Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - gil

#2866
Tactical Corner / Re: Amateur Radio and Firearms
October 02, 2012, 11:06:57 PM
Nah, never been in the military. I did have a bad motorcycle accident in 2004, broke my femur and dislocated my shoulder. I could not afford the physical therapy, so I picked up Russian martial art, "Systema." I had never seen anything like it!

The seminar this time will be oriented towards personal protection. Usually they cost about $200 to $250. If you are ever tempted to learn some really efficient hand-to-hand combat Russian style, we have a class here, Monday/Tuesday/Thursday night. Sometimes I do teach beginner's mini seminars, usually on Sunday afternoons, when there are enough people ready to go.. The regular class is taught by a certified instructor.

For learning hand-to-hand combat quickly and efficiently, IMHO there is nothing better than Systema. Some such knowledge should be part of any prepping plan.



Below is the guy who got me started, he would be teaching the February seminar:



Cool stuff, huh?

Gil.
#2867
General Discussion / Re: Intro post from Wyoming
October 02, 2012, 10:30:20 PM
Hello Qietus, and welcome aboard  :D

I had a great time in Wyoming last summer! Watched "Encounter of The Third Kind" at the base of Devil's Tower and did some horseback riding around Dubois..

Gil.
#2868
Antennas / Re: Buddistick first impressions.
October 02, 2012, 10:24:02 PM
Ray, I can't thank you enough for your help. It's great for me to practice copying on paper and not feel bad about missing a few letters, because then I can ask confirmation by email. It is not always easy to find someone willing to slow down to 8wpm for long QSOs AND repeat himself often! The 2W accident was indeed very interesting. 2 Watts with an 8ft. antenna inside the house!! Still amazed. It shows that as you say, power is not the main factor; a few watts can do a lot, more than I thought in fact. I was worried about rarely making contact, especially with the Buddistick. Some comments on Eham did portray it as a "good dummy load." Now I know that these people have no idea what they are talking about... Probably the same guys that pretend QRP doesn't work and only leads to frustration and hair-pulling. Poor ignorant souls...

As to "doing it all in a short time," I have discovered that a big part of learning is not caring about failing. I often "jump in" projects or situations slightly above my comfort level, and that is the best way to learn. That is, when there is no risk to life and limb... I always tell myself "one thing at a time." But one things leads to another...

For TEOTWAKI, I believe in mobility. Not that bugging out is always the answer, especially if like me you have nowhere to go. But you never know if you'll have to. If I had to for instance, my IC-271A is not coming along.. I have much more important things to carry than a boat anchor. The K1 and the Buddistick are the first ones I'll grab.

Anyway, I still have trouble sometimes confusing W,U,D & G... I know them of course, but I lag in decoding them sometimes.

Time to turn the radio on for a bit around 7030... Good night ya'll  ;)

Gil.
#2869
Antennas / Re: Buddistick first impressions.
October 02, 2012, 07:59:23 PM
Oh no Ray, it was the antenna I was promoting, not myself  :D
I think the last time success went to my head, I must have been around twelve!

QuoteI am amazed how rapidly you're advancing in your Morse code!

You wouldn't be if you saw my notepad  :o

Gil.
#2870
Nope, must have been a similar one, up in Montana or thereabout...

Gil.
#2871
I think I drove by that locomotive last summer!

Gil.
#2872
Antennas / Re: Buddistick first impressions.
October 02, 2012, 05:06:42 PM
Update: I called RadioRay today on 30m. I used my Buddistick inside the house, clamped on the living room coffee table. He heard me and replied. That's when I realized that the power on my K2 was set to 2W, 813 miles!

Gil.
#2873
Great video, thank you!
Gil.
#2874
For me it is simple... In the event of communications failure, phone and Internet, you would want to know what is going on and what did happen. A threat might be a few hundred miles away, or even further, and making it's way to you. Should you relocate? Where? Sometimes being warned allows you to prepare.. I can certainly see how getting medical advise could save lives.. Also think about sending information out.. Let's say your community is persecuted by some foe, or downright exterminated, even wiped out by a natural disaster. You might want people to know what or who did it..  Sometimes you might also need expert advise that can't be found locally.. There are many reasons to have HF capabilities. Some we probably would discover after the SHTF. So, IMHO, you are missing out a great deal without HF.

Gil.
#2875
Hello,

What size are QSL cards? Postcard size? Business card? If I get one printed I think it would be regular business card size.. So I kill two birds with one stone.. Signal report on the back..

Gil.
#2876
Tactical Corner / Re: Amateur Radio and Firearms
October 02, 2012, 10:06:22 AM
Rings a bell, I think so. Now that would be a good place. Or Gunsight, created by Jeff Cooper...

