We had an earthquake a couple weeks ago (actually, we have them all the time, this being Northern California, and all, but this one woke up a bunch of folks at O-dark-30), which got a friend talking about emergency kits. I figured I should write down some of my random thoughts, where I can refer to them in the future.
In no particular order:
Batteries:
- Standardize on one type (AA is good), and stick to it if possible.
- AVOID Duracell at all costs. They have an annoying tendency to leak. Sometimes they go dead around the same time, but mainly they just leak.
- Do not store batteries in equipment. Store them nearby in a ziplock bag or plastic box.
- Cycle batteries out of the kit regularly. Make the kit (or nearby) your storage for batteries, and practice FIFO (First In, First Out).
The same thought also applies to food. Keep a few MRE's in the kit, but also canned foods that you might regularly eat, and cycle them out into your pantry regularly.
Lightsticks.
- Are your friend.
- Tape a pack inside the lid of your emergency cache for immediate access.
Bulk items (paper plates, plastic utensils, etc) should be broken down into smaller packs. Say one days worth. That way, if you need to use the kit, its easier to repack/restock.
Many camping items cross over, integrate them into the kit.
Break down the kit into multiple packs for different functions. Sanitation/hygiene, kitchen, shelter, tools, etc.
Have a grab-n-go box containing essential items, such as important papers (including current prescriptions), spare glasses, medications, cash, digital backups, lists of emergency contacts, maps, spare cellphone, cell charger, spare leys, etc. This should be water and fire resistant if possible.
Consider adding some items such as flashlights to your EDC (Every Day Carry) list. You never know where you are going to be. Knives are also good, but may be trickier to carry in this post-911 environment, depending on where you are.
Have a kit in your car as well.
I mention digital backups, get a portable hard drive, and backup regularly. Store the backup drive in your grab-n-go box. Back up everything, including scans of important documents.
Re: crank type radios/flashlights. The concept is good, but they are mechanical components which can fail, especially if they are overused, or even left sitting idle for long periods. I prefer traditional batteries, replaced regularly.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Trip planning for next summer
I'm thinking of taking a few weeks next summer to hike the Tahoe Rim Trail (~165 mile loop around Lake Tahoe). This would be a combined backpacking, and ham radio trip, concentrating on VHF/UHF low power (QRP) operation, with some HF operating activity thrown in.
I'm probably going to be hiking solo, unless I can find a hiking partner, preferably a fellow ham, or at least not somebody opposed to taking technology into the outdoors.
I'm thinking of starting in early June, to coincide with the ARRL June VHF QSO Party, which is normally the first or second weekend in June. Hopefully the trails will be clear of snow by that time (note to self - keep an eye on the snowpack this winter), or at least clear enough to follow the trail. If the schedule works out, I might be able to also include Field Day weekend, which is normally the last weekend in June.
The trip would begin (and end) somewhere around Tahoe Meadows, and would follow the trail in the clockwise direction. Resupply stops would be at Tramway Lodge on Kingsbury Grade, Echo Chalet at the lower end of Lower Echo Lake, and at Tahoe City.
Duration would be 2-3 weeks, but will include a few layover days in strategic radio operating locations.
We pass through 4 grid squares (DM09, DM08, CM98, CM99) on our way around the lake.
Notable VHF/UHF operating locations (moving clockwise) include Genoa Peak (9150 ft)(DM09), Monument Peak (10067 ft)(DM08), Freel Peak (10881 ft)(DM08), Dicks Pass (9380 ft)(CM98), Phipps Peak (9234 ft)(CM98), Twin Peaks (8878 ft)(CM99) and Relay Peak (10338 ft)(DM09).
Equipment would be (relatively) lightweight backpacking gear, and radio gear including a Yaesu FT-817ND, Lithium Polymer or NiMH nanophosphate battery packs, roll-up solar panel, Arrow antennas for 144Mhz, 222Mhz,and 432Mhz, Elecraft T1 antenna tuner, W1GHZ 222mhz transverter, LMR240UF coax, American Morse "Dirt Cheap Paddle", and a antenna mast of some sort (probably modified Kelty 25mm tent poles).
The 222Mhz gear is optional, and I might omit it to save weight. 222Mhz is a fun band, but there are not a lot of folks operating SSB/CW on that band, due to a lack of readily available/affordable equipment. It might be worth it for a weekend trip for the VHF contest, but probably not for day to day operating.
Tasks include obtaining radio equipment, learning CW, and getting back in shape. Training probably calls for a couple of local shakedown trips this winter.. (Skyline to Sea, Portola Loop, Mt Tam, etc)
I probably won't carry a tent, instead opting for the Fly+groundcloth combo that I used for many previous trips. It works well except in heavy wind-blown rain, and even then it's possible to rig it properly, plus it's a lot lighter than a full tent.
