110 V Power From Your Car Alternator

Back in the 1970's, there was a company that manufactured a product called "Pow-R-Tap". It was an easy to install device that allowed you to get 110V power directly from your vehicle's alternator.

Back then, vehicles had external voltage regulators. Today they are internal to the alternator. If you want to use this device on a vehicle with an internal regulator, you will need to make some modifications to the instructions I'm about to include in this post.

The instructions cover Dodge, GM, Ford and Leece-Neville Alternators with EXTERNAL VOLTAGE REGULATORS.

I don 't have access to information to the various configurations of internal regulators, so I won't be able to help you. However, an automotive electrician should be able to point you in the proper direction.

If you have an older vehicle that still uses an external regulator, it is a simple less than two hour job to install. You'll also need an evening to assemble the device since they are not (to my knowledge) available new. Don't worry, all you need are basic soldering skills.

I did quite a bit of research online and wasn't able to locate this device or its original manufacturer anywhere, so I think I am not infringing on anyone's rights. If I am, please let me know BY POSTING IN THE COMMENTS SECTION, and I will immediately remove this posting and all associated files.

I had one of these installed on a 1974 Suburban, and it worked well. It powered drills, and electric lights with ease. This does not generate a nice sine wave which many modern electronics need, so don't think about powering a TV or computer. It is a very rough square wave, but things like lights and electric impact wrenches don't care about sine waves.

At idle, the engine ran the drills at a slower speed than you are used to, and the lights were a little dim. Having someone manage the throttle, or adding an external throttle cable to manage engine speed solves this issue.

Fortunately, I'm a pack rat and kept the instructions and a home sketched diagram of the unit.

You will need 14 and 12 gauge stranded wire. Six feet should be good. Refer to the drawing to get the colors you will need to match up to the factory installation instructions.

You will also need a single crimp or solder spade lug connector



and a single crimp or solder ring terminal.

Liquid electrical tape.

Watertight Outlet Box.

120v 20A electrical outlet



Neon indicator lamp

0.1 mF 250V disc capacitor

SPDT Toggle Switch (12v/20A) Single Pole/Double Throw (On/ON)

Potting compound. (RTV silicone is good enough)

Electric drill and drill bits.

Soldering iron and solder.

Figure out where you intend to mount your homebrew Pow-R-Tap. Once you have selected where you want to mount the watertight box, you will know where to drill the holes for the toggle switch and neon light.

Drill the holes for the neon light and toggle switch.

If you are using a plastic weathertight box, you will need to add a ground wire to the ground lug on the electrical outlet. This will need to be attached to the frame of your vehicle. If you are using a metal weathertight box, the outlet will automatically be grounded to the box once you attach it with screws.

Assemble the device as shown in the diagram. The outlet and toggle switch are shown from the reverse (back) side. Solder the wires to the switch. Screws can become loose over time from vibration.

Seal all soldered wires and connections using the liquid electrical tape.

Install the device in the watertight box, and thread all the wires out through the hole for conduit. Before screwing the outlet into the box, fill the cavity in the box with the RTV compound. Be aware that some of the RTV will be displaced when you screw the outlet in place. Have a rag handy. Make sure the hole where the wires exit is also filled with RTV to prevent moisture from gaining entrance there.

The neon light will glow when you have the switch in the 110v position.

Now, I'm not making any warranties here. I expect that you should have knowledge of electrical safety, and knowledge of your vehicle's electrical system. If it doesn't work you're on your own. I know that this worked for me.

The PDFs of the instructions and the diagram are best printed out. The instructions have page numbers at the bottom. I encourage you to print them out, cut them into individual pages and assemble them in order to reduce confusion.

Page One Download Page Five Download

Page Two Download Page Six Download

Page Three Download Page Seven Download

Page Four Download Page Eight Download

Thwarting Homeland Security's Laptop Searches

The DHS has again stated that their agents can search any electronic device that can store information. This includes MP3 players, cameras, flash drives, and laptops.

