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Thread: AAR: My Not-Quite-A-Bugout

  1. #21
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    I have had a Big Berkey water filter for years, and love it. It will filter down to 0.2 microns, which will even stop a virus body. Given how contaminated the water supply can be, that is a very useful thing.

    I have a pair of 50-gallon drums for water. I got them at a local Pepsi bottling plant for $15 each. They had Mountain Dew syrup in them. Rinsed twice, washed out with baking soda and then bleach. That give me 100 gallons of water. Drop a cup of bleach in them when filled to kill the nasties.

    This thing is awesome:

    https://www.amazon.com/Hydroller-Car...ter+jug+wheels

    I can use it with a siphon to move water between barrels to inside the house. Combine it with this:

    https://www.amazon.com/Wealers-Porta...r+shower&psc=1

    You can heat that in the sun, and carry it inside the house for a shower.

    I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    To charge this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Which runs this: https://madeby.google.com/phone/

  2. #22
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    For maps, we usually stop at rest areas at the state lines when traveling. They have free state highway maps and sometimes more detailed maps.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinzgauer View Post
    So moderate power (25-50w) 2m nets were key. Handhelds were useless outside of local comms inside shelter or via remote bases.

    I maintain HF mobile capability plus VHF/UHF all the time. And have antenna mount points for additional. Ran a red Cross low band VHF mobile in Katrina.

    This is probably overkill for many, but with high power 2m mobiles running in the $200 range there is no reason not to have one and a Larsen external mobile antenna..
    Any recommendations?

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by SeriousStudent View Post
    I have had a Big Berkey water filter for years, and love it. It will filter down to 0.2 microns, which will even stop a virus body. Given how contaminated the water supply can be, that is a very useful thing.

    I have a pair of 50-gallon drums for water. I got them at a local Pepsi bottling plant for $15 each. They had Mountain Dew syrup in them. Rinsed twice, washed out with baking soda and then bleach. That give me 100 gallons of water. Drop a cup of bleach in them when filled to kill the nasties.

    This thing is awesome:

    https://www.amazon.com/Hydroller-Car...ter+jug+wheels

    I can use it with a siphon to move water between barrels to inside the house. Combine it with this:

    https://www.amazon.com/Wealers-Porta...r+shower&psc=1

    You can heat that in the sun, and carry it inside the house for a shower.

    I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    To charge this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Which runs this: https://madeby.google.com/phone/
    Before I start: I'm not picking on you SS, I'm just saying this as a general notice for everyone's benefit, but since I saw your post mention the Berkey, I thought I'd reply to yours. This is going to be a long, but untargeted and general breakdown of water purification, so bear with me.


    I've seen a lot of misinformation around water purification, and NMC/Big Berkey is one that just keeps popping up as the bees knees when it is decidedly not so. Berkey isn't the only water company to overstate performance capabilities, but it sure seems to be very popular amongst the prepared, and I think dangerously so. I certainly don't want to see anyone get hurt because they think their equipment can perform at a level it can't, so here goes.


    Firstly, let me say that as with everything in life, there is no such thing as a magic bullet. That applies to everything from guns, to cars, to spouses, and yes, even water purification methods. The fact that NMC has had QC issues in the past (which they failed to adequately address IMO), have dubious claims of efficacy, and don't pass the smell test should be enough to steer people away. But the allure of a “magic bullet” can be too tempting, so I caution everyone here to be very diligent about vetting claims and separating fact from fiction from indeterminable claims.

    The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of viruses that are smaller than .2 micron. By definition, these filters cannot filter out viruses smaller than that by size, and although MANY companies make claims about virus removal, none have actually demonstrated the ability to violate the laws of physics. Some methods or filters, such as membrane adsorption, can certainly adsorb some viruses, but from a water purification standpoint, this is a dubious claim for safety. Certain viruses will get through, others won't, some will get through anyway because no system is 100% efficient etc.

    (Small Primer: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1.../jam.12143/pdf)
    (NSF Primer: http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...n-claims-guide)

    To elaborate further, we can consider some of the risks associated with drinking water and talk about them broadly to understand what I mean by magic bullet. Here are just some broad contaminants that can cause health issues:

    1. Bacteria
    2. Viruses
    3. Cysts/Protozoa/Microbial, broadly (for 1-3)
    4. Heavy metals
    5. Organic contaminants (eg. VOC's, pharmaceuticals, etc)
    6. Soluble metals in excess concentration/pH
    7. Radiological

    As you can imagine, there's a whole lot of stuff that isn't good for us, or is good for us in a certain concentration range (but bad for us outside of that range), and so forth. There is no magic bullet.