Gil.
#2877
Tactical Corner / Re: Amateur Radio and Firearms
October 01, 2012, 10:59:58 PM
Hum, the web site doesn't say much.. I would check the guy's background carefully, and make sure he is mentioned in gun magazine articles, not just ads..

Tim, my old instructor is supposed to come here in February for a personal protection seminar, and that will include hand-to-hand and gun stuff... He is the real deal.

Gil.
#2878
Tactical Corner / Re: Amateur Radio and Firearms
October 01, 2012, 08:57:33 PM
There is what is called "Force-on-Force" training, which tries to approximate reality as much as possible. Simunitions are used. They go bang, and they hurt. I think there has to be some consequences (i.e. pain) in realistic firearms training. Otherwise, getting shot means nothing. A paintball gun can serve that purpose.. Paintball is great, but not as usually practiced, without concern for tactics, as a game. A friend of mine was organizing great painball parties on his property, but I stopped going because it was a "free-for-all" even though we had teams. The briefing was basically exchanging a few words before storming ahead.. A game.. Some people use Airsoft, great, but again, if considered a game, it might do more harm than good.

Some private companies offer "Force-on-force" training. I don't think they are cheap...

I used to compete in IPSC shooting competitions. Probably the closest to reality in the civilian world at the time. Even so, it was not realistic, as there was no concern about cover. Where I learned the most was my Systema class, taught by an ex Spetsnaz soldier... We also had an ex Navy Seals instructor who attended and did organize a great seminar during which we never shot one real round. (You probably have seen one of these guys on TV, he was on a few famous shows). I also learned that Marksmanship is a small (but important) part of firearms training. Gun handling, movements and tactics make the bulk of the training. We did use paintball guns. There are a few tricks that once understood can really make a bit difference, that is, being dead or alive when the smoke clears. Such as how to use cover, "cutting the pie," using angles, keeping your shooting platform while moving, always presenting a muzzle to the enemy, etc. I am no expert, but I am glad I was exposed to that stuff.

I have no idea how I would react to shots fired either. What I have been told is that training does help, and that when bullets fly, your abilities falter to the lowest level of  your training. Something to ponder.. Without any training, don't expect much. I remember an atrocious video of a police officer who stopped an old guy in a truck. The man was a crazy Vietnam Vet. He grabbed an M1 rifle and advanced on the cop, barrel up, shooting. The officer had seen it, he shot back but then retreated to his car, and was promptly shot to death by the, still advancing, gunman. The old guy had intent, drive. He had the training, he aimed, he stayed focused and cool.
I have had once an AK-74, which I thought had a round chambered, pointed directly at me. You can feel you guts tightening.. "Pucker factor," the instructor called it. Not pleasant.. The instructor had not pulled the bolt back all the way, so no round was pick-up when it flew back forward. It made the classic "cha-chang" noise though, and I really thought it was ready to fire. I probably turned really pale... I don't think you can know how you'll react before it really happens.

I think that one needs to train to perform with heart pumping, adrenaline rushing and being out of breath.. Once you can do that, you have a much better chance to survive.

Gil.
#2879
General Discussion / Re: Let's talk medicine.
October 01, 2012, 08:18:16 PM
It's the little things that will kill you.. Problems that would be quickly solved by a trip to the pharmacy or the doctor can quickly turn into life threatening ones without the support of society. I recently had an infection that would have quickly killed me had it not been for antibiotics and a dentist. Things went from perfectly normal to "real bad" in two days. Of course it was over a week-end, as all tooth aches happen on week-ends. Fortunately I did have antibiotics at home. I read a story of a young man who a similar problem and was prescribed antibiotics and pain killers. He didn't have enough money for both. He picked the pain killers, and... Died. If you want to survive doomsday, take care of your teeth. They are too close to your brain for comfort.. Have some local pain killer swabs in case you get a tooth ache.I am convinced a bad tooth ache could push someone to blow their brains out.. Antibiotics are a must, so do your homework on that. It is well known that all preppers have fish tanks: http://www.calvetsupply.com/category/Antibiotics, so take care of your fishes...

Another killer is diarrhea. Of course nobody wants to talk about that, but it will kill you. Not the diarrhea itself of course, but the dehydration. Children are even more at risk. Store some pills for that.

Check out The Patriot Nurse on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePatriotNurse

Without society or some kind of support system, life expectancy quickly drops to about 40yo. Most of us here are past that... Keep that in mind... So, yes, learning about medicine is excellent advise. Thank you.

Gil.
#2880
New To Radio / General and Extra license manuals, free.
October 01, 2012, 02:52:29 PM
Hello, yes, ARRL General book... You only pay for shipping via Paypal.. If you want it, PM me your address..

Gil