You can read more about the decision to continue these patently unconstitutional searches in several recent news articles:

CBS News: Homeland Security Says Laptop Border Searches Will Continue

Los Angeles Times: Taking An International Trip? Scrub those hard drives!

There have been stories of laptops and other items being seized at the border, and later returned via mail to the owner. This practice gives the DHS time to clone the hard drives and flash drives to later dissect the data stored on them.

I have not seen any confirmed reports that this has occurred, but rumors about the activities of this current government have frequently proven to be accurate.

If you are forced to travel across the border with electronic items, there are several things you can do to protect yourself against potential data corruption and loss.

One, back up all data before departing.

Two, if while traveling you have access to the internet, transfer your data. E-mail yourself important files, or upload data to online storage sites. If you have a company intranet, utilize the shared drives on your network's servers to store critical information.

Three, have a spare hard drive with a virgin copy of your OS on it. Swap drives before returning stateside. FedEx your used drive to a coworker in your company. DO NOT SEND IT TO YOURSELF! I've heard rumors that this is a red flag and will immediately result in your package being detained by customs. Ship your drive after backing up important information via the Internet.

Four, use "whole disk encryption". I use personally use DriveCrypt from SecureStar.

How secure is DriveCrypt? How does 1344 Bit Military Strength disk encryption using cryptographic algorithms such as AES, Blowfish, Tea 16, Tea 32, Des, Triple Des, Misty 1 and Square sound to you?

If you want to go one step further, you can go for the DriveCrypt Plus Pack. It's FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) approved.

To ensure there are no traces of deleted files, or of any temporary files (browsing history, etc) I use CyberScrub. This product allows you to designate areas for scrubbing and also allows you to select the level of file deletion security. You can go from a single pass quick wipe to 35 pass Gutmann.

Cyberscrub says:

"A maximum security (but slow) 35 pass sanitize method, based on Peter Gutmann's paper "Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory". The method is designed to erase data regardless of the disk raw encoding. It effectively removes the magnetic remnants from disk, preventing hardware recovery tools from restoring any data. NOTE: This method stops both software and hardware recovery tools."

These steps should help you to keep confidential information, confidential.

Just Say No To The "O"

This could explain Obama's behavior.



But I don't think we are lucky enough for that to be reality.



Let him form up his Obama Jugend.



I have no fear.


Others have gone before me, each with a love of this country at least as great as my own. I can do no less.

George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." It would seem many have forgotten the past. History is beguiling in that the culmination of the events of years, decades, and even centuries are compressed into a pleasant afternoon's reading.

History hides her face and does not allow you to see her happening all around you each minute of every single day.

September 1939, A synagogue burning in Przemysl, Poland

April 1993, A church burns in Waco, Texas

They've taken your measure.


Reichstag Fire: A Staged Event?

Oklahoma City Bombing: A Staged Event?

And found it wanting.



With each staged event.


And manufactured crisis....


They have failed to quell the American Spirit.



Now they will have to take more direct action.



Because you refuse to bow to those who think they are your masters.



So now they want to squeeze you.



And poison you.



And then starve you.



And control your thoughts and your mind by controlling the flow of information.

You can not let this happen.

It was not Adolph Hitler, or even the Third Reich, who ultimately bore responsibility for the horrors visited upon the world during World War Two.

It was the German People, who largely stood by silently, even as their friends and neighbors were carried away in the dark of night. They have the blood of millions on their hands because of their silence.

"First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me." - Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

Ultimately, it will not be Obama and his cadre of henchmen who will be responsible for what happens from this point.

It will be you, the American Public.

You can not, must not, remain silent.

Then

Now.

You can not, must not, remain on the sidelines.


Then


Now.

You can not, must not, allow Evil to succeed. If Evil triumphs, there will never be another dawn, and darkness shall enshroud the world forever.

