PPK was one of the most innovative pistols of its time. It has been so successful that numerous other famous pistols, such as the Russian Makarov, have since copied it. Walther originally released the PP in 1929. It became the first successful blowback double action single action pistol ever released. A year later, Walther cut down the grip and barrel to make the most concealable PPK.
The PPK quickly found favor as a concealment and a backup weapon with law enforcement and people across the globe. It remained a favorite for many decades. The PPK built a reputation for durability, reliability, accuracy, and slimness. By all accounts, it was the gun that brought Walther worldwide attention.
Because of the Gun Control Act of 1968, the PPK was deemed too small to be imported into the United States. Walther remedied this situation by taking the slide and barrel of the PPK and slapping it on the frame of the PP to create the PPK/S. The PPK/S holds one more round than the PPK in .32 (8 vs. 7-round) and .380 (7 vs. 6-round).
Today both the PPK and the PPK/S are produced by Walther at their factory in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Smith & Wesson used to manufacture the PPK and the PPK/S under Walther licensing from 2002 to 2015, but they have a mixed reputation at best in comparison to the genuine Walther’s.
While the PPK has been largely eclipsed by more modern pistols in its class that are lighter in weight, it truly is a timeless and proven design. It’s an accurate and well-balanced firearm that’s equally at home in your gun safe as it is in your waistband.
WALTHER P38
Another highly successful design from Walther is the P38. Like the PPK, its basic lock-breech design is seen in many other famous pistols, including the Beretta 92. The magazine holds eight rounds of 9mm and can be released by the European style heel mag release.
The P38 was designed chiefly as a military sidearm for the German Army in the late 1930s. Not only did it serve with distinction in World War II, but it also continued to be used by German police and military units in the decades afterward. It was only completely phased out in 2004 which says a lot about the overall quality of the design.
While the P38 was not the first DA/SA pistol ever produced, it was the first successful such pistol. Like the Beretta 92, the safety is located on the slide and acts as a decocker when depressed. A loaded chamber indicator slightly protrudes out of the rear of the slide when the weapon is chambered. Also, the P38 also uses the same open slide design that the Beretta 92 has become famous for.
Today, P38’s can be found floating on the used market in the $500 to $700 range. Surplus parts and magazines are relatively plentiful. For these reasons, the P38 would even be an appropriate choice as an SHTF sidearm.
Note: the aluminum-framed version of the P38 is the P1. Other than this, the two guns are identical and spare parts are interchangeable.
WALTHER P5
The Walther P5 is affectionately known by Walther aficionados as the ‘forgotten Walther.’ While successful with police units in Europe, it gained significantly less attention in the United States. However, there are still some who consider the P5 to be the finest Walther ever made, and there are good reasons why.
The P5 is essentially an updated version of the P38. The story goes that in the 1970s, German police were looking for new sidearms to replace the World War II-era ones that they had been using. Many companies submitted designs, and Walther’s entry was the P5. It was quickly accepted by multiple police agencies in Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands (the latter of whom issued it until 2013).
Like the P38, the P5 utilizes a locked breach design with a heel magazine release (though it does not have the open slide design of the P38). It fires the 9mm Luger round from 8-round magazines, but it will accept P38 magazines if the magazine heel is swapped out for the P38 heel.
One of the most notable features of the P5 is how the spent shell casings eject to the left side of the frame rather than the right. This is obviously a major plus for left-handed shooters. The reason for this design in the P5 was because if a jam were to occur, the shooter would be able to see it instantly without rotating the gun to view the ejection on the other side.
All in all, the P5 is a fantastically well-made firearm. Admittedly it’s better suited these days as a collector’s item rather than as a duty or a concealed carry firearm. This has nothing to do with the quality of the weapon, but rather with the fact that the P5 is no longer produced. This means spare parts and accessories are difficult and expensive to find.