    There is no single water purification technology available that will eliminate all of these risks. For example, boiling is generally effective for microbial deactivation (emphasis on generally) and will remove some VOC's. It will not remove radiological, soluble solids, heavy metals, or some chemical hazards.

    Filtration in the consumer market, broadly, is effective at removing bacteria, cysts, and protozoa and, with certain additions (such as activated carbon in line), can also remove certain organic contaminants. But they're not effective (generally) at removing heavy metals, radiological threats, or viral threats.

    RO, distillation, and ion exchange can remove a lot of contaminants in some form or another, but are generally expensive, energy/water intensive, and because they can remove beneficial metals, require ion supplementation.

    I'm speaking very broadly here and avoiding a lot of specifics, but only to make my original point very clear: There is no magic bullet. And the certainty of this claim in the context of water purification is obvious when one looks at commercial scale water purification plants. It is no coincidence that they often use a combination of sediment trapping, filtration, UV sterilization, carbon beds, and RO (etc etc) to purify water. This is precisely because no single method is effective at removing all contaminants which may pose a health hazard.

    And let's not forget that just because you ARE exposed to some of these contaminants doesn't mean you face an immediate or even long-term health risk. That is to say, just because your water isn't 100% pure (and if it is, that's actually bad, but I digress) and has some contaminants that are harmful doesn't mean that they'll actually manifest with harmful symptoms. Your body is more resilient than some give it credit for and can certainly tolerate impurities.


    So, we know there's no magic bullet. We know that every method has some sort of con, whether that's cost, inefficiency, varying degrees of ineffectiveness, portability/size/weight, purification rate/volume. So what should a good water purification portfolio look like?


    Diverse!


    I'll use myself as an example to illustrate what A reasonably good (IMO) water strategy looks like for general home and emergency use.

    1. I run an inline 5 micron water filter from my city water supply before my water softener and appliances after my pressure regulator. The pressure regulator has a trap that will capture large particulates, and the regulator itself will protect my house piping and the filter from excessive and fluctuating city water pressure, reducing strain on my pipes. The inline 5 um filter will capture additional sediments that make it through the regulator mesh, protecting the rest of my house from sediments in the event that the city has a problem (eg. my pipes are less likely to be clogged by sediment). Although not necessary, I did this out of experience where we've had pipes clog at work from city water sediment, and because I know that my city water comes from river sources that contain higher concentration of sediment than other water sources.

    Here, I specifically chose 5 um filter only. Anything smaller, and your flow rate is going to suck and the filter will clog quickly. Activated carbon at this step will reduce chlorine in my water, which means if my water sits in the pipe for a long period of time, there's no disinfecting chlorine in it. So for this reason, I choose not to run carbon filtration at this early step. Bear in mind that this step is for structural/appliance protection, not human health protection. But it's also useful the vast majority of the time, which in my life, does NOT consist of life-threatening emergencies.

    2. My hot water then runs through a Fleck 5600SXT water softener. This will reduce buildup in my pipes/appliances that can result in higher pressure and leaking or clogged systems. This is also for appliance/infrastructure protection.

    3. My home drinking water then runs out of faucets and refrigerators into various systems. I have an activated carbon filter in my fridge (as many do), reducing organic compounds. This provides little protection from microbial, heavy metal, or radiological threats. In the case of normal use, however, activated carbon filters are excellent and provide me with good enough water, since city water is mostly clean of microbial threats.