Defeating Tasers And Other Non-Lethal Weapons

We've seen the images of police tasering kids and grandmothers. We've read the stories about people who have died shortly after being tasered.

I've listened to the arguments from proponents of the Taser system that the Taser did not cause the deaths of people who had been shot with the device.

If we use the same logic when it comes to firearms, I guess it is true. The gun didn't kill the person who was shot. It was the resulting trauma from getting in the way of a high speed projectile that actually killed the person.

Take a look at this poor unfortunate Taser victim.

What is the common guy or gal who wants to go out and exercise their First Amendment Right to do? None of us want to be shocked, smacked by rubber bullets, or microwaved.

Defeating a Taser is simple, in theory. Electricity always takes the path of least resistance. What you need to do is provide a path that has less resistance than your body for the electrical charge.

The surface resistance (skin) of the human body varies. Depending on how dry a person's skin is, resistance can be measured, on average, from 100,000 ohms to around 1,000,000 ohms. However, a Taser is designed to insert a pair of darts past the surface layers of skin into the very moist (and conductive) layers below. There the resistance tends to be around 1,000 ohms.

Theoretically, the electrical path of least resistance would be anything less than 1,000 ohms. In reality, you want something at least half that, say around 500 ohms.

The barbs ( yes, they are barbed like a fish hook) on the Taser projectiles are designed to penetrate one inch of clothing, and insert the barb a little less than one half an inch into your skin.

Police are trained to shoot for center of mass. Hence, they aim for the torso. Unfortunately, a Taser's projectiles do not have the ballistics of a traditional firearm. See the photo of the unfortunate victim in the link above.

People get shot in the back, arms, legs, head, chest based upon a variety of factors.

Heavy, thick, loose fitting clothing will offer some protection. Think of something like an oilskin duster.

Right now, there's a company out there called "Thor Shield" that sells a fabric to defeat a taser. They will, of course, only sell to law enforcement. A page that shows their product shows something that suspiciously looks like a carbon fiber / kevlar blend. They say it is polyester, but I'm not sure.

Carbon fiber fabric is conductive. I *think* its resistance is around 270 ohms. If anyone out there has a definitive number, let me know. Couple this with the strength of kevlar, and I think you'd have a fairly formidable barrier.

You can buy carbon fiber / kevlar fabrics at USComposites and make your own outer garments or line that oilskin duster, but it can get pricey.

Remember, you have to have enough thickness to keep the barbs from making contact with your skin.

At my job, we use something similar to this: Flexbase Electronic Materials. We use the G900106 style material to shield against unwanted magnetic and microwave energy. It is a copper foil over a mesh fabric.

Crude armor can be made with little more than cardboard, duct tape and heavy duty aluminum foil. Sandwich the aluminum foil between the two layers of cardboard.

Set one layer of cardboard flat, use an adhesive like 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive to affix the foil to that layer. Allow to dry. Again use the adhesive to glue the next layer of cardboard on top of the foil.

Cut and shape the resulting "armor" into breastplates, chausses, greaves, pauldrons, etc. Once you are satisfied with the shape and fit, use duct tape to seal the edges and reinforce the piece. The items can be held in place on your body using duct tape, or Rip-N-Grip tape.

This will also provide *some minor* protection against rubber bullets.

A more sleek garment can be fabricated using neoprene as used in wetsuits. Add a layer of carbon fiber on the outside, and voila'. Something like this can easily be worn beneath street clothes.

If you really want to take on the goon squad, you can resort to Motocross Body Armor. Couple this with other pieces like shin guards for soccer, and similar, and you'll be sure to have your dance card full!

This will defeat rubber bullets, and Taser barbs (you may still have to make improvised armor for exposed areas). Adding a layer of copper backed fabric would work to deflect some microwave energy.

Do NOT forget your head and face. At least have a pair of ballistic glasses with you.

Hacking For Freedom

This is for the Geekish prepper out there. I'm a Geek, always have been.

