She's a Grand Old Flag

We salute Old Glory. Long may she wave over America's shores, a beacon of Liberty and Freedom to all of us. Listen, and she will tell you a story of the struggles and bloodshed that have kept this country free. She will tell you about the men and women that gave all in defense of the light of freedom found in her stars and stripes. She will tell you of sacrifice, deprivation and loneliness as soldiers, far from home, missed their families in only the way a soldier can. She truly is a Grand Old Flag and we are honored to find her in many places around our homestead. Like Frank said in a recent comment, "Did I tell you I love my flag? It flies everyday, 365, 24/7. Rain or shine. It's just like our soldiers, it's there everyday. Rain or shine." We thought we would share her with you so that she might inspire you as well.

Do you have a flag flying? What are you waiting for? Don't wait until it is too late.

Until next time - Fern

A Product Review, Baofeng UV-82HP

Hello Everybody, Frank here.

This is a product review of the red Baofeng UV-82HP. In this article I'm going to tell you about the radio, my likes and dislikes, a little bit of technical stuff from my perspective, and how I got to this point in life. Ready? Good. But first, some legal stuff. To do this review I was sent the UV-82HP and was told that I could keep it, so there was some compensation, a free radio. Let's understand that upfront. Otherwise I have no affiliation with any product or link mentioned in the post, except that I have bought and used some Baofeng products. 

Now, a friend of mine sent me a link to a radio dealer's site that I was not familiar with. He mentioned that they were looking for people to review radios in exchange for a free radio. He uses this radio as his primary handheld, so he thought that I might be interested also. By the way, he belongs to a group of people that use radios in their activities, and this is 

the one that he recommends to all of his colleagues. He is highly pleased with the UV-82. His is not an HP, but the only difference between the UV-82 and the UV-82HP is the power output. I emailed the company, they had a certain criteria that needed to be met. We did the paperwork game back and forth. The main stipulation was that I would include a link to their website. Here it is: BaofengTech.com  Again, I have no affiliation with this company at all, except the free radio. Now for the review.  

First the negatives. Let's understand that this is not a $200 - $300 radio. The HP version sells for about $60 - $70. The regular model, non-HP, sells for $30 - $40. This is a basic, inexpensive, commercial radio. I found nothing negative about the radio at all. Yes, that is nothing. For it's intended purpose, it does a great job.

Now for the positives. It will do anything that any of the low cost, handheld radios will do. One large positive, the speaker puts out more power, therefore, more volume. This is important if it's windy or you're in a noisy environment. This radio puts out more power, therefore, the transmitted signal goes farther. I could not tell a major difference in 4 watts and 7 watts of power. I have two repeaters that are 20 and 25 miles distant from my house. I could hit both repeaters with 1 watt comfortably, with some white noise, but 4 watts was more than adequate to reach both repeaters with zero background noise. I did not use this radio during a torrential downpour, but I'm more than confident the 7 watts would drive better than the lower wattage.

Not mentioned above, but the transmit button has a built in toggle allowing you to transmit on Band A or Band B. No extra buttons to push, nothing to unlock, just push the top of the toggle and you're on Band A, press the bottom of the toggle and you're on Band B. For my usage, this feature doesn't mean much, but for folks that need immediate contact on two different frequencies, this feature could be a life saver. My buddy mentioned up above, he loves being able to switch between Band A and Band B. So, I would seriously look into this feature if you think you might need quick accessibility. 

So, let's see. Inexpensive, loud speaker, more power, instant access to 2 bands. These are quality features, but there are other features also. Cosmetically, they come in different colors, so if you're fire department, EMT, or S&R types, different colors can come in real handy. It is a semi duplex radio, which means you can hear on Band A or Band B, but not both at the same time. I'll be glad when Baofeng comes out with a full duplex radio. This is the one I'm waiting on.

Now, in my humble opinion, besides all the features mentioned above, the best is the location of the transmit button. It is at the top of the left hand side of the radio. Well, most transmit buttons are on the left hand side of the radio, but not at the top. I have a large hand, I use my radio in my left hand, and I use my thumb to push the transmit button, which means I have to hold the radio farther down toward the bottom. With the transmit button at the very top, not on the top, but at the top of the side, I can hold the radio more comfortably, and more securely. To me this is the biggest asset of the radio for my purpose.