WALTHER P99
The P99 was Walther’s first polymer framed striker fired handgun, riding on the heels of the Glock tidal wave. The P99 is still far from being a Glock copy. Whereas the Glock and most other striker fired handguns have one consistent trigger pull, the P99 utilizes what Walther calls the Anti-Stress (AS) firing system that is modeled more after a DA/SA handgun.
It works like a double action pistol. The first trigger pull is long and heavy. After the gun cycles, all subsequent shots are much shorter and in a single action. A decocker is present on the slide that returns the pistol to the double action pull mode when depressed for safe carrying. However, the unique feature about the P99 is how it can be cocked. When the gun is in double action mode, and the slide is pulled back slightly, the ‘AS’ mode is activated. In this position, the trigger is still in the position of the DA mode but has virtually no take-up, similar to if you were to manually cock a DA/SA hammer fired pistol.
The P99 fires from 15 shot magazines in 9mm or 12 shots in .40 S&W. It features an ambidextrous paddle magazine release on the side. While successful in Europe, like the P5, it garnered significantly less attention in the United States. Walther recognized this and decided to update the P99 with a single continuous trigger pull. The result was the PPQ.
Note: the P99 is also available as a Compact model with a shorter grip and barrel, with a 10+1 capacity for 9mm and 9+1 for .40 S&W.
WALTHER PPQ
As mentioned above, the PPQ is essentially the P99 only with the same trigger pull for each shot (called the ‘Quick Defense’ trigger by Walther), which is like the Glock. This trigger is widely regarded as being one of the smoothest and lightest of any production pistol on the marketplace.
Walther also produces the PPQ in two separate variations. The M1 model that features an ambidextrous paddle magazine release. The M2 model features a reversible push button release. All accessories between the M1 and M2 models are compatible except for the magazines.
Today, the PPQ is available on the American market in four separate calibers: .22 LR (12 rounds), 9mm Luger (15 or 17 rounds), .40 S&W (11 or 13 rounds), and .45 ACP (12 rounds). It’s also offered in two different barrel lengths: a 4-inch barrel for duty use, and a longer 5-inch barrel for competition and target use.
The PPQ has become the flagship model in Walther’s lineup. In addition to its smooth trigger, it has gained a reputation for improved ergonomics, accuracy, and reliability.
CONCLUSION
Walther produces top quality pistols designed to be used for life. Just as importantly, their designs are among the most innovative of any gun manufacturer in the world. While all their handguns are undoubtedly well made, the PPK, P38, P5, P99, and PPQ are the five that deserve the most recognition.
Any amateur radio operator who is living under a homeowner’s association, covenant, or has any other deed restriction on their property has a problem: antennas are ugly, and most HOAs outright ban everything from 2-meter whips to unobtrusive J-pole antennas.
Earlier this year, the ARRL got behind a piece of legislation called the Amateur Radio Parity Act. This proposed law would amend FCC’s Part 97 rules for amateur stations and direct, ‘Community associations to… permit the installation and maintenance of effective outdoor Amateur Radio antennas.’ This bill passed the US House without objection last September.
Last week, the Amateur Radio Parity Act died in the US Senate. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the ranking member of the Senate committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, refused to move the bill forward in the Senate. The ARRL has been in near constant contact with Senator Nelson’s office, but time simply ran out before the end of the 114th Congress. The legislation will be reintroduced into the 115th Congress next year.
Most of the time when I become lucid I realize I'm laying in bed with my eyes shut and do a reality check of breathing through my plugged nose. After discovering I am lucid I try to open my dream eyes but I almost always open my real eyes... this stops my dream normally. I can't seam to open my dream eyes with out opening my real eyes. Any suggestions? I've friend just letting the dream form but I often feel pulled back into my bed with out any images to keep my focus on the dream world.
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Hi, here's my first question, regarding WILD.
usually I go through later window to the deep sleep, after 4-6 hours of sleep,
before, I used to get up and read for a while, today I stop doing it
because majority of times I didn´t fall asleep easily due to anxiety
now when I wake up naturally, in my head I memorize the last dream and mark my intention. More or less ⅓ from the days, I get a lucid dream,the rest I fall into normal dreams.