I've never had the chance to go to DefCon or Blackhat. I'm really enthralled with what the new breed of hackers are always coming up with. I'm from the days of the 555 timer, Blue Boxes, and BBS services. If you had 300 baud modem, you were the envy of your friends.

Growing up and having to take on adult responsibilities took me away from that world. Jobs, schedules and deadlines caused me to lose touch with alt.2600, and now I'm pretty much a dinosaur when it comes to that world.

I've been opposed to the concept of E-Cash, and the use of so-called smart cards and RFID enabled devices for conducting financial transactions. There are too many holes in the system, and too many ways to easily exploit these vulnerabilities.

It seems that every time the proponents attempt to fix a problem, they introduce a whole new set of problems.

Hackers have gotten a bad rap by the media. Yes, there are people who use hacking techniques to commit criminal acts such as theft and embezzlement. These criminals are no different than the person who walks into a bank waving a gun. We fault the individual, and not all gun owners for his criminal actions.

People should remember this when the media blames hackers in general for the activities of a malicious few. Many hacking incidents that make the news are pranks and at most poke fun at those who believe themselves in control.

Most hackers never do anything to even make the news.

The average hacker is a friend of Freedom, for that is what he or she desires. Freedom to pursue his or her interests. Freedom from persecution and threat of arrest and jail for the simple act of asking "why?" and "how?".

Remember they are on the front lines of a technological battlefield. They are waging a war against those who would use tech to further enslave you.

The folks over at GrandIdeaStudio have decided to probe the mysteries of electronic parking meters. You can read what they've found out here.

There is a PDF of their presentation at BlackHat 2009. Some very interesting stuff is included.

Taking The Escalator Up or Down?

My guess is he's probably on his way down. Mary Jo probably waved at him as St. Peter turned him away at the gate.

I'm no fan of the Kennedys. Never have been.

Cancer is an ugly disease, especially brain cancer. The wife of a close friend suffered a similar fate a few years ago. In that, I truly offer my condolences to his family.

I won't miss Ted Kennedy. I won't miss his politics. I hope his time in the senate marks the zenith of the influence of Eastern Liberal Politics on the national stage. I pray that the Kennedy name will be eclipsed by someone from a more reasoned path, and not by another knee jerk liberal.

I have to wonder about the timing. I'm always looking for that lurking figure staying to the shadows. I love a good conspiracy theory. Often times, it is more than just a fanciful weaving of facts and suppositions. There are elements of truth, and sometimes the theories are more accurate than people wish to admit.

Obama and his so-called health care plan are nearly down for the count. Barry's poll numbers are sinking fast, and he's losing the support of his various coalition elements as he fails to satisfy special interest after special interest.

Now Ted slips gently into that long goodnight. Maybe after the shadowy figure whispers to him, "You're going out, Ted. It's a fact. Maybe a year or so and it is light out. Why not go now, when your passing will help us push our agenda through? You've had a good life, and we'll make sure everything is taken care of." Then again, maybe the shadowy figure didn't use reason, maybe something else happened. A weak old man, a needle......kinda like Obama's health care plan.

Wow. That would have been poetic justice.

The media will start feeding on his passing like flies on a bloated corpse. Obama and his failings will disappear off the radar and allow him to get off the ropes.

Coverage of angry Americans at town hall meetings will take a back seat to the public self flaggilation of every screwball out there who supported Uncle Ted. The tributes and memorial services will occupy every inch of available space.

Someone, somewhere in Obama's team will start talking about how even with the finest healthcare available, Ted Kennedy could not be saved. Now how about all those millions of Americans (and illegal aliens) who don't have healthcare, how much are they suffering? Yadda yadda yadda....the beat goes on.

Did you know that Kennedy approached the governor of Massachusettes about a week ago, asking that the governor speed up the replacement process if he (Ted Kennedy) should die?

Kennedy asked that an "interim replacement" be appointed should he die.

Gotta ask, "What did he know, and when did he know it?"

