Unchainedpreppers Net November 25, 2016

[JohnyMac]

Jackalope and I are putting together another UP net. Looking at 20:00 Hrs eastern 01:00 Hrs Zulu for next Friday, November 25th.

At this point we are looking for one or two topics to focus on for the 1 hour net. In the past, some suggestions were:

> Raising Chickens,
> Winterizing your garden,
> Post SHTF lighting,
> Your suggestion...

We are looking for your suggestion (s) for a topic. Please make your suggestion (s) on this subject line. Dead line 23:59 Hrs Eastern Monday November 21st.

As in the past, if you would like to participate and don't have a FCC license, you can listen on your Short Wave receiver and PM questions and comments into Jackalope or I and we will read/answer on the net.

[JohnyMac]

I have four (4) non UP members signed up for this Friday's net plus Jackalope and me.

Here are the subjects that have been requested to cover. If you are going to attend the net live or just going to listen please vote for your two favorite topics.

A - Security at your homestead/BOL,
B - What to do with an egg surplus,
C - Food storage: What are you favorite items and what are your least favorite stored items?
D - Raising Chickens,
E - Winterizing your garden, or
F - Post SHTF lighting,

Remember, you can also listen on your receiver (Grundig Short Wave type radio) around 3968. Khz. If you want to participate just PM me questions and comments and I will read them on the net.

Here is a quick DIY link to enhance your receiving radio. In the article it recommends 81 feet for 12000 Khz. I truly do not know what length 3968 Khz should be however i think it should be around 27 feet.

If you don't want to make one there are commercial ones out there for sale like this one.

If you do not have a SW receiver well now is the time to buy one and an antenna too.

[pkveazey]

I like subjects A and C. As to the length of wire for an antenna, you can bypass all the math using 246 divided by the frequency in MHz. It will give you a 1/4 wave in feet at any frequency. 3.968 MHz would be 61.99 feet. If you want make a halfwave dipole, you'll need another 61.99 feet for the negative half.

[JohnyMac]

GREAT pkveazey... A & C are in the lead for interest. Any other suggestions? What we don't cover Friday we will on another net night.

Looking forward to your participation pkveazey this coming Friday 

[JohnyMac]

Okay, the two topics to discuss this coming Friday, November 25th at 2000 hrs eastern (0100 hrs 11/26/2016) are:

1) Security at your homestead/BOL, and
2) Food storage: What are you favorite items and what are your least favorite stored items?

We will try to start the net on 3.968 Mhz LSB (Lower Side Band) and check-in to this frequency at 1945 hrs for early check-in's. If the frequency is being used we will go up the frequency .001 Mhz at a time until we find a clear frequency (Example:3.968 is busy so we will try 3.969 Mhz, if that is not clear then 3.970 Mhz, etc.).

For you folks just listening on your Short Wave receiver, the frequency is 3969. Khz and the same rules apply if the frequency is busy. If you listen and want to make a comment or post a question please PM me through Unchainedpreppers.com and I will read it on air.

If Jackalope or I remember, we will post the new frequency befor 2000hrs but if we don't., you get the idea.

The sponsor for this net is Unchainedpreppers.com. Hopefully in the future we will have other sponsors and maybe even some give aways.

[pkveazey]

Well, I tuned in to 3.968 Mhz try to find the Unchained Preppers Net and didn't hear anything so I tuned up and down and still didn't hear anything that ID'ed as the net. Its now 6:28 and I'm going back to the radio and tune around some more to see if I can find it. My call sign is WD4OIM. OOOPS..... I'm early. I try again at 8 PM.

[JohnyMac]

Yup pkveazey net is at 2000 hrs eastern tonight.

There are a bunch of guys on 3.967.50 Mhz. One guy is using 1,500 watrs so we have a lot of bleed over. We will probably go to 3.973Mhz for the net.

[pkveazey]

Well, it appears that everything went well with the net. The big guns that were just below 3.968, moved off or shut down. I was glad that I got to check in and make comments on the Security and Food Storage subjects. Whenever security comes up as a subject, I always have to remind myself that there is no such thing as absolute security. However, not thinking about it and not preparing as best you can is just asking for disaster. I'm hoping that more people will begin to check in to the future nets. I also check in to the TAPRN net and have watched it grow from about a dozen people to more than forty at times. During a disaster, it will be good to have that many people on the air but during non disaster times, it can be a bit tedious while waiting to be called on for comments. Anyway, I hope the Unchained Preppers Net becomes very successful.

[Jackalope]

Yup, it went well.  I'm surprised how quickly the band conditions changed.  Usually 75 meters is pretty stable during the evening.  Anyways, one thing I forgot to mention was the use of drones for security.  Drones can be a very useful tool, though you need lots of batteries.

Regarding the EMP discussion, I keep most of my radios protected, unless they're in use, to limit the potential for exposure.  Even my radio in my GHB is kept inside an aluminum mess tin, unless it's being used.  The mess tins are an inexpensive protection, that still permit relatively easy access to the radio, if it is needed.

It's good to see more participants!

73

[JohnyMac]

Yes Jackalope and PK-EZ it was a successful second net 

Just a brief AAR (After Action Report) for the forum who are following this thread/topic.

The Unchainedprepper's net had five participants. Three from UP and two not forum members. I had four others signed up who were not UP members however they did not show.

There was a rag-chewing going on 50Hz south of the scheduled 3.968 Mhz net (3.967.50Mhz) leading up to 2000 hrs eastern. One of the folks on that frequency was using 1,500 watts which caused bleed over into 3.968 Mhz. Jackalope and I discussed going up a Mhz or two before the net started; However, either the band broke up or they ended by 2000 hrs.

Speaking about the band, as Jackalope reported in his post, 75 meter is usually pretty stable at this time of night - Last night it wasn't. Jackalope was coming in at first 54/55 and reading 7 on the s-meter. Unfortunately as the hour progressed he became unreadable. I knew he was talking because my S-meter would bounce but only to 4 or 5.

PK-EZ at the beginning of the net was a solid 57/58 with a 9-10 on the S-Meter. As the night progressed he too started to fade but was 100% readable.

One of the folks who joined the net was a gentleman from Maryland. He was on the fringe but I was reading him at 56/57 and 7-8 on the S-Meter. He didn't know about Unchainedpreppers and just ran into our net while scanning the band. Hopefully he will sign up for Unchainedpreppers.

My 13 year old neighbor was the fifth participant. Wild hair (his handle) took the General exam two Wednesdays ago so he participated using his call sign. He doesn't have a HF (High Frequency)radio yet so we shared mine in the shack.

Although the propagation was poor I consider last nights net great! I picked up a few things that I added to the "to do"/"to buy" list (s). Of course there could always be more participation which means more great idea's and comments. I hope we do not hit the 30-40 participants mark though.

I did not get any messages (PM's) via UP so I suspect that nobody listened on their SW (Short Wave) receiver. What a great opportunity to check out your comm's even if you only have a receiver.

One thing: I or who ever the MC (Master of Ceremony) is on the next net is to ask for "check-ins" more often. Plus make it more obvious that this was a Unchainedpreppers net and all interested in prepping were welcome.

Thanks for all who participated and we will be having another net in ~ one month.

Freedom Through Self-Reliance

[Kbop]

 
cool and thanks for the AAR.