Top 5 Best Pistols for SHTF

by Eric

Ahhh, guns, my favorite subject. What are the top 5 pistols, or should we say handguns, for a SHTF event? Well, that would depend on a few factors.

• One would be the users experience with handguns.
• Another would be whether it is intended to cover all your needs or solely intended as a sidearm.
• Finally, your location would be a deciding factor. If you live in an area that has large, dangerous animals then you need a larger caliber handgun.

However, before I go recommending anything, the first thing I will recommend is that if you have no experience handling firearms, you need to go and get professional training. If you don’t know where to go then you should ask the guy selling the gun to you if they offer training classes or if they can recommend one.

A weapon is only as useful as the person wielding it is skilled. So you can go out and buy the biggest, baddest, most expensive hand gun in the world but if you don’t know how to use it then what good is it really?

Semiautomatic pistol or revolver

This factor depends on the user’s experience with firearms. If the user is experienced with handguns then I would strongly suggest a high capacity semiautomatic pistol. However, if the user is inexperienced with handguns I would strongly suggest that they stick with the simplicity of a revolver. While you’re at it, don’t forget to get a good holster and the best gun belt after doing your due diligence of course.

Simplicity of a revolver

Revolvers are pretty simple, so there isn’t a lot to learn or remember with a revolver. There are no external safeties to be concerned about; the safety is your finger (which is the most reliable safety I might add). There are no concerns about racking the slide and de-cocking the weapon with a revolver either.

De-cocking a pistol can be dangerous if you are inexperienced, especially if the pistol doesn’t have a de-cock mode. Even with a de-cock function some are still dangerous. Of course de-cocking doesn’t apply with striker fired guns (which I abhor, but we’ll get to that later).

This video shows how a revolver works.

With a double action revolver (or double/single action) it’s as simple as:

• Swing out the cylinder
• Push ejector to eject spent casings if it has been fired
• Load all chambers in the cylinder
• Close the cylinder
• Aim
• Pull the trigger [double action only (DAO), if it’s double/single you can cock it first for a more accurate shot]

If it’s a single action revolver like a Colt .45 or similar (cowboy style) then to use the handgun you perform the following steps.

• Put the gun on half cock
• Open the loading gate
• Push ejector rod and eject one casing
• Rotate cylinder one chamber and push ejector rod to eject spent casing, repeat 4 more times until empty.
• Load one cartridge
• Rotate the cylinder by hand to the next chamber and load a cartridge
• Repeat until 5 cartridges are loaded (you can load all six in a modern version)
• Close the loading gate
• Cock the weapon
• Aim
• Then pull the trigger to fire.

photo credits: Ben Branam on Flickr.com

Taurus Judge/Smith & Wesson Governor

As you can see by the steps involved, a modern double/single action revolver is far superior to the old single action style. But if you want to use .45 LC caliber, a single action revolver is pretty much your only choice unless you buy a .454 Casull, a Taurus Judge, or a Smith & We$$on Governor.

These two revolvers fire both .410 shot shells as well as .45 LC cartridges. They are both also double/single action and can be a suitable choice for SHTF as the .45 LC is fairly common. After all, the .45 LC is one of the oldest handgun cartridges, having been around since 1872.

The .45 LC loaded to higher pressures can take game like whitetail deer from short distances from a handgun. It is also a very good man stopper even in lower pressure loads. The .410 shot shell spreads quite a bit from a short 3” barrel. But if you get the 6” barrel version the gun is better balanced, holds a tighter shot pattern (barely) for small game, and has a higher muzzle pressure with the .45 LC.

Between these two handguns I can’t really say that one is better than the other. But what I can say is that the Taurus Judge is going to cost less than the Smith & Wesson.

Taking all of these things into consideration I would say that the stainless steel, 3” magnum chambered, Taurus Judge with a 6” barrel, is an excellent choice for a SHTF handgun. With its versatility you could probably get by with just that if you could only buy one gun and you need it to serve multiple purposes. Another reason would be that you are trying to keep your pack lighter and don’t want to carry a rifle.

A quality 4” .357 magnum revolver (no EAA)

Another good choice for a SHTF handgun in a revolver is a .357 magnum. I would recommend getting one with a 4” barrel. The reason why is that it is a happy medium between the conceal ability of a 2” barreled snub nosed, and the higher pressures, greater accuracy, and range of a 6” barrel.

The 4” barrel will still allow you to carry the gun concealed fairly easily, and it will be suitable for hunting. I suppose that you could hunt with a snub nosed, but it would definitely not be ideal. The 4” will cover both self defense and hunting quite well.

Another good point for the .357 magnum is that beside the .357 magnum cartridge, it will also fire the .38 special cartridge. This gives you a little more options for ammo availability. In a pinch you can even chamber and fire .38 short colt and .38 long colt cartridges from a .357 magnum revolver.

Keep in mind though, if you fire a lot of shorter cartridges, make sure to clean the chambers in the cylinder thoroughly before chambering a .357 magnum cartridge again. If you don’t, there could be issues with the cartridge fully seating due to chamber fouling.

This choice, just like any other handgun that offers it, I would also recommend a stainless steel version. Stainless steel is more durable when faced with the elements, and there is no finish to rub off in a holster or pocket.

The make and model of the .357 magnum revolver doesn’t really matter, as long as it is a quality firearm. Never trust your life to a cheap firearm. By the way, in this use of the word, cheap doesn’t mean inexpensive, cheap means poorly made. I wrote an article a short time back about cheap vs. inexpensive handguns that can clear that up for you.

Semiautomatic pistols

My next suggestions are for semiautomatic pistols. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, if you have no or little experience handling a semiautomatic pistol, you should get professional training. Just because someone may have handled a .22 or .38 or whatever revolver before, or their uncle handed them a “9” that they emptied the magazine from, doesn’t mean they can dive right in to a semiautomatic on their own. GET TRAINING.

This video shows how a semiautomatic pistol works. As you can easily see it is much more complex than a revolver.

9mm or .40 cal

Now that we cleared that up, if you want to get a pistol for self defense in case of SHTF, there are literally 100’s of options. The first consideration is caliber. Do you solely intend for this handgun to be for self defense against humans? If so, then a 9mm or .40 caliber pistol will do quite well for this.

These calibers were actually designed with shooting humans in mind. Also, because they are prolific in military and police use, the ammunition availability will probably be pretty fair even after supply lines dry up.

The 9mm and .40 caliber will also handle medium game somewhat reliably. Humans, large dogs, or whatever you might encounter up to about 200 pounds in the woods can be dealt with reasonably with these calibers. However, if you live where there are larger animals, or if you also want to hunt with the pistol, then I would recommend moving up to a .45 ACP.

The .45 ACP

The .45 ACP was also designed with the human animal in mind being a cartridge designed for a military sidearm. However some people actually like to deer hunt with this caliber. With a quality, accurate pistol a deer can be taken at ranges out to about 40-50 yards.

Maybe even farther out if you are awesome. Also, because the cartridge has been in production in most parts of the world for over 100 years ammo availability should not be an issue.

Now, the make or model of any of these calibers pistols relies solely on you. Myself, I prefer stainless steel pistols with a hammer and decocker, but many other people prefer plastic striker fired guns.

For the sake of this article I will not suggest any particular brand of pistol. I will only say that you should buy the best quality firearm that you can afford. You do not want to trust your life to a cheap gun. Again, cheap here meaning of poor quality, like I mentioned earlier in the article I wrote another article that discusses this subject.