    4. I have a Berkey housing, but use Doulton ATC SuperSterasyl Filters. Although NSF certified for particulates (http://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/L...0&Standard=042), I have not yet found solid testing data on the heavy metal claim. So why do I use/trust Doulton Filters, particularly over Berkey/NMC filters? First of all, they don't make dubious claims (Filter Specs: https://doulton.com/wp-content/uploa...Global-new.pdf). Second of all, these aren't made in China cheapo filters – each filter has a unique serial number so you can verify you aren't getting a counterfeit (https://doulton.com/fakes-copies-cou...ems-authentic/). Yes, I authenticate each of my purchased filters, and this is not a practice of a shady company. It's a lot of extra work and it's an indication of their commitment to quality. Thirdly, they're very upfront about the technology they use (eg silver, filtration, activated carbon), and have been around a very long time. But again, these Doulton filters are NOT effective against viruses, soluble metals, or radiological threats. On top of that, keep in mind filtration/absorption/adsorption is never 100% effective, so some contaminants will still get through! This filter, though, is excellent in the event of incidental microbial contamination (minus viruses) and for daily use. Is it necessary for good health? Probably not, but it gives peace of mind, which is what water purification is MOST of the time provided you have a reliable city supply.

    5. I have an under the sink RO system for even purer water, but this isn't suitable for drinking in large quantities and requires power, time, and wastes a lot of water. I don't use this water much honestly, except for very specific cleaning applications. But it's there in the event I need it... given I have all of those previous things.

    6. For emergencies, I have city tap water stored in a 55 gallon drum, off concrete, in the shade and covered/hidden, with a water preserver (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a hand pump/bung wrench.

    7. Also for emergencies, I recommend a WaterBoB for your bathtubs so that if you have time, you can prefill with clean city water (eg. if you know a hurricane is coming). This is useful if you're bugging in, but if you're bugging out...

    8. I recommend several 2.5 gallon Scepter's and dispensing nozzles.

    http://lexingtoncontainercompanysonl...r-can-10l-tan/

    http://lexingtoncontainercompanysonl...ensing-nozzle/

    Why 2.5 gallons and not 5? Because 5 gallon jugs are very heavy. Everyone in my family (minus the elderly) can truck a 2.5 gallon jug if needed. Not everyone can lug a 5 gallon jug, and they're bulkier (and therefore harder to organize/fit in crevices) to boot. The advantage here is that unlike the 55 gallon drum, if I need to bail, I can take these jugs with me, and anyone can help me load or unload them. The nozzles make for easy dispensing, and the jugs are high quality in my experience.

    9. I'm an outdoorsman, so I have all kinds of portable purification. Examples include a Jetboil, MSR Micro Stove (+fuel cans of course), Aquamira tablets, Aquamira Drops, Platypus Gravity filter+carbon system, Steripen UV Military, Sawyer Mini, fire starting materials, MSR Miniworks Ex, etc.

    10. Oh, and propane canisters and a grill can be used to boil water if you need to.

    The point of illustrating this is not to brag (because this is hardly the bees knees), but to demonstrate that ANY system, whether it's tactical, medical, comms, etc, needs to be evaluated holistically. Nothing is perfect for everything. No one gun is optimal for every threat, no medical/triage system can address every conceivable life-threatening condition, and no radio can communicate everywhere all the time with everyone. No plan can perfectly address every contingency. Water purification is no different.

    Some of these systems are good in general situations where a clean, but still not as pure as you would like POU water system is available. They are less useful if the city can't supply you with that clean water. Conversely, some of these systems are only really useful in emergencies (eg 55 gal drums, Water BOB) where you plan on staying put, but are totally useLESS if you have to bail. Portable systems like the Scepter cans and outdoor purification systems are limited volume stopgap systems that, for maximum purification, need to be used in conjuction. If I really wanted to clean out the water I had in an emergency, I'd use a prefilter to trap large sediment, boil it to inactivate biological threats, run it through my Doulton/MSR to eliminate small particulates and some heavy metals and organics, then run it through another carbon filter for good measure. And even that series of purification steps wouldn't eliminate everything or really address radiological or mineral contaminants (if I ran out of fuel to boil, I could substitute the Steripen, but I'd lose volume and burn through a lot of energy/batteries. The permutations are endless).


    The point of all of this is to reiterate that because there is no magic bullet, diverse systems are necessary to tackle a wide range of problems. And as diverse as the systems can be, as I elaborated with a personal example, even well-equipped systems can't handle every threat in every condition. But then again, they don't need to.

    Be realistic with your expectations and needs. If you were really in a bind, water that had some organic contaminants, some radiological compounds, or some level of other contaminant may not be an immediate concern. Live with that, and live with the fact that life isn't perfect and neither is your water. The key is to be able to adequately (that is, not perfectly) deal with water threats you are likely to encounter and pose an immediate threat.

