Cuban Embassy Attacks and The Microwave Auditory Effect

Healthy Versus Unhealthy Survival Food

by Megan

With plenty of clean drinking water and shelter to sleep, the average adult can survive for several weeks or longer without food. This means that in a short-term survival situation, any kind of food, even unhealthy food or “junk food’ will be comforting.

This is fine for a short-term situation where the goal is to satisfy your rumbling stomach and hang on until help arrives that you know is on the way. But in a long-term survival situation where “help” is likely not coming, proper nutrition becomes critical to survival from day one.

Proper nutrition is important from day one in a survival situation because without the right vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs, your body begins to be negatively affected in multiple ways. Lack of proper nutrition over time of course can negatively impact anyone. But lack of proper nutrition in a long-term survival or SHTF situation means your physical strength and mental clarity can diminish rapidly. This is detrimental to your long-term survival because chances are, you will be expending a lot more energy on a daily basis than in your normal routine which means your body begins to fall apart much faster.

Most people know that staying well hydrated is of the utmost priority but make sure you’ve planned for multiple ways to have access to fresh drinking water. Stockpile sports drinks that are low in sugar but packed with electrolytes to replace those that are lost while hiking to your BOL, hauling water, chopping wood for a fire, or foraging for wild edibles.

Following a SHTF situation, you will have innumerous tasks you must accomplish just to survive. Even for those people whose normal days are active and can barely find time to sit down, the strenuous tasks needed for basic survival will be challenging. In a survival situation, a lapse in mental focus for just a few moments can cost you your life or the life of a family member. You must be on alert nearly constantly for dangers that could be lurking. Adrenaline may get you through the first couple days, but only a well-balanced diet can combat the mental and physical fatigue that will set in quickly following a SHTF event. A lack of physical strength and stamina can seriously hamper your ability to rejuvenate for the next day’s tasks, heal quickly from injuries, and ward off illness and diseases.

Some of the effects of inadequate nutrition that can be detrimental in a survival situation include:

• Poor mental focus and clarity
• Physical weakness
• Fatigue or Lack of Energy
• Drowsiness
• Depression

All of these issues can really have a negative impact on how well you can get strenuous tasks completed and make you more likely to be injured or get sick. In addition to some of the effects above, a SHTF or other survival situation comes with additional stress, inadequate sleep and relaxation time, and increased threats from outside sources. In a SHTF situation, professional medical help and pharmaceutical medicines will be in short supply if they are available at all. It’s critical that you work proactively to prevent any illness, injury, or diseases if you’re going to survive.

Survival Food Needs

Carbohydrates

These are starches, sugars, and fiber that is contained in foods. They can be complex or simple. Natural sugars like those found in vegetables, fruits, milk, and some added sugars are simple. Whole-grain breads, starchy vegetables, cereals, and legumes are good sources for complex carbohydrates. You need a balance of simple and complex carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates assist in providing the body with energy and help guard protein stored in the body.

Without sufficient carbohydrates in your daily diet, metabolism of fatty acid suffers and the body becomes weaker. Carbohydrates should make up approximately half of your caloric intake for a normal day, no less than 60 grams minimum. So, for the average adult during a SHTF situation, you’ll want to be much higher and get as close to half your caloric intake as possible.

Carbohydrates come from:

• edible plants are easily accessible if you know how to identify them properly
• white rice
• grains like wheat and oats
• root and tuber vegetables
• cereals
• honey
• fruits
• sugars

Protein & Healthy Fats

Protein is found in foods such as eggs, meats, and beans. Proteins are important because your body breaks these down into amino acids which are distributed through your body. It’s also important for a wide variety of essential things including provision of nitrogen you can’t get from lipids or carbs. They also help balance pH and are vital for the immune system. Recommended daily protein intake is 20 to 25% normally and more during strenuous activity.

Healthy fats are critical because they are an energy source but also because they help the body to properly absorb vitamins. Omega 3s are healthy fats found in fatty fish and in plant oils such as corn oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil. Healthy fats are vital for creating fatty acids and glycerol. Fatty acids help to regulate inflammation in the body and glycerol is a naturally occurring carbohydrate that serves as a source of fuel for the body. Recommended amount of healthy fats is around 10 to 30% of total calories per “normal” day so for a SHTF situation you’ll want to be closer to 30% most days.

Protein comes from:

• many different insects if the situation is dire
• fresh meat such as rabbits, chickens or other poultry (start raising them now)
• peanut butter, legumes, and nuts
• eggs
• canned fish and meat
• grains like quinoa and wheat
• Oatmeal
• MREs

Healthy Fats come from:

• Avocado or Avocado Oil
• Whole eggs
• Cheese
• Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, and herring
• Chia Seeds
• Dark chocolate
• Fatty cuts of lamb, pork, beef, and lard

Critical Vitamins

Vitamins are classified as water soluble or fat soluble. Vitamin C (helps with iron absorption) and all the B vitamins are considered water soluble vitamins and each has a different function within the body. Water soluble vitamins are not easily stored within the body and extra is flushed during urination which means these vitamins need to be replenished frequently. Keep this in mind when planning your survival meals and snacks. These vitamins are critical to helping your body use the energy in the food you eat.

Water Soluble Vitamins come from:

• Citrus fruits
• Dark green leafy veggies like kale and spinach or broccoli
• Meat, poultry, dairy products, shellfish, fish, and eggs
• Tropical fruits and oranges
• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Nuts, peas, soybeans
• Bananas

Your body needs these essential vitamins to continue to function by producing energy, building cells, and making collagen for wound healing (Vitamin E), healthy teeth, and bones (Vitamin D).

Fat soluble vitamins, like Vitamins K, E, A, and D are stored in the fatty tissues and liver and distributed as needed by the body. Fat soluble vitamins are critical for building bones, healthy vision, and to help store other essential vitamins. Getting and maintaining sufficient levels of vitamins also helps to prevent diseases that can occur when certain vitamins are deficient or in short supply such as:

• Blindness (Vitamin A deficiency)
• Rickets (lack of Vitamin D)
• Scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency)

Fat Soluble vitamins come from:

• Veggies like carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, asparagus, cabbage
• Eggs, milk, yogurt
• Nuts like almonds and sunflower seeds
• Fruits such as cantaloupe and apricots
• Fatty fish like sardines and salmon, shrimp, and trout
• Olive oil, coconut oil

Vital Minerals

The minerals your body needs work similarly to the critical vitamins in that some of them circulate more like water soluble vitamins and should be replenished frequently and others are more like fat soluble vitamins because they need to be absorbed and transported through the body by a carrier. The reason it’s important to know how these minerals work is so that you can plan your survival meal plan in a way that replenishes those that don’t get stored and to not overindulge on those that are naturally stored in the body.

• Calcium
• Sodium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Trace Minerals

Healthy Survival Food Options

Okay, so now that we know what kinds of nutritional ingredients will be critical to keeping our energy, strength, and mental clarity intact during and in the aftermath of a SHTF event. But what kinds of foods are good options?

Ten Super Nutritious Survival Foods:

1. Dark Chocolate (Antioxidants, fiber, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, improves brain function, protects skin from sun damage)
2. Brown rice or Brown rice hot cereal (high calorie, protein packed, and good source of minerals such as iron. Store airtight container for 3-6 months.
3. Whole Eggs (nutrient dense contains a bit of every single nutrient we need plus antioxidants)
4. Cheese (calcium, B12, selenium, protein, Vitamin B12, fatty acids)
5. Dried Beans especially split peas. (high calorie, good protein source, some vitamins and minerals) Long shelf-life
6. Chia Seeds (high fat-9 grams in 1 ounce of seeds, fiber, Omega-3, loaded with minerals, can lower blood pressure and are anti-inflammatory.
7. Avocado or Avocado Oil (contains oleic acid, high in potassium, high fat)
8. Nuts and Peanut Butter (good source of protein, high in healthy fats, Vitamin E, and magnesium) Store airtight, lightweight for easy carry during bug out.
9. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good source of healthy fats, stores open 3-6 months, unopened up to 2 years or until it begins to smell “sweet”.)
10. Powdered Sea vegetables or greens (vitamin and nutrient dense, can boost immunity, antifungal and anti-bacterial properties, can make up for lack of fresh produce)

MREs

We’ve all heard about MREs for survival food. One of the benefits of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) is that they are just that, ready to eat. For most of these, you can simply open them and eat them cold. They are lightweight and provide an average of 1,200 to 1,500 calories. MREs have a long shelf life, and are easy to carry in a bug out bag or get home bag if needed. For the average adult, two MREs daily will give you the recommended calories needed to keep you alive. Many of them come with beverages, snacks, and even utensils in the package. One thing to be careful of with MREs is that although they often are a good source of carbohydrates, protein, and other essential nutrients, they can be high in salt or sugar.

Freeze Dried Foods

The advantage to some of these packaged “freeze dried” meals, from companies like Wise and Mountain House, are that they are lightweight and pre-calculated for you to help ensure balanced nutrition. And in most cases when bought in bulk they have enough variety to combat “food fatigue”.

