Hello,

I would like to welcome all new members who joined us here this week-end following a link from survivalblog.com.
Thank you to whomever posted it, and thank you all for the great posts  :)

Gil.

Hello,

The Ic-7000 sure looks great. 2A though is indeed way too much for battery operations. My K1 draws 55mA, K2, 220mA, and that's with the backlit LCD on, and the S-meter on as well. Even the FT-817-ND draws 450mA on receive, which is considered high..

Gil.

Hello,

I am sure more experienced members will comment, but here are my thoughts... Had you mentioned 20 miles or 300, the choice would be easy. 45 miles, not so sure... If you used 2m radios, you would need some power and antennas up high. Yagi antennas would be best, but then you have to point them in the desired direction. SSB would undoubtedly work better than FM for that purpose. The problem here is that it gets a bit complex and costly for someone who isn't into Ham radio. A regular antenna at a good height might work. I would maybe get FT-2900Rs which output 75W. Not sure it would work though over that distance...
40m might be a better choice with an NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) antenna. It might not work all the time, but mostly I think it would. A general class license is required though, but it isn't hard to get, and only one person per family needs it for the intended purpose. Of course, for real emergencies, a license wouldn't matter, but in the mean time you need to practice... For 40m on a budget, I would say MFJ-9440X.

Gil.

Well, I am glad to hear that kind of behavior isn't common in ARES. I am not saying all Hams interested in emergency communications are elitists. The attitude does exist however, and it is one thing that makes me raise an eyebrow when I see it. As to the classes, couldn't they also be administered by volunteers?

Gil.

Hello Ray,

I sold that radio, maybe a mistake.. Now I do have 80m on the K2 and K1, though not AM... I made a W3EDP antenna, which should work for 80m, we'll see. I djust don't have a tree high enough to try it at the house here..

Thanks for your comments about the K2  :)

Gil.

Hello,

My K1 worked so well, I built a K2! It took me thirty hours over three days. Everything works, but I am now battling a lack of sensitivity, especially on 20m. I do have full output power on all bands however. The kit wasn't harder than the K1, it just took longer. Right now it is the basic version, but I plan on adding the auto tuner, SSB card, audio filter board and internal battery kit.

Control board and front panel, end of day 1:


RF board, end of day 2, receiver subsection.


My happy Elecraft family:


Hopefully the sensitivity problem will be easy to fix, I just have to find the problem. I did have a bad solder joint on TR7 (the one missing on the RF board photo). Maybe the problem is related to it. I just don't have the time right now to troubleshoot. I will have to, because I want everything to work perfectly. As it is, my K1 receives much better than the K2, not cool.

I might yet build a KX1... That however, with the 40m SSB kit I am expecting from ozqrp.com will be, for quite some time, the end of my radio building career. Then I'll start really using them! The more I am listening to HF and CW, the less I am interested in VHF...

I am not going to do a full review, there are plenty of sites that do, including eham.net. Here are my impressions however:

As far a building goes, it was the same fun level as the K1. Everything fits, the manual is exemplary, the only thing missing was the rotary encoder nut and washer. I did use one from a discarded Gonset Communicator potentiometer, so that K2 has some historical parts!

The K2, while small, is still quite a bit bigger than the K1. For field use, especially backpacking, the K1 is king. The controls are very similar, so a K1 user will feel right at home with the K2. The alignment procedure for the K2 filters though is a pain. That said, once done, you won't have to do it again. People complain about the S-meter, I think it works great. You can lock your frequency, a feature I wish was available on the K1. I haven't played with the memory, scanning and other more complex functions.. That's why I do not want a KX3 or K3, too complicated. Even the K2 could be a bit simpler in my opinion. One thing I didn't like is how later modifications were added to the board without a redesign. Truth be told, the availability of through-hole components is becoming a problem. The K2 is probably on it's last leg. It came out in January 1999, almost 14 years ago! Incredibly, it still holds it's ground with modern rigs. The other problem I see for a QRP, emergency radio, is that the K2 is everything but waterproof. I would even dare to say "water inviting!" It would be totally unusable with the lightest of rain. That's when a good Pelican case is a must.

For a prepping radio, I would rather suggest a K1 or KX1, if you are willing to learn Morse code. The K2 however would be great for anyone wanting to bug-in. Add a solar panel with charge controller, and you're good to go. Always consider that you might have to relocate, and will have more important things to carry than a radio and the associated gear.