    To that end, I recommend that everyone diversify their water portfolio, and be especially wary of manufacturer's that promise you the world in water purification. I don't recommend Berkey filters (go ahead and use the housing if you want... that's not the purifying element) because of their shady practices, poor QC, overexaggerated claims, and lack of certifiable performance. That doesn't mean a Berkey is useless, or that a non-NSF certified system is bad, but don't expect it to be the hero. You can buy plates that aren't NIJ certified or aren't up to military spec too, and they may work. They also might not... sometimes. I prefer certified and independently tested products wherever possible. YMMV. Again, this doesn't mean non-certified products are bad or won't perform, but be cautious about who you trust, particularly when it sounds too good to be true.


    Some things to watch out for:

    1. Promises about X gallon (particularly when that X is very large) filtration capacity. This is WHOLLY dependent on the quality of the water going into the filter. Anyone that promises a million gallons or thousands of gallons is stretching the truth. If you don't believe me, take one of these filters and find murky, tannin filled, contaminated water. See how many gallons you'll make it before it clogs and you give up in frustration. I bet you won't even make it to 100 gallons the vast majority of the time. So you should then wonder what else they are stretching (your wallet, and the truth).

    2. Promises about getting rid of everything. Sorry, unless it's a system, you aren't purifying everything out of your water, period. And getting rid of everything is bad for your health anyway, as some of the minerals and ions in water are important to keep.

    3. Claims about being NSF-tested. This is NOT the same as being NSF-certified. This is not unlike what we see with armor systems being NIJ III+ or whatever rated. They are rated... by who? The company selling you the product? Ooooh, how did I guess that one? Certification by accredited bodies is expensive, so give some weight to manufacturer's that choose to do it.

    4. The switcheroo/BS you. I'll give you an example: https://sawyer.com/technology/water-filtration/

    Notice how they claim, “If viruses are an issue, we offer the Point ZeroTWO Purifier (0.02 micron absolute pores). This is the first and thus far only portable purification device to physically remove viruses. And it does it at a >5.5 log (99.9997%) rate, exceeding EPA and NSF recommendations.” Go ahead and click on the Sawyer Point ZeroTWO Purifier Microbial test they provide, and this is what you get: https://sawyer.com/wp-content/upload...eld-micro2.pdf

    Do you see anything about viral purification in that test? I didn't think so. And who did the testing?

    www.hydreion.com Oh, that link is dead. Funny that.

    This is just an example, and Sawyer is not the only company who has made dubious claims. Now that being said, I do have some Sawyer Mini filters. But I'm also realistic about my expectations; I don't trust the filter as much as I do some other purification methods because they just tried to bullshit me, and it's not my first choice filter. But, if I were in a bind and I ran out of Aquamira and had no other means, and I thought the only health threat I faced in my water was bacterial or cysts, would I use the Sawyer if I had no other choice? Of course I would. Size exclusion of those threats is within the technological capacity of filtration. But again, that isn't a magic bullet by any stretch. It's not my first choice, it's limited in its capability to address a wide variety of threats, but I don't think it's totally useless. And in some circumstances, it could be helpful. Because of that, and because of the fact that it's dirt cheap, I have some Sawyer Mini's. But again, not my first choice; it's part of my system, but a part only.



    Well this was a longer rant than I thought it would be, but I hope some people find it helpful.
    Last edited by TwitchALot; 09-06-17 at 00:41.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinzgauer View Post
    Ham radio is critical, but don't count on repeaters much. Coastal Mississippi had only one repeater still functioning 3 days after the Katrina event, and that only had about a 5 mile radius. (Wind damage and power loss) A couple came back up within a week, but was largely too late.

    So moderate power (25-50w) 2m nets were key. Handhelds were useless outside of local comms inside shelter or via remote bases.

    I maintain HF mobile capability plus VHF/UHF all the time. And have antenna mount points for additional. Ran a red Cross low band VHF mobile in Katrina.

    This is probably overkill for many, but with high power 2m mobiles running in the $200 range there is no reason not to have one and a Larsen external mobile antenna.