They are typically more difficult to use on the go because you need to at least have the ability and time to boil water to rehydrate them and some can take up to 30 minutes to fully cook. Another issue some have found with these meals is that they aren’t as tasty as one would hope and can be expensive to purchase. But in a pinch, they can be handy to have as part of your survival food stockpile.

Eggs

• can be cooked multiple ways
• freshly laid eggs (unwashed) can have a long shelf life if properly stored
• fragile in a bug out situation but most bird eggs are safe to eat in the wild as a last resort

Canned Chicken

• Comes canned, in foil pouches, or mini pull tab cans
• packed with protein
• can be heated quickly or eaten cold if needed
• Long shelf life

Tuna Fish (Albacore)

• comes canned or in foil pouches
• can be eaten cold right out of can or pouch if necessary
• foil pouches are lightweight
• long shelf life
• water in canned tuna helps with hydration if needed

Canned Alaskan Wild Salmon

Inuit people (native to Alaska and Northern Canada) have low stroke and heart attack rates. This low rate is attributed to a long-term diet of fish.

• high in protein
• good source of healthy fats
• minimal contaminants
• can be eaten if necessary right out of the can

Trail Mix

• simple sugars for quick mood boost
• protein from seeds and nuts
• Decent shelf life if stored properly

Beef Jerky or Pemmican

• go with natural when possible to limit harmful preservatives
• high in protein
• long shelf life
• lightweight and non-bulky

Hardtack

• Made from flour, salt, and water
• Stored in airtight containers
• Long shelf life
• Easy to carry
• Must be soaked first to soften enough to eat

Basic Cooking Grains

If your long-term survival plan for food includes being able to make your own breads and other tasty meals, you’ll want to include flours and pastas in your survival food stockpile. When frozen first and then stored in airtight containers, white flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, pasta, and cornmeal will last five years or more. These are all great to have in your stockpile for making things tortillas, cornbread, biscuits, muffins, etc. that you can combine with sauces and gravies to make delicious and hearty meals.

Properly sealed and kept away from heat, the following grains can last nearly a decade:

• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Millet
• Spelt
• Kamut
• Hard Red Wheat
• Soft White Wheat

Freeze Dried or Instant Coffee

• mood booster
• warm beverage in colder weather
• Decent shelf life
• extend shelf life by storing frozen as long as possible

Emergency Food for Diabetics

If you have diabetes stick to food low in potassium and limit your portion sizes. Below are some good foods to have on hand:

• Raw honey and cinnamon can help with blood sugar management
• Instant glucose tablets
• Low potassium juices (grape, apple, or berry)
• Dried cranberries not raisins
• Dried or Fresh Plums, pineapple, or peaches not mango or papaya
• Dry cereal (unsweetened and unsalted)
• Vanilla wafers or Graham crackers
• Sugar free drinks such as ginger ale or sugar free drink mix
• Distilled water
• Unsalted peanut butter
• Low sodium canned salmon, chicken, tuna, turkey
• Corn syrup
• Evaporated milk
• Unsalted Crackers

Gluten Free Emergency Food

• Jerky (beef, salmon, pork, turkey)
• Rice
• Quinoa
• Organic dried fruit (no sulfites)
• Bone broth (cooked and frozen)
• Dehydrated vegetables (snap peas, etc.)
• Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin
• Homemade Canned Foods
• Gluten-Free Granola
• Dried beans
• Gluten-free crackers

Additional Survival Foods That Won’t Spoil

There are several foods that you can add to your survival stockpile to not only help prevent “food fatigue” by adding flavor but to also boost nutritional value. Some of these foods are considered basic staples which will are great to have on hand to create meals or enhance flavor. Store these ingredients in airtight containers and add desiccants to dry ingredients to combat moisture and humidity.

Seasonings

• Pepper
• Salt
• Sugar
• Cinnamon Sticks (antimicrobial, antioxidants, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, boosts immune system to protect against diseases like cancer and heart disease)

Honey

• Contains B6, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and amino acids
• High in minerals like iron, manganese, copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, zinc,
• and phosphorous.
• Local wildflower honey can help prevent allergy symptoms
• Great source of natural energy
• Packed with antioxidants to boost immune system by increasing polyphenols in the blood that fight disease.
• Can be used for wound healing and burn treatment
• Natural cough remedy
• Indefinite shelf life

Molasses

• Contains essential minerals and vitamins like calcium, potassium, iron, vitamin B6, selenium and magnesium.
• Use as a sweetener in coffee, oatmeal, etc.
• Can help alleviate PMS symptoms
• Can relieve constipation, stress, headaches
• Improves immune system
• Good source of energy
• Store in cool place. Shelf life up to 6 months opened or 1 year or more unopened

Instant Jello

• Easily digestible form of collagen
• Contains all but 1 of the 20 amino acids needed
• Inexpensive
• Shelf life 3 years to life of packaging
• Just add boiling water and let gel or drink as a liquid
• One packet can serve up to 4 people
• Can be used to make homemade Pedialyte

Maple Syrup

• Stores unopened in glass containers for decades
• if mold grows once opened, boil and skim the surface and store in clean container

Regular Corn Syrup

• Can mold once opened if not stored properly
• Karo Syrup has fewer calories and no high fructose corn syrup

Jaw Breakers

This one doesn’t add much nutritional value except perhaps a quick sugar boost but it can do wonders for your morale, especially for children who might be hungrier than they are used to during normal times.

Providing an older child with a jaw breaker during a long walk or during periods of turmoil can take their mind off what’s going on. It can also help them to stay quiet during times when stealth is critical.

Prevent Food Fatigue

During and following a SHTF event, stress can be overwhelming. Mental and physical fatigue can have a huge effect on your motivation to keep going day after day. Believe it or not, food can become a source of comfort and a huge morale booster during times of crisis. When the day has been long and stressful, the ability to quickly prepare a tasty meal that has all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to maintain itself will be critical.

Imagine the difference in your mental state between knowing you’re stuck eating the same dried beef jerky and coffee or knowing that you have what you need to prepare a warm chilli or tasty stew later that night. This is what “food fatigue” is about. Plan your survival food stockpile so that you can prepare healthy meals with enough variety to keep “food fatigue” from being detrimental to your mood and morale. One important way to prevent “food fatigue” is to stockpile “treat” foods as well even if they don’t have much nutritional value. This includes foods such as hard candy, chocolate, and even some soda or other tasty beverages.

Enhance Meals with Pure Flavor Extracts

When it comes to long-term survival after a SHTF event, you’re going to eventually want to return to a menu that is as close to normal as possible. Baking and cooking meals may difficult for months or even years after the chaos has receded. Manufacturing and shipping will affect supply and availability or traditional baking and cooking ingredients. Having pure flavor extracts included in your survival food stockpile can help you create healthy and tasty meals and desserts.

Imagine the morale boosts you can provide several months into a survival situation if you can add a dash of your favorite fruit flavor to oatmeal, add hazelnut to your coffee, or even a dash of lemon flavor to water.

• Almond
• Vanilla
• Maple
• Strawberry
• Hazelnut
• Black Walnut
• Orange
• Lemon
• Chocolate
• Coconut

You’ll find survival food lists on other sites but our list specifically takes into consideration the requirements of the human body for survival and to thrive. Pick and choose from the above list according to your daily caloric intake and try to balance your survival diet to compensate for your increased activity and stress levels.

Surviving long-term following a SHTF situation will be fraught with dangers and obstacles. It’s up to you to plan ahead to make sure your survival food stockpile includes the healthiest foods to prevent the effects of malnutrition from being one of those obstacles.

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The Best Budget Ar 15 Rifles

by Eric

I sure do love the AR15. Well, okay, love might be a bit strong of a word. But I really do like them. They are such fun toys to play with. They are like the tinker toy of rifles. Click this on here, click that on there. Is there anything that can’t be customized on the AR15?

The AR15 as an economical SHTF/TEOTWAWKI Gun

The AR15 can be an economical choice for your SHTF/TEOTWAWKI rifle too. With that light 5.56/.223 cartridge you can shoot the AR15 all day long and never even get a sore shoulder.

Sure, you can spend a lot of money on an AR15, too much really. But you don’t have to. Really, to be honest, you don’t need to. All of the parts for AR15 rifles are made to the same tolerances and specifications, that’s why they are all interchangeable (NOTE: except for the Colt).

In the Colt AR, the fire control group pins WERE larger sizes than ALL other AR 15 rifles, but they changed them to match everyone else sometime recently. Sorry, but I don’t have the exact date when they made the change, I think it was around 2008-2009.

If you have an older Colt with the larger pins, you might have trouble finding replacement parts in the future. Because of this, I’d either get rid of it, or buy a few replacement parts now. If you aren’t sure you can either just measure them, or you can contact Colt with the serial number. The larger pins measure .170”, while the “normal”, smaller pins measure .154”

But really, we are discussing economically priced AR models, and the Colt is typically more expensive for no reason other than it says “Colt” on it. Oh, and it has a little horsey on it. I have owned Colt and Bushmaster ARs before they were not any better than any of the others, they just cost more.

