Recent Posts

1

Radio / Re: Radio Transmissions Affected

« Last post by JohnyMac on May 15, 2024, 08:05:29 PM »

Great question Cooter.

I do the ERIN Digital net on 75 meters. Well last night propagation was weak and their was a lot of static crashes. Part of the issue is we should move the digital net to 40-meters for the summer. We will do that starting June.

Cooter, always great getting your reports from Sir John. Thx for taking the time to send them 

2

General Discussion / Re: Self Sufficiency - 2024 vs. 1776

« Last post by JohnyMac on May 15, 2024, 08:00:53 PM »

Some great comments. Things that folks brought forward are good for us all to learn.

I belong to three MAG's.

One is a MAG in name only and trying to get anybody to commitment even on a monthly mtg is a no go.

One MAG basically has dissolved. I would category them as "takers" like you pointed out Jackalope.

One MAG, is a new one. The folks seem to be committed to the 3 Bee's (A couple of the group renamed it the 4 Bee's; Beans, band-aides, bullets, bible because of the honey bee interest). We have as a group purchased food, had classes, and another class on canning is coming up at the beginning of June. One thing is that 90% of the members are ham operators which is a commitment for sure. However, they are serious.

We have a Board on the Signal app and we all communicate daily.

After the canning workshop we are planning on forming a QRF (Quick Response Force). Not in anyway military in nature. It is what the name replies...We will have a group of folks that can quickly respond to an emergency.

> Electric goes down, loan out a generator,
> A home is flooded, we are there to help move household goods to higher ground,
> Someone is in the hospital, we would be there to feed and water livestock,
> ETC, etc, etc.

Some topics folks are interested in are,
> Emergency in the filed Comms training,
> Bee keeping,
> Get Home bags/equipment,
> SOP's (Standard Operation Procedures) for emergencies,
> Expanded gardening,
> Land Navigation,
> Medical
> ETC, ETC, ETC.

Man O' man, it is tough to have a dedicated group, however, well worth it when it is working.

Thanks folks for your input. Let's keep it going.

 

3

Radio / Re: Radio Transmissions Affected

« Last post by cooter on May 15, 2024, 07:33:46 PM »

Sir John and I had our weekly cw sked on Tuesday.  I was pushing 5W on the 30m band into an inverted V.  Our signal reports were lower than last week.  There was notable fading as well as some static crashes from t-storms between us, but we got it done. 
I'm curious, was there any difference in signal quality between the digital and phone parts of the net?

4

General Discussion / Re: Self Sufficiency - 2024 vs. 1776

« Last post by dgjonesy on May 15, 2024, 04:18:49 PM »

Unfortunately a culture of government dependency is far too prevalent in the US today, resulting in a bloated government. This makes getting rid of said government when it inevitably turns tyrannical much more difficult. We need to get back to an early American tradition:

?Americans group together to hold f?tes, found seminaries, build inns, construct churches, distribute books, dispatch missionaries to the antipodes. They establish hospitals, prisons, schools by the same method. Finally, if they wish to highlight a truth or develop an opinion by the encouragement of a great example, they form an association" (Tocqueville 1840)


Of course easier said then done but MAGs seem like a great tool to help get started.

5

General Discussion / Re: Self Sufficiency - 2024 vs. 1776

« Last post by Jackalope on May 15, 2024, 03:06:08 PM »

    I find that the biggest problem within MAG's is the differences of preparations and skill levels between members.  One of groups that I belong to seems to function more as an educational outlet for newbies, rather than being a functional assistance group.  Training consists of a once a month meeting with a speaker.  There's limited social interaction, except during the meeting.  The size of that group is unwieldy too (70+), and the members are too scattered.  Good leadership is a crucial ingredient, and that group is lacking it, and the current leader doesn't want to step down.  We'll be leaving that group soon, as I tell my wife, "Not my monkeys, not my circus."  I actually met my wife through this group, but we've realized that our skills and knowledge base are beyond the average group member, and they seem to be stagnant.  The members don't seem to mature, and don't realize the seriousness of preparations.  For example, those that are into communications, the average member will purchase a Baofeng, get it programmed and put it back into its box.  They're not interested in getting their ham license, learning how to operate the radio on nets, or spending money on some means of recharging the radio battery when the grid goes down.  They don't want to spend money on an AR, or some other defensive weapon.  Members of this group are takers, or leeches, rather than producers, and this particularly applies to the leadership.  All in all, that group is an excellent example of a bad MAG!

    I've found that an effective group needs to have members located within 30 minutes of each other, which helps logistically and it helps with simplex communications.  The members need to have similar skill levels, and have basic preparations already acquired.  Otherwise the group is carrying the member and his family. 

    Another group that I'm involved with takes a different route.  There are training meetings, but we also have cookouts, and we get together socially.  This group also gets together to shoot and develop team skills.  Members live closer together and interact on a daily basis.  In my estimation, it's a much more effective and dynamic group, and also more intimate.  Members share their knowledge and skills, and it's a dynamic group.  Needless to say, when TSHTF, I know which group I'll be actively working with.

   

   

6

General Off Topic / Re: Silver

« Last post by pkveazey on May 15, 2024, 02:55:11 PM »

Finally..... Silver is getting back on track at $29.60 oz. Even Copper is on the move at $5 a pound. I've been saving those pre 1982 pennies for several years and looks like it might be great when the SHTF. 199 copper pennies ($1.99) face value is now worth $5. If you get a 1982 penny, don't forget to weigh it. About half of them are copper and the other half are zinc. The zinc weighs 39 grains and the copper weighs 49 grains. I bought 2 cheap electronic scales from Amazon just for weighing metals and gemstones. Yep, I'm also a rock and mineral collector.

7

Radio / Re: Radio Transmissions Affected

« Last post by Jackalope on May 15, 2024, 02:24:16 PM »

For the past week, I have been disconnecting the antennas from my radios. 

     Most of my exterior antennas are disconnected, except when they're actually being used.  The only exception are my scanners, and they use an attached collapsible antenna.  I use quick disconnect PL-259/SO-239 adapters, which makes the disconnect process easy, especially when I need to daily reconnect an antenna for various nets.

8

General Discussion / Re: Self Sufficiency - 2024 vs. 1776

« Last post by grizz on May 15, 2024, 12:53:01 PM »

When some people are financially blocked from their accounts they will cave in to the forces

Others will have their backs to the wall, again, and just not going to take it

9

General Discussion / Self Sufficiency - 2024 vs. 1776

« Last post by JohnyMac on May 15, 2024, 12:31:53 PM »

Bottom-line upfront, if we have to have a kinetic fight with .gov, we will loose as we are not as self sufficient as our forefathers.

A recent example was the truckers protest in Canada. They got shot down due in a large part to the protesters bank accounts being shut down by .gov. The protesters were not self sufficient enough to ward off that tactic.

Only you with a handful of friends & family can offset that tactic by forming a group and working towards become self sufficient. Yupper, Old JohnyMac is preaching a MAG - Mutual Assistance Group. 

Think about it. I would appreciate your input and if you belong to a MAG what is the good, bad, ugly of the group. What are the pitfalls? 

Time is awasting folks.

 

10

Radio / Re: Radio Transmissions Affected

« Last post by JohnyMac on May 15, 2024, 09:33:56 AM »

I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of my propagation at my AO for last nights net. There was basically NO noise level. It was eerily quiet. With that written, folks to the west or east of me about 30 miles, they were having a tough time hearing me and I could barely hear them.

For the past week, I have been disconnecting the antennas from my radios.