Also, when I have a long siesta(about 1 hour), I dream,
A few times I've had lucid dreams. But normally, I take a short nap(about 30 min)
and I only get being relaxed(stage 1) and sometimes, I lose my consciousness into short light sleep(stage 2)
other windows rings a bell, but I haven't experienced it yet.
for example, in a short nap or to use early night drowsiness, before falling deep asleep.
or when you wake up from a normal dream and quickly you come back(now lucid)
or even with meditation-relaxation.I remember sitting in a natural and lonely place, still daytime
ith my attention in my breathing(about 30 min), hypnagogic scenes was surprising me
I suffered short losses of my physical balance And my head was going forward,(I had started without drowsiness)
What is your experience?
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‘Bushcraft’ is a word that gets thrown around very often in the survival community, but it’s also a word that far fewer people understand it. A truly skilled survivalist is someone who can use resources provided by nature exclusively to survive.
For example, instead of using matches or a lighter to start a fire, onewould use a more primitive method using natural materials such as the bow drill method for it to be considered bushcraft.
Ask yourself this: if you were stranded out in the wilderness tomorrow with nothing but the clothes on your back and could only use completely natural resources to survive, would you be able to?
If your honest answer is no, then you will probably find the information presented in this article useful. We are going to provide you with a definitive list of bushcraft skills that will allow you to survive in the wilderness using no man-made materials whatsoever.
THE BOW DRILL METHOD
Everyone knows how important fire is in any survival situation. But not everyone is capable of starting a fire without a flint striker, lighter, or matches. It’s imperative that you learn a way to start a fire without any of those kinds of fire starting devices.
The best method for starting a fire without any man-made materials is the bow drill method. This method requires you to collect a flat piece of wood (to serve as the fireboard) with a notch cut into it. You also need a bow complete with a vine for the cord, and a sharpened stick as the spindle.
Wrap the vine around the spindle and place the point of the spindle right above where the notch is in the fireboard. Proceed to run the bow back and forth very quickly and over an extended period, friction and heat build between the spindle and board. The small shavings of wood will then fall into the notch.
Have a tinder nest already made and different sized kindling on standby. Once you get an ember or smoke, you can transfer the ember into the tinder next to get your fire started. Proceed to add kindling, and you’ll have a fire going.
The bow drill method may sound simple enough on paper, but it’s going to be more physically taxing in real life. You never want a true survival situation to be the first time you practice the bow drill method of fire starting. For this reason, practice extensively now on weekends or whenever you have the time until you become a master at it. That way, it will seem virtually second nature to you in a life-or-death situation.
The skill of tying together two strips of vine or other man-made materials is one that you will not only use in a survival situation but throughout your life as well. For this reason alone, learning how to tie different knots is something you should learn even if you don’t want to master bushcraft skills.
Tying knots goes way beyond the method you use for tying your shoelaces. Different situations will require different knots. Building a shelter or fashioning a fishing pole, in particular, are likely going to be the times in a survival situation where knot tying will prove its worth to you.
The best knots to learn are the clove hitch, the blood knot, the bowline, the trucker’s hitch, and the timber hitch. As with the bow drill method, it’s best to practice tying each of these knots repeatedly until they become second nature to you.
FORAGING
You have to feed yourself in a survival situation, which is why learning about which plants are safe to each and which aren’t is critical. Ultimately, eating plants that are poisonous could kill you faster than not eating anything at all.
Buy a book on the different plants and berries in your area and study that book until you practically have it memorized. Numerous plants and berries look incredibly similar. Sometimes with look-alike plants, one could be poisonous to eat, and you don’t want to run the risk of misidentifying it.
Learn about the different physical qualities of the plants in your area so you can positively identify them, and determine which are edible, which are deadly, and which have strong medicinal properties.
If you can’t positively identify a plant in a survival situation, the safest thing to do is to avoid it. At the same time, skipping over a plant that would have been safe to eat could mean you don’t eat that day. Becoming an expert on the identification and uses of plants in your area will be well worth your time.