When the radio came to my house, I took off the factory antenna and applied a 2 1/2" stubby, or sometimes called a highly flexible, rubber ducky. Reason being is, we use our radios not just for emergencies, survival or ham radio purposes, we use them for everyday work around the little farm here, which includes birthing animals, moving hay, gardening, chicken house and assorted chores like that. So, I wanted it to function under realistic conditions, which means it got dropped, it got dirty, but it did the job and it worked real well.

It also has a nice little light on top, it will receive FM commercial radio, comes with a belt clip and all the stuff you expect a radio to come with. The manual for the UV82-HP is far superior than the previous Baofeng manuals. That doesn't necessarily make it any easier to hand program, but it does make it a whole lot easier to figure out how to do it. If you're going to program with the computer, you will need the programming cable which is a standard type. My buddy mentioned above, uses the Chirp radio programming system, and finds that more than adequate. For my purposes, I use the RT system, which I bought from the RT folks for this purpose. I like the RT system, I use it for all of my radios. This is not an RT review, but if you want a system that is easy to use, works well and has excellent technical support, check out the RT folks. Now, they do charge for their product, that's the way the free enterprise system works.

Back to the Baofeng UV-82HP. It is a good radio, solid performer, aesthetically pleasing, and well worth the money. I currently use the Baofeng UV5R+, but if I were starting out new, I would seriously consider the UV-82 series. I like the way it fits in my hand. It's like a lot of things, when you pick it up, you want it to feel right.

So there you go, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my review of the red Baofeng UV-82HP. I would recommend the radio. By the way, a man down the road from me liked the radio, so I gave it to him, along with the RT system, in exchange for a used stainless steel sink to use in our outdoor kitchen. Great trade! Please look at the UV-82HP if you're looking for a good radio. Thank you for your time.

We'll talk more later, Frank

The Line Has Been Drawn

We are going to have a war. War is imminent in this country. How do I know? Because it has already started. This is not going to be your usual type of war. The following statements are not racist, sexist, religion based or based on anyone's national origin. In past wars that our country was involved in, the enemy, as I will call them, either looked different or sounded different. Let me give you some examples of what I am talking about. This is in no particular order of precedence or suspected possibility.

Is the upcoming conflict going to be just between Americans and foreigners? No, it is not. Is the upcoming war going to be between primary religions in this country and religions of other countries? No, it is not. Is it going to be based on the color of one person's skin as opposed to the color of another person's skin? Again, the answer is no. Is it going to be between the rich, or the have's, and the poor, or the have not's? No. Will it be between the working class folks and the group of people that choose not to work? Again the answer is no. Are there other groups where there are going to be inherent conflicts and difficulties? Are these going to be the primary combatants? No.

All of the areas mentioned above are agendas that are ready to spark and explode at any time. Just pick any one. Our government over many years has fostered and encouraged hatred between all of these groups. This hasn't just been going on for four or five years, it has systematically

been developed and created for just the right season, and that season is here. There is serious contention with all of these groups. So is this war going to be between just the north and the south, with a clearly defined line? Or between the color of one's skin? The shape of one's facial features? Religion or language? No. This war is going to be all of the above. The stage is set. All it will take is an ignition, or spark, and the fires will quickly grow out of control in every area mentioned above. We are just one spark away from national, world wide chaos. This will be a war of the likes that mankind has never seen before. This type of war will not be survivable for the masses.

What will our government do? Control. Control is what they specialize in. So, how will they control every facet of chaos known to man? Force. Force people to relocate. Force people into camps. This is not a new technique. If you relocate someone from their homeland, they lose all support. Sparks are already starting to flare. As we speak, the 1st and 2nd Amendments are under constant attack by the same government sworn to protect them. Our elected representatives are, for the most part, traitors. The major news medias are liars. Pretty picture here, isn't it? 