Right now, a special election has to be held within five months. Five months that the senate won't have a critical liberal vote to try and keep Obamacare from sinking like a collander in a typhoon.

Does anyone else see the makings of a good conspiracy theory here?

More Improvised Weaponry

I'm kinda really bent out of shape right now.

The factory limited slip differential blew up in my Tahoe. Local places (just calling them up) want between $1800.00 and $2000.00 to rebuild it. That is, of course, just a ball park figure since they haven't looked at it yet. Could be less, could be more. I'll wager it'll be more.

I'm going to replace it with an Eaton Posi unit. It uses an odd size bearing, and I might have to replace the ring and pinion gears too. I found a place where I can get just about everything I need for about $600.00. Now, I just need to find the time. Yipee.

I'm not going to put another GM GovLoc unit in because the vehicle is lifted and has oversize tires. We bought it outfitted that way. It was a lease return, low mileage, great condition. It has served us well for the past six years. Talking to people who do moderate offroading (not extreme or rock crawling) told me that the GovLoc is great for factory vehicles but not for modified.

Everyone pointed me to the Eaton unit as a good upgrade. It won't alter the vehicle's handling significantly, which is important for my wife.

This place has tons of Ford drive train stuff too, at extremely reasonable prices. The folks on the phone are knowledgeable and polite!

I'll post a link to them after I get my stuff. (that way I make sure I get my stuff and it doesn't wind up backordered, and just in case it's all show and no go, I won't be steering my readers wrong!)

If any of you have any thoughts on other units (I'll skip the ARB Airlockers, too extreme for my needs) I'd be interested in hearing them.

So anyways, improvised weaponry.

I'm kind of short on time, so I found a couple of videos you might enjoy.

The first uses Calcium Hypochlorate (granulated pool chlorine) and DOT3 brake fluid. It is a magnificent incendiary device, and has a built in delay after mixing. The delay is anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes from personal experience.



I used this trick when I was in college. Use your imagination for possible applications.

The next is a rather crude home made rocket launcher, but it does show pertinent details and will allow you to construct a much more finely constructed device. My brother and I used to do this back in the 70's. To build something like a projectile in a LAW rocket, where the fins lay flat against the projectile until they leave the weapon, we would cut up aluminum and tin cans longitudinally. The curved pieces would lay flat against the body of the rocket. The fins would pop up into their flight position through the use of springs.



And finally, an easily constructed distraction device using pool chlorine and denatured alcohol.



See? You have alot of things in your home to help defend yourself.

Build A "Taxi Driver" Style Sleeve Gun!

Ever want one of those cool rigs that hide under the sleeve of your jacket and pop a gun into your hand with a flick of the wrist?

The video below will show you how it is done. You, of course, now knowing the method will be free to refine the idea to better suit your needs.

G20 In Pittsburgh PA, Sept 24-25

Maybe this is getting more media attention in the East. Out here in California, I haven't seen anything in the news. But then we've been buried with all the tortuous propaganda regarding how mean and racist we are for opposing "Il Duce Negro" and his fascist agenda, the raging fires, the sky rocketing unemployment rate, the rising tide of property foreclosures (while home sales are up! I haven't figured that out) and the usual drive by shootings, stabbings in grocery store parking lots, and general mayhem in the state capitol and in the state's finances.

Thanks to "PghPrppr" for bringing it to my attention. Come on back to our online chat sometime.

The year was 1999. The end of the Dot Com Bubble. Seattle was hosting the WTO Summit.



Mostly peaceful protesters squared off against riot police. The few incidents where violent clashes occurred, including acts of vandalism, seemed to be the work of agents provocateurs. Protesters, and other eyewitnesses, saw the people engaged in these acts changing out of police uniforms immediately before the incidents.

It is ten years later. Ten years that made the Roaring Twenties look like a church ice cream social. The end of a world wide economic bubble fueled by cheap money and just out and out greed.