TRACKING GAME
The ability to track game is another important bushcraft skill. Just as you will want to memorize the different plants in your area, you will also want to memorize the different animal prints in your area as well.
Anyone can tell the difference between the track of a hoofed animal or an animal with claws, for example, but far fewer people will be able to discriminate between an elk and a moose or a wolf and a coyote, for instance.
Learning animal tracks is not just important for hunting, but also for identifying any predators that could be tracking you. You don’t have to become an expert tracker by any means, but you should be able to tell the difference between the tracks of different animals in your area.
HUNTING WITHOUT FIREARMS
Besides foraging and setting up traps and snares, your other option for catching game is to hunt them. Since you likely won’t have a firearm with you, you’ll need to make your own weapons from whatever you can find in nature: as bows, arrows, spears, clubs, and so on.
Hunting game without firearms is more challenging than if you were to hunt them with firearms, but it is doable. Your tracking skills will be put to the test when hunting game, and you’ll also need to have the ability to move quickly and stealthily. Small game such as squirrels, rabbits, quail, or grouse are ideal targets.
SETTING TRAPS
Look, you may not have a rifle with you when you find yourself stranded in the wilderness, which means you’ll need to turn to alternative means to hunt game. Setting traps will be one of the best things you can do to catch small game. The beauty of setting traps is that you can tend to other duties related to your survival while you wait. Examples of traps you can set include the simple noose on a small game trail or a deadfall with bait.
Since fish will be one of your best sources of protein in a survival situation, you should also learn how to set fishing traps, such as the Weir trap or how to set up a wall on a shorter section of the stream to not allow the fish to go any further.
USING AN AXE
Yes, axes are not really primitive tools. But they are pretty basic tools that all master survivalists have and heavily rely on.
The best bushcraft axe will have a handle shorter than the distance from the end of your fingers to your elbow. This way the axe won’t be too long or difficult to swing, but it also won’t be too short that’s ineffective. Always swing the ax so that the blade is facing the opposite direction of you. Keep a sharpening stone with you so that the blade is always sharp.
PURIFYING AND FILTERING WATER
The true survivalist always keeps a fresh supply of water with them at all times. But when that supply needs to be replenished, it’s foolish to simply drink any water you can find out of a stream or pond. Drinking contaminated or unfiltered water could prove to be more dangerous than not drinking any water at all.
The first thing to do when gathering water is to collect it from a place that seems relatively safe. Check a few hundred feet upstream to see if there’s any animal dung or carcasses in the water; if there is, keep searching for a new spot.
The best way to treat water, without any shadow of a doubt, is to boil it for at least thirty minutes. Heat is going to be what kills the most bacteria and germs. If you don’t have the ability to boil water, the next best thing to do is to construct your own water filter. Construct a funnel out of bark and alternating layers of rocks, sand, and leaves. Run the water through it many times. It won’t get all of the bacteria out (which is why boiling is always better), but it will get rid of any visible offensive substances.
TREATING A WOUND
Accidents will happen, and while a scratch may not seem like a big deal at first, it can quickly turn into something far worse if an infection sets in. In fact, an infection will be devastating without proper medical attention and severely impede your chances of getting out alive.
Learning how to treat all kinds of wounds, from scrapes to burns to cuts to fractures and so on is a vital bushcraft skill. Learn how to fashion splints for a limb fracture and how to suture up an open wound. Keep the wound as clean as possible and if it’s severe enough, give yourself some time to rest with a cool compress over your forehead and drink plenty of water.
NAVIGATION
The whole point of wilderness survival is to try and get back to civilization, right? Navigational skills will prove to be crucial for this goal. In fact, all of the other skills you have learned may prove to be worthless if you aren’t able to navigate in the woods and find your way out.
The best ways to navigate are to read the stars, follow a running stream of water, or to use the sun to figure out your bearings. Remember that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, for instance.
