Author Archives: AH Trimble

Super PWRgate PG40S Auto-Switch

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Ham In The Box - Super PWRgate PG40S by West Mountain RadioSometimes you just need that right piece of gear, that one need that is weird to fill, but you need it…you really, really need the right piece of equipment..

Well, the West Mountain Super PWRgate PG40S Auto-Switch is one of those pieces of equipment. And then some! Yeah, it’s that flipping good.

Let me share a little background first. For several years now I’ve been working on putting together radio and power equipment to keep communications going during emergencies, disasters, especially during a grid-down. Why? Other than the obvious answer, during my 30+ years of responding to emergencies and disasters I’ve learned that stable and reliable communications is a top priority. How much so? In every single incident where a firefighter was injured or killed, communications (poor or lack of) played a major role. Communication problems were the single common thread through all of these incidents.

Now, let me change to something completely different for a minute. I’ve been around long enough to remember the first personal computers. You know, the kind that didn’t even have a hard drive. I remember several times I would be working on these early computers and the power would flicker…everything lost! Yup, all the work that I had been doing was gone into some special “data zone” never to be seen again.

Finally after that happened a couple of times I learned about uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Through pure magic it kept your computer going even when the power, not just flickered, but went out completely. It was as if the computer gods decided to smile down on us mere mortals. Yeah, I didn’t know at the time is was just a battery, auto-switch, and a battery charger built into that wonderful, magical UPS box.

Now, fast-forward to today…during times when communications are needed most I don’t want them to fail just because the power suddenly, unexpectedly flickers or goes out altogether. Because…DUH…during emergencies, disasters, and grid-down the power should be expected to go out! Yeah, no-brainer right?

Well, to meet the uninterruptible power supply needs that I foresaw, it would take a whole lot of money to buy the right UPS. And even then it wouldn’t have all the options and features that I wanted. So naturally I decided I was going to build my own solution. No, I am not a masochist, I just like to use my brain, to be challenged, and work with my hands. So, another great adventure was headed my way!

As I began to layout my first power box I had written down my “mission statement” for the box itself. Then I listed the “restrictions and requirements” that went into great detail. One of the biggest needs was the ability to automatically switch from the AC to DC power supply to the battery supplied DC power. The quest began!

Here is the mission statement for this piece of equipment –

“Provides clean DC power from an AC power source and automatically switches to battery back-up providing DC power when the AC power fails.”

I gotta tell you…it wasn’t hard to figure out. As usual I started doing some serious research into the options available out there on the market. And it became clear real quick that there was a pack leader, a unit that simply stood out among the others in terms of reliability and quality…West Mountain Radio’s Super PWRgate PG40s.

Here is the technical story from their website –

  • A Super PWRgate is a 12 volt backup power system rated at 40 amperes continuous from either a Power Supply or a Battery.
  • The Super PWRgate has a built-in four-stage battery charger with selectable current rates of 1, 4, 7 or 10 amperes.
  • Connected equipment will instantly switch to battery during a power blackout or power supply failure.
  • Uses two 80 ampere Schottky diodes as an OR-Gate to isolate the battery and power supply from each other.
  • Low loss PWRgate provides forward voltage drop of less than 0.3 volts at 20 A and 0.37 volts at 40 A.
  • Optimized for use with GELLED & AGM type batteries, but will keep flooded lead acid and marine type batteries near full charge as well.
  • Solid, durable construction in an aluminum case with heat sink. Includes mounting holes for convenient and secure use in mobile units.
  • Uses Anderson Powerpole®connectors
  • Dimensions: 1.65″ H x 5.25″ W x 3.9″ D

Specifications –

Maximum Voltage: ·                     18 Volts DC
Maximum Current: ·                     40 Amperes
Circuit: ·                     Diode OR-Gate
Diodes: ·                     Two Schottky 80 Ampere, 20 Volt
Voltage Drop: ·                     0.25 VDC at 1 Ampere

·                     0.37 VDC at 40 Ampere
Charging Circuit: ·                     Smart, linear charger

·                     Fuse switched for 1,4,7 or 10 Amperes (±5%) maximum

·                     Peak voltage limit: 13.8 (Gelled), 14.2 (AGM), (±2%)

·                     Peak voltage limit set via internal jumper to GELLED or AGM

·                     Peak voltage terminate point: 0.1 Maximum current

·                     Float Voltage: 13.5 volts (±2%)
LEDs: ·                     Green – Indicates charger is “ON”