Here is a video comparing the effects of a 9mm, a .40 caliber, and a .45 ACP on a pig head.

Number five – big bore handguns

Since I listed three calibers for the semiautomatic, and I’m going to mention two here, then technically I listed more than “5 top guns”, but it had to be done to cover all the ground.

Here I will say that if you live in an area that has very large, very dangerous animals, then I would get a larger caliber handgun. This larger caliber handgun can be a revolver or a semiautomatic, depending on what caliber you choose. But for larger, dangerous game I would recommend the following calibers.

.44 magnum (available in a revolver or semiautomatic)

.454 Casull (revolver)

.460 Ruger (revolver)

.500 S&W (revolver)

There are a couple of other .50 caliber semiautomatics available but the ammunition is somewhat obscure so I wouldn’t get one for SHTF scenarios.

Honorable mention

Some people say that their go to gun for SHTF would be a .22 LR because they will be able to carry a lot more ammunition with them. I can’t argue that point, but I can argue that if this is the only gun you can have then it cannot possibly meet all of your needs, especially if there are large, dangerous animals where you live.

Still others have sworn by the .22 magnum semiautomatic Kel Tec PMR 30. This is a polymer pistol that holds 30 rounds of .22 magnum ammunition. A neat gun, no doubt, but I don’t think I would swear by it as my only handgun or weapon in case of SHTF.

Here is a video showing the effect of a .22 magnum fired into ballistics gel.

Final words

In the end it’s like I’ve said many times before. The best gun is the gun that you have. The best gun is the gun that you are comfortable with and that you can hit the target with.

Some may say “oh, a .22”, but I guarantee you that if they are on the receiving end of ANY firearm and they start hearing BANG, BANG, BANG, they are ready to go. Especially if when they hear bangs happening they also start feeling extreme pain in a part of their body.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you a .22 is the best gun, but I’m also not going to tell you to leave it behind if that’s all you have. I myself hope that if the S ever hits the F, I will be able to get to my safe place with all of my stuff.

If I have to hunker down at home (bug in), then I am fairly heavily armed, better than average I’d say. Even for an American. I can only hope that if anyone on the outside wants inside, that favor smiles on me.

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Retro-Styled Raspberry Pi Radio

Ok, so you want a radio — but not just any radio. It has to be wireless, access a variety of music services, and must have a vintage aesthetic that belies its modern innards. Oh, and a tiny screen that displays album art, because that’s always awesome. This 1938 Emerson AX212-inspired radio delivers.

Building on the backbone of a Raspberry Pi Zero W and an Adafruit MAX 98357 mono amp chip, the crux of this single-speaker radio is the program Mopidy. Mopidy is a music player that enables streaming from multiple services, with the stipulation that you have a premium Spotify account. Once signed up, [Tinkernut] helpfully outlines how to set up Mopidy to run automatically once the Pi boots up. The addition of a screen to display album art adds flair to the design,  and Adafruit’s 1.8″ TFT LCD screen is small enough to fit the bill.

But wait — there’s more!

[Tinkernut] has also gone ahead and added a duo of knobs to control the radio’s volume and turn it on and off, providing  diagrams and code along the way for anyone who wants one of their own. A 2500mAh battery keeps this radio powered on for quite some time, and — once encapsulated within a 3D-printed case — this dynamite boom-box is ready to rock.

While music is usually all round us in this day and age, you might find that not all radios play music, and some of the devices that do might surprise you.

[Thanks for the link, Hackster Tipster!]

Filed under: radio hacks, Raspberry Pi

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Lucid Dreaming | Sleep Schedule questions

Okay so I have an issue with going to bed really late (3 or 4am). And wake up usually around 11am to 1pm. Will this make it harder for me to lucid dream? Back in the day when I would lucid dream (but I went to bed much earlier) I heard things about optimal times to lucid dream, and I'm worried that my horrendous sleep schedule will hinder my ability to LD.

Also, I want to know if I were to start dream recall, or even get to the point that I was lucid dreaming, would suddenly changing my sleep schedule (such as going to bed earlier) completely throw me off? i.e. mess up my dream recall/ability to lucid dream?

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TEMPEST In A Software Defined Radio

In 1985, [Wim van Eck] published several technical reports on obtaining information the electromagnetic emissions of computer systems. In one analysis, [van Eck] reliably obtained data from a computer system over hundreds of meters using just a handful of components and a TV set. There were obvious security implications, and now computer systems handling highly classified data are TEMPEST shielded – an NSA specification for protection from this van Eck phreaking.

Methods of van Eck phreaking are as numerous as they are awesome. [Craig Ramsay] at Fox It has demonstrated a new method of this interesting side-channel analysis using readily available hardware (PDF warning) that includes the ubiquitous RTL-SDR USB dongle.

The experimental setup for this research involved implementing AES encryption on two FPGA boards, a SmartFusion 2 SOC and a Xilinx Pynq board. After signaling the board to run its encryption routine, analog measurement was performed on various SDRs, recorded, processed, and each byte of the key recovered.

The results from different tests show the AES key can be extracted reliably in any environment, provided the antenna is in direct contact with the device under test. Using an improvised Faraday cage constructed out of mylar space blankets, the key can be reliably extracted at a distance of 30 centimeters. In an anechoic chamber, the key can be extracted over a distance of one meter. While this is a proof of concept, if this attack requires direct, physical access to the device, the attacker is an idiot for using this method; physical access is root access.

However, this is a novel use of software defined radio. As far as the experiment itself is concerned, the same result could be obtained much more quickly with a more relevant side-channel analysis device. The ChipWhisperer, for example, can extract AES keys using power signal analysis. The ChipWhisperer does require a direct, physical access to a device, but if the alternative doesn’t work beyond one meter that shouldn’t be a problem.

Filed under: radio hacks

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Lucid Dreaming | MILD - A Really Simple Method?

So in the recent absence of my Aurora headband (it broke last December and they havent supplied a new one yet) I have decided to revisit good ole 'reliable' MILD. I've read some, no many actually tutorials and most all seem to suggest (after a wbtb) to repeat a mantra such as ' Next time im dreaming I will remember to realise im dreaming'. Other suggest looking for dreamsigns etc

I know that prospective memory is key here and that prospective memory is trainable and can be strengthened, which leads to my theory which may be amazingly obvious or really dumb

I have good prospective memory, lets assume that I train each day ( using lebarges method of a daily list) until my prospective memory is really strong.

Now I know that in the high majority of my dreams, at some point, a dream character will speak to me, this is probably true of most everyones dreams.

My idea is (after a wbtb) lying down and repeating until i fall asleep 'The next time anybody talks to me I will remember to check if im dreaming'.

Now if I have good prospective memory then why is this method not one that is talked about at all. In theory it seems like a really obvious mantra

Am i missing something?

Ezzo :-)

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How To Find Water: The Most Valuable Survival Skill

You probably already know that water is essential to your survival…

…and a huge problem if you’re stuck without.

(In fact, just 3 days without can be fatal)

Imagine you’re stranded outdoors with no water, desperate to stay alive.

What would you do? How would you get water?

Today I’m going to show you the ins and outs of finding water for survival.

You’ll learn:

• Where To Look For Water
• How To Know If Water Is Safe To Drink?
• How To Extract Clean Drinking Water (In the Desert, In the Forest, In the Ice).
• Methods Of Purifying Water

Finding water has been an age old undertaking of mankind.