Below is a picture of a Bushmaster I had. It was a great shooter, but it was not an off the shelf gun. The fire control group and barrel alone cost more than many new guns cost. It shot sub-MOA (no seriously, it did) with quality brass cased 55 grain fmj factory ammo, but it just wasn’t “fun” to shoot after awhile because I got bored sitting at the table.

Sub-MOA? What’s that you ask? Sub-MOA basically means the rifle is capable of firing a 3 shot group LESS than one inch in diameter. It could do it repeatedly, so it wasn’t just a fluke. Now, after a box of ammo on a hot day they spread out. Any gun will do that.

But if I shot a 3 shot group, cleared the gun, swabbed the bore, put it back together then shot again, I could keep it under one inch, repeatedly. As far as shooting it all day and running a couple hundred rounds through it. You could hit a “gallon milk jug” all day long at distances beyond any range I could shoot at.

Besides the Colt having different fcg pin sizes, really one could say that AR 15’s are all pretty much all the same. (Except for the polymer lower AR’s, I just don’t like those polymer lowers because, come on man, it’s plastic).

There are several economically priced AR15 rifles that can serve you well. However, once you buy the rifle, and start customizing it to your tastes, you can end up doubling the original price of the rifle before too long if you aren’t careful.

What can you do with you AR15 to personalize it

The first thing the new AR owner does is change the stock because you can change the stock very easily. Not to mention that there is almost literally an infinite selection of stock configurations for the AR15 rifle. They even have wood stocks in nearly infinite configurations for the AR15 now.

Besides the stocks you can change the hand guards. Tactical rails are my favorite because you can add cool little gadgets like “flare launchers”, lasers, flashlights, and under barrel mount shotguns.

You can put a bipod on it too. If you don’t have room left on your rail because of all the gadgets, there are barrel mount styles. They fit perfectly in that little “groove” around your M4 barrel. That is the perfect spot for a bi-pod.

Here’s a funny video of a guy making a joke about all the stuff people put on their ARs:

You can change the sights to any of an infinite number of options. My favorite is the reflex sight with flip up front and rear backup sights. I set mine up so that if the battery dies in the reflex you just pop the flip sights and then you can look right through the reflex and use the ol’ irons.

You can also use a red dot tube optic and have a flip scope on it. This works by flipping the magnifying scope to the side when firing at close range but when you need to make a farther away shot you just flip the scope over in front of the sight tube and fire away.

You can change the barrels to any of a number of styles of barrel. There are M4 barrels, which is basically the standard and works fine for normal shooting conditions. But then you can build yourself a longer range rifle by installing a longer, heavier barrel (like the stainless, compensated bull barrel that was in mine).

Then there are longer, heavier target barrels that are fluted to lose weight, and even a spiral twist fluted barrel. (Those are really cool looking). Then there are all of the limitless accessories that you can clip, snap, or screw on to your AR 15 rifle.

Here is a video comparing two custom builds. One was $3000, the other was $1000. Both overpriced if you ask me, although I have spent around $1200 building an AR before. It didn’t shoot any better than the $600 shelf gun:

Here is a picture of a Spikes Tactical Punisher build I did a few years ago. Shot great but I didn’t keep it long.

What is an economical AR15

Well, economical for different people can mean different things. Some people can go spend limitless money on a build and still consider it “economical” because they built it themselves rather than having a gunsmith build it for them. Personally, I consider an economical gun one that only costs $500-600 and WORKS.

If you spend $3000 on a build, and I buy an off the rack gun for $550 and they both will hit a pop can at 100 yards with ease, then you wasted a lot of money just to have a “cool looking” gun.

Let’s be honest, if we are saying economical then we aren’t building custom target rifles with $2500 scopes on them. When we say economical we are talking about a rifle that doesn’t cost a small fortune and will function reliably and fire accurately.

Does economical mean cheap

In my experiences with the AR 15 you can go to just about any Academy sports and buy an AR15 for about $500 if you catch them on sale. There are the M4 variants with a collapsible stock and they have a plastic vented hand guard. They are all flat black, plain looking, and they all have the same fire control and safety setup. You can buy the flat top version and then spend a couple hundred more dollars on sights and/or optics for it if you want.

But you can also buy the “classic style” A2 version with a 20” barrel, carry handle and post front sight. Or you can get the M4 A3 which has the carry handle and post front sight but has the 16” barrel rather than the 20” of the A2 and a collapsible stock.

Either of these rifles are ready to go out the door, meaning you don’t need to buy any sights or optics for it. All you need are some magazines and some ammo and you are ready to protect the homestead. Just because the rifle was inexpensive doesn’t mean it is a cheap gun. There are several manufacturers of AR 15 that you can get for well under $1000.

A few economically priced AR15 brands

I have owned a couple of the DPMS Oracle and Panther rifles and they were very good shooting guns. If you hold them side by side with any other AR15 of the same style you can’t tell them apart.

When you fire them at a target you can’t tell them apart because they all hit the target equally well and all function equally well.

There are Palmetto State Armory AR15 rifles that are economical, inexpensive, high quality rifles.

There is Doublestar, one of my favorites because they are made in my state. They are very good rifles at a low price point.

I currently own an Interarms High Standard (pictured below) that I paid around $600-$650 for. It was made in Texas, and I have fired thousands of rounds through it. Most of those were coming out “high speed” with my slidefire stock, and it has been flawless.

Of course I upgraded the hand guard to a railed floating guard. Put the optics/flip sight set up on it I like, added a slidefire stock for fun and somehow that “flare launcher” wound up hanging under it. All in all it’s a blast to shoot.

Some other economical guns

Anderson Arms makes a decent gun at reasonable prices, although I have never personally fired one.

Of course the Smit and Wesson M&P variants aren’t too bad on the price and they are quality guns.

Ruger makes a good one too, still reasonably priced.

With the DPMS you can upgrade to a .308 caliber AR10 and still spend under $1000. These are very good guns. I have not owned one myself, I prefer the FAL for that caliber, but my cousin has one and he customized it to his tastes and loves it. it is a very good shooting rifle.

Final volley

My personal preference is for the flat top variants because I like to set mine up with the reflex sights and back up flip iron sights. But that’s just me. That’s the good thing about the AR15 is that they are infinitely customizable, so you can tailor yours to your tastes. They even make pink camo rifles if you want to get your wife one, or if you just want one for yourself.

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Hybrid Technique Breaks Backscatter Distance Barrier

Low cost, long range, or low power — when it comes to wireless connectivity, historically you’ve only been able to pick two. But a group at the University of Washington appears to have made a breakthrough in backscatter communications that allows reliable data transfer over 2.8 kilometers using only microwatts, and for pennies apiece.

For those unfamiliar with backscatter, it’s a very cool technology that modulates data onto RF energy incident from some local source, like an FM broadcast station or nearby WiFi router. Since the backscatter device doesn’t need to power local oscillators or other hungry components, it has negligible power requirements. Traditionally, though, that has given backscatter devices a range of a few hundred meters at most. The UW team, led by [Shyamnath Gollokota], describe a new backscatter technique (PDF link) that blows away previous records. By combining the spread-spectrum modulation of LoRa with the switched attenuation of incident RF energy that forms the basis for backscatter, the UW team was able to cover 2800 meters for under 10 microwatts. What’s more, with printable batteries or cheap button cells, the backscatter tags can be made for as little as 10 cents a piece. The possibilities for cheap agricultural sensors, ultracompact and low power wearable sensors, or even just deploy-and-forget IoT devices are endless.

We’ve covered backscatter before, both for agricultural uses and for pirate broadcasting stations. Backscatter also has also seen more cloak and dagger duty.

[via r/AmateurRadio]

Filed under: radio hacks, wearable hacks

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Lucid Dreaming | Is there a way to increase the chance of a dream sign/cue appearing?

Let's say you want to rely on a dream sign which appears less than 50% of the time, is there a way you could actually *put* this dream sign in a dream? or increase the chances of it being there?

Thanks!

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Lucid Dreaming | No DJ Techniques?

I am not a big fan of writing in my DJ. It's just not something I enjoy doing. I like thinking about my dreams but I have to force myself to write them down. I know from my own previous experience that forcing myself to keep a DJ makes me want to stop working towards LD's. Which is unfortunate.

I'm looking to find recall tool that works better for me.
Does anyone else practice LDing without a DJ. I can't imagine Monks keep a DJ...
How do you get around not keeping a DJ? What do you do instead?

Thanks!

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Lucid Dreaming | DEILD Seperation Problem - Heeeeelp

Hi all. Last night I used my dield alarm and it went off during rem. I remained still and within seconds my body started to vibrate along with other strange sensations. I knew that I was transitioning into a dream but when I tried to 'seperate' ( roll out of my body ) I couldnt move at all and then awoke trying. This has happened a few times.

My question are these...