·                     Red – Indicates peak “PK” charge voltage

·                     Yellow – Indicates Float “FL” voltage
Connectors: ·                     Anderson Powerpole, 40A
Dimensions: ·                     1.65″ H x 5.25″ W x 3.9″ D
Weight: ·                     0.9 lbs, 0.4 kg (aluminum enclosure with heat sink)
Mounting Holes: ·                     Two, 0.175 in. d, at a distance 4.875 in., for #8 hardware

 

Typical application –

Findings –

  1. I couldn’t get the unit to fail when switching from the power supply to the battery. No matter what I tried it performed the power switching perfectly. There wasn’t even a flicker in any of the equipment I tested it with.
  2. It really does a great job of keeping a battery charged. Technically that makes it a battery “maintainer” and not so much a charger. But, I ran my big 100Ah battery kind of low, then let the PWRgate go into charge mode. Yup, performed flawlessly; the unit didn’t even get hot.

 Summary –

This is a high-quality product that does exactly what they say it is supposed to do…and what it needs to do. For my radio set-up it is an essential piece of equipment and I am 110% satisfied with it. Awesome job West Mountain!

 

 

 

 

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AIMS Power (PWRI60012S) 600W Pure Sine Power Inverter

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note: article first appear April 2016

I hope by now you are familiar with the “power box” that I built. Some might call it a “solar generator” but it is way more than that. Since this power inverter review will tie directly into the power box, it might be a good idea to read the power box article first.

< Click here to read about the power box >

The whole concept of this “power” thing is to make sure that during emergencies, disasters, and grid-down that you have enough electrical power to accomplish your essential mission(s). For me, “essential mission” is basically recharging batteries to keep my radios operational and my tactical lights running. No, it is not to keep the air conditioning running or the freezer on. I don’t consider those two things as essential.

The mission statement –

“To provide sufficient ‘clean’ power to run, or charge batteries for, essential sensitive electronic gear that requires 120vAC power.”

Requirements & Restrictions –

  • Must be “clean power” to not damage or destroy sensitive electronic equipment.
  • Must be able to handle surges of at least 50 – 150% of the unit’s continuous rating.

As always I did considerable amount of research before I identified the units I would be testing. This Aims unit really looked good from all the details and information I could gather. I also tried something different this time. I contacted the company and told them I was doing an evaluation of power inverter units under emergency preparedness conditions. I asked them if they would like their unit included. I figured if they didn’t think their unit could handle the testing and subsequent review that they would back away. They didn’t…the unit tested showed up about two weeks later. I think that showed considerable confidence in their products.

When I pulled the unit out of the box the first thing I noticed is the unit outer housing is a giant heat sink. That is important to see that their engineers understand the necessity to move heat away from any power inverter. Then I turned it over a couple of times in my hands and saw that the unit was very well built with attention to detail. After all these years I can often tell by the “feel” of a product if it is junk or quality. The Aims unit felt like quality in every aspect. My testing proved me right.

The + / – battery connections on the back of the unit weren’t Anderson Powerpoles and that was kind of a drag, but I didn’t really expect them to have Powerpoles as a connection option. The unit’s connectors were solid and the connection faces were exactly flush with each other which will ensure a good connection with the “eyes” on the power wires coming from the 12vDC power supply. The plan is I will make my own using #10 wire and high-quality ring connectors, along with in-line fuses. Yes, the unit has fuses built in, but I would rather protect the unit well before the unit’s fuses themselves.

The fan located on the rear of the unit is meant to keep the unit cool when under load. However, it isn’t always running. The fan will start up when the unit is outputting about 100w. That is a nice feature because the fan does take power to run…precious battery power. If you are using a low consumption device that doesn’t exceed 100w then you are draining additional power with the fan running. But the fan is there when you need it. Sweet! They designed this thing to be very stingy using power from the battery.

I also noticed that there is separate ground connection. No, not the negative terminal connection, but an actual ground connection. I am no electrical engineer but I know enough that grounding an inverter is a good piece of advice. Having the inverter unit itself grounded (PE) provides protection from a number of “faults” and protects your electrical devices running off the inverter.