I also have not decided on how much of a kitchen to bring. The ultralight crowd would argue for a single pot/large cup, and a tuna can alcohol stove.. The traditionalists would go with the Svea 123R or Whisperlite, and a full Sigg Tourist pot set. I'm probably going to be cooking for one, so the major decision is how many pots do I want to carry and clean, how many things do I want to be able to cook at once, and do I need to be able to simmer, or just boil water.
The other fun task is going to be menu planning.. It seems like there is a lot more freeze-dried ($$) food to choose from than there was 20 years ago, and less suitable off-the-shelf food items from the local supermarket. For instance, I can't seem to find any local store that carries any sort of selection of cup-of-soup.. The only flavor that I seem to be able to find is chicken-noodle, if they carry it at all. I guess I will have to mail order it..
I'm probably going to be hiking solo, unless I can find a hiking partner, preferably a fellow ham, or at least not somebody opposed to taking technology into the outdoors.
I'm thinking of starting in early June, to coincide with the ARRL June VHF QSO Party, which is normally the first or second weekend in June. Hopefully the trails will be clear of snow by that time (note to self - keep an eye on the snowpack this winter), or at least clear enough to follow the trail. If the schedule works out, I might be able to also include Field Day weekend, which is normally the last weekend in June.
The trip would begin (and end) somewhere around Tahoe Meadows, and would follow the trail in the clockwise direction. Resupply stops would be at Tramway Lodge on Kingsbury Grade, Echo Chalet at the lower end of Lower Echo Lake, and at Tahoe City.
Duration would be 2-3 weeks, but will include a few layover days in strategic radio operating locations.
We pass through 4 grid squares (DM09, DM08, CM98, CM99) on our way around the lake.
Notable VHF/UHF operating locations (moving clockwise) include Genoa Peak (9150 ft)(DM09), Monument Peak (10067 ft)(DM08), Freel Peak (10881 ft)(DM08), Dicks Pass (9380 ft)(CM98), Phipps Peak (9234 ft)(CM98), Twin Peaks (8878 ft)(CM99) and Relay Peak (10338 ft)(DM09).
Equipment would be (relatively) lightweight backpacking gear, and radio gear including a Yaesu FT-817ND, Lithium Polymer or NiMH nanophosphate battery packs, roll-up solar panel, Arrow antennas for 144Mhz, 222Mhz,and 432Mhz, Elecraft T1 antenna tuner, W1GHZ 222mhz transverter, LMR240UF coax, American Morse "Dirt Cheap Paddle", and a antenna mast of some sort (probably modified Kelty 25mm tent poles).
The 222Mhz gear is optional, and I might omit it to save weight. 222Mhz is a fun band, but there are not a lot of folks operating SSB/CW on that band, due to a lack of readily available/affordable equipment. It might be worth it for a weekend trip for the VHF contest, but probably not for day to day operating.
Tasks include obtaining radio equipment, learning CW, and getting back in shape. Training probably calls for a couple of local shakedown trips this winter.. (Skyline to Sea, Portola Loop, Mt Tam, etc)
I probably won't carry a tent, instead opting for the Fly+groundcloth combo that I used for many previous trips. It works well except in heavy wind-blown rain, and even then it's possible to rig it properly, plus it's a lot lighter than a full tent.
I also have not decided on how much of a kitchen to bring. The ultralight crowd would argue for a single pot/large cup, and a tuna can alcohol stove.. The traditionalists would go with the Svea 123R or Whisperlite, and a full Sigg Tourist pot set. I'm probably going to be cooking for one, so the major decision is how many pots do I want to carry and clean, how many things do I want to be able to cook at once, and do I need to be able to simmer, or just boil water.
The other fun task is going to be menu planning.. It seems like there is a lot more freeze-dried ($$) food to choose from than there was 20 years ago, and less suitable off-the-shelf food items from the local supermarket. For instance, I can't seem to find any local store that carries any sort of selection of cup-of-soup.. The only flavor that I seem to be able to find is chicken-noodle, if they carry it at all. I guess I will have to mail order it..
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Frustration of the week..
Given two live-cd linux distros, both based on ADIOS, why is it that one of them installs into vmware painlessly, and the other simply refuses to stand up and be recognized?
We have two live-cd distros, both courtesy of the Cisco Network Academy folks. There are both based on ADIOS, but the individual distro's were developed by two different groups within the Academy.
The first distro is called Eagle, and it acts as expected. It boots from cd, and boots up into a usable state as required by the needs of the labs.
Eagle has an option to install to disk, which works as expected.
