I repaired one of my shortwave radios (my main HF rig) it needed a replacement rotary switch which has about 20 connections, so had been putting it off for ages. Finally fixed it. Can now either use it, or sell it... I'd ideally like to sell it, as its a base rig, and cant run it from battery power without an inverter which is another point of failure...so I think I'll sell it in the new year and get a more compact portable rig.
Sorted out a lead for my SW receiver so I can run it from a 12v SLA battery, and charged it, as well as a spare. I have 12 6v SLA batteries, so need to make up a number of battery packs to make them into 12v supplies, and charge them all!
Was thinking about getting a couple of cheap CB radios (already have some PMR portables) and having them for local comms for local family.
What else... been thinking about getting a decent 4x4, mainly as a BOV, but will sell it to the missus that I want to get into offroading, so I'm thinking of a cheap mid 90's land rover disco. Capable offroad, plenty of parts about, big enough to fit people+supplies in, and big enough to tow a decent size trailer...I would like a defender, but they go for silly money. the discos are pretty cheap...
What Preps are you doing this week
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail - Benjamin Franklin
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
NR, you could have just asked.... could have saved you a ton of bother 
Bit late now I know!
Bit late now I know!
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail - Benjamin Franklin
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Actually, I was in a field chopping up firewood in this freezin' cold weather! (alas, not for meee!)
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail - Benjamin Franklin
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Ho ho ho! You're on form today NR!Northern Raider wrote:I really missed Scoobie today, But fear not my aim is improving .........
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail - Benjamin Franklin
-
Carrot Cruncher
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Plumber came round to fix the central heating today. He says "can you turn the water off please", not a problem says I and walks outside to the pavement to get to the valve which is down a hole in the ground covered by a metal plate about 6"x6". Only problem was that it is a flipping big and wide pavement covered by about a foot of snow and ice. It took me 3/4 of an hour shovelling snow and breaking up ice to find the B****** thing 
Nevermind, all sorted now but will have to restock on the Calor Bottles tomorrow as they have had plenty of use over the last 4 days.
Nevermind, all sorted now but will have to restock on the Calor Bottles tomorrow as they have had plenty of use over the last 4 days.
-
Attack Warning Red
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Woohoo, hand warmers came! I only ordered them a couple of days ago - I thought all deliveries were buggered because of the snow? 
I'll pack a few for the trip to the inlaws for Christmas. We're going by train so we need to be prepared for breakdown/cancellations etc.
I'll pack a few for the trip to the inlaws for Christmas. We're going by train so we need to be prepared for breakdown/cancellations etc.
-
Ogre
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Adopted another set of lockers tonight. That gives me a dozen mild steel securable cabinets. Also doing some DIY prep posted down in the DIY Thread
-
Agent Switters
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Following some of the posts that I’ve read on this forum recently (good info), and based on personal observation as well as all of the “good tidings” from the media, I’ve had more than a few comments I thought worth sharing. As the list started to expand, I’ve cut back a bit and figured it best to post here in “How are you preparing.”
Regarding water: One of the biggest foreseeable problems for the folks that are receiving a ration of 20 litres of water per day is hygiene. Complicated by the backup of raw sewage, inadequate drainage & disposal, the myriad of stomach bugs and subsequent complications from weakened immune systems are no small threat. More than anything else, washing your hands is the single greatest effort that can be made to avoid this. Even if hot running water is unavailable, take the time to heat water and thoroughly lather up with soap prior to handling food. While it’s a not a great substitute by any stretch, even the use hand sanitizer is better than nothing at all. Strictly adhering to this is an invaluable “ounce of prevention.” As far as treatment of suspect water goes, I think that has been dealt with elsewhere and I’ll leave it alone.
Regarding meds: As we’ve all read about shortages of various meds recently, I’ve made it a point to add additional flu meds (Tamiflu if you can get it), Imodium and cough meds with Guaifenesin to the med locker. Of course, it never hurts to grab an extra couple of boxes of aspirin, etc. as cheap as it is.
Regarding the snow/ice: Rather than talking about not hitting the breaks and all of that, it would be valuable to find an empty car park the next time there is ice on the ground and have a go at “recovering” from slides, dealing with sudden stops and generally dealing with crap road conditions if you aren’t comfortable in that environment or haven’t dealt with it very much. Unlike the idiot boy racers doing donuts and speeding around for the hell of it, developing a bit of experience in a controlled environment will provide some degree of confidence when you have to be out and about.