Basic Hook-Up Diagram –

Dang…there are so many things I could talk about in regards to this unit. There are so many features and protections that I am almost overwhelmed with how much to write about. Let me give some technical details from their website about this unit first…

Features –

  • 600W continuous power, 1200w surge
  • Pure sine wave
  • USB Port, 5v, 1a
  • Dual 120vAC receptacles (3-prong)
  • On/off rocker switch
  • Over temperature indicator
  • Overload protection via fuses and automatic shutdown
  • Low battery voltage warning/shutdown
  • Alligator clips included on 28″ of heavy-duty wire
  • High input voltage protection with automatic shutdown
  • Over load indicator
  • Short circuit protection
  • Load based fan – only runs when an inverter senses a load over 100w

Technical Specifications –

  • Continuous output power: 600 Watts
  • Surge power capability (peak power): 1200 Watts
  • DC input / operating voltage: 9.7 to 15 Volts
  • Output voltage: 120 Volts AC
  • Output voltage regulation: +/- 3%
  • Output wave form: pure sine wave
  • Output frequency: 60 Hz
  • Battery low voltage shutdown: 10.0 +/- 0.5 Volts
  • Low battery voltage warning/shutdown
  • No load power consumption: < .6amps DC
  • DC amps: 50
  • AC amps: 5
  • Full load efficiency: 90%
  • 1/3 load efficiency: >85%
  • No load minimum operating temperature: 50 degrees
  • Full load maximum operating temperature: 145 degrees F (automatic shutdown)
  • AC Output Sockets: dual Type 2 -3 prong and single USB Output
  • High input voltage protection: 15V
  • Low input voltage shutdown: 10V
  • Internal blade fuse protection
  • Product size (L x W x H): 9″ x 6″ x 3″
  • Weight: Unit: 4.4

Voltage Handling –

  • When your battery drops to about 10 – 10.4vDC a low voltage alarm will sound. No, it won’t blow your ear out, it is subtle but clearly noticeable.
  • When the voltage then drops to 9.7 – 10vDC the unit will automatically shut down. This feature operates exactly as a LVD (Low Voltage Disconnect), and that saves your battery from over-discharging and being damaged. Actually, 9.7vDC is really a pretty low level to draw your battery down to. You don’t want to do it very many times.
  • The unit also has a shutdown feature for the high end as well, 17vDC. But, if you are running 17vDC into the unit you have much bigger problems with your 12vDC battery powered system. However, the transformer that I use in “My Power Box” can push out up to 16vDC (variable control). So, it is nice to see that the Aims inverter can handle up to that voltage rating. I guess the real purpose high-voltage shutdown feature is to prevent the unit being damaged by being accidentally hooked up to a 24vDC battery system.

Operating Environment –

  • This unit is not meant to run in all conditions and locations that exposes it to certain environmental elements. This unit is meant to be protected from those elements.
  • The temperature should be between 32 – 104°F. Yup, that means not below freezing and not desert SW June daytime direct sun temps. I am not understanding why the low temperature restriction and I have contacted Aims for an explanation. Aims Answer: The reason it is rated at 32F is  there is silica and ceramic based components inside when those components run below freezing and warm up during operating they tend to crack and will cause failure.  Another point is that you lose efficiency, a lot of efficiency, at these temps, everything is working harder.  
  • The unit has to be ventilated under all circumstances. This is a piece of electronic equipment that generates heat, you have to be able to move that heat away from the unit. That just means to allow enough room around the unit to make sure air can circulate.

Uses –

Here is what Aims is listing as potential uses for this inverter –

  • Laptops,
  • YVs,
  • DVD players,
  • CPAP machines,
  • Satellite TV systems,
  • O2 concentrators and generators,
  • Mobile office set ups,
  • Fast charging power tool batteries (like my Ryobi 18v power tool chargers)
  • Other small hand held electronics

I am using the Aims power inverter for charging my handheld radios, electronic gear (computer), small appliances, etc. From DC power generated either from my truck or from my power box. For heavier AC loads (i.e. power tools) I use my Honda i2000EU generator. Aims does have much larger pure sine wave inverter units, up to 4000watts. I would love to test one of those higher wattage units but I just don’t have that requirement at this time.

NOTE: One thing I really want to point out…Customer Service. When dealing with Aims I was really impressed with their fast responses to any question I had. They appear to be very solid people, dedicated to both their products and their customers.

For my potential needs this unit exceeds all my expectations! I am giving this sweet little unit a “Buy!”

600 watt version

 

 

1000 watt version

 

 

1500 watt version

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2000 watt version

 

3000 watt version

 

 

4000 watt version

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tips, Tricks, Traps & Thoughts…

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Download this page as a PDF file. <click here> Yes, you have my permission to pass this PDF file along to others. Please, just don’t alter it…meaning: don’t delete the footnote “Courtesy of AHTrimble.com”

 

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My 2020 Garden: Day #1

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As most of you know by now we’ve moved into our new home that I built. It is a modest home, small, functional, and perfect for us. I am behind schedule…as is normal when building. The house is by no means done…there remains a long list of smallish items to take care of. However, I wanted a garden.