Living in the third world, it still is a struggle every day to access clean water even when it is available.

Statistics show 1 in 10 people living with no access to safe water worldwide.

Source: World Health Organization

The body needs 2 quarts of water daily to survive (just to drink). But, remember this is survival.

If your supply of water is limited make sure you:

• Rest! Physical movements must be limited.
• Do not over exert yourself. Exposure to the elements must also be avoided. Keep out of the sun.
• Do not drink your own urine!!!!
• Wear clothing appropriate to the climate
• Talking is kept to a minimum
• Breath through the nose and not the mouth
• Do not smoke or have big meals.
• Absolutely do not drink alcohol

These lessons can be transferred to survival situations and can increase the chances of survival by over 80%.

And of course, it goes without saying, it’s always better to be prepared. Ensure your bug out bag is well equipped. Having access to water filters, a GPS, and containers to capture and store water will always increase your chances of survival.

Where To Look For Water

Where To Look For Water In Arid and Desert areas

Desert foliage and animals can indicate the presence of water

One major advantage of the Desert is visibility as there are no obstructions on the landscape. Unless there is a sandstorm, one can see the comings and goings of any form of life clearly. It is, therefore, possible to spot some telltale signs that can lead you to a water body.

Animal life:

Most people in a survival situation tend to keep away from animals. There is wisdom in this but animals can turn out to be a lifeline. Predators almost always have a watering hole in the vicinity of their territory and prey is always looking for a watering hole. Look out for a place where animals congregate and the animal population is widespread or a general direction which shows a considerable amount of animal traffic.

Bird and insect populations:

Mosquitoes abound where there is stagnant water, bees cannot live more than 1000 meters away from a water source and ants have a keen sense of smell which sniffs out water near their settlements. With any of these insects around you, it is a sure sign that there is a water body nearby.

Plant life:

A clump of vegetation in the middle of an arid area or near a rock formation can indicate water underneath the ground surface or within the rock veins. The greener and leafier it is the more water there is.

Where To Look For Water In Forests

Forests can offer more options to find water

Even though there may be abundant water in a forest setting finding safe water may pose a greater challenge. However, chances of finding clean water are greater when you look out for

Animal life:

Grazing animals are never far from water sources in a forest and are a sure sign that clean safe water is nearby. Unlike the Desert where the animals only trek to and from the water source when they need water, in the jungle animals are ever present near a water body.

Roots and tubers

Jungles have a lot of tubers and roots that are filled with water. These come in handy when foraging for clean and safe water to drink. It is best to find larger, thicker ones that have enough water instead of looking for smaller ones. That way you can minimize your movements, exerting yourself less.

Bird and insects:

Flies tend to stay within 100 meters of water. Look out for the iridescent green colored European mason fly because they are always to be found near water bodies. Pigeons are also lovers of water and a good indicator that water is nearby.

Where To Look For Water In Icy Terrain

Bare ice landscape can have limited options

The ice found on Earth is softer and less cold than that found on other planets in our solar system. Our ice is made of numerous grains packed together with a thin film of water running through them and this water can support life. It must however not be fresh sea ice.

Fresh sea ice is saltier because of the concentrated salt droplets are known as brine. This makes it’s undrinkable. Multi-layer ice otherwise known as old sea ice, on the other hand, has lost it’s brine and is safer to drink as it produces potable fresh water. The two can be easily distinguished apart as the old ice has a blue tinge while the new one does not.

You can find portable sea ice from icebergs, river ice and multi-layer ice. However, eating ice and snow is not recommended as it will lower your temperature which is not ideal when you are in survival mode.

How To Know If Water Is Safe To Drink?

The discovery of water can be invigorating but you must refrain from being led by your thirst. You must inspect the water to ensure it is safe to drink before drinking it otherwise you may ingest harmful bacteria and other organisms.

• It should not be green in color
• It should not have an odor
• No carcases in it
• It must be coming from a source like an underground spring

How To Extract Clean Drinking Water

Even in cases where you find a fountain of clean water or a puddle that is seemingly uncontaminated when in a survival situation it is best to err on the side of caution. You can do this by employing safe water extraction methods. Although, each terrain has its own challenges some methods cut across all the survival scenarios. Let us look at each landscape and the specific methods that work for each.

Extracting Water In the Desert

Condensation:

As you are looking for water in the Desert you will probably come across several dried river beds. These dried up beds of water are actually the best places to find moisture amid the aridity. Through condensation, you can harness a good quantity of clean, safe water from them.

The process

1. Begin by digging curved holes into the bed. The holes should be over 40 meters in order to reach the subsoil that has the water. Make sure the holes are directly in the sun.
2. Put green leafy plants into the hole and your container in the centre. The green plants also transpire adding to the water collected.
3. Spread a taut plastic paper (or raincoat) over the container without covering it. To ensure no gaps are left unsealed use sand to hold the plastic cover in place on the edges. Any holes or gaps mean no water will be collected.
4. As the water evaporates out of the moist soil and the green plants transpire within the soil, the water produced will condense on the plastic cover and drip into the container.

How effective is this method?

You can survive off this water for as long as you harness the water trapped underneath the river bed. It is clean and safe water although you will need multiple setups to harness an adequate amount of water. This process is also effective in a dune valley where rainwater collects and seeps into the ground.

Extracting water from plants, roots and tubers

In the Desert one of the most popular plants that stores water is the cacti. This prolific plant can hold up to 2000 gallons of water as in the case of the Sahuaro cactus. Although the water is acidic because of the photosynthesis process in the Desert, it can be made drinkable when one boils it. Boiling destroys the malic acid found in some succulent plants like cactus.

The process:

1. Chooses a thick and turgid limb or part of the stem.
2. Nick the chosen part with a knife and allow the water to drain into a container.
3. In case the cacti are low on water cut of a limb and wring the water out. This may be difficult to do because of the prickly nature of the cacti exterior.

How effective is the method?

Cacti are able to store water for prolonged periods of time. The water is safe as with water extracted from the plant as long as it is adequately heated to make it drinkable. In fact, with the cacti, you will have a constant supply of water but you must be careful not to cut it too deep and leave it “bleeding”. It can be like a leaky faucet.

Extracting Water In the Forest

Transpiration

Transpiration on a leaf

This method requires a paper bag for collecting the water as it runs off the plant leaves. However, since you may not have a paper bag or raincoat or any other bag would do just fine.

The process:

• Choose a green large leafed plant or berry bushes that receive plenty of sunlight. This is because the heat from the sun facilitates more transpiration.
• Pick a branch with numerous leaves and place the plastic bag or raincoat over it. Secure the either of them very tightly onto the branch to prevent the moisture from escaping.
• With the covering hanging off the branch the water collected onto the leaves will drain into it providing you with fresh, clean drinking water.

How effective is the method?

Within 4 hours you may have harnessed 1/3 of a cup. However, in order to reap the most benefits from this method, you may need to have paper bags or other coverings over several plants simultaneously.

Water extracted from barks, stems, roots and shoots

Stems, barks, roots and shoots from vines and other plants can store water within them. However, with the exception of the bark, the rest should be at least 5cm thick to have enough water.

The process:

1. Select a vine with limbs measuring at least 5 cm in thickness.
2. Make an incision to see the color of sap that the plant produces. Milky white sap indicates the plant is poisonous while clear fluid means it is safe to drink from.
3. Place your container and collect the fluid for drinking or you can suck the water directly with your mouth.