Force will be the weapon of choice. We'll have no choice, they will silence the majority of people. This war has already started. We see the sparks every day, and soon it will appear to be an inferno. Rational thought will be gone. Martial law will take effect. Communications will be controlled, and what's not controlled will be outlawed. Guns will be confiscated. Food will be confiscated for the good of the order. People will be confiscated for their own good. This is what's coming, Ladies and Gentlemen. Most of us are not going to make it through this transition.

We have many conversations here about the coming collapse and chaos, wondering how it will play out. Knowing that things will be drastically different, but not sure what that will bring to our lives, is a frequent topic here. There are many that have written about what to do in the case of an EMP, an economic collapse, rioting, looting, etc. There are many that have written volumes of useful information about supplies to keep on hand, locations to live, how to garden, etc. But we haven't read very many articles that talk about what happens when a group of men, whether government or freelance, come knocking at your door, kicking in your door, or heading down the road to your place. 

We've heard folks that express concern about being able to defend themselves, their families and their property, including the food that will keep them alive. There are those that have made plans to bug out to a safer, more survivable location when the time comes. There are some of us that have concerns about certain groups of people being rounded up and taken to location 'X' for their well-being and safety. Hence, Frank's motto, "Don't get on the bus."

We were discussing some of these very topics yet again this morning. We are fully aware that most people will not survive the coming collapse, and since that is the case, we could very well be among the people that

do not survive. We have no illusions about somehow being able to beat the odds. Our plan and hope, regardless of how things come down, is to live to survive as long as we can. Circumstances may be such that we could live a long time or only a short time. Either way, we won't have the struggles of this life any longer and will be in a much better place, so it won't matter to us anymore. What does matter is our desire to do all we can, for as long as we can, and be able to 'die with our boots on' so to speak.

I'm sure this message is difficult for some people to read, comprehend, or ponder, but one thing is certain in this life, we will all die. We do believe our lives are inspired by God, if we but listen. We have no doubt that we are here for a reason, so don't think this message is some fatalist, death wish, it's not. What we're trying to do is be realistic, and sometimes that involves some very difficult conversations, like this morning.

When the collapse does happen, and we're all living in survival mode, there are no guarantees about tomorrow. One morning I may open the door to go out and do the chores and get shot by someone wanting what we have. It's that simple. But there is a scenario that, as a women, Fern has given long thought and prayer to, and has drawn a line. Some of you may not agree with her conclusion, but we have all been given the freedom to choose, and she has made her choice.

If the day comes that a group of men come to our house and expect us to get on the truck, or have the intent of taking all we have, we don't expect to survive the day. If we have enough warning to flee by whatever means, we will, but if we cannot, we WILL fight. If we are outnumbered, the end of this scenario is obvious.

Ladies, as a woman, Fern refuses to be taken alive and used by a group of men. She would rather be dead and meet her Creator. We have discussed this more than once, and she refuses to submit. She

has drawn a line and will not accept what is on the other side of that line. She has pondered, prayed, and we have talked, and then she pondered and prayed some more. She is at peace with her decision and with God, and is grateful for that. As difficult as it is to even think about, she challenges you to do the same. Talk to your family. It's a very difficult thing to even contemplate, but we all know what will happen if you, as a woman, are taken by a group of men. It's just the way of this world. There may be something else that is your proverbial 'line in the sand', like the lives of your children. Think about it. Talk about it. Mentally prepare for it, whatever it is.

We have made time for Frank to be as involved as he can with setting up our Survival Radio Relay Net. We truly believe this may save our lives, and the lives of others one day, by providing us with information about what may be coming down the road. Advanced warning may make all the difference. If you have been inspired to do something that may seem a little unusual in your preparations, do it now. We've all been given certain tasks to do that may not make sense right now, but later on, we'll know why. 

Remember, your mental preparation is more important than all of the 'things' you can acquire. If you are not able to cope with what arrives at your door, all the 'things' in the world will be for naught. If you can't see what is coming, I'm sorry. If you can see, and you choose to close your eyes, then God have mercy on your soul. It is here, it is at the door. It is going to erupt sooner than any of us choose. The sun is still shining, please take advantage of it. Prepare, and prepare now. Don't get on the bus.

God bless you all,

Frank & Fern