While building a fire keeps you warm, your shelter protects you from the elements. If you don’t have a tent or a tarp with you, learning how to build a shelter with entirely natural resources will become even more vital to your survival.
While building a shelter is time-consuming, you don’t have to build a cabin or anything. A simple lean-to or A-frame will suffice in most situations. Simply place a pole or stretch a vine between two trees, and then lean more poles on one or both sides. Use leaves and pine needles for the bedding and to stuff into any cracks to block drafts.
You’ll want the open area of the lean-to facing in the opposite direction of the wind, and for the shelter to be on the side of a hill if possible. Building a shelter on top of the hill, exposes you to the wind, but in a valley or beneath a hill means you’ll be vulnerable to potential flash flooding.
BUILDING IMPROVISED WEAPONS AND TOOLS
Your ability to construct weapons and tools out of wood and other resources is tested in a wilderness survival situation. You need to learn how to build weapons such as spears, bows and arrows, and clubs to catch game and to defend yourself.
There are many different ways you can build weapons in a survival situation. You can fashion a spear by simply removing the branches and sharpening the end, or you could tie a jagged rock at the end. You could also split the end into three or four different prongs to use for catching fish. For a club, you could simply take a stick with a knot at the end, or you could use a vine to tie a rock to the end to deliver an even more devastating blow.
CONCLUSION
Are there more bushcraft skills that you could learn beyond the ones we covered? Absolutely. In fact, there’s probably an infinite number of bushcraft survival skills that you could learn to help you survive in the wilderness.
But the ones that we covered in this article are by far the most important because they cover the basics of survival, meaning they are critical for emergency situations.
Now that you learned what these skills are, the next thing to do is to go out and practice them regularly. As we mentioned earlier, a true survival situation should never be the first time that you use any of these skills. You want to be already proficient and confident in your skills when the time comes to put your skills to the test in a life-threatening situation.
What is the legacy left behind by Obama and his administration after eight years in office? Well, that greatly depends on who you ask.
First of all, it shouldn’t be too surprising that someone that voted for, and supported, Obama while he was in office will tend to notice the things he did that they feel are a good thing. By equal measure it should be expected that those that voted against Obama, or abstained from voting and remained critical of him and his administration for the last eight years, would be the ones that take note of the things he and his administration did that they don’t like. These things are absolutely to be expected.
Something that is less expected that might be able to provide a fair measure of Obama’s legacy is a certain Huffington Post poll taken after his last State of the Union address. Surprisingly, even for a propaganda outlet that has carried water for the democrats like the Huffington Post preforms a poll in which they asked Americans how they felt about issues like the economy, international relations, and “their life” after Obama took office, the results are beyond what would be considered reasonable expectation. They are unbelievable.
After all, while there is no way to quantify whether or not someone should feel that their life has improved since Obama has been in office, can’t we actually measure whether or not the economy has done so? And if we can, then why don’t people agree? And why is the single most determining factor for their disagreements not age, race, or economic status, but rather their political affiliation?
The answer to why Democrats feel so differently about Obama’s legacy than Republicans or Independents do might actually be what Obama’s legacy is in the first place. So, let’s look at some of the questions that HuffPo asked and the answers that they got, as broken down by political affiliation.
All the questions asked were comparative, comparing before and after Obama, with the option of choosing one of three answers, worse, about the same, or better. When asked how they felt about their own lives now since Obama had been elected 51% of democrats said they felt their life had improved, only 9% of republicans agreed, along with 23% of independents. Since we can’t measure whether or not these people’s lives, have or haven’t improved under the Obama administration, it’s only worth mentioning for comparison with later answers.
When asked if they felt that since Obama’s election the “economy had improved”, an overwhelming 71% of democrats said yes, they felt the economy had improved. Republicans and independents were not so optimistic with 15% and 33% respectively. Now things get a little more interesting since this is an issue that we can examine scientifically, of course people are still free to “feel” that the economy has or has not improved no matter what the data shows, but for some of us reality is still important. So, when it comes to the economy, what can be used to measure its health? Several factors, as we will take a look at, but the one that really hits home is the average household income.