When DEILDing should I wait until all the strange sensation have stopped, and then seperate? ( My thinking is that once all the strange sensations have stopped is that I would have fully transitioned into a (visionless dream) and would be lying there aware but asleep

Once I feel these vibrations / noises etc what would be the best thing to do to turn it into a lucid dream or 'bedroom obe'?

Thanks. Can I please get comment from people that practise DIELD and know the process :-)

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Why the Political Context Forces Us to Prep

by Isabella

During the Obama administration, the prepping community grew exponentially. Too many, it seemed like we were constantly on the brink of natural disaster, national gun seizures, UN takeovers, martial law, terrorism, you name it. The Obama administration was stressful and gave us all very good reason to prepare our families for disaster, and it’s certainly a relief it’s over.

Now that Trump is in office, however, you might think the tables seem to have turned, and many who were comfortable and happy under Obama have now begun to prep, fearing things like WWIII or a neo-nazi crackdown from President Trump.

While the left might be quite hysterical and delusional in comparing Trump to the National Socialist party of Hitler’s Germany (if anything, Obama was much more similar ideologically), the truth is that just because Obama is no longer in office, we ought not to stop prepping. If anything, we need to be even more prepared.

We seem to be in the midst of one of the most politically volatile periods in American history, and the tension is certainly not limited to domestic issues. There are a number of very important reasons the prepper should be more alert than ever in this highly toxic political environment. Let’s discuss some of these reasons:

Riots

Just because the Democrats no longer control the White House, Senate, or House, does not mean their ability to send dog whistles to the angry masses has gone away. After all, they still control the majority of the mainstream media, and at the drop of the hat, they could incite the type of violence we’ve seen in Ferguson, Baltimore, Charlotte, and Berkeley over the last few years, not to mention the way much of the public reacted when Trump was elected and then inaugurated.

One of the few languages young, angry, idealistic leftists understand is violence, and there is actually a terrifying rationale for such violence that is becoming more and more common: as The Daily Wire reports, many on the left rationalize using violence against anything they deem “hate speech”. If it seems a bit hypocritical to the peace-loving, tolerant left to burn cars, smash windows, and beat up Trump supports, it’s because it is. But, in their minds, it’s some kind of twisted form of self-defense, because they consider the very existence of ideas that run contrary to their own as violent.

There’s no telling what will set off these angry masses, and while they are fortunately not the gun-owning type, if their violence was to escalate to such a level that people felt compelled to defend themselves and their property with firearms, it could end up being very bad for non-leftists everywhere.

Trump’s Instability

Love him or hate him, Trump is certainly unpredictable. With the newly appointed General Kelly at the helm of White House operations, many are breathing a sigh of relief, but we all still remember the crazy week last month in which Trump cyberbullied Jeff Sessions, Sean Spicer resigned, and Scaramucci spent a total of ten days at the White House before going down in flames.

While the fact remains and most likely always will that there is virtually no evidence to indicate that the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia, the path Mueller’s investigation is now taking, he will most likely dig up something on the President, in the way Kenneth Starr did when he was investigating the White Water scandal and ultimately discovered Monica Lewinsky. If Trump were to fire Mueller, he would most likely be in no better position.

There certainly seems to never be a dull moment with the President, so between his unpredictable behavior and the Democrat’s undying commitment to bring him down, it remains prudent to be prepared for anything.

North Korea

Speaking on the constant UN Sanctions violations from everyone’s favorite communist dictator in Pyongyang, Trump had some very harsh words.

Vowing to react if North Korea continued with their risky behavior, Trump promised ‘fire and fury like the world has never seen’ in a press conference.

While in many ways, it seems unlikely anyone but the citizens of North Korea face any real threat. But concerns always hover that once the other shoe drops, the West Coast of the US could get hit with a nuclear weapon.

At this point in time, the international community is supporting increased pressure on North Korea, but it hasn’t always been that way, and it might not remain that way, as the US has clashed with both Russia and China over how to react to North Korea’s nuclear program.

North Korea is like a ticking time bomb, and one of the biggest reasons we have right now to prep. While it is unlikely the impoverished communist country could do much damage the majority of the US, if the West Coast were to be struck, it could cause some serious chaos in our country for at least some time, and of course if you live on the West Coast, this is an important consideration.

Russia

Speaking of Russia, tensions with the massive northern giant never seem to go away. As the left constantly hurls accusations of election hacking at Putin, Trump shuts down their collusion narrative by posturing against the famous oligarch at times.

Conflict over the outcome in Syria has both brought our two countries together and pitted them against each other, and while things seem relatively civil now, there’s no telling what the future might hold.

In many ways, the Cold War never ended with our biggest military rival on the globe, and they certainly are the most likely contender in the next world war. It’s always prudent to hope for civil relations with Russia, but this is one important factor to watch in the news if you want to stay abreast of the possibilities of war.

Islamic Terrorism

The US has one enemy that has no problem declaring itself as such: Islamic terrorists. While the Trump administration seems to be gaining the upper hand on the fight against ISIS in the Middle East, the nature of radical Islamic terrorism is such that you simply never know when they might manage to strike on American soil again.

Terrorists like the Pulse Nightclub, Ft. Hood, and San Bernardino shooters were living and working in the US, and, radicalized one way or another, simply planned out and executed their brutal slayings upon unsuspecting American citizens just going about their daily lives.

9/11 of course being the extreme example, there is also always the possibility of large-scale terrorists attacks as well, even cyber attacks or bioterrorism. Terrorism should remain high on your lists of reasons to prep, as well as a specific scenario you should be prepping for. Make sure to add training situational awareness and crisis response to your preparedness regimen.

Second Civil War

We have not had such a politically polarizing time in recent memory as we do right now, and as we continue to see, people on the left are getting more and more militant. The elephant in the room, of course, is the fact that people on the right tend to be far better well-armed.

As we have seen in Berkeley and now Charlottesville, there are many people on both sides of the political spectrum who are ready and willing to brawl over differences of opinion, and this is not unlike the public violence seen in the Weimar republic between the fascists’ shirts and the communists.

Emotions are charged right now, and that is taking physical form in a dangerous way. Hopefully it won’t amount to much, but until this swell of violent political rivalry passes, it’s best to stay prepared.

Possible Impeachment or Ousting of the Trump Administration

Last but not least, of course, is the hypothetical constitutional crisis that has been on the horizon since before Trump even took office: impeachment, or other, potentially messier, attempts at destabilizing the Trump administration.

There is a mess in Washington right now between the so-called deep state war on the President, Mueller’s grand jury investigating the Trump campaign, and the Democrats laser-sharp focus on finding even the slightest hint of a chink in the armor of the Trump administration.

The Democratic commitment to upsetting the presidency in any way possible, even at the risk of a huge national crisis, are certainly something to be wary of, and a very good reason to stay vigilant and prepared.

Presidential administrations and political trends come and go, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that you never do know when you might regret not getting prepared. Now, more than ever, many volatile forces hover on the horizon as potential disasters or crises.

Don’t let your guard down just because Obama is out of office–keep prepping!

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A Fully Featured, Fifty Dollar QRP Radio

QRP radio operators try to get maximum range out of minimal power. This term comes from the QRP Q-code, which means “reduce power.” For years, people have built some very low-cost radios for this purpose. Perhaps the best known QRP kit is the Pixie, which can be found for less than $3 on eBay.

The QRX is a new DIY QRP radio kit from QRP Labs. Unlike the Pixie, it has a long list of features. The QRX operates on the 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, or 17 meter bands at up to 5W output power. The display provides tuning information, an S-meter, and a CW decoder. An on-board microswitch functions as a basic Morse key, and external Iambic or straight keys are also supported. An optional GPS can be used as a frequency reference.

The radio is based around the Silicon Labs Si5351A Clock Generator, a PLL chip with three clock outputs ranging from 2.5 kHz to 200 MHz. The system is controlled by an Atmel ATmega328P.

Demand for the kit has been quite high, and unfortunately you’ll have to wait for one. However, you can put down your $49 and learn Morse code while waiting for it to ship. While the project does not appear to be open source, the assembly instructions [PDF warning] provide a full schematic.

Filed under: radio hacks

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Antenna Basics by Whiteboard

Like a lot of people, [Bruce] likes radio controlled (RC) vehicles. In fact, many people get started in electronics motivated by their interest in RC. Maybe that’s why [Bruce] did a video about antenna basics where he spends a little more than a half hour discussing antennas. You can see the video below.

[Bruce] avoids any complex math and focuses more on intuition about antennas, which we like. Why does it matter that antennas are cut to a certain length? [Bruce] explains it using a swing and a grandfather clock as an analogy. Why do some antennas have gain? Why is polarization important? [Bruce] covers all of this and more. There’s even a simple experiment you can do with a meter and a magnet that he demonstrates.

If you know what a Smith chart is, this probably isn’t the video for you. If you don’t, this video isn’t going to cover anything like that. But if you want a better foundation about what antennas do and why they work, this is a good spend of 30 minutes.

If you want more info on the Yagi that [Bruce] mentions, we’ve talked about them before. We’ve also covered a similar intuitive antenna tutorial that uses a lot of interesting animations.