My original plans called for a pretty substantial garden and some fruit trees. Ah, not going to happen this year…not even close. But, I felt the overwhelming “need” to put in some kind of, some size of garden. After a discussion with my wife we decided it had to be small enough to do quickly, only vegetables that we will eat each day, maybe some minor dehydrating, no canning. It had to be easy to care for, not time consuming. And it had to be “heirloom” based. If nothing else…we could/would harvest the seeds for next year.

The vegetables we decided on were tomatoes, peppers, squash, and an unnamed vegetable to be identified later. Tomatoes was a no brainer…we eat the heck out of tomatoes! We eat them on sandwiches, as a sandwich, on salads, by themselves…well, you get the idea. So we went with Beef Steak and Better Boy, plus a cherry tomato for salads.

For peppers we went with a serrano for spicy, then a sweet green and sweet red. And then some kind of squash that my wife likes…yeah, I am not a big squash fan.

We ended up with 8 plants total…7 pots, one had two plants in it. Yup…very small garden!

We have some problems to deal with here…mainly the sun, it is very, very intense in the summer. And the ground is dry, but we have a well so that is not a problem. For the sun, we planted on the east side of the house, shaded from about 1pm on. And then there are the dogs and rabbits. Our combination chain-link and electric fence keeps the dogs in and the rabbits out. A 2″x3″ mesh piece of leftover construction mesh keeps the rabbits and dogs out of the garden itself. But, there are also the mice and rats. Yup, the joys of living in the country. Some 1/2″ construction mesh from Lowe’s today will take care of that problem…hopefully.

And I mentioned our ground is dry…very dry and sandy…very little organic matter. So that had to be dealt with. But, I am not going to till up a large garden…actually, I am not tilling up anything. I am digging holes and improving the soil just in that specific area.

So here goes…

East side of the house to shade the plants in the afternoon. The house proximity might also deter the tougher rabbits that make it through the electric fence. And of course…a shorter walk to water, weed, and harvest.

 

As I mentioned earlier, I am digging holes for each individual plant. Saves work and reduces amount of soil amendments. Notice how dry and hard. Dug the hole approximately 14″ in diameter and a little over a foot deep.

 

For soil I mixed 1/3 native soil (sand), 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 steer manure/compost. I mixed it in the wheelbarrow. I used the soil from lower in the hole where it was less hard and a little more moist.
I didn’t use fancy stuff like pearlite or vermiculite…WAY too expensive and WAY too little return on the dollars spent.

 

Here is what I choose to use to improve the soil. No specific reason I choose this stuff. It’s just what they had, and would work for what I wanted it to do.

 

So there you go! Our small garden in a small space (5′ x 5′) all laid out, in the ground…now the finishing touches.

 

Put up the non-fancy fence and watered it all in.
Tomatoes tomorrow???

 

Not going to let anything go to waste! These are little sprigs of grass I dug up when digging my plant holes. I moved them to an area where I have the potential for soil erosion. Grass in this area is scarce, so why not use it constructively? Yes, I watered it in. No, I have no idea if it will make it or not.

So why am I sharing this with you? Thought you might be interested…yeah, right. Now the real reason…I want to show you that a small garden is still possible, even if you are starting a bit late like I am. And while it may not feed you 100%…it might feed you 15% or 5%…and that is better than nothing. Plus you learn to garden for when you may really need it. And at the very least you can harvest the seeds and save them for next year.

So I am suggesting -HIGHLY encouraging you- that you plant a garden. It doesn’t have to be big or fancy or pretty…or anything but some vegetables that you are growing yourself. You never know how much you may need it…or just appreciate the fresh tomatoes 🙂

I will keep you updated on how our garden does.

 

 

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Amended 5/7/2020 Immediate Action Warning

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I amended my 5/7/2020 Immediate Action Warning to include vitamins and supplements. I inadvertently left those off the original post.

If you would like to know why I include them, you might like to read:

FAQ – 3/19/2020 (COVID-19)

Immediate Action Warning! (3/17/2020)

Does a bug out location make any sense at all?

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article first appeared in March 2016

So, does it make sense to have a Bug Out Location (BOL)?

Why not stay put in your home?

Will you get to your bugout location if you have one?