Under the Obama administration, the US average household income has decreased when adjusted for inflation. Meaning that the average American family has less spending power and less resources available to them now than eight years ago. About $2,000 less annually. That’s a big hit for families to take, big enough you might think that Democrats would notice it. But I guess when your voter constituency eats off of food stamps (the amount of Americans on food stamps is up 36% under Obama, that’s 1 out of every 5 Americans) and gets free health care, what’s $2,000 a year?
Obama has been known to state that under his beneficent rule America’s unemployment has been lowered (presumably by his policies) to 4.7 percent, which isn’t a bad number. But, is that an accurate picture of America’s employment? Of course not. The unemployment rate is based on the number of unemployment insurance claims filed, it does not account for those that have been unemployed so long that they can no longer collect, those that chose not to file, the “under employed”, and those that simply aren’t participating in the work force by choice (which is worth looking at since these people would either be living off crime or tax dollars, or both).
A more accurate picture of the American economy would show that since Obama took office the labor participation rate has fallen by over 3%. 3% might seem like a small amount, but take into consideration that only 1% was lost during the official recession.
How about home ownership? Home ownership is down by over 4% since Obama took office. That’s the lowest in over half a century. And this after $275 Billion in housing market bailouts. Not exactly money well spent.
The cherry on top of Obama’s economic legacy is the $9 Trillion and change that was added to the national debt while he was in office. Nearly $1 Trillion of which was due to policies he directly pushed. Those numbers are so large that they are mentally numbing, it’s impossible to fathom what 9 trillion anything would look like. Just to give an idea, 1 trillion is 1,000 billion, which is 1,000 million, which is 1,000 thousand. Like I said, it’s mentally numbing.
But what about relations between parties? How have things changed since Obama’s election in relation to how democrats and republicans see each other and how they relate to each other? Well, like most issues, the answer will likely depend on the political affiliation of the person being asked. Democrats were 6 times more likely to feel that relations had improved under Obama.
That being said, over 60% of democrats still noticed that relations between parties had deteriorated. Of course, that’s all the fault of white racism. It has nothing to do with the democrats continuing to push ultra-polarizing issues like allowing grown men that think they are women, or claim to think they are women (I’m not sure which is worse) to use the same public restrooms as girls. And this while they are pushing the narrative of rape culture.
And what is the result of this race-baiting and hate-labeling that leads to greater polarization? Well, in many cases often ignored or lied about in the mainstream media, the result is violent attacks by the Democrats on Republicans. Most notably would be the recent attacks on Trump supporters outside of Trump rallies, or even more recently, the riots in response to Trump’s election. Democrats take about as much notice of the violence their party is responsible for as they do the economic results of their policies. In fact, they take even less responsibility.
It would be naïve to think that the nation’s economy and partisan relationships are all that Obama has changed before he leaves office. His legacy also extends to foreign relations and this nation’s global standing. The Huffington Post didn’t forget about this, when they asked what the result of Obama’s reign had been on this country’s international standing, 45% of Democrats said that they though “American had become stronger internationally” since Obama. Compare that to 5% of Republicans that felt the same way. So how could we judge whether or not America is “stronger internationally”? It’s impossible to know what The Huffington Post meant by internationally strong, but a reasonable person could conclude that national security would be a good measure of international strength.
How secure is America now that Obama has been in office eight years? Depending on how you categorize them, it is accurate to say that America has suffered an average one Islamic terror attack involving foreigners for each year Obama has been in office. Now of course, Obama doesn’t consider it an act of terror when a devout Muslim shoots and kills US service men in a recruitment office in Littlerock, AR, or when a Muslim couple shots their co-workers and police in San Bernardino.