Filed under: radio hacks

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The Things Network Sets 702 km Distance Record For LoRaWAN

Many of us will have at some time over the last couple of years bought a LoRaWAN module or two to evaluate the low power freely accessible wireless networking technology. Some have produced exciting and innovative projects using them while maybe the rest of us still have them on our benches as reminders of projects half-completed.

If your LoRaWAN deployment made it on-air, you’ll be familiar with the range that can be expected. A mile or two with little omnidirectional antennas if you are lucky. A few more miles if you reach for something with a bit of directionality. Add some elevation, and range increases.

A couple of weeks ago at an alternative society festival in the Netherlands, a balloon was launched with a LoRaWAN payload on board that was later found to have made what is believed to be a new distance record for successful reception of a LoRaWAN packet. While the balloon was at an altitude of 38.772 km (about 127204.7 feet) somewhere close to the border between Germany and the Netherlands, it was spotted by a The Things Network node in Wroclaw, Poland, at a distance of 702.676km, or about 436 miles. The Things Network is an open source, community driven effort that has built a worldwide LoRaWAN network.

Of course, a free-space distance record for a balloon near the edge of space might sound very cool and all that, but it’s not going to be of much relevance when you are wrestling with the challenge of getting sensor data through suburbia. But it does provide an interesting demonstration of the capabilities of LoRaWAN over some other similar technologies, if a 25mW (14dBm) transmitter can successfully send a packet over that distance then perhaps it might be your best choice in the urban jungle.

If you’re curious about LoRaWAN, you might want to start closer to home and sniff for local activity.

Filed under: radio hacks

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Doppler Module Teardown Reveals the Weird World of Microwave Electronics

Oscillators with components that aren’t electrically connected to anything? PCB traces that function as passive components based solely on their shape? Slots and holes in the board with specific functions? Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of microwave electronics, brought to you through this teardown and analysis of a Doppler microwave transceiver module.

We’ve always been fascinated by the way conventional electronic rules break down as frequency increases. The Doppler module that [Kerry Wong] chose to pop open, a Microsemi X-band transceiver that goes for about $10 on eBay right now, has vanishingly few components inside. One transistor for the local oscillator, one for the mixer, and about three other passives are the whole BOM. That the LO is tuned by a barium titanate slug that acts as a dielectric resonator is just fascinating, as is the fact that PB traces can form a complete filter network just by virtue of their size and shape. Antennas that are coupled to the transceiver through an air gap via slots in the board are a neat trick too.

[Kerry] analyzes all this in the video below and shows how the module can be used as a sensor. If you need a little more detail on putting these modules to work, we’ve got some basic circuits you can check out.

Filed under: radio hacks, teardown

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Scribble Your Way To Quick Printed Circuit Boards

There are a variety of techniques employed by electronic constructors seeking the convenience of a printed circuit board without the inconvenience of making a printed circuit board. Dead bug style construction in which the components float on a spiders-web of soldered leads above a ground plane is one, Manhattan style construction in which pads made from small cut squares of bare copper-clad PCB are glued on top of a groundplane is another.

[Freestate QRP] has another take on this type of electronics, with what he calls “Scribble style” construction. He cuts away copper from bare board to create pads and rudimentary tracks, and for him the magic ingredient comes from his choice of an engineer’s scribe to do the job. This is where the “scribble” comes from, creating a pad is as simple as drawing it with the scribe.

Of course, this technique is not entirely new, constructors have been doing this type of work for years with Dremel tools, hand engraving tools, and similar. If you’ve ever tried to do it with a knife or scalpel you will know that it’s hardly an easy task with those hand tools so the prospect of another one doing a better job is rather interesting. He’s ready and able to demonstrate it in action, showing us a couple of RF circuits using the technique.

Have you tried this technique, or one like it? How did you get on, tell us in the comments. Meanwhile, you might like to read our own [Dan Maloney]’s look at dead bug and Manhattan construction.

Filed under: misc hacks, radio hacks

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Lucid Dreaming | Should I switch my LD techniques?

I've been trying MILD for the past 4 months(focusing on prospective memory to be exact) and I haven't had a full lenght LD yet, though I had a very small one at one point. Due to this, should I switch my technique? I used to try FILD and SSILD with no luck, so should I go back to them perhaps or stick with SSILD?

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Lucid Dreaming | Farming lucid dreams

OKAY! So i just had a lucid dream this morning and i'm very excited! It was very clear, very detailed, so detailed that i used that as my dream sign. I thought 'hey, this is too vivid, i know i'm dreaming." and it turns out I was :lol: I know that once i frequently get vivid dreams I probably won't be able to use that as a reality check, but it did it's purpose just as needed a few moments ago.

i basically want to know how can i do this reliably, and to a point where i could "farm" lucid dreams. I remember everything i did about 10 hrs before i went to bed and when i went to sleep.

Earlier in the day i decided to do listen to a visualization video on YouTube. Before i knew it, the video put me to sleep, but i remember the video telling me something like "this will turn you into a lucid dreamer. You have the capability already in you, this video is to put your mind into a perfect state for lucid dreaming." or something along those lines. He then started guiding me in a visualization scene and i gotta admit, it felt like i was at the place he was describing, i was turning my head so that i could try to see what he was seeing (if that makes any sense, but the visualization felt more vivid). After about 10 mins i fell asleep. I don't know when i did, but it had to be at the end of the video, i was in a trance like/deep sleep state. I could think, but i choose not to. This is described as "The gap" in the meditation world, so i guess that is what i experienced, just on a deeper level.

I woke up to find that the video was over because i heard nothing in my earphones and i continued my day as normal. Then i decided right before bed that i would get relaxed, i had an intention to relieve all stress i had experienced during the week and with lucid dreaming. I watched some asmr, drunk some tea, watched some YouTube, etc.. All while being comfortable and maintaining my intention to become relaxed and stress free.

After a while my eyes got tired after watching so much YouTube that i just wanted to go to sleep and so I did, BUT when i went to sleep, i turned my eyes up in my head to a point where it felt relaxed, i also did this in my visualization earlier and that put me to sleep as well.


Now.... whenever i get a lucid dream like this out of the blue without consciously doing any technique.... This would be the only lucid dream I would have for months! Everything else would be more abyss dreams (dreams that are so unvivid/blurry that they almost look like the blackness of your eyes.)

Out of anything that i described in my new practice before going to bed, how can i use that to get a lucid dream more frequently? I had to be doing something right, but maybe i didn't pay attention to something and i neglect it not knowing that it was crucial to my practice.

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Attack Some Wireless Devices With A Raspberry Pi And An RTL-SDR

If you own one of the ubiquitous RTL-SDR software defined radio receivers derived from a USB digital TV receiver, one of the first things you may have done with it was to snoop on wide frequency bands using the waterfall view present in most SDR software. Since the VHF and UHF bands the RTL covers are sometimes a little devoid of signals, chances are you homed in upon one of the ISM bands as used by plenty of inexpensive wireless devices for all sorts of mundane control tasks. Unless you reside in the depths of the wilderness, ISM band sniffing will show a continuous procession of chirps; short bursts of digital data. It is surprising, the number of radio-controlled devices you weren’t aware were in your surroundings.

Some of these devices, such as car security keys, are protected by rolling encryption schemes to deter would-be attackers. But many of the more harmless devices simply send a command in the open without the barest of encryption. The folks at RTL-SDR.com put up a guide to recording these open data bursts on a Raspberry Pi and playing them back by transmitting them from the Pi itself.

It’s not the most refined of attack because all it does is take the recorded file and retransmit it with the [F5OEO] RPiTX software. But they do demonstrate it in action with a wireless lightbulb, a door bell, a wireless relay, and a remote-controlled switched socket. Since the data in question is transmitted as OOK, or on-off keying, the RPiTX AM mode stands in for the transmitter.

You can see it in action in the video below the break. Now, have you investigated the ISM band chirps in your locality?

This isn’t the first OOK packet cloning project we’ve brought you, perhaps you’d like instead to study the data the packets contain.

Thanks [Carl] for the tip.

Filed under: radio hacks

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A Ham Radio Go-Box Packed with Functionality

“When all else fails, there’s ham radio.” With Hurricane Harvey just wrapping up, and Irma queued up to clobber Florida this weekend, hams are gearing up to pitch in with disaster communications for areas that won’t have any communications infrastructure left. And the perfect thing for the ham on the go is this ham shack in a box.

Go-boxes, as they are known, have been a staple of amateur radio field operations for as long as there have been hams. The go-box that [Fuzz (KC3JGB)] came up with is absolutely packed with goodies that would make it a perfect EmComm platform. The video tour below is all we have to go on, but we can see a tri-band transceiver, an RTL-SDR dongle and a Raspberry Pi with a TFT screen for tracking satellites. The Pi and SDR might also be part of a NOAA satellite receiver like the one [Fuzz] describes in a separate video; such a setup would be very valuable in natural disaster responses. Everything is powered by a 12-volt battery which can be charged from a small solar panel.