Is a bugout location realistic for everyone?

What should it look like?

Is it right for you?

Wow, sorry. I probably gave you a headache already just asking the questions. But they are important questions. Why? Well, it might make the difference between your family being safe during disaster or grid-down…or dying with the masses.

Yeah, a little melodramatic, I know. But I am pretty passionate about bugout locations (BOL). Yeah, and I am sure that surprises you…right!

A while back I posted a couple of “myth” articles about BOLs and responded to another prepper blogger and their views on BOLs. And I just wanted to put out some information on what I think is relevant to the subject.

First – Does it make sense to have a BOL? Answer: Absolutely!! Why? I am assuming is your home- is your “shelter in place” location…well, what happens if you have to leave your home? “Shelter in place” is also known as “bugging in”; the terms are interchangeable.

Most professional disaster and emergency responders refer to shelter in place vs. bugging in. Most preppers talk about bugging in.

OK, so back to having a BOL. Of course it makes perfect sense to have a BOL. Where else would you go if you had to leave your home…a FEMA shelter? Something along the lines of the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina? Or, a Walmart parking lot? Really!?!

Second – I want to define a BOL before we go any further. A BOL can be any of the following:

  • A family cabin in the mountains.
  • A co-owned cabin in the mountains that you share with a group of friends or extended family.
  • A church camp owned by whatever church you belong to.
  • A friend’s ranch, farm or cabin in the mountains.
  • A state park.
  • A national park.
  • National forest or other public lands.
  • A Walmart or any other store.
  • A parking lot.

So by now you are getting the idea. A BOL is any location other than your home that you can flee to in times of emergencies, disasters and especially “grid-down”…and most importantly…TEOTWAWKI. Yes, I am serious.

Remember, I am a big believer in Plan A, Plan B, etc. You have to have multiple plans! If you don’t…then you are planning to fail. Your BOL might be your Plan A or Plan Z, or somewhere in between. If I had my way in my perfect post-incident world, sheltering-in-place would always be my Plan A. But, that is not realistic in potential incident scenarios.

But, is a single BOL location sufficient? I say “no” without any hesitation. Let me explain…

In the event of a house fire, your house fire, where does your family meet-up? Across the street at the neighbor’s house or maybe the street light three houses down the street. Wherever that location is…it is a BOL.

Now, what if it there is a large cloud of methyl-ethyl-death headed your way…you going to chance it and stay in your house? Ah, probably not. But where will you go? The street light down the street?

What about TEOTWAWKI? Are people going to realistically stay in their homes with mobs of looters and gangs of bad guys roaming around?

That answer might surprise you, or at least “my” answer. I will say “yes!” if you have an organized community and it is sufficiently large enough to provide security. Otherwise, the answer a resounding “no!” So you might as well start working on a BOL now.

Third – Based on the “layers” system coupled with the “emergencies, disasters, and grid-down” concept…BOL’s workout like this:

  1. Close-in rally point for emergencies such as house fires.
  2. Another rally point within ¼ mile or so of your house for situations where you shouldn’t gather close to the house but not too far away.
  3. A BOL that can serve as a close overnight location. This can be a large culvert, a remote radio or TV tower site (easy to see from a long distance), etc.
  4. A moderate-distance BOL that can serve as a safe refuge for several nights if needed to rally friends and family. This needs to be accessible but remote enough that people won’t be naturally traveling past it.
  5. A long-distance BOL in each general compass direction. Yes, that means 4 BOL’s. The reason being you need 4 is in case you are only able to leave the area in one specific direction…at least you have some place to go.
  6. Now that you have identified 1 – 4 long distance BOL’s you also need to identify several intermediate BOL’s along the way. Something more than just an overnight location to sleep. It needs to be a place where you would feel comfortable staying for a few days, a week, maybe a month.

Please don’t get discouraged reading about the need and “must-have” for BOL’s. This is the “best case” scenario. One way to work on this is taking the family camping and day trips to potential locations. You can learn a lot this way and have fun with your family do it as well. Make prepping fun, it’s not hard to do that.

For specifics of any potential BOL please read The Best Bugout Location – How to pick one < click here to read >

 

 

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Immediate Action Warning! (5/7/2020 – Medical) : Amended 5/8/2020

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5/7/2020 – 0800

Medical

There are significant indicators that show we could see a rapid decline in the economy, potential supply chain interruptions, and panic buying of certain retail items. Significant to the point that the one or medical/health related items may become unavailable.