How effective is the method?

This method can produce enough water to last you an entire day. Almost all water extracted from plants is safe to drink with the exception of water from poisonous plants. Because the water is contained within the plant it has no contact with contaminants.

Extracting Water In the Ice

Old ice like ice-bergs and multi-layered ice are sources of water in cold wildernesses because they have lost most of their brine and are able to produce fresh drinking water.

Desalination:

Blue tinged ice

Drinking salty water will quickly dehydrate you and leads to death. However, not all ice is useless. Find old ice that has a blue tinge to it and through the process of distillation, you can produce fresh water for drinking.

The process:

• Find two metallic containers of varying sizes: one large and the other smaller
• Put salty water into the larger one and drop the smaller container into it ensuring it does not float.
• Cover both with a lid that sits well onto the larger container but has a low point that drops directly into the top of the smaller container.
• Begin to gently heat the salt water in the large container so that it can form steam on the lid. Make sure the heat is not too much to boil the water and splash it onto the lid.
• As the steam forms on the lid, it will run down into the smaller container as fresh water that is drinkable.

How effective is the method?

This is a tried and tested method that produces clean drinking water time and time again. The water that is found within the ice is sufficient to form dense droplets of condensation when heated. Once the items needed are in place it is a highly effective method of extracting water from ice.

Methods Of Purifying Water

When you find yourself working with very limited options of water you can still get water from these sources and purify it for consumption. The key to producing pure water lies in having prior knowledge of the processes and materials you would need.

Water Treatment

It is imperative to treat water that has been found from any source. While you cannot be expected to treat water using modern technology in the wilderness, you can find barks and seeds that can treat water and make it safe to drink. Experimental trials have revealed bark of horseradish or Ben oil tree (Moringa Oleifera), the Barbados nut (Jatropha curcas) and the Guar or cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) can treat water.

Water Filtration

It can be hard to distinguish lethal bacteria in water just by looking at it. The pine tree has been proven in studies to trap bacteria found in water when water is filtered through sticks derived from the tree. According to a team of MIT scientists, this filtration method can produce up to 4 litres of fresh, uncontaminated water daily. The small sized pores in the sapwood can prevent over 99% of the bacteria E. coli from passing through.

Boiling

Heat is a great way to kill bacteria and other microorganisms in water. You must, however, ensure the water boils properly and is not just heated up.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed our guide to finding water in a survival situation.

Understanding the need for basic survival skills is the beginning of preparing yourself for a survival situation.

Our point? Survival skills are not complicated, but being informed and prepared is essential.

What did you think of the guide? Or maybe you have a question. Either way, us know in the comments below.

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Fail of the Week: Tracking Meteors with Weather Radio

Top 5 Best SIG Sauer Pistols

With the news that the United States military will officially adopt the SIG Sauer P320 pistol to replace the Beretta M9 that has served since the 1980s, it would seem like an appropriate time to discuss SIGs in general.

The manufacturer, SIG Sauer, is regarded as being a premium brand on the firearms market.  Their products tend to be much more expensive than the counterparts released from other companies. In fact, it was only because SIG Sauer’s P226 was slightly higher priced than the Beretta 92FS that it was not chosen during the Army trials in the 80s.

So yes, you will pay more for a SIG Sauer handgun (at least a new one).  But at the same time, you will definitely get what you pay for. SIG pistols are made to the absolute highest quality and are designed to last. These are pistols that your descendants will continue passing down many years from now.

Any SIG pistol is a superb choice for anything from home defense to concealed carry to a duty sidearm or even a simple range weapon.  But what are the very best SIG pistols that you should consider?  We’ll talk about five of them in what follows.

The P220

The P220 was not the first pistol SIG Sauer released or even their first successful pistol (that honor goes to the P210), but it was the pistol that gained them worldwide attention and established them a slice of the marketplace in the United States.

The P220 is a full size, single stack, DA/SA semi-automatic pistol with an all-steel frame and that is hammer fired.  It was originally offered in both 9mm and .45 ACP, but new P220’s are now offered in just .45. There are many who consider the P220 to be the finest double action .45 ever produced, even today when many new models of .45’s have been produced.

Releasing the P220, particularly into the United States, was not a riskless endeavor for SIG. At the time, the 1911 ruled the handgun market and was the pistol of choice for many civilians and police departments. But one significant factor that the 1911 had was that it was single action only, meaning the weapon could only fire when cocked.

In contrast to this, the P220 has a long first trigger pull that also naturally acts as a safety. While the 1911 is designed to be carried cocked and locked (AKA hammer down with the safety on), it’s still not the safest way to do it, and generally not recommend for novice gun owners.  A decocking lever on the side of the frame of the P220 is easily accessible and will return the pistol to double action after being fired.  There are no manual safeties on the P220, which was a major innovation at the time of its release.

The P220 has spawned an entire generation of pistols, with the most notable variants being the P225, P226, P227, P228, and P229.

The P229

The SIG P229’s history began with the development of the P228.  The story goes that SIG decided to manufacture a compact version of the P226 that would be better for concealment or for shooters with smaller hands. The P228 was the result of this, and it was adopted by the U.S Air Force as the M11 pistol as well as by numerous law enforcement agencies.

SIG later updated the P228 to the P229 in order to handle the higher pressure .40 S&W and .357 SIG rounds. The only differences between the two weapons was in the slide (the P228 used a forged carbon slide while the P229’s is constructed out of stainless steel). SIG then decided to discontinue the P228, when they released they could just make the P229 in the 9mm caliber.

So in essence, the P229 is a more compact version of the P226 and would be a better choice for you if concealment is an issue or if you have smaller hands. That being said, the P229 is still large enough to be used for duty use as well, and indeed remains in use with many military departments today.

The P229 is available in 9mm, .40 S&W, or .357 SIG. As with the P226, only a change in barrels is needed to fire .40 or .357 in the same weapon.

 

The P226

A true classic, the P226 is probably SIG’s most famous firearm.  It quickly became world renowned right when it was released in the 1980s, and entered into the U.S Army’s trail.  The United States was looking for a double stacked and double action 9mm auto to replace the aging Colt M1911A1 .45.  SIG basically took a 9mm P220 and made it a double stack that held 15 rounds and the result was the P226.  Other than that, the two weapons are virtually identical.

The P226 made significant headway in the trails and eventually it came down between it and the Beretta 92. Regardless of which of the two pistols actually performed a little better, the Beretta was selected because it cost less than the SIG. While the Beretta is a fine and respectable weapon, there are many people who feel that the P226 was the pistol the U.S Military deserved.  That being said, the Navy SEAL’s actually did select the P226 over the Beretta 92 (and continued to use it until recently when they replaced it with the Glock 19).

The P226 is today available in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG.  The .40 and .357 SIG models are actually identical and you only need to swap the barrels when switching between calibers; even the magazines for the two weapons are the same. This means you can have a kit consisting of a P226, magazines, and two barrels and you’ll be able to fire two separate calibers, which could be a major advantage in an SHTF situation (as this essentially gives you two pistols in one).

Countless variations of the P226 exist on the market today, with newer models all being released with an accessory rail for adding lights, lasers, or other accessories.

The SP2022

The SP2022 is often known as the ‘poor man’s SIG.’  It was SIG’s very first polymer framed pistol and was marketed to those who could not afford the higher priced P226 or P229, while still not sacrificing quality.