[Fuzz] is ready for action, and while we genuinely hope he and other hams won’t be needed in Florida, it doesn’t seem likely at this point. You can read more about the public service face of ham radio, or about an even more capable go-box.

[via RTL-SDR.com]

Filed under: radio hacks

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Sun Power for Survival

by Ryan

When forced into a survival situation, Mother Nature can provide a variety of different resources.  Many people see nature as the enemy in survival, but the right attitude is to see it as your ally.  Fighting against nature is a losing battle. However, working with nature can give you the tools you need to survive any situation.  The sun happens to be one of those tools.

While the rays of the sun can burn your skin and cause dehydration, they also can help with your survival efforts.  Knowing how to use the sun can be an excellent asset to get you through your ordeal.  In this article we will cover different ways that it can help you in a survival situation.

Purifying Water

Dehydration is the second most common reason why people die in a survival situation.  This is mainly because most water in the wild is not suitable to drink without getting sick.  Fresh water is commonly filled with bacteria and pathogens that can cause vomiting and diarrhea.  Drinking tainted water can end up causing even more severe dehydration in the end.  When you have no other option,  ultraviolet light can kill most bacteria and microorganisms.

For this to work, there are several factors that must be in your favor.  The bottle you use must be plastic and cannot have any tint or coloring.  The water must be crystal clear as murky water will block the ultraviolet rays that purify your water.  You also need a sunny day and a spot where direct sunlight will hit the bottle all day.  To ensure that the water is purified, it should sit in direct sunlight for a minimum for six hours.  The more time it is exposed to sunlight, the better chance you have of avoiding waterborne illness.

Cooking

There are often situations in which you need to cook food but do not have the elements needed to build a fire.  Solar ovens can be a great way to handle this situation.  These are containers with reflective surfaces that focus the sun’s rays on a food rack and hold in the heat to cook your food.  As is with most solar projects you must have direct sunlight, so cloudy days will not work.

You can purchase a solar oven for the most efficient option, or you can make your own.  To construct your own you will need a cardboard box such as a pizza box.  Cut a flap out of the lid and line the inside of the flap with aluminum foil.  Then tape plastic wrap across the opening.  Line the inside of the rest of the box with black paper and place your food inside.  Adjust the foil flap so that the sun shines directly through the plastic wrap and onto the food.  The plastic wrap creates a greenhouse effect while the black paper draws in the heat and light.

Keep in mind that most DIY solar ovens will not reach temperatures higher than 200F.  The solar ovens you purchase can get as high as 300F with the right conditions.  This means it is your best bet to cook foods that are unlikely to make you sick if undercooked.  These would include reheating precooked foods like soups or hotdogs.  Getting things crispy is tough at these temperatures, and you should avoid foods like raw chicken that carry bacteria.

Fire Starting

There are several different ways that the sun can help you start a fire.  Once again, conditions must be perfect for this to work properly.  You must have bone dry tinder, and it has to be fluffy and fine in consistency for magnified light to ignite.  The easiest way to start a fire with light is using a fire lens.  This is a convex lens made of glass or plastic that can focus sunlight onto a small focal point. This point should get hot enough to ignite tinder if you have direct sunlight. You will have to adjust the position of the lens to get the smallest focal point possible.

Another common light fire-starter is a concave reflective device.  This collects light and reflects it back to a focal point in the center of the device.  Normally a metal arm allows you to put a small amount of tinder at the perfect focal point.  You simply place your tinder in the device and then point the device at the sun.  Within a few seconds you should have an ember that can be coaxed into flames.

If you do not have these fire-starting devices, there are several other pieces of gear that can be broken apart for the right elements.  Flashlights normally have a concave reflective piece that can be used for fire.  Often times you will find convex lenses in binoculars, cameras, or even eyeglasses.  If you get creative, you may find exactly what you need in the other devices you have with you.

There are times you can make a convex lens if you have no other choice.  Glass and plastic bottles filled with water can sometimes be positioned to give you the focal point you need.  Condoms or plastic bags filled with water can accomplish the same thing. Even a clean block of ice can be shaped with your bare hands into a lens and positioned to acquire a focal point.  One piece of garbage that can be used for a concave reflective device is an aluminum soda can.  The bottom can be polished with chocolate or wax to create the shine needed to start a fire.

Preserving Food

Moisture in food is the enemy of preservation.  Therefore, the best way to keep meats and other foods for storage is to completely dry them out.  The rays of the sun can help you do that.  For any food that you wish to preserve, it needs to be cut very thinly and then dried on both sides.  Each piece needs to be less than 1/8 of an inch.  In addition, salt and spices can help draw moisture to the surface so the food dries faster.

Without a heat source, drying food in the sun will take several days.  You can hang the food from cordage in a sunny, breezy spot or you can build a drying rack on which to place you food.  The breeze is important as it will help keep insects away from the food.  You may also want to raise the food up high enough that wild animals cannot get to it.  To check if your food is done drying, check for any signs of moisture on the surface.  It should be stiff to where it splits when bent but does not break apart.  You want it to be just short of brittle.  If you get the right level of dehydration, this food can be stored for weeks or even longer if it stays dry.  It works for meat, fish, and even fruits.

Staying Warm

I know it seems obvious, but the sun is vital in staying warm in survival situations.  It is a good idea to consider the sun when picking a location for your shelter.  Locations on the West and South side of a hill or mountain will always be warmer.  You also may want to consider a shelter out in the open versus one in the woods where the sunlight is blocked by the canopy.  There are times in survival scenarios where the sunshine in the morning is what pulls you away from the edge of hypothermia.

The sun is also vital in keeping you dry.  Wet skin drops in temperature 20 times faster than dry skin.  If you get wet, hanging out your clothes in a sunny and breezy spot can get it dry again.  At the same time, the sun can quickly dry off your skin so it is tolerable to wait for your clothes to dry.  Sometimes a little sunshine is all you need.

Solar Powered Devices

In the past few years, the prices of solar powered devices have dropped significantly.  One of the most popular is a simple solar-powered battery.  I have one myself and use it all the time. This battery can help you recharge a phone or any other portable device.  There are also flashlights and radios that will use the power of the sun to charge their batteries.

Signaling for Help

One of the best ways to signal for help is to reflect the rays of the sun back a target.  There are inexpensive signaling mirrors that are perfect for this task. For this type of signal you cannot be located between the sun and your target, but otherwise they have a sighting hole in the center to help you aim your bursts of light.  You can also sometimes use the reflective side of an emergency blanket to signal for help.

In Conclusion

When it seems like everything around you is trying to kill you, it can be hard to keep your spirits up.  If nothing else, a bright and sunny day can give you the little hope that you need to keep pushing.  Never underestimate the power of the sun and be ready to use it when the time comes.

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19 RTL-SDR Dongles Reviewed

Blogger [radioforeveryone] set out to look at 19 different RTL-SDR dongles for use in receiving ADS-B (that’s the system where airplanes determine their position and broadcast it). Not all of the 19 worked, but you can read the detailed review of the 14 that did.

Granted, you might not want to pick up ADS-B, but the relative performance of these inexpensive devices is still interesting. The tests used Raspberry PI 3s and a consistent antenna and preamp system. Since ADS-B is frequently sent, the tests were at least 20 hours in length. The only caveat: the tests were only done two at a time, so it is not fair to directly compare total results across days.

The author points out that differences under about 2% don’t mean much. However, the article does draw a series of conclusions at the end. For instance, you can buy an $8 dongle and build a coketenna and have less than $10 tied up. You could also spend $150, but you won’t get 15 times the data nor 15 times the enjoyment. There is also quite a bit of info about heat dissipation, antennas, and other factors that will come into play no matter how you use the dongles.

If you want to know more about ADS-B, we covered that back in 2014. For a more modern take, you can always ask Alexa.

Filed under: radio hacks

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The Best Handguns for Home Defense

by Reaper

Home defense is a crucial cornerstone for anyone living in today’s crime-filed world, and no matter what the media tries to tell us, we all know that the pen doesn’t always beat the sword. It’s not like you’re going to take the time, or risk trying to talk yourself out of a life or death scenario, when you have a legitimate way out. That “way out” comes in multiple calibers, but for the sake of common sense we’ll boil it down to the top three.

1. 9mm
2. .40 S&W
3. .45 ACP

You might be thinking, “Why just those three? What about .22LR, .380 ACP, .357 Magnum?”. The answer is simple, those are the three most readily available sidearm calibers on the market. Yes, .22LR is (by the numbers) the most common caliber sold, but when SHTF everyone will be buying it out because it’s the cheapest firearm on the market. From a prepper’s standpoint, that takes .22LR right out of the picture. Besides, when it comes to comparing .22LR to the other three calibers, it’s like comparing a small pebble to a large rock.

Now that we’ve boiled it down to three calibers, let’s get into the details of each one, starting with the 9mm. With the cost of 9mm hollow point ammunition averaging $25-$30 for a box of 50, the 9mm is places within the “affordable” range. Arguably the most popular caliber on the market for standard-sized handguns, the 9mm is used by many law enforcement, and government agencies. The most reliable, and cost-effective way of delivering the 9mm is through the Glock series of handguns. Glocks average $400-$600 depending on the model, and have been a lightweight, durable means of self-defense since 1963.