People attending protests these days aren't the "Save The Whale" crowd. They aren't worried about starving kids in Africa, or the destruction of the Rainforest. They aren't even worried about global warming.

No.

They're worried about saving their jobs, their homes and their bank accounts. They're worried about starving kids here in this country. They're worried about the destruction of their own environment, neighborhoods vacant and rotting . They're worried about how they're going to be able to afford to warm their own home, never mind the globe.

It's a whole different matter to look at a problem in a thirty second TV pitch, or a glossy mailer designed to tug at your heart, and wallet, just so. It's a whole lot different when the problem is half a world away, and you can just throw money at it and make it go away.



Many people are looking around and starting to realize that they are sliding into the Third World, and they aren't happy about it.

Some places rival the worst the Third World has to offer. Visit Detroit via Time Magazine. Visit Pittsburgh via HiveMind. Visit New York via UnderNY. Visit Saint Louis via Underground Ozarks.

The really terrifying thing about these places, is that they multiply. We're looking at a coming collapse in the commercial real estate market akin to what we've seen in residential real estate.

So, what will happen in Pittsburgh?

I haven't the faintest, but judging from the pent up frustration voiced by one marine and the roars of approval from the crowd, my guess is people are going to be moving from words to actions.



Already groups like the Pittsburgh G-20 Resistance Project have taken flight, and skirmishes have already begun over the right to protest, and exactly who is paying for what, and who will have their rights denied.

Pittsburgh is also seeking additional law enforcement from across the nation. With cash strapped cities already laying off uniformed officers, this may not happen. That paves the way for private security forces (say "mercenaries") such as Blackwater being hired. Could Pittsburgh resort to this?

We'll just have to see.

How Big Is Your Footprint?

Our electronically interconnected world can make it easy for people to find you. People you may have wanted to leave behind.

Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are the services people most often think of when it comes to social networking sites. However, there are many hundreds if not thousands of these types of sites. Many geared toward specific professions, hobbies, and sexual interests. Even your old high school and college may have a site specifically geared toward reuniting you, the wayward alumus, with the rest of your class. There are communities in Yahoo and other places that allow people of similar interests to mingle.

They can also be used to find you.

Agencies of the branches of government will always have a way to locate you, so hiding from them is always going to be problematic. Even people who go underground and completely off the grid can find themselves once again on the radar depending on who happens to come across them, or what circumstances befall them.

Those of us who have been preppers for some time may have had love interests, or "friends" in the past who were aware of our activities. They may have been supportive, or they may not have been. There's a chance your activities may have been the reason for the dissolution of the relationship.

There's even the off chance that guy or girl you went out with a few times became aware of what you were doing. Things just didn't click for you two, but I'll bet he or she will remember what you have squirreled away when his or her stomach is getting way too cozy with their spine.

We're watching our economy contract at a serious rate. Some would call it a collapse, and I wouldn't argue the point. Depending on just how far down the road this all goes could cause some of the people best left in the past to seek you out.

Some of us have moved across the country, or even across national borders as our lives have changed and the years have progressed. This will make it more difficult for those who seek to re-unite with you to do so. Many of us, on the other hand, have married, had children and established homes all within a couple of hundred miles of where we grew up.

Unfortunately, information on where we are, what we're doing and our family status is available free online, or at a very minimal cost.

Sites like ZabaSearch, WhitePages, PeopleSearchLinks, YahooPeopleSearch, PeekYou, USSearch, PiPl, Intelius, and Spokeo allow you to glean a tremendous amount of information free. Even simply entering a person's name in quotes (ex. "Steven Smith") in a search engine will provide sometimes surprising results. People are even able to search for you based upon your online handle or nickname, for example "Catman".

ZabaSearch has a feature called "ZabaSphere" that will alert you if someone is searching for someone by your name. The service is free, all you have to do is sign up for it. The information provided to you is somewhat helpful in attempting to determine if you have someone looking for your trail.