In the 2000s, the handgun market became increasingly competitive and budget minded, which led to the SP2022’s release.  It remains an excellent though largely forgotten pistol today.  Available in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG, the main appeal of the SP2022 is that it is much lighter than the comparable P229.

Despite this, the basic controls of the two weapons are the same. The SP2022 is also a DA/SA hammer fired pistols still features a slide release directly above the grip along with a decocking lever on the side of the frame. The SP2022 also has an accessory rail on the frame and interchangeable back straps; the early P229s did not have the former and still don’t have the latter even today.

All in all, the SP2022 is a pistol that is still worth a look despite the fact that it has not been given as much notice as the P220-series or SIG’s more recent P320.

The P320

Finally, we come to the P320, the latest in SIG pistol, a striker fired polymer framed pistol designed to compete primarily with the Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P, and the Springfield XD-series.

But what makes the P320 stand out in general, and a primary factor that led to its adoption by the U.S Military (besides its reliability), is the fact that it is a fully modular handgun system. The weapon is very simple and only consists of the slide, frame, barrel, trigger assembly, and the magazine. You can then purchase multiple frames of the P320 while only keeping one slide, barrel, and trigger, essentially giving you a full size, mid size, and compact pistol all in one (you would only need to get a shorter magazine for the compact frame).

The P320 will be designated the M17 in the U.S Army (which will incorporate a manual frame mounted safety) but will continue to be sold on the civilian market. The P320 isn’t just great if you want to own a striker fired SIG pistol. It’s also a great pistol to own if you want to alternate between different sizes without actually having to buy a new pistol.

Conclusion

SIG Sauer has continued to set high standards in the firearms world and it’s easy to see why they have been so widely accepted by militaries, law enforcement units, and civilians all over the globe.  These truly are premium pistols that are designed to endure many years of hard use.

The five specific SIG models that we have covered in this article are their most popular ones on the marketplace today and the top five that you should consider if you are ever looking to purchase your very first SIG.

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Decoding NRSC-5 with SDR to Get In Your Car

NRSC-5 is a high-definition radio standard, used primarily in the United States. It allows for digital and analog transmissions to share the original FM bandwidth allocations. Theori are a cybersecurity research startup in the US, and have set out to build a receiver that can capture and decode these signals for research purposes, and documented it online.

Their research began on the NRSC website, where the NRSC-5 standard is documented, however the team notes that the audio compression details are conspicuously missing. They then step through the physical layer, multiplexing layer, and finally the application layer, taking apart the standard piece by piece. This all culminates in the group’s development of an open-source receiver for NRSC-5 that works with RTL-SDR – perhaps the most ubiquitous SDR platform in the world. 

The group’s primary interest in NRSC-5 is its presence in cars as a part of in-car entertainment systems. As NRSC-5 allows data to be transmitted in various formats, the group suspects there may be security implications for vehicles that do not securely process this data — getting inside your car through the entertainment system by sending bad ID3 tags, for instance. We look forward to seeing results of this ongoing research.

[Thanks to Gary McMaster for the tip!]

Filed under: radio hacks

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Long Range Wireless Internet

While most of you reading this have broadband in your home, there are still vast areas with little access to the Internet. Ham radio operator [emmynet] found himself in just such a situation recently, and needed to get a wireless connection over 1 km from his home. WiFi wouldn’t get the job done, so he turned to a 433 MHz serial link instead. (Alternate link)

[emmynet] used an inexpensive telemetry kit that operates in a frequency that travels long distances much more easily than WiFi can travel. The key here isn’t in the hardware, however, but in the software. He went old-school, implemending peer-to-peer TCP/IP connection using SLIP — serial line Internet protocol. All of the commands to set up the link are available on his project page. With higher gain antennas than came with the telemetry kit, a range much greater than 1 km could be achieved as well.

[Editor’s note: This is how we all got Internet, over phone lines, back in the early Nineties. Also, you kids get off my lawn! But also, seriously, SLIP is a good tool to have in your toolbox, especially for low-power devices where WiFi would burn up your batteries.]

While it didn’t suit [emmynet]’s needs, it is possible to achieve extremely long range with WiFi itself. However this generally requires directional antennas with very high gain and might not be as reliable as a lower-frequency connection. On the other hand, a WiFi link will (in theory) get a greater throughput, so it all depends on what your needs are. Also, be aware that using these frequencies outside of their intended use might require an amateur radio license.

 

 

Filed under: radio hacks

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The Top 30-30 Lever Action Rifles for General Purpose Use

In many regards, the .30-30 Winchester round was the very first modern high velocity caliber.  It didn’t take long to become one of the most widespread cartridges in the United States. Many shooters and hunters would agree that the .30-30 has killed more deer than any other caliber in the world.

The .30-30 has become a popular round in other parts of the world, such as Europe, South America, and Australia. There’s good reason why. The .30-30 is a very versatile round with relatively little recoil in comparison to bigger calibers, but more than enough stopping power to bring down a deer, black bear, or a wild boar.

So only one question remains: what is the best .30-30 lever action rifle for general purpose use that you can buy?

There are four high quality and popular models of lever action rifles that we will explore each with their own pros and cons.

HENRY REPEATING ARMS 30-30

First of all, this is not the same famous Henry rifle that was developed and used in the American Civil War. The Henry Repeating Arms Company that we know today is an entirely different business, but that being said, they still make some of the smoothest and finest lever action guns in the market.

The Henry Repeating Arms 30-30 is a classic lever action rifle coming with a high quality brass receiver and an octagon barrel that measures twenty inches. It utilizes a straight checkered stock furnished from reddish American walnut, with a brass plate at the end for your shoulder. The sights are fully adjustable, while the overall rifle is well balanced.

The Henry can load five rounds of .30-30 in the tubular magazine plus the round in the chamber.  Something that is unique about the Henry series of rifles is how they load differently than other lever actions.

Instead of loading a round individually into the side of the receiver, the Henry’s reload by removing a tube out of the magazine and then feeding the rounds in the end of the tube under the barrel. The upside to this is that you can load ammunition much faster than loading them into the receiver, but the downside is that if you lose your tube, the rounds will fall out and you’ll only be able to fire one round at a time.

Henry rifles in general are a very nice quality with smooth action and practically no resistance.  They are priced at around $600-700.

MARLIN 336

The Marlin 336 is the second highest selling sporting rifle in America, only after the Winchester 1894 that we will explore in a bit. The 336 makes for an excellent brush or truck gun and holds 6+1 rounds of .30-30 versus the Henry’s 5+1.

A notable feature about the Marlin 336 is the side ejection port (rather than on the top like the Winchester). This makes mounting optics on the 336 very easy and it reduces the possibility of a round striking your face when ejecting a spent cartridge.

The 336 only weighs seven pounds, which makes it a very well balanced rifle and one that children or smaller statured shooters can easily pack. The most popular variations sport what is called a ‘pistol grip’ stock, which means that the grip part of the stock is curved rather than straight like with other lever actions. Some shooters feel that this is a more ergonomic way to hold and fire the gun over a straight stock.

Finally, the 336 is regarded as utilizing a durable lever action design over its closest competitors such as the Winchester 1894. You’ll notice this when you see fewer parts coming out of the gun when you run the action.

When Remington first acquired Marlin they had a few quality  issues. Fortunately, those  have since been resolved, but you still want to be careful when purchasing a used Marlin 336.

You don’t want to buy one that was built right after Remington bought the company.