    Cellular may be dead, may work just locally, or may be fine, you just never know. And it can change during an event. (Has everyone I've been involved in)

    Satcomm saturates due to traffic, so is not a magic fix.

    Granted what you need to go in as relief (don't add to the refugee load) is probably more critical than what you need to get out. But the concepts and conditions are the same.
    In your experience, have you found HF mobile (or even base) useful during emergencies? Outside of local tactical comms, what uses have you found for HF/VHF/UHF comms outside of relaying emergency messages during a disaster? Do you have local network of like-minded individuals you can communicate with?

    I'm struggling to justify the cost of a Larsen 2/70 on a hard-wired NMO line into my vehicle. Part of it is I have an older vehicle that specifically warns against strong radio components in the vehicle, but part of it is that even if I invested in getting a quality install with the antenna, I don't feel like I'd have anyone to talk to locally outside of relaying emergency comms for outside groups or whatever. Then again I don't have a ton of friends to make use of LOS radio comms, even for tactical applications, let alone normal day to day chatter on VHF.

    Of course, it doesn't help that local repeaters are being blocked by hills and I'm in a bowl section of my area...

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by CRAMBONE View Post
    Any recommendations?
    Really just the usual suspects. Yaesu/Vertex, Kenwood, and Icom would be my pick, in that order. All have inexpensive starter 2m mobiles that are very good radios.

    I would avoid the temptation to get a Chineese generic as 1st radio even though they can do many things. It's just a pain to set them up unless you know what you need, and you usually can't do front panel programming

    Quote Originally Posted by TwitchALot View Post
    In your experience, have you found HF mobile (or even base) useful during emergencies? Outside of local tactical comms, what uses have you found for HF/VHF/UHF comms outside of relaying emergency messages during a disaster? Do you have local network of like-minded individuals you can communicate with?
    HF for any non LOS situation. I've used it to get weather reports on an upcoming storm while camping in Cataloochee (big bowl) with scouts.

    Was our main link back to HQ when entering Katrina, and was the only link for the first few days.

    what uses have you found for HF/VHF/UHF comms outside of relaying emergency messages during a disaster?
    Hmm, either you need/want comms or you don't. I'll give a few examples:

    Katrina- 2m informal and formal simplex nets sprung up, and were the main local comms

    SIL had to evac from keys, stuck on Turnpike in huge traffic, cell phones saturated / unusable, low on fuel, and van running warm. Decided then and there to get her license as she knew from being around me that you could always get on a repeater to get help even if cell was saturated/dead. She did it, and will be on 2m driving out on this evacuation.

    Stuck bad in a friend's jeep with street tires (made the mistake of letting him drive). Zero cell service due to being in valley/woods. Was able to hit 2m repeater and make an autopatch.

    Comms while camping with scouts in remote areas with no cell coverage. (Okeefenokee, etc). Pretty amazing what you can do with a 25w man portable HF rig and a "toss it in a tree" light dipole. (I have a VX-1210. Had PRC-104 as well until recently. The 1210 rules)

    I've used it many, many times. But if you don't need it, don't sweat it.

    I'm struggling to justify the cost of a Larsen 2/70 on a hard-wired NMO line into my vehicle.
    Larsens have become more expensive. But the Japan antennas (to me) just are not as rugged. I've never broken a Larsen 5/8 wave 2m whip or a 2/70. I've broken multiple import antennas.

    Part of it is I have an older vehicle that specifically warns against strong radio components in the vehicle,
    Generic advice in every manual. I've been in and around 2 way & amateur radio business since mid-70's. Have never seen a car that had RF sensitivity issues worse than buzz on speakers. They have to meet environmental conditions that are far higher than incidental radiation from ham radio. In fact, gas engines are one of the most severe RF environments that exist.

    but part of it is that even if I invested in getting a quality install with the antenna, I don't feel like I'd have anyone to talk to locally outside of relaying emergency comms for outside groups or whatever. Then again I don't have a ton of friends to make use of LOS radio comms, even for tactical applications, let alone normal day to day chatter on VHF.

    Of course, it doesn't help that local repeaters are being blocked by hills and I'm in a bowl section of my area...
    Again, either you need/want it or you don't. If you are in a bowl blocked by hills, you don't really have to worry about hurricanes.