Have a great day  :)

Gil.

Hello Rah,

Thanks.

No, a friend of mine did.. She does great work, it just takes forever.. I think it looks good  :)

Gil.

Hello,

Now you can view the Radio Preppers forums on your mobile devices using the Tapatalk application!
I would also like your feedback on the new logo, thanks!

Gil.

Interesting, thanks. For the price, I might get one myself. It would be a nice gift idea for friends you would want to drag into prepping and Ham radio, and get a hold of during an emergency. Also great to give to family members in the same town..

Gil.

What do Ham Radio and fitness have in common? Nothing. That sometimes is a problem, especially if we are talking about prepping, which is the ?other half? of this site. Let's face it, the Ham population is rather large, and I don't mean in numbers... All those hours calling CQ eating doughnuts does take it's toll. I know, I know, there is SOTA and all, but I feel that we need to address the problem, or at least, mention it, at the risk of being chastised.

Let's not forget that the goal of emergency preparedness, the way I like to promote it, is about survival. Sure, playing with radios is fun, so is building them. But we are talking about ?radio prepping,? not just Ham Radio. There are other excellent forums that do that such as Eham or QRZ. They have ?emcomm? boards too, but those are more about you helping various agencies in dealing with emergencies. It works too, but I prefer a more direct approach, namely, getting information to save your own ass as well as family and friends. Which brings me to the question: ?How far and how fast can you move the former??

Prepping is not a selective activity. You work on the whole spectrum or nothing. I have seen videos of Preppers/Hams with all the equipment and food you could dream of but unable to run a hundred yards without busting a major blood vessel near the heart. We all have our medical problems and limitations, but there is always something to be done.

After I broke my femur in a motorcycle accident in 2004, I needed rehabilitation but could not afford it. So, I signed myself up for a Russian Martial Art class taught by an ex Russian Spetsnaz soldier. Yes, I do things a bit to the extreme sometimes.. I could barely come up the stairs to the classroom. I asked the guy ?Is my leg going to be a problem?? He looked back at me straight in the eyes and replied ?I don't give a shit.? There's Russian martial art for you.. To make a long story short, I worked around my injury. It was hard and painful, but now, I occasionally teach the class. I can do a one-legged squat on that side. I have other problems, my back in particular, but I don't force anything. Back hurts? Fine, I'll work on my legs or arms.

Getting older I noticed one thing: I move less, and I put on weight really fast. For me, that means no bread, no pasta, no sugar, and as little processed foods as possible. Sometimes, I break down and eat a whole can of ice cream. But all in all, I try to stay at a healthy weight, 190Lbs for 6'2''. I don't quit because I strayed a few times. It's not easy. Things that really matter usually aren't.

Why going through all this? For one, health. I don't have the greatest heart, and I want it to keep ticking as long as possible. Second, an emergency might mean relocating to a safer area. More often than not, that means on foot. I have a pretty heavy bug-out bag, carrying first-aid gear, water, emergency food rations, and a bunch of other stuff. It isn't very big, but it is packed full. Now I am adding radio to the mix, more weight. I want to be able to carry that bag for miles without excessive strain.

Like me, you probably tried dieting multiple times, or had bouts of frantic exercising, then gave up. When I decided to do the Beach Body P90X program, I almost gave up after a month. Though I felt better, I looked just the same, didn't lose much weight. But I kept on going. Two months later, what a change! I had never seen my abs before. I went from 205Lbs to 186Lbs, and added muscles. But boy, did the whole thing suck. The reason I was able to do it was because I used an exercise program, kept track of my food intake on fitday.com, and stuck to it long enough to see results. I try to keep my food  proportions at 20% fat, 30-40% carbs and 40-50% proteins. It's much easier to do by having a protein shake once a day. Eat small portions five times a day, drink a lot of water. Stay far away from sugary drinks! Drink wine, not beer.

Like I said, I do things to the extreme sometimes. You don't have to do P90X! If you can, great, I recommend it. Diet and walking might just be enough for you. Just know that your body is not set in stone, and that no matter your age or current injuries, you can change it. Make sure you see your doctor and ask for advise on any medical conditions you might have. You don't want to make things worse. I also very highly recommend Yoga. No, it's not for girls only, and you don't have to dress like Ghandi. Yoga will give you strength and mobility you thought was a thing of the past.