Routinely available brand new for around $450 or used for as little as $300, the Marlin 336 represents an excellent value for the money.

THE MOSSBERG 464

At first glance, the Mossberg 464 and the Winchester 1894 look exactly but there are still a few differences.

The two share a slim design, ejection port on the top of the action, a loading gate on the side, and the flat sided receiver. While the 464 has a visible ambidextrous tang safety located on the upper part of the grip, the designs of the 464 and the 1894 don’t look very much apart from one another.

It’s in the internal design of the rifle that the 464 comes into contrast with the 1984.  The ejection port is located on the top of the receiver with the 464, so the rounds will still physically eject to the side as with the Marlin 336.  This makes it much easier to mount scopes and other kinds of optics on the 464.

Another difference between the 464 and the 1894 is the hammer. Whereas the 1894 uses a half-cock position (meaning the rifle is decocked and cannot fire but is not pressed against the firing pin due to the chance of the rifle accidentally firing), the 464 does not have a half cock position.  As mentioned before, it has a tang safety located on the top of the grip (which is straight, rather than curved like the Marlin 336). This safety is naturally ambidextrous making it easily accessible for left and right handed shooters. When the safety is engaged, the hammer cannot come into contact with the firing pin, making the rifle safe to carry.

Like the Marlin 336, the 464 has a twenty inch barrel and holds 6+1 rounds of ammunition. It’s a very lightweight rifle at just over six and a half pounds, and is lighter than the Winchester 1894.  The benefit to this is the rifle is very easy to pack and carry. The negative is that recoil is going to be a greater.

All in all, the Mossberg 464 represents a classic lever action design that has been improved with modern innovation. The Winchester 1894 and Marlin 336 dominated the lever action market for pretty much a century. When the 464 was released in the late 2000s, it has still made respectable inroads into the market. You can easily purchase one new in the $300 to $350 range.

WINCHESTER 1894

The Winchester 1894 is not just the most popular lever action rifles ever made, it’s one of the most popular guns ever made period in my opinion. It was the very first sporting rifle to sell over one million product units since production started 112 years ago, and currently sales stand at over seven million.

The Winchester 1894 was originally designed by John Browning, and was then produced by Winchester.  It was a groundbreaking design when first released, as it was the very first rifle that was chambered for smokeless cartridges. This fact had major appeal to many shooters and is why the rifle quickly sold so well.

The 1894 is one of the most well balanced carbines of any type that you can buy. You’ll notice right away that it is a very narrow rifle. The overall slimness means this is an easy rifle to store in your truck as it will take up very little space.

The barrel length measures 20 inches and it holds 6+1 rounds of .30-30 caliber. The action is very smooth and the entire rifle is built to Winchester’s high standards of quality.

The biggest gripe that some people have with the 1894 is how the shells eject out of the top of the receiver. This makes it very difficult to mount a scope and leaves the possibility of a spent casing striking you in the face. After the mid-1980s, Winchester redesigned the rifle so the rounds ejected more to the side. The rifle is still not the best option for mounting scopes.

New Winchester 1894s are quite pricey and can cost you upwards of $700, but you can easily purchase used ones in good condition in the $400 to $500 range. One reason for the higher cost is because part of what you are buying is the Winchester name, which is legendary in the firearms world.

THE WINNER

So, which of these rifles is the best? Honestly, all of them do everything you could ask a lever action to do, so determining a ‘winner’ will largely come down to personal preference. You really can’t go wrong with any of them.

That being said, the rifle winning from these four that probably offers you the most value for your money is the Marlin 336. While the Mossberg 464 is a little cheaper, the 336 is an overall sturdier and simpler design over the other options on this list and can probably sustain more abuse. It’s also the most versatile rifle on this list, as mounting a scope or other kind of optic is very easy thanks to the position of the side ejection port.

Don’t think that the 336 is the .30-30 rifle you’re obligated to buy. Henry, Marlin, Mossberg, and Winchester are all manufacturers of great guns, I just like my 336.

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Lucid Dreaming | deep sleep thoughts

Okay so I try a WILD, I go into deep sleep and I see nothing I am just thinking. Made me realize we are thinking during deep sleep. I was aware that I was asleep but I wasn't dreaming. I couldn't enter into REM sleep for some reason. Maybe exhaustion, I'm an athlete. I train hard during the day and then I spend more time in deep sleep than REM sleep. Gymnastics is important to me, but so is lucid dreaming/having vivid dreams and good dream recall. Any advice?

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The 10 Best EDC Bags for 2017

Each year, the manufacturers who listen to their customers learn a little more about how their products are being used and what can be done to improve them. Then technology keeps advancing so the quality of materials and the designs improve year on year.

From backpacks to sling bags, messenger, laptop bags, pocket organizers and even a designer bag there is something to suit everyone’s taste and pocket and most importantly a bag that will fit all the EDC items. We have rounded up a select few popular EDC bags you should consider.

1. Backpack: TACTICAL RUSH 12

The Rush 12 is incredibly popular. It comes in 4 colors to suit different tastes and uses – Black, Multicam Sandstone and Double Tap. The design of this bag is great for someone who has to carry a reasonable amount of gear and equipment on their daily commute. The main compartment is 18″ x 11″ x 6.5″ and it has a 21.2 liter capacity (1296 cubic inch)

For people who like to be organized instead of rummaging around in a pack that has only two or so compartment this bag has 16 compartments including a fleece-lined sunglasses pocket. Winner! Then the zipper pocket inside the outside storage area fits an iPad mini snugly – so no extra case needed for that or a tablet of similar size either. In the main compartment you can fit a laptop and accessories.

For concealed carry the interior provides snug fitting compartments to store your weapons. The internal admin panel means all your small accessories that usually get lost within backpacks are ready to hand. There is a built in hydration pocket but the wrap-around MOLLE/SlickStick web platform allows you to add other add-ons or an extra hydration system if you need.

The users range from scholars and hunters to airline passengers, and it’s even been used as a tactical assault pack – so it’s pretty versatile. Some people have managed to stuff all their clothes and toiletries in here for a long weekend away.

The fact that it’s made from water-resistant 1050D nylon means your stuff isn’t going to get wet in a rain shower. The fabric is sturdy and the stitching strong. The zippers are YKK self-repairing and the pull-tabs for opening are glove-friendly. Zippers are what set aside top quality gear from cheaper products.

The straps are fairly broad with a contoured yoke shoulder strap making it very comfortable for carrying securely for long periods of time.

Basically it’s a versatile bag, which means you don’t have to keep swapping bags. This bag will take you from college or work to a weekend away without any trouble – and it will last and last. That’s a true everyday carry bag for you!

2. Maxpedition Advance Gear Research Lithvore 17L Everyday Back Pack

Quality and price go hand in hand –so near the top end of the range is this backpack from Maxpedition made from 500D Hex Ripstop and with a laser cut ATLAS attachment lattice system.

The zippers are YKK® with Positive Grip Pulls, it has expandable bottle holders and Shapeshift™ Webbing. The buckles are quality Duraflex® Xlite® Buckles and the bag comes with a logo embossed 420D Nylon Liner. Teflon® fabric protector is used to increase grime resistance and for easy maintenance.

The main compartment has an easy slip in pouch for a laptop while the front opening pouch comes with a handy organizer system for all those little things you need on a daily basis like USB stick, charger cords, headphones, a pen and a whole lot more. Both the front pouch and the main compartment have clamshell opening so you can see what you have at a glance with mesh pockets to keep everything in place. The ergonomic shoulder straps provide maximum comfort on this quality bag.