Then there’s Benghazi, where an American embassy was attacked, resulting in the death of four Americans, on American soil, after repeated requests for additional security were ignored. So how safe can his country be from Islamic terrorism when Obama refuses to say the phrase “Islamic terror”, calls the San Bernardino shooting “work place violence”, and denies an American embassy the security they needed when being ambushed by blatantly ideologically-driven Muslim terrorists?
Islamic terrorism isn’t the only threat that should be assessed when considering America’s security, there are after all other countries to consider. So how has our security fared in relation to other nations since Obama took office? Well, North Korea managed to get nuclear capabilities under Obama. Officially reported Chinese military spending has more than doubled since Obama took office, with experts warning that actual spending could be much higher.
Obama illegally gave Iran, a country that sponsors Islamic terror and threatens American allies like Israel, $1.7 billion in cash. Perhaps most alarming is the proxy war with Russia that Obama has been waging in Syria. All of this while the US military is hemorrhaging troops and weapons so fast under Obama that according to a 2015 report by the Heritage Foundation, America’s military has become “marginally able”, and is not strong enough to fight a two front war.
So, what legacy is Obama leaving this country after eight years in office?
Aside from a demonstratively weakened economy, diminished fighting capacity while facing growing terror threats and potential world war, he seems to have left us with nearly 1/3 of our population fully convinced otherwise. Many dug-in Democrats are unshakable in their faith that Obama has turned the economy around, brought our nation together, and strengthened our international standing.
That is quite an accomplishment, and it would be even if things had remained the same, let alone with every measurable aspect of the Huffington Post’s poll being the opposite of what democrats think. It’s pretty amazing when you stop to think about it, alarming, but amazing. The usual strategy in politics would be to blame the other party or your predecessor for all the problems you caused while in office, that alone could be a hard sell with the numbers we have from the Obama years. But instead, he has successfully convinced a large portion of the US population, a population that has more access to information than ever before, that the problems he caused aren’t real, that he fixed them, and that things are good.
Some of these supporters will attack you if you voice a dissenting opinion or offer support for another party. That’s a whole new trick, and that is Obama’s greatest legacy…a large portion of this country so ill-informed that it borders on delusion, violent when faced with disagreement, self-righteous and fully convinced that the change they hoped for came in the form of eight years under Obama despite all evidence to the contrary. Not bad if you are looking to start a communist dictatorship.
And perhaps, the results of Obama’s poll are in fact indicative more than anything of the ideology he has passed on. Rather than making a quantifiable positive impression on the economy, policy, or the security of our nation, Obama has made clear the kind of emotional ties that Democrats have to their leaders. Time and time again during this recent election, we were told by pundits that Hillary had a better chance because Democrats always stick behind their candidate. Obama’s very rhetoric on which he ran was that of “hope” and “change”, very simple, positive-sounding concepts that drove one of the most successful presidential campaigns in US history. He was pictured in famous campaign posters looking like a romanticized Marxist revolutionary, and perhaps that is a bit like what he is.
In essence, it is possible that his supporters view his presidency as successful not because of what Obama did, but because of what he stood for. The rhetoric he used about opportunity, equality, and die-hard political correctness is what gives people who feel so strongly about these ideals the impression that he has improved the country. Conservatives feel quite differently, but Obama has, in the minds of his supporters, forged a wide path for everything the left adores: cultural Marxist thought crime standards for free speech and relations between people of different belief systems.
And this will be Obama’s legacy. The ideas he validated in people’s heads, the supposed progress he made by being a symbol rather than an effective leader. He will most likely go down in history this way, regardless of what the data shows us. And there’s not much we can do about that, because that’s how Democrats think. Just as the party that founded the KKK and opposed women’s suffrage is now the party of race equality and feminism, they will never back down from viewing their hero Marxist president as a success.
With that much denial of reality, there is simply not very much we can do about it.
The project looks great. The wooden box apparently was a recycle item and the brass hardware makes it look like it belongs with the old radios it powers. This is a good example of how there’s more to vintage restoration than just the electronics. Sure, the function is important, but to really enjoy the old gear, the presentation is important, too.