    Just be aware that a handheld in a car, even with external mag mount antenna, won't be much use in most situations. Better than no comms, for sure.

    The Baefongs properly programmed can be handy for convoy/neighborhood stuff. Set them up for GMRS & MURS, etc.

    Myself, I'll always keep HF + VHF + UHF in my primary 4x4. Sometimes I have two HF rigs active, FT-857 for net's and then one scanning on ALE. Bed mounted SGC 237 autotuner plus lightly loaded whips give me 75m-6m capability instant band change. I keep a PRC-47 sectional fiberglass whip that I can swap on when stationary that gives me a full 1/4 wave on 20, and great low band performance. 60m works great in that regard. Keep a spool of wire to throw up in a tree and clip to the end of my normal 8' whip that will give me base station sigs when parked. I usually run it at a 40-45 degree angle to maximize NVIS radiation.

    With ALE and Pactor I can do email, file transfer, or most commonly short text in addition to linking up with base stations largely regardless of propagation.

    But that's just me. Your needs may vary!

  7. #27
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    OK, I was ready to bite on a Berkey filter. Now I'm confused. Then again, I've trusted pump backpacking filters, so probably no worse.

    Giuardia is my biggest (huge) local risk, face it just maintaining pond and battling the beavers.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinzgauer View Post
    Really just the usual suspects. Yaesu/Vertex, Kenwood, and Icom would be my pick, in that order. All have inexpensive starter 2m mobiles that are very good radios.

    I would avoid the temptation to get a Chineese generic as 1st radio even though they can do many things. It's just a pain to set them up unless you know what you need, and you usually can't do front panel programming



    HF for any non LOS situation. I've used it to get weather reports on an upcoming storm while camping in Cataloochee (big bowl) with scouts.

    Was our main link back to HQ when entering Katrina, and was the only link for the first few days.



    Hmm, either you need/want comms or you don't. I'll give a few examples:

    Katrina- 2m informal and formal simplex nets sprung up, and were the main local comms

    SIL had to evac from keys, stuck on Turnpike in huge traffic, cell phones saturated / unusable, low on fuel, and van running warm. Decided then and there to get her license as she knew from being around me that you could always get on a repeater to get help even if cell was saturated/dead. She did it, and will be on 2m driving out on this evacuation.

    Stuck bad in a friend's jeep with street tires (made the mistake of letting him drive). Zero cell service due to being in valley/woods. Was able to hit 2m repeater and make an autopatch.

    Comms while camping with scouts in remote areas with no cell coverage. (Okeefenokee, etc). Pretty amazing what you can do with a 25w man portable HF rig and a "toss it in a tree" light dipole. (I have a VX-1210. Had PRC-104 as well until recently. The 1210 rules)

    I've used it many, many times. But if you don't need it, don't sweat it.



    Larsens have become more expensive. But the Japan antennas (to me) just are not as rugged. I've never broken a Larsen 5/8 wave 2m whip or a 2/70. I've broken multiple import antennas.



    Generic advice in every manual. I've been in and around 2 way & amateur radio business since mid-70's. Have never seen a car that had RF sensitivity issues worse than buzz on speakers. They have to meet environmental conditions that are far higher than incidental radiation from ham radio. In fact, gas engines are one of the most severe RF environments that exist.



    Again, either you need/want it or you don't. If you are in a bowl blocked by hills, you don't really have to worry about hurricanes.

    Just be aware that a handheld in a car, even with external mag mount antenna, won't be much use in most situations. Better than no comms, for sure.

    The Baefongs properly programmed can be handy for convoy/neighborhood stuff. Set them up for GMRS & MURS, etc.

    Myself, I'll always keep HF + VHF + UHF in my primary 4x4. Sometimes I have two HF rigs active, FT-857 for net's and then one scanning on ALE. Bed mounted SGC 237 autotuner plus lightly loaded whips give me 75m-6m capability instant band change. I keep a PRC-47 sectional fiberglass whip that I can swap on when stationary that gives me a full 1/4 wave on 20, and great low band performance. 60m works great in that regard. Keep a spool of wire to throw up in a tree and clip to the end of my normal 8' whip that will give me base station sigs when parked. I usually run it at a 40-45 degree angle to maximize NVIS radiation.

    With ALE and Pactor I can do email, file transfer, or most commonly short text in addition to linking up with base stations largely regardless of propagation.