Realizing my audience, I need to clarify that this isn’t meant to sound too basic or patronizing--no intention of preaching to the choir. But given what I’ve observed over the past few weeks, I was definitely compelled to mention a couple of these things. That said, I’ll cut it "short" for the moment.
Right--all the best.
Regarding water: One of the biggest foreseeable problems for the folks that are receiving a ration of 20 litres of water per day is hygiene. Complicated by the backup of raw sewage, inadequate drainage & disposal, the myriad of stomach bugs and subsequent complications from weakened immune systems are no small threat. More than anything else, washing your hands is the single greatest effort that can be made to avoid this. Even if hot running water is unavailable, take the time to heat water and thoroughly lather up with soap prior to handling food. While it’s a not a great substitute by any stretch, even the use hand sanitizer is better than nothing at all. Strictly adhering to this is an invaluable “ounce of prevention.” As far as treatment of suspect water goes, I think that has been dealt with elsewhere and I’ll leave it alone.
Regarding meds: As we’ve all read about shortages of various meds recently, I’ve made it a point to add additional flu meds (Tamiflu if you can get it), Imodium and cough meds with Guaifenesin to the med locker. Of course, it never hurts to grab an extra couple of boxes of aspirin, etc. as cheap as it is.
Regarding the snow/ice: Rather than talking about not hitting the breaks and all of that, it would be valuable to find an empty car park the next time there is ice on the ground and have a go at “recovering” from slides, dealing with sudden stops and generally dealing with crap road conditions if you aren’t comfortable in that environment or haven’t dealt with it very much. Unlike the idiot boy racers doing donuts and speeding around for the hell of it, developing a bit of experience in a controlled environment will provide some degree of confidence when you have to be out and about.
Realizing my audience, I need to clarify that this isn’t meant to sound too basic or patronizing--no intention of preaching to the choir. But given what I’ve observed over the past few weeks, I was definitely compelled to mention a couple of these things. That said, I’ll cut it "short" for the moment.
Right--all the best.
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Bought some seeds and plant pots etc. When I'm back at work tomorrow I intend to print off a stack of prepping info I have bookmarked and start putting a reference folder together.
Dug out an old 1980s recipe book that's got lots of old school type recipes in and also contains some invaluable advice about different cuts of meat and how to prepare them, fish/shellfish and when they are in season, how to scale them and so forth, also lots of info on pulses/grains and soaking times. There's also a big sectoin on using a microwave - it must have come out just as microwaves were gaining popularity - but obviously I won't be using mine as it will have my hair straighteners and hairdryer in it to protect if from the impending CME! Pretty good little book actually
Also found my Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall cookbook (LOVE HUGH) which, as well as having some fantastic recipes in also contains a full section on starting a vegetable garden, amongst other nuggets of info.
Got my rucksack out of the garage to start putting my BOB together.
Dug out an old 1980s recipe book that's got lots of old school type recipes in and also contains some invaluable advice about different cuts of meat and how to prepare them, fish/shellfish and when they are in season, how to scale them and so forth, also lots of info on pulses/grains and soaking times. There's also a big sectoin on using a microwave - it must have come out just as microwaves were gaining popularity - but obviously I won't be using mine as it will have my hair straighteners and hairdryer in it to protect if from the impending CME! Pretty good little book actually
Also found my Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall cookbook (LOVE HUGH) which, as well as having some fantastic recipes in also contains a full section on starting a vegetable garden, amongst other nuggets of info.
Got my rucksack out of the garage to start putting my BOB together.
Re: What Preps are you doing this week
Sourced some MYLAR space blankets (on Ebay from the USA) - I am going to have a go at putting some faraday blankets together - there's no way I am going to be able to build a cage thing so I'm not even gonna try. Blankets will do me fine. Then they are ready just to throw over the items I need to protect at a minutes notice.
**Just a thought, but on Ebay you can get a job lot of 144 of the MYLAR space blankets for around £70.00. Even if the postage was £50.00 that's still cheap as chips!!! If a group of us clubbed together it would work out at almost nothing per item....just thinking aloud to try and save ££s.
**
**Just a thought, but on Ebay you can get a job lot of 144 of the MYLAR space blankets for around £70.00. Even if the postage was £50.00 that's still cheap as chips!!! If a group of us clubbed together it would work out at almost nothing per item....just thinking aloud to try and save ££s.
**