The second distro is called Discovery, and it does not act as expected. It boots from cd, but stops at the boot menu, requiring user intervention to boot into the correct configuration. Once it boots, sysadmin action is required to reconfigure it to a usable state, as required by the needs of the labs.
Discovery also has an option to install to disk, however, it doesn't work. It doesn't boot, and the BIOS tells me "no operating system found".
Just for kicks and giggles, I tried installing the base ADIOS distribution into VMware, and it failed in an identical manner.
If this was a single physical server, sitting in the lab, I would simply put it on a spare PC, plugged into a UPS, and configure it, and forget it. But, this is one of two Discovery servers that have to be integrated into Netlab, as individual VM's that are started and stopped by Netlab. Thus, it has to boot into a usable state, without user intervention.
We have two live-cd distros, both courtesy of the Cisco Network Academy folks. There are both based on ADIOS, but the individual distro's were developed by two different groups within the Academy.
The first distro is called Eagle, and it acts as expected. It boots from cd, and boots up into a usable state as required by the needs of the labs.
Eagle has an option to install to disk, which works as expected.
The second distro is called Discovery, and it does not act as expected. It boots from cd, but stops at the boot menu, requiring user intervention to boot into the correct configuration. Once it boots, sysadmin action is required to reconfigure it to a usable state, as required by the needs of the labs.
Discovery also has an option to install to disk, however, it doesn't work. It doesn't boot, and the BIOS tells me "no operating system found".
Just for kicks and giggles, I tried installing the base ADIOS distribution into VMware, and it failed in an identical manner.
If this was a single physical server, sitting in the lab, I would simply put it on a spare PC, plugged into a UPS, and configure it, and forget it. But, this is one of two Discovery servers that have to be integrated into Netlab, as individual VM's that are started and stopped by Netlab. Thus, it has to boot into a usable state, without user intervention.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Windows Printing - Why can't it act rationaly?
We have a small network at the WBO office.. 7 XP boxes, a 2003 SBS server, and several laptops that float in and out.
We also have 8 printers of various types (b&w laser printer/scanner/fax/copier, color laser printer, 2 b&w laser printers, color inkjet, ticket printer, and a couple of label printers). Three of the printers are networked, the rest are shared from various workstations.
The JetDirect card in the second b&w laser died recently, which should be no big deal, since it also attached to the XP box next to it (Rome). It was configured on the server, and shared from the server (Hades). I figured that I would just share it from Rome without listing it in the directory, and change the configuration on Hades to point to the new location. That way, it shows up from the server, and I don't have to change anything on the XP boxes that are currently pointing at it. Quick and easy, right?
Nope.
First the server doesn't want to let me use the new port, so I delete the printer, and start over.. All looks good, But.. When I go to add the printer on one of the XP boxes (Paris), I can't see the printer being connected to the server. Instead, it shows up as being connected to Rome, which is exactly what I DON'T want to happen.
The printer is shared from Rome, but not listed in the directory. The printer entry on Hades points at Rome, is shared, and is listed in the directory. It should show up in the directory as being shared from Hades, Right?
Nope. It shows up as being shared from Rome.
So much for centralized printer sharing.. This also means that I need to go touch the printer entries on all of the XP boxes, which is what I was trying to avoid.
I envision a FreeBSD or Linux box in the future, both as a server for backups, and for printers. I know that I can do this with CUPS.
We also have 8 printers of various types (b&w laser printer/scanner/fax/copier, color laser printer, 2 b&w laser printers, color inkjet, ticket printer, and a couple of label printers). Three of the printers are networked, the rest are shared from various workstations.
The JetDirect card in the second b&w laser died recently, which should be no big deal, since it also attached to the XP box next to it (Rome). It was configured on the server, and shared from the server (Hades). I figured that I would just share it from Rome without listing it in the directory, and change the configuration on Hades to point to the new location. That way, it shows up from the server, and I don't have to change anything on the XP boxes that are currently pointing at it. Quick and easy, right?
Nope.
First the server doesn't want to let me use the new port, so I delete the printer, and start over.. All looks good, But.. When I go to add the printer on one of the XP boxes (Paris), I can't see the printer being connected to the server. Instead, it shows up as being connected to Rome, which is exactly what I DON'T want to happen.
The printer is shared from Rome, but not listed in the directory. The printer entry on Hades points at Rome, is shared, and is listed in the directory. It should show up in the directory as being shared from Hades, Right?
Nope. It shows up as being shared from Rome.
So much for centralized printer sharing.. This also means that I need to go touch the printer entries on all of the XP boxes, which is what I was trying to avoid.
I envision a FreeBSD or Linux box in the future, both as a server for backups, and for printers. I know that I can do this with CUPS.
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