    But that's just me. Your needs may vary!
    So are are these situations where you're in comms with people you already know, or are they strangers? Do you have experience with strangers offering assistance during an emergency on HF/VHF/UHF? I'm just trying to get a handle on the practicality of the whole matter. I like the idea of comms, which is why I have my ham license, but so far, I think it's been most useful for me for the technical knowledge and being able to set up cheap/local VHF/MURS comms. I'm not sure, if I don't have a preestablished network of contacts in the radio community, how useful my basic setup would be in an emergency. It'd be one thing to be stuck in the desert and use my radio to call for help if there's no cell signal, but in a disaster where there's a lot more need than demand for assistance, I'm not yet convinced how useful it will be on an individual level.

    For instance, given my location and lack of software, I really only have two base antennas, neither of which is optimal. A N9TAX VHF/UHF slim jim that I can hook up to an 8W Baofeng for local ham use, and an N9TAX MURS/GMRS antenna I can also hook up to use as a "command/relay station" if I needed to communicate with a larger group of people running blisterpacks in an emergency. In this way, I could receive an FRS/GMRS/MURS single from user A and relay that to users B C and D, who couldn't otherwise communicate with user A with a blisterpack radio. In this way, the MURS/GMRS slim jim operates as an intermediary that allows for a higher powered radio to receive and transmit signals to a broader area that might be out of reach between individual users. Not sure how useful that will be, but that was my thought, and both antennas were cheap.

    What kind of manportable HF rigs would you recommend? As a new ham user, I'm only really dipping into VHF/UHF/MURS. HF intriques me, but again, I don't have the software to make informed decisions regarding hardware yet. Ideally, all of my radios would be mobile and flexible (HF/UHF/VHF capability), but I'm not sure what I'd want to invest in given my lack of immediate need. Any thoughts on this?

  9. #29
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    Sep 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinzgauer View Post
    OK, I was ready to bite on a Berkey filter. Now I'm confused. Then again, I've trusted pump backpacking filters, so probably no worse.

    Giuardia is my biggest (huge) local risk, face it just maintaining pond and battling the beavers.
    My issue with Berkey was as I mentioned; their QC is questionable, their claims are outlandish, and they are lacking in details explaining the means of their supposed super-technology filter that purifies everything.

    That being said, I did buy the Berkey housing because it was on sale and for a good price. Other companies make the filter housings as well, or you can roll your own depending on your capability. Depending on your water needs, get a housing that is capable of holding the filter capacity you need, whether it's a Berkey Housing, Doulton, etc. I like the steel spigots, which you can get at a lot of places online, including Amazon.

    But as far as filters are concerned, I use Doulton filters exclusively for drinking water. If you don't face chemical/lead threats, the Sterasyl filters will be sufficient for you and you can save some money, especially if Giardia is your major threat. If your pond might have ag. runoff or you face other organic chemical risks, I'd drop a few extra bucks for the SuperSterasyl's from Doulton. If lead is also a threat plus all of the above, the ATC SuperSterasyl is a few more bucks. My point is to target your solution to resolve the threats you realistically face, and allocate your limited resources efficiently. Keep in mind that everything is a tradeoff. For example, the ATC Supersterasyl may have lead removal media, but in the same footprint, that means it has less activated carbon. So while it can adsorb lead and organics, the organic adsorption capacity for the SuperSterasyl is probably higher. Again, there are no free lunches or magic bullets - everything is a tradeoff, and since everyone's individual circumstance varies, you'll need to apply the best solution for you.

    This, of course, applies to other areas such as air purification/filtration. Do it all filters generally have less capacity than targeted filters that filter specific compounds. So if you're getting a respirator, and your primary threat is particulate, get a particulate filter. If you buy a do it all that filters a variety of chemicals, it won't have the particulate filtration capacity as a particulate specific filter (all things being equal). Use the right tool for the job, and make sure you're working on the right job.
    Last edited by TwitchALot; 09-08-17 at 01:53.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
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    Wow! There looks to be a lot of good info in here. I can't reply to everyone individually, but I'm definitely going to put a few more things into my plans.
    "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke

    "It is better to be thought a fool and to remain silent, than to speak and remove all doubt." -Abraham Lincoln

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