There are many aspects to living a healthy and long life. We don't have the space here to elaborate. What matters is that your family should be able to count on you in a crisis. You might have to carry equipment, even an injured family member to safety without putting yourself at risk of a heart attack. Unless you are a paraplegic, I can guarantee you that there are ways for you to exercise. Ask a professional if you don't know what to do, or shop online for a program you might like. Remember that easy won't cut it. I hate exercising, but I force myself and I feel better for it. I know it will keep me alive longer than otherwise. That is why I don't plan of having a shack. I'll take my little K1 outside in the woods.
The human body is amazing. It can go from couch potato to mean-lean-killing-machine in months. The key is to keep at it, and not expect quick visible results. However, when a friend sees you after six months you might get a ?Woah!? or not even be immediately recognized. The grin on your face when the SHTF, priceless!

Gil.

Hi Jim,

There is a saying for sailboats that might as well apply to RVs: "Go small. Go now!"  ;)

Unless you need the 40ft. to stretch out a dipole...

Gil.

Thanks, that K1 is CW only, but I might get an MFJ 9440 for SSB!

Gil.

Thanks Keith, I will try that too. The LCWO site is a great help right now for getting all the letters!

Gil.

Hello Keith,

Welcome aboard, and thank you for your input. It is nice to have experienced Hams here!

My idea of preparation is to learn the skills necessary and gather the essential gear required in a prolonged, at least state-wide crisis. Most likely, Nation-wide or larger, for a long period of time, months or years, no matter the cause. Communications is of course just one aspect of this type of preparedness, but an important one. The role of Ham radio is this scenario would be information gathering and sharing, with other Hams, and even emergency services sometimes. I however do not plan to pay for classes to provide a service. So, we are assuming here that there is no internet, no cell phone service and no power. We could also assume that emergency services might not be operating, or operating with a reduced staff (most people have a family to take care of). The military would probably be operating, but would likely be overwhelmed. There certainly wouldn't be an FCC... What could cause such a situation? A solar storm like in 1859 would. So would an EMP. A pandemic, sure. A total economical collapse would be pretty bad too.  I used to think it was very unlikely. These days, I am not so sure. There are many doomsday scenarios, many of them extremely unlikely, even sometimes ridiculous. Some however, you can learn about in history books, and history does repeat itself..

Let's look at the World population growth:



When did the spike start? When we started using oil. Remove oil and the line goes back down as fast as it went up. I wouldn't call oil production "reliable." The economy is of course linked to the oil market.

What kind of information? First, the cause and extent of the damage, including listening and possibly forwarding any official broadcasts. Learning about the development of the situation in other locations could warn people about what to expect. There could be coordination between families to form larger groups, for security purposes. While continuing to monitor the situation(s), the primary use of local communications would probably center itself around security. 2m would indeed be great for that purpose. HF of course would be a must-have for beyond line-of sight. Why security? When I see what people do on Black Friday to get a discounted laptop, I have no doubt as to what they would do to get food. We are always a few meals away from chaos.

A main consideration about the type of radios to be used in my opinion is current draw. In the absence of power, and after gas runs out for generators, there would be only solar power... Current draw also dictates the size of the batteries you might need to carry, on foot, if traveling becomes necessary. Sure, you could have a big rig at home with a generator and lots of gas. The sound of a generator though would attract looters looking for a well stocked fridge. For me, light, QRP type radios are a necessity.

Thanks again and have a great week-end,

Gil.

That vertical key is something else! I went to the Vibroplex web site, and I like their vibrocube.. Pretty tough looking.
I have started using the lcwo.net site.. The first time I tried it, it didn't quite work, and some sections still do not.
Probably a setting to change, flash version or whatever. I like the "Morse Machine" and "Word Training" options.
I'm going to stay on lesson 15 for  while to build up speed...

Today I converted my 2-band K1 filter board (I have the 4-band) to an 80/17m board.
Unfortunately the 17m side does not work properly. The board worked before, so either
I messed-up, or the tuning is really hard; but I tuned 80m in three minutes flat...

If I get sufficiently better at Morse code, I might just have a small SSB radio tucked away for emergencies,
but primarily operate CW. One can only hope... The LCWO site is motivating though, because you can keep track of your score...

Gil.