Next, we’ll get started on the .40 S&W. Weighing an estimated four grams more than the 9mm, you would think the .40 S&W is a “no-brainer” right? Wrong, for what the 9mm lacks in weight, it makes up in muzzle velocity (how fast the round exits the firearm). The .40 S&W averages 980 ft/s, while the 9mm averages 1,248 ft/s. Both calibers cost relatively the same on average, so deciding if the .40 S&W all depends on your preferred method of delivery.

The most popular handgun for this category is (you guessed it) the S&W M&P .40. This particular handgun has a 16-round capacity (15 in the magazine, one in the chamber), and costs between $525-$600. S&W has been around since the 1800’s, and is one of the leaders in firearm sales. With a history of superior firearms, S&W has shown dependability along with durability in stressful situations, making them a top-choice for today’s preppers.

Lastly, we’ll target the .45 ACP. With incredible stopping power, the .45 ACP’s downfall is its muzzle velocity (830 ft/s). This specific caliber, however, doesn’t necessarily rely on its muzzle velocity to deliver stopping-power. The .45 ACP costs a surprising $20-$35 per box of 50 hollow point rounds, making them cost-effective for preppers willing to search the internet for the best deals.

Most handguns capable of shooting .45 ACP rounds only come with magazines that are able to hold 12 rounds on average. The most popular handgun for this caliber is the Beretta PX4 Storm Type F. The Type F is a very durable, cost-efficient ($575-$650), ambidextrous handgun meant for the more serious home defense enthusiasts.

Not everyone really cares about the caliber, but more specifically the gun itself. No worries, because now we’ll get into the handguns to look into, and the ones you should forget about. Most articles you look into will throw a big list of guns at you without really getting into why you should look into them for your best way to defend your castle. Here’s a list of the good (recommended), the bad (not recommended), and the plain old ugly (avoid completely for home defense).

• THE GOOD:
  • Glock 19 Gen 4
  • Sig P226 MK25
  • S&W M&P M2.0
  • HK VP9
  • S&W M&P Shield
• THE BAD:
  • Taurus 709 Slim
  • Glock 36
  • Ruger SR9c
  • Desert Eagle .50 Cal
  • Revolvers (Don’t worry, we’ll get into why)
• THE UGLY:
  • Taurus Judge
  • Caracal Model C
  • Glock 42
  • Remington R51

The Good

Now that we’ve established our list, let’s get into why each firearm is in its respective category. There’s good, and bad things about every firearm on this list, but some of these you just can’t overlook the bad. One thing to know before you read this list, there are hundreds of different handguns on the market, but to save you time we narrowed them down.

The Glock 19 Gen 4

Glocks have a history of being completely customizable. Their lightweight, durable polymer frame makes them a favorite amongst homeowners looking for defense. The Glock 19 Gen 4 features a Dual Recoil Spring Assembly that helps reduce the recoil you feel, so you can fire continuous rounds while staying on target. With the standard magazine capacity sitting at 15 (9mm) rounds, the Glock 19 Gen 4 is sure to sustain a light engagement within your home.

The Glock 19 Gen 4 is a striker operated firearm. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a hammer, it just means that the hammer on the firearm is not exposed. A benefit of this, is that you don’t have to worry about a harder trigger pull for your first round, or even pulling the hammer back before you fire the first round. A downfall for the Glock platform is that they don’t feature manual safeties. If you do purchase one for home defense, avoid leaving a round in the chamber.

Another feature that’s worth talking about is its reversible enlarged magazine release. This feature easily makes it left, or right hand capable. An ambidextrous handgun can be crucial in certain scenarios if your dominant hand becomes useless (gunshot wound, stab wound, protecting loved ones). Customizability is another factor in home defense. Spending a little extra can get you a tactical light attachment with strobe capabilities to blind your assailant. Finally, the Glock 19 Gen 4 easily makes the “good” list because of its affordability ($525-$575), durability, and survivability.

 

photo the Sig P226 MK25 via Wikimedia Commons

The Sig P226 MK25

Sig Sauer handguns have been a subject for debate, as well as competition since they really branched out in 1949. Regardless of debate, it’s hard to overlook the P226. This hammer-fired model has been proven in combat by the U.S. Navy Seals. The MK25 is slightly heavier than its polymer-frame competition, only because it’s made of alloy and steel. Weight however, is hardly a factor when it comes to a few ounces.

Another factor that comes into play with handguns is their balance. Sig Sauer is the leading firearm manufacturer when it comes to efficiency designing and balancing. Balance is crucial for handguns because a properly balanced firearm reduces the recoil felt when firing rapidly. If your home is threatened and you need to use lethal force, you’re hardly ever going to fire just one round.

The MK25 standard steel magazines can hold 15 (9mm) rounds, making it reliable for light engagements. The problem with steel magazines is that they can rust, rendering them useless. You don’t have to worry about the steel components on the firearm itself though, it’s key components are specially coated for corrosion resistance. If you’re a military fanatic, and love the Navy Seals, the MK25 is a great fit for you. Its proven dependability in combat, durability, and magazine capacity lands the Sig P226 MK25 on the “good” list (if you can afford its $1,190 average price).

 

The S&W M&P M2.0

Smith and Wesson are a very well-known name in the gun industry, and for a good reason. They’re very reliable, and have proven throughout time that they have the best customer-care reviews in the business. Their M&P lineup match the favorability of the brand they come from when it comes to gun enthusiasts. The M2.0 is the manufacturer’s newest striker operated model for M&P line, and they really kept up with their innovative reputation.

The M2.0 features a lightweight, polymer frame that is one of the lightest durable frames on the market for its category (24.7oz). It also has an 18-degree grip angle that helps you achieve natural point of aim. This is extremely important for stressful situations, because when you have milliseconds to react to a threat, any assistance that helps you achieve your natural aim can be the difference between life or death. This handgun also features a high grip to barrel bore axis (the top of your grip is more in line with the barrel), making it more effective for shooting in rapid succession because it reduces how high your barrel will rise with each shot.

The S&W M&P models brag about their customizability, and the M2.0 is no different. It features a picatinny rail system along the bottom of the frame (grooves), to assist with attaching different hardware (laser or light). Each magazine holds 15 (9mm) rounds. While there are other M&P models to choose from for home defense, this model stands out due to its innovation and features. The M2.0 is an outstanding home defense weapon due to its affordability ($575-$625), customizability, durability, and reliability.

 

photo: The HK VP9 via Wikimedia Commons

The HK VP9

Heckler and Koch firearms have been around since 1949 and have provided weapons to armed forces in the United States, Netherlands, Britain, and Germany. They have designed famous weaponry such as the MP5, and the HK33. They also won over the biggest handgun contract in law enforcement history in 2004, with 65,000 handguns for $26.2 million. With a time-tested manufacturer of firearms, we decided to do some research on the best fit for home defense.

The VP9 features a lightweight polymer frame (25.56oz), with a cold hammer forged polygonal bore. The polygonal bore is an excellent innovation in the world of handguns, because it assists in sealing the propelling gasses behind the bullet as it leaves the chamber. This feature allows the bullet to leave the barrel faster, thus increasing its velocity (how fast the bullet travels). While this feature has been around since the HK P7 series, it’s still used in today’s models, proving its effectiveness. The VP9 also features a picatinny rail system like its competition.

Another interesting feature on the VP9 is its magazine release. Each magazine can hold 10/15 (9mm) rounds. The release is located on the trigger guard on both sides, allowing for ambidextrous use. We’ve established earlier why that is a crucial factor when it comes to home defense firearms, but I’ll reiterate, any gun that allows for ambidextrous use when paired with reliability is a great candidate for home defense handguns. The VP9 has proven to be reliable, durable, and affordable ($650-$750), making it an easy pick for the “good” list.

The S&W M&P Shield

The last handgun on the “good” list is the M&P Shield, but that doesn’t make it the least important. This model is a compact (shorter barrel, smaller size), making it easy to conceal on you, or even in a drawer or secret compartment in your home. With over a million owners, this model is worth considering; let’s break it down.

The M&P Shield has an ultra-lightweight polyester frame (20.8oz), but still packs a serious punch. It comes with two magazines, one smaller 7 (9mm) round to use when you want the magazine flush with the weapon, and another 8 (9mm) round magazine. While it may not have a high capacity, 8 rounds should give you plenty of opportunity to hit your target. The Shield is a striker operated handgun, which helps its concealability for small spaces, since you don’t have to worry about a hammer sticking out.

Smith and Wesson have multiple handguns on the market, but for concealability, affordability ($425-$475), and durability, the M&P Shield is a great fit for those looking for simple home defense. Another great benefit for its small design, is for smaller hands. While most reliable handguns are larger, the compact Shield has a smaller body making it easier to use for people with smaller than average hands like teenagers (with firearms training), and spouses.