3. 3V Gear Outlaw Sling Pack Over the Shoulder Day Bag

This bag comes in black, coyote tan and olive drab – probably black is the best for EDC in the city. This bag is made from heavy-duty 600D PVC nylon with reinforced top and side handles.

Besides the shoulder strap designed for the left shoulder for better weapon shouldering, the main compartment comes with place for concealed carry weapon (CCW) and accessories. The bag can also be worn slung to the front and can be comfortably accessed while seated. The day bag is MOLLE and PALs compatible with an air mesh strap and hydration sleeve.

The zipper pulls also have built in theft deterrent devices and there are enough compartments to fit all your EDC gear neatly. The price is the draw-card as it’s not as expensive as the Maxpedition brand – but bear in mind that the more you pay for an item the longer it is likely to last!

4.  Laptop bag – Direct Action Messenger Tactical Bag

This is a tough fairly compact bag at 5.1 x 13.8 x 10.2 inches, which doesn’t shout “tactical” making it ideal to carry to the office or to the workplace. It was however designed for advanced military and law enforcement operators.

This durable bag, made from water resistant coated 100% Cordura 500D fabric that comes in various color options. The coyote brown is a practical EDC color but you might prefer the snowdrift or one of the others in the range. The Kryptek, PenCott and Multicam models are NIR (Near-infrared) treated, meaning it will help prevent detection with nightvison – FYI.

There’s space for a laptop and a notebook and file in the main compartment which comes divided into two sections, one secured with Velcro and the other open – remember the flap top does cover these compartments. The 13” Macbook Air fits in quite snugly in the smaller compartment with its thin quilted fleece type lining. The larger compartment has the whole one side of the interior covered lined with the loop side of Velcro so you can adjust options by adding interior storage. There are multi pockets for pens, chargers and all the other EDC paraphernalia. One side compartment has space for a small water bottle or thermos.

On the inside of the flap is a nylon mesh pocket with an elasticized edge. In all, it has a number of pockets on the flap and on the front of the bag making access fairly easy. The bag has no less than three tethers for keys! No mixing up various key sets.

The compartment on the other end of the bag has zippers allowing it to open up around two thirds of the way down making access for a small tablet or cell phone easy or whatever else you need on your daily commute – trail mix, Snickers bar? There are MOLLE attachments so you can add to the bag.

The messenger bag flap comes with zippered compartments and secures to the front compartment with Velcro as well as buckles. Once the flap is down and fastened then there’s a comfortable handle made of nylon webbing. Duraflex D rings attached on either side of the handles and on the back of the bag give a person options for attaching the waistband – this is for additional security when carrying the bag slung across the body, messenger style.

Generally the down sides to the bag all relate to size and accessibility– some people wish the laptop compartment was bigger and that the water bottle pocket was deeper and wider. For those who want concealed carry weapon space then this isn’t very practical as the Velcro and buckles plus putting back the flap are going to slow you down in the eventuality you need the weapon in a hurry. But these features do prevent pickpocketing – so what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.

5.  13″ MACBOOK EDC KIT

For businessmen and women this sleek and stylish laptop bag at 13.4″ wide x 9.5″ high x 1.6″ deep has space for all the essentials for people on the go having meetings and calling on customers. It will fit a 13″ Macbook, iPad, mouse, various cables, and other stationery.

The exterior is made from 900 denier polyester canvas and can take it’s fair share of wear and tear, while the padded neoprene lined interior ensures your equipment will stay safe. It has four stash pockets and MOLLE nylon exterior webbing so you can have add-ons. A detachable shoulder strap and YKK zippers complete this popular item.

6. Versatile Sling Bag – NEATPACK-SL01-UK00

This is for those who prefer to travel fairly light, as the product’s dimensions are 12.5 x 4 x 18.5 inches. The Neatpack sling bag can be worn over either shoulder or cross body for extra security.

Made from a tough polyester material that is water resistant the bag comes in black, grey and rustic red with black trim. The ergonomically designed and padded shoulder strap has a cellphone pocket with access for headphone cords.

The main compartment is fully lined – great for camera equipment. Then there’s a pocket that will fit a tablet or a small laptop – up to 12”. Zippers are of sturdy construction. The front lined zipper pocket has three elastic loops to make it easy to access small items like your charger cord or small flashlight – items that could get tangled or lost in a bigger space. Another compartment has pen sleeves, slots for bankcards and a key clip as well as a mesh zip pocket for other documents. There is also a mesh pocket with an adjustable loop for carrying a water bottle.

On the back of the pack – where it will be worn against your body is a hidden RFID blocking pocket. A common concern for commuters is RFID skimming which enables digital theft by pickpockets of smart credit cards. The device used by the thieves enables them to read and duplicate the cards without you knowing any better – until you swipe your card.

7. Maxpedition EDC Pocket Organizer

This is great for using inside a handbag, attached to a larger bag or simply carried in the pocket of cargo pants or a jacket.

It’s small – just 5” long x 7” high x 1” wide but it can certainly get all those little items organized. The main compartment has full clamshell opening with dual zips. This means you have everything you want at a glance. On the inside left there’s a slip pocket, an elastic organizer with 9 divisions and a key ring. On the right is a slip pocket, a tie down loop and an elastic organizer with 6 divisions.

Women can get their makeup, nail file, mini torch and all the EDC stuff women need in one tidy little container. Guys can get their multitool, folding knife, and other EDC goods in here too without having to do some weird version of the Makarena dance as they frantically pat pockets to find what they need. On the front exterior is a mesh slip pocket with hook and loop for a driver license or whichever card you need regularly. The back features attachment webbing.

8. Women’s handbag  – MARC JACOBS Recruit North/South Leather Crossbody

This designer bag, available from Bloomingdale’s, is surprisingly spacious and will go with various outfits from corporate office wear to skinny jeans. Its sleek black genuine leather says style with a capital S.

The crossbody style makes is great when you have kids in tow and want both hands free but the adjustable crossbody strap is detachable if you want it as a sling bag. It’s lined and comes with a zip closure. There’s an exterior zip pocket and an exterior slip pocket. Its 9″wide x 1.5″deep x 10″ in height and has a 23″ strap drop. It will fit your tablet and phone, and you can use a small organizer like the Maxpedition pocket organizer to carry all the loose stuff that normally spills out of women’s handbags.

9.  Icarercase Fashion Cross Body Bag Sling Bag Chest Pack

At 11.8” x 5.7” x 3.3”mm this one shoulder design allows for carrying on either shoulder and has an adjustable webbing strap. The interior is comprised of one main zippered pocket, with three interior pockets for maximum organization. There is also a front pocket and a back zippered pocket plus a back cardholder pocket for maximum security. This will met most people’s EDC demands if they don’t have to carry a laptop. It will fit a tablet, pone, wallet, keys and all the other EDC paraphernalia comfortably. The best part is the bag is made from genuine cowhide leather giving it an element of luxury and durability.

10. Condor EDC Bag

What users like about this bag is the fact that its light and easy to access, that you can use it for concealed carry and fit in everything else you might need for a day of sightseeing or work. It’s a solidly constructed bag and has a modular MOLLE system for more pouches/bags. Basically it’s for people on the move who want their EDC items neatly stashed in the various compartments, can carry a weapon without advertising the fact and need something with a low profile – it cinches in very neatly. Its claim to fame is a secret compartment with a hook-and-loop closure between the admin area and the flap that is hard to spot that holds a wallet.