With the recent economic developments, recent buying activity indicators, and supply chain disruptions, I am issuing an Immediate Action Warning – Medical.

I believe that the probability exists that as early as late summer or early fall we could see shortages of medical and health related retail items as well as some medications. The recent panic buying has clearly shown that the general public can easily fall prey to mass quantity buying of retail items more out of fear than out of need. Also, China provides 70 – 95% of many common over-the-counter (OTC) medications and 50% +/- of antibiotics… 80 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients used by US based pharmaceutical manufacturers in the US are produced mostly in China. Should China and increase our existing trade/economic war, escalate the shooting war, or see further supply chain disruptions…these vital pharmaceutical ingredients could become scarce while US based manufacturers ramp up production. The time lag could be 3 – 9 months.

Possible steps to take:

  • Acquire 6 months of OTC medications that your family uses.
  • Ensure a 60 – 90 day supply of all prescription medications that family members take. Talk to your doctor, many physicians understand the need for a longer-term supply of medications to be “on-hand”.
  • Review your specific situation and assess the need for any OTC, trauma injury, or other health injury medication or medical related items. Then acquire what you may need.
  • “War game” possible scenarios (anticipate) and assess the need for other medical/health related items that you might need. Then acquire what you may need.
  • Acquire and safely store 6 – 12 months of vitamins and supplements. (see note below)

Make sure you properly store all medicines/pharmaceuticals and other related items to ensure their safe use when needed.

Note: I delayed writing this Immediate Action Warning for nearly a week. I was waiting to be 100% confident in what I was seeing…the probability of a serious enough issue to justify this warning. I never hit the 100% confidence level. However, considering the potential impact of not issuing the warning, I decided to proceed with it.

Note: Right after my breakfast in the morning I take:

  • 500mg of Vitamin C
  • Super Vitamin B-Complex that contains –
    • 150mg Vitamin C
    • 100mg Thiamine
    • 20mg Riboflavin
    • 25mg Niacin
    • 2mg Vitamin B6
    • 680mcg DFE
    • 15mcg Vitamin B12
    • 30mcg Biotin
    • 5.5mg Pantothenic Acid
  • 125mg Magnesium Citrate
  • 99mg Potassium
  • 50mg Zinc Gluconate

(Note: all of the above is followed by 2 snack size Hershey’s chocolate bars)

At night right before bed I take the following:

  • 1 Centrum Silver Men 50+ multivitamin
  • 1000mg Omega-3 (from fish oil)
  • 1200mg Red Yeast Rice
  • 1000mg Garlic

(Note: no Hershey’s chocolate bars)

 

Related articles:

 

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The last few hours before the grid goes down…

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article first appeared in March 2016

Awhile ago I was thinking about different scenarios of emergencies, disasters, and grid-down events and how they might develop and play out. I just let my mind really go off in a number of interesting directions. Then I caught myself saying “Wow!”

As I tend to do when thinking through a problem, I go to the “worst case” aspect of the problem. Now remember, I have 20+ hurricane seasons that I have gone through while I lived in Florida, so I have some real experience in this kind of thinking. So I decided to play it out a little more in my mind.

Here was the set-up…

  • A major grid-down event was going to occur.
  • I had 3 hours advanced warning that it would occur.
  • What would I do?
  • What would my wife do?

I then talked to my wife about this, as well as my best friend who lives in the same city that I do. Then I thought it through some more. Yeah, I do a lot of thinking.

What I came up with was an “action plan.” The list of things I would do in the three hours before the grid-down event and for the 6 – 12 hours immediately after the event occurred. As I built my “to-do” list some interesting points started to surface as well as what were the most important steps that I should take. So this article is the result of all of that thinking, talking, and planning.

Some of this may not apply to you, some of it may be a little overwhelming, and some of it may sound outright stupid. So be it. I am putting this out there for you to consider and if some or all it applies…use it, modify it, apply it, and make it your own.

But here are some of the take-a-ways from this mental exercise and its planning cousin.