Spokeo is a very nasty web crawler and will examine various social networking sites looking for you. It then reveals this information to whomever signed up for the account. If you've been engaged in things that might prove embarrassing, chances are you will be embarrassed.

You can block your records from appearing on search sites, but it is a hassle. You have to write, sometimes repeatedly, to the sites to get your information removed. Some, like ZabaSearch, charge a fee to remove your information if you choose to do it online. You will have to repeatedly keep your eye on them to make sure they do not repost the information as they update their records.

These sites all get their information from publicly available sources such as the department of motor vehicles, tax records, and criminal records. They just make it easier for people to get information that is a hassle to get. An online search of a database is much easier than going to county offices and having a search performed for a fee, or doing it yourself.

Fortunately, for me at least, I have a VERY common name. A common name allows me a certain anonymity within a crowd. I blend in with the hundreds of thousands of others in this country who share the same name and the tens of thousands who are close to me in age. I've used that to my advantage to pull disappearing acts when I've had to.

I've made sure my online footprint is very small.

If you manage to find me, you will see that my wife is my only known relative. They do not know about my child, siblings, parents or other family members. You will also notice that previous cities and towns I have lived in are not listed.

This is important because it makes it more difficult for people to figure out if you're the person they're looking for. If people can link you to specific places, and your age and birth date are correct, chances are they probably have the right person. They can pay to have a reverse phone number search, and bammo!

Your ex-girlfriend is calling and your wife is answering the phone.

Okay, so how do you get a small footprint?

Lie.

Yes, lie.

I have more than twenty e-mail addresses. Only one comes back to my real name, and even then, I use my initials. Create e-mail addresses at places like Yahoo and give them false information when you sign up. Lie about your age, your gender, your name and anything else they ask.

Don't use the same e-mail address for everything. Don't use your real name when signing up for free services online. Use different nick names depending on where you are online.

Yes, I know this can get confusing. Get a USB flash drive and put the information on it. Keep it updated, and encrypt it using one of the many free encryption programs out there.

Abandon e-mail addresses regularly. Just make a new one.

Fill out and sign documents using only your first initial. Intentionally misspell your first name if you have to. I've "accidentally" mixed up the numbers in my social security number when I've been required to provide it, or made 3's look like 8's, you get the idea? Sometimes it comes back and you have to do it over again, but that's only happened to me once.

Only give them the information they have a legal right to. Don't give them the names of everyone in your household. Not everyone has a legal right to know how many kids you have and their names.

Don't get arrested. If you do get arrested, don't give them your middle name or initial.

Don't put your middle initial on your driver's license.

Use a post office box. If you can, use several. Get one in neighboring towns you travel through regularly. Abandon them when you start getting tons of crap. Just make sure you tell the important parties that your address has changed. For example, have your mortgage and tax papers go to one, have your driver's license linked to another, and credit cards to yet another.

Stay away from social networking sites. If you have to be there....lie about who you are, where you are, and why you're there.

If you're moving to a new city or town, change your name. If you're John, introduce yourself as Jack, or Giovanni or some other variation on John. Start using your middle name as your first name. If someone comes around asking for you, people won't immediately link your face and the name.

Don't use vanity plates on your vehicles. They're easy to spot and easy to remember. Check this site out that allows you to search license plates. License Plate Search.

Say, that could come in handy when you need to track down that guy who flipped you off.

Guaranty Bank Of Texas Fails AND SPAIN GETS CONTROL?

It is bad enough when Spain is actively trying to control and profit from Texas motorways, but now they're working to gain control of Texan's bank accounts?

What's worse is the sell outs in our government actually helped them acquire Guaranty. Guess how? You and I (taxpayer) got stuck with the $9.7 billion in bad debt held by the institution.

US Help Spanish Company Buy Texas Bank -New York Times

BBVA Likely Is Winner Of Guaranty Financial - Wall Street Journal

Resist their efforts at creating a feudal corporate society.