Do you have any suggestions of brilliant new EDC bags to add? Let us know what you picked in the comments below.

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Lucid Dreaming | Dreams of Lucid Dreams

This has always been a sort of confusing subject.. is it possible to just have a dream that you're in a lucid dream or is it really a lucid dream just not vivid. :)

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Lucid Dreaming | In general, would going back to sleep doing SSILD cycles boost the performance of a WBTB?

Pretty much what the title says. Would falling asleep with SSILD increase the success rate of a WBTB compared to falling asleep with MILD, basic WILD, etc?

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Automotive Radar and the Doppler Effect

With more and more cars driving themselves, there is an increasing demand for precise environment aware sensors. From collision avoidance to smooth driving, environmental awareness is a must have for any self-driving cars. Enter automotive radar: cool, precise and relatively cheap. Thanks to a donated automotive radar module, [Shahriar] gifts us with a “tutorial, experiment and teardown.”

Before digging into the PCB, [Shahriar] explains the theory. With just enough math for the mathmagically inclined and not too much for the math adverse, [Shahriar] goes into the details of how automotive radar is different from normal stationary radar.

Only after a brief overview of the Doppler effect, [Shahriar] digs into the PCB which reveals three die-on-PCB ASICs responsible for generating and receiving 77GHz FMCW signals coupled to a 2D array of antennas. Moreover, [Shahriar] points out the several microwave components such as “rat-race couplers” and “branchline couplers.” Additionally, [Shahriar] shows off his cool PCB rulers from SV1AFN Design Lab that he uses as a reference for these microwave components. Finally, a physical embodiment of the Doppler effect radar is demonstrated with a pair of Vivaldi horn antennas and a copper sheet.

We really like how [Shahriar] structures his video: theory, followed by a teardown and then a physical experiment to drive his lesson home. If he didn’t already have a job, we’d say he might want to consider teaching. If the video after the break isn’t enough radar for the day, we’ve got you covered.

Filed under: radio hacks

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Hackaday Prize Entry: Sub Gigahertz RF

Exposing Dinosaur Phone Insecurity With Software Defined Radio

Long before everyone had a smartphone or two, the implementation of a telephone was much stranger than today. Most telephones had real, physical buttons. Even more bizarrely, these phones were connected to other phones through physical wires. Weird, right? These were called “landlines”, a technology that shuffled off this mortal coil three or four years ago.

It gets even more bizarre. some phones were wireless — just like your smartphone — but they couldn’t get a signal more than a few hundred feet away from your house for some reason. These were ‘cordless telephones’. [Corrosive] has been working on deconstructing the security behind these cordless phones for a few years now and found these cordless phones aren’t secure at all.

The phone in question for this exploit is a standard 5.8 GHz cordless phone from Vtech. Conventional wisdom says these phones are reasonably secure — at least more so than the cordless phones from the 80s and 90s — because very few people have a duplex microwave transceiver sitting around. The HackRF is just that, and it only costs $300. This was bound to happen eventually.

This is really just an exploration of the radio system inside these cordless phones. After taking a HackRF to a cordless phone, [Corrosive] found the phone technically didn’t operate in the 5.8 GHz band. Control signals, such as pairing a handset to a base station, happened at 900 MHz. Here, a simple replay attack is enough to get the handset to ring. It gets worse: simply by looking at the 5.8 GHz band with a HackRF, [Corrosive] found an FM-modulated voice channel when the handset was on. That’s right: this phone transmits your voice without any encryption whatsoever.

This isn’t the first time [Corrosive] found a complete lack of security in cordless phones. A while ago, he was exploring the DECT 6.0 standard, a European cordless phone standard for PBX and VOIP. There was no security here, either. It would be chilling if landlines existed anymore.

Filed under: radio hacks

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Lucid Dreaming | Insight on breaking the dryspell, stress, difficulty sleeping remembering, staying motivated.

*edit* I can't edit title, sorry if it seemed as if I was providing the insight, I meant it more as a question for help, sorry.*

Hello, when I first discovered lucid dreaming over 8 years ago I had no shortage of motivation to research everything about lucid dreaming and to really practice in attaining them. I did actually have success and had several in the first few years but I never felt as though I was becoming consistent. The inconveniences of life and stress in recent years seemed to have made me incapable of getting back into the mindset. Now it feels as though I can't recapture that magic of discovering something new and life transformative, because I know lucid dreaming is very incredible in my few brief experiences with them and I know they can only become more vivid and immersive.

It really is something I want to have actively however, it seems I am in a rut. I don't know if I suffer from some kind of mild insomnia or just find myself thinking too much, becoming physically uncomfortable, but I have difficulty just trying fall asleep and staying asleep. I end up needing to get up multiple times to use the restroom and I get intrusive thoughts that ruin my ability to relax. I try to do relaxation exercises which do work sometimes but other times they seem to make my mind more active. I can't seem to hold onto the idea of lucid dreaming through the various techniques like MILD or WILD and I rarely find myself able to somehow become aware inside of a dream for a DILD given the entire night isn't a blur and I can actually stay asleep long enough to remember the dream.

Recently, I have been going back and reading through the big technique guides here on Dreamviews to re-introduce lucid dreaming to myself as a means of motivation. I started actively using a dream journal again about half a year ago and have recorded some interesting dreams but I never feel it becoming consistent and lucidity continues to be elusive. I have been trying to meditate during the week to calm down which has helped some in my daily life.

So I ask, what is it I need to do? What am I missing? Should I try to re-obsess like I did years ago and read thoroughly information about lucid dreaming? Is my lack of success somehow attributed to my lifestyle choices I am making, even things such as diet and leisure activities which could somehow be influencing my sleep or lack there of? Or is there something unknown holding me back?

Any insight or words of motivation are greatly appreciated, thank you.

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Top 5 Popular Types of Guns Not Suitable For SHTF

Lucid Dreaming | Failed WILD = Lucid

Thought I'd post this since some of you may find it interesting...

I've been trying to WILD using the guide on the forums and in the past it worked for me once or maybe twice. Lately here's what's happened:

I set an alarm (or wake up naturally) around 4:30 or 5am, a few hours before my normal time (after a full 8 hours sleep which I normally get). I roll to my back and start some deep breathing relaxation until I feel like though I COULD move, my arms and body are super relaxed and don't WANT to move. Then I know I'm relaxed enough and try to WILD following the guide. These past times I've always come close but when I feel the start of the hypnagogia, I think I get too alert or something and I don't get through to a dream. After a while of this, maybe 30 minutes total after waking I either drift off to sleep accidentally or give up and go back to sleep. After that, when I have a dream, it just turns from a normal dream into a lucid one, like it just snaps into focus from foggy dream mind to lucid. I've been able to then chain several lucid dreams together, last night 3 of them, though all very short, still very exhilarating.

I believe what's going on is basically a WBTB here, my WILD attempt is long enough that it wakes my brain into a conscious state for long enough. The attempt also provides the motivation and focus so that after returning to sleep, lucid dreaming is really "top of mind".

Thought I'd share as it's basically combining a couple of techniques and getting results though maybe not quite as expected, and have gotten the same result 4 nights now on the past 4 or 5 weekends (about once per week).

The only other thing I've been doing is trying to work on my dream recall by really making an effort each morning to remember by dreams. I usually remember at least part of 2-5 dreams.

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