  1. You have to avoid Normalcy Bias at all costs! When you have the warning that the event will occur, you must take action, no delays.
  2. You must have buy-in of the plan from your spouse. If not complete buy-in, at least not active objection.
  3. When the time comes to pull the trigger on the plan you must do so immediately.
  4. You are going to need help.
  5. When going to the stores the optimum team will be three people. One person to guard the vehicle, one person doing the “shopping” and one person providing security for the shopper.
  6. You must have a cash stash already put aside. Banks and ATMs may not be available.
  7. As soon as you pull the trigger, your #1 priority is the safety of your family and group. After that is accomplished the next priority is getting whatever cash out of the bank and ATMs that you can…if it is even available.
  8. Do not stop or slow down completing the items on your “to-do” list while you still have the time and means. That means do not stop to explain what you are doing, to warn someone else, to stop and think it through again. You must stay on task and complete the list. Focus!
  9. Try to keep a low profile when you are working on your tasks. Example: when you bring home a load of food, pull into the garage and close the garage door before unloading the food. Your neighbors don’t need to see what you are doing. Poor OpSec can bring disaster upon you and your family.
  10. Don’t flash cash. If you are going to use cash (or gold or silver) to “influence” store personnel, do so off to the side where it is just you and them. Do let others watch what you are doing. Have your security “overwatch” standing far enough away to observe the area, people, and keep you safe by intervening as needed.
  11. Everyone involved must understand that safety is the priority #1 and anything that jeopardizes safety must be weighed against preventing harm being done. And when I talk about “safety” I mean the safety of your family and your group. While you don’t want to be cold or cruel, and you surely don’t want to take a life if you don’t have too…your family’s safety and your group safety is #1. You’ve committed to them, keep your promise, and keep them safe.

Remember, keep this in perspective…I am saying this is the “worst case scenario” that you would face. This is NOT what you would do for a hurricane or wildfire…just a major grid-down event where things won’t come back to normal anytime soon. Maybe a “martial law” kind of event might be a good way to think of it to put it all into perspective.

Then, once you have prepared for the “worst” you can dial it back to whatever is appropriate for the actual event that you are dealing with. This plan is flexible, adaptable, and scalable. But like any “plan”…it is worthless unless action is taken. And once you take action, be relentless, be a pitbull, and stay that way after it until your action items are all completed.

Once that is done…then you can move on to the next phase of surviving and thriving.

Let’s review the priorities:

  1. Safety¹ of our family and the group.
  2. Safety¹ of others.
  3. Everyone has to know what is going on and keep lines of communications open.
  4. Everyone involved must take action on the “to-do” list and be involved.
  5. Everyone must keep working through the “to-do” list until unable to physically continue (i.e. store runs out of toilette paper or travel is 100% restricted).
  6. OpSec is a must. No discussion outside of the family or group should take place about what your family and group are doing. This is extremely important! The safety of the family and/or group could be very easily jeopardized if what you are doing gets out to the wrong person or group.
  7. Pre-planning is vital. A cash stash (a must) and a precious metals stash (if possible) is critical to the success of this operation.
  8. Be mentally prepared. The only way to prepare mentally for something such as this is to talk it through…multiple times. Something that might help is a “dry-run.” No, not actually buying the times and doing the tasks on the list, but drive to each location, walk around the location, ask to see the manager and ask a question…just familiarize yourself with those places you will be going to should the need arise.

Let’s talk about security for a minute. I mentioned that 3-person teams are optimal. However, don’t delay action if you can’t reach that optimal team level. A person by themselves is an easy target, especially once word gets out about what is happening, and people realize and recognize what you are doing. So it is safer earlier on in an incident timeline than as the event develops. So yes, I would go to the bank by myself within the first hour of the operation without too much concern. But going to Sam’s Club by myself six hours after the event occurred could well be suicidal.

How you implement security will have to be “threat specific.” Openly carrying your AR while wearing your tactical vest with complete kit could really deter a whole lot of minor threats. But law enforcement might take exception to your tactical display and try to intervene. The outcome to that situation would be a “no-win” regardless of who is left standing.

On the other hand, carrying concealed might give you a lower profile and draw less attention while pumping your tank full of gas. But it also might make you look like easy prey. Setting a single security standard it is a tough call to make but you are going to have to make a decision on your security stance and public profile.

Just remember, there is safety is numbers. If you have someone acting as security overwatch as their only task you will be light-years ahead of 99.9% of everyone else.

But also remember this, you must protect yourself, your family and your group. But getting into a full-on firefight with someone, or some group, is not the answer…it is a mistake.

Now, it may come down to that as an only option, a last option, but be very careful. It should be only your last resort, not a top three option. When the bullets fly, who knows who gets lucky, or unlucky? I would normally rather give up a shopping cart full of food then take a life over it.

Well, that might not be entirely true…one less “thug” might not be a bad thing 😉

Choose wisely.

¹ – Means the physical safety of a person. Sufficient action to protect that safety may be required. Those involved must be mentally and physically ready to take that action if required.