Look What Obama Didn't Advertise

Another attempt by an illegitimate government to circumvent the will of the American people.

Statement by Secretary Napolitano About Today's White House Meeting on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

A truly un-American Obama flunkie issued this press release listing around 100 organizations that probably do not represent you, or the America we are fighting to restore.

AFL CIO, Paul Almeida
AFL CIO, Ana Avendano
AFL CIO, Arlene Baker
Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, Monte Lake
American Civil Liberties Union, Chris Calabrese
America’s Voice, Frank Sharry
American Farm Bureau, Ron Gaskill
American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, T.J. Bonner
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Paul Booth
American Immigration Lawyers Association, Crystal Williams
American Jewish Committee, Chelsea Hanson
American Meat Institute, J. Patrick Boyle
Arizona Latino Commission, Eve Nunez
Asian American Justice Center, Karen Narasaki
Associated General Contractors, Katherine Knott
Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Robert Pleasure
Casa de Maryland, Gustavo Andrade
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Mark Franken
Cato Institute, Dan Griswold
Center for American Progress, Angela Kelley
Center for Community Change, Gabe Gonzalez
Change to Win, Anna Burger
Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Allison Johnson
Church World Service, Jen Smyers
Citigroup, Paul Thornell
Compete America, Rebecca Peters
Compete America, Bo Cooper
Esperanza USA, Mary Clark
Essential Worker Coalition, Laura Reiff
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Jon Adler
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society/Interfaith Immigration Coalition, Mark Hetfield
Hewlett Packard, Gina Bancroft
Immigration Equality, Julie Kruse
Immigration Policy Center, Mary Giovagnoli
Information Technology Industry Council, Dean Garfield
Intel, Ryan Triplette
Interfaith Worker Justice, Kristin Kumpf
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Terry Yellig
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, John Coli
International Chiefs of Police, Russell Laine
International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, Paul Shearon
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craft workers, James Boland
Irish Apostolate, Geri Garvey
Jesuit Refugee Service, Shaina Aber
Laborers' International Union of North America, Bevin Albertani
League of United Latin American Citizens, Rosa Rosales
Legal Momentum, Lisalyn Raquel Jacobs
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, Leslie Velez
Major City Chiefs, Dean Keuter
McDonalds, Bo Bryant
Mennonite Central Committee, Tammy Alexander
Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, Dini Karasik
Microsoft, Bill Kamela
Migration Policy Institute, Marc Rosenblum
National Association of Asian Law Enforcement Commanders, John Lee
National Association of Evangelicals, Galen Carey
National Association of Homebuilders, Jenna Hamilton
National Association of Police Organizations, Andrea Mournighan
National Baptist Convention, Rev. L.B. West
National Council of Jewish Women, Elissa Froman
National Council of La Raza, Clarissa Martinez
National Day Laborers Network, Chris Newman
National Electrical Contractors of America, John Grau
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Rev. Dr. Angel Nunez
National Immigration Forum, Jeanne Butterfield
National Immigration Forum, Ali Noorani
National Immigration Law Center, Marielena Hincapie
National Korean American Service & Educational Consortium, Eun Sook Lee
National Latino Peace Officers Association, Arturo Venegas
National League of Cities, Ricardo Gambetta
National Restaurant Association, Beth Johnson
National Sheriffs Association, Ann Yom
National Urban League, Valerie Wilson
New Democratic Network, Simon Rosenberg
Oracle, Dejan Pavlovic
PICO National Network, Jared Rivera
Police Executive Research Foundation, Chuck Wexler
Police Foundation, Hubert Williams
Presbyterian Church USA, Julia Thorne
Rights Working Group, Jumana Musa
Service Employees International Union, Eliseo Medina
Sheet Metal Workers International Association, Marc Norberg
Sisters of Mercy, Regina McKillip
Society for Human Resource Management, Mike Aitken
Sojourners, Rev. Jim Wallis
South Asian