The Bad

That completes the “good” list. Don’t worry, just because your favorite handgun didn’t make the cut for our list, doesn’t mean it’s not great. It simply means we can’t read everyone’s mind, so we put together our own list based off research. Now, to get into the “bad” list. If your favorite handgun ended up on this list, or if your friend (who probably only shoots once a month) keeps telling you to buy a gun off this list, you may want to reconsider your options.

The Taurus 709 Slim

The 709 Slim has a lot of features for a sub-compact 9mm, we’ll give it that. It features a loaded chamber indicator, which tells you when there’s a round in the chamber (or you can just look into the chamber like we have for hundreds of years). It also features the Taurus Security System, which at the turn of a small key will render the gun useless. This system disables the weapon’s ability to fire, or even disengage the safety.

The security system is an absolute nightmare of “what-if’s”, the biggest one being what if you need to reach down into your nightstand to quickly grab your handgun, but realize you need to turn a key to shoot your home intruder. Just like that, you’re dead, because of a key. While the security system is a good idea in theory, it sounds a bit too democratic as far as controlling the safety of a firearm, rather than controlling the safety of the individual firing it.

While the 709 Slim is affordable ($320-$375), you can’t put a price on safety, and reliability in critical situations. If you’re looking for a handgun simply based off price, this model shouldn’t be considered for home defense due to its lack of useful innovation. For most gun enthusiasts, just the name Taurus can send an uneasy chill down their spine.

 

The Glock 36

While most Glocks are recommended for home defense, this model is on the “bad” list. The Glock 36 model is a .45 caliber, making it appealing to some gun owners. A massive downfall of this model is that it only holds 6 rounds. Anything less than 8 rounds should start to raise red flags for gun owners, especially for home defense. The reason why, is because an inexperienced gun owner is more likely to miss the first 3 shots after 15 feet under stressful conditions.

After those 3 rounds, you only have 3 left. A 45. Caliber packs an incredible punch, at the cost of an incredible kick. It’s not worth risking those last 3 rounds in your magazine, on your precise aim under extreme conditions when SHTF. Perhaps the biggest reason that the Glock 36 is on the “bad” list, is the reoccurring problem when it comes to jams.

The Glock 36 is notorious for ejection problems, meaning the casing fails to leave the chamber after it has fired, making it difficult for the next unfired round to enter. While it’s affordable ($450-$550), the risk of not having enough rounds in a magazine to effectively eliminate the threat isn’t worth your life.

 

photo: The Ruger SR9c via Wikimedia Commons

The Ruger SR9c

The Ruger models are known for their defects, as well as legitimate safety concerns. As soon as you click on their website, you see “Product Safety Warning and Recall Notice” in bold on the main page. If that doesn’t shoot up red flags about this manufacturer, you should consider using knives for home defense. Another issue with Ruger is their customer service. Quite a few people have had issues with timely responses when sending back a gun that was bought from them because of defects.

The SR9c has had multiple defect issues, the most important one being with the trigger assembly. Many SR9c owners have complained that their trigger won’t reset after a few rounds have been fired through it. This is a major issue because if you miss with the rounds that do fire, then run into the trigger defect issue, you’re SOL because now you must fix your malfunctioning firearm.

While the SR9c is affordable ($550-$575), the overwhelming number of defects isn’t worth risking the protection of your family over. If Ruger comes out with a model that is well balanced, and offers variations for different caliber sizes (and dependable), then maybe we’ll give them another shot. For now, their lack of customer service, as well as a history of faulty weapons, leaves them on the “bad” list.

The Desert Eagle .50 Cal

The Desert Eagle is one of the most popular handguns in the world. It’s been featured on many movies and TV shows, and has gained a reputation for being one of the most powerful handguns on the market. Here’s the issue, while the Desert Eagle is popular for movies, that’s where it belongs. As far as home defense is concerned, a .50 caliber handgun has no place in a household.

If you have your family hiding in one room and you fire a .50 caliber round at your target and miss, you better hope your backdrop isn’t the same room their hiding in. A .50 caliber round can easily penetrate a household wall, so backdrop is extremely important. The round is incredibly loud, and with prolonged firing, can cause deafness without ear protection. When SHTF, who really has time to grab ear protection anyways?

Another concern is cost effectiveness. At anywhere from $1,700-$2,000 for the handgun, and $1.50-$2.25 per round, the Desert Eagle .50 caliber isn’t exactly affordable. You might be thinking “well I only need a box for home defense.”, that may be true, but you also must take into consideration target practice. With any home defense firearm, training is a must. You need to be efficient with your handgun before you can trust yourself in a stressful situation with it.

Revolvers

Now before you wild west fanatics challenge us to a duel, revolvers are only on this list due to their lack of capacity (5 or 6 rounds). While most revolvers are extremely reliable, and durable, they lack ammunition capacity. That key factor alone can cause disastrous consequences when the difference between a few rounds could mean life or death. We won’t go too in depth with revolvers, but heed caution when looking for revolvers for home defense, solely because of their ammunition capacity.

The Ugly

If you’ve been looking at buying a handgun, and that gun has found its way onto this list, do yourself a favor and forget about it. For every firearm on this list, there is either a major common sense issue, or a safety issue. Take extreme caution if you still want to buy a handgun on this list.

The Taurus Judge

Yes, the famous Judge made its way onto our “ugly” list, but for two very good reasons. The first reason is what we just went over, it’s a revolver. The Judge can use a 2.5/3in 410 shotgun shell, or .45 caliber as a round. That may sound great in theory, however using shotgun shells in a revolver has a very big downfall, the spread.

With only a 3in barrel, the Judge doesn’t offer much for tightening the spread of a shotgun shell. Some users have reported to have a 30in spread at 15 yards, using a standard 3 inch Winchester AA #7-1/2 shot shells, a 15/16 oz. payload. All in all, the Judge just isn’t practical for home defense.

The Caracal Model C

We won’t go too far into detail about the Caracal Model C, solely because most authorized gun retailers don’t sell them anymore. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t sold online, or by private sellers. The issue with the Model C is the trigger assembly, Caracal issued a recall stating “do not load, or fire your pistol” referencing the Model C. The defect in the trigger assembly makes the weapon prone to firing when it’s dropped. This is a major safety concern, because if your nerves get the best of you when SHTF and you drop it, you could shoot the wrong person. Absolutely stay away from this handgun if safety is a concern for you.

The Glock 42

First, the Glock 42 is a .380 caliber handgun, which isn’t as common as the 9mm, or .40cal. When it comes to prepping, one of your first thoughts when it comes to buying a handgun is the round in which it shoots. If you need to use other resources to find ammunition, your safest bet is the 9mm, or .40cal because of their popularity. More people are bound to have those two types of handgun ammunition than a .380.

Ignoring the caliber size, Glock 42 users have experienced more than average issues with failure to eject rounds. This can be quite a problem when you need to fire multiple rounds in a rapid succession, because you’re basically turning a semi-automatic handgun into a pump-action. Every time you have a round that fails to eject with a handgun, you need to pull the slide to the rear, and sometimes drop the magazine to let the casing fall out. This creates an unnecessary hassle and could be potentially life-threatening when time is of the essence.

The Remington R51

This handgun is seemingly the nightmare of all modern handguns. Its issues range from firing while loading, loose rear sights, to even burning the firing hand of the shooter due to the slide not properly containing the gasses expelled during shooting. Multiple shooting enthusiasts sent complaints, along with videos of these malfunctions to Remington. Eventually, Remington recalled their R51 models, but took months to get back to their loyal customers with a solution. By the time a solution was found, many customers switched to different handguns because of it. This poorly put together handgun is the reason why people read articles like this, so we can tell it to you how it is.

Dependability

This is the most important factor when deciding what handgun will best suit your needs. No matter how “cool” it may look, looks don’t win fights. If you can’t depend on your handgun to operate when you need it to the most, you’re gambling with your life. A lot of dependability also comes with cleanliness. You must keep your handgun clean, otherwise several problems can arise, including your weapon not firing.

Durability

You don’t want your handgun breaking into pieces just because you drop it, right? Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but durability is a major factor. If a struggle breaks out to control the firearm between you, and whoever your target is, and it falls to the ground, you don’t want to risk picking it back up and it not firing. Durability also includes dirt, mud, or any of nature’s elements coming into play when it comes to your handgun. Make sure you do research on what is durable, and what’s not if your handgun isn’t on this list.

Compatibility

From a prepper’s standpoint, compatibility comes into play when you’re looking to buy a handgun, even for home defense. If SHTF and you need to bug out, you want a handgun that uses commonly used ammunition so if you come across an abandoned house, the chances of them having your ammunition are higher.

We hope this list helps with your search to find the ideal home defense handgun for you. Remember, there are other handguns on the market, this is just a list of the more popular choices. Some of these guns were so good, we had to let you know, or so bad that we had to warn you. Whatever decision you make is up to you, however take these three key factors into consideration when looking for your next home defense weapon.

via Modern Survival Online http://ift.tt/2wZwGTr