 

 

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MFJ 4230MV Compact 25a Power Supply

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MFJ-4230MV COMPACT SWITCHarticle first appeared in June 2016

I love mobile radios! So far I have –

  • Yaseu FT-8800R
  • Yaesu FT-8900R
  • Yaesu FT-897D
  • Yaesu FT-2900R

Told you I like mobile radios! And yes…I like Yaesu brand mobile radios the most.

But, having all these mobile radios I need to be able to power them when I am outside of the truck. And the only commonsense way to do that is with stable and readily available AC power from the utility company. But, a little tiny bit of a problem…the radios all run off of 12vDC power.

OK, so it is really no problem at all…you just use a power supply. Technically it is a “transformer” if my memory serves me right. You are taking 120vAC voltage -and through the magic of electronics- transforming it into 12vDC power. And that DC power can be used to run your mobile radios without a vehicle battery.

As always…my mission statement –

“Provide clean, stable, reliable DC power from an AC power source to run one or more mobile radios.”

Requirements and Restrictions –

  • Must not induce “noise” into the radio on any band above an acceptable (minimal) level.
  • Must be able to work continuously for years at a time without being turned off.
  • Should generate minimal heat when in stand-by mode.
  • Should generate manageable heat when being used continuously.

Well, here is the deal…I had already been using an MFJ SWR meter and I liked it a lot. My first power supply was from Radio Shack and it performed really well and I had no complaints. However, it just didn’t push enough amps (power) for my new usage requirements. So I naturally looked to MFJ for a power supply option. I did my research and the 4230MV unit appeared to meet all my needs/demands. Then it was time to do my research.

I carefully read all the reviews I could get my hands on. I really dug into it. What became obvious to me from the beginning was a couple things:

  1. The overall price point was excellent. Same could be said for the “price to amp” cost.
  2. Users were reporting no real “noise” on the HF or any other bands.
  3. It was one of the most compact units on the market.

Here is some technical information –

  • 30 Amps Surge (up to 5 minutes), 25 Amps Continuous.
  • 4 to 16 VDC adjustable output, detent at 13.8VDC.
  • Light weight, only 3.4 lbs/1.35kg
  • Compact, only 5″ x 2 ½” x 6″ (W x H x D).
  • Backlit meter that displays amps or volts.
  • Five-Way binding post for high current radios
  • Over Voltage protection.
  • Over Current protection with “FAULT” LED.
  • QUIET Internal Cooling Fan with “FAN” LED
  • Super Regulation, works with AC input from 85 to 135 VAC (115VAC model) or from 170 to 260 VAC (230VAC model), 47-63Hz
  • Noise <100mV. AC Line Fuse( 6.3 Amps)

Findings –

I purchased my first unit several years ago and began my testing. Let’s not make this difficult…it performed exactly as it was advertised and met 110% of my expectations. Yup…a great little unit. But, let me give you a few more details –

  1. The unit will warm up a bit when using it continuously. There is a cooling fan that will spin up initially when you turn on the unit, then shut-down. Then it will come back on at about 70 degrees. It seems to spin faster as the temp rises. There was minimal sound from the fan, no problem at all.
  2. I could detect no noise on the HF side or any other band.
  3. While the unit is rated at 25amp, it can handle 30amp surges with no problem. But, it won’t operate continuously at 30amp.
  4. I’ve seen folks who have been running this unit for 3 – 4 years with ZERO problems.
  5. I like the adjustable vDC output, gives you some nice operating capability options.
  6. I really like the clean face of the unit. It may sound silly, but it looks very professional. And I like that look sitting there on the shelf while it is working away for me.

Summary –

A great power supply unit!!

Yeah, there are some folks who like to poke fun at MFJ from time-to-time…but don’t buy into that. MFJ has a 1-year “no matter what” warranty. And that is very reassuring and tells you how confident they are in their equipment. Think about it…if a piece of electronic equipment it going to breakdown to poor quality it will probably do so in the first 30 days, undoubtedly within the first 120 days. MFJ has your back!

 

 

 

2009 - 2020 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content 
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
See Content Use Policy for more information.

I apologize…

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Without realizing it till yesterday, my Power Box Project articles were posted without editing and without pictures. I apologize for that mistake. I got sidetracked with the SitRep – 05/01/20 – WARNING ! and all the Immediate Action Warnings. I have gone back and did some quick editing and added the associated pictures to the 3-article series My “Power-Box” Project.

Please take the time and review those articles again.

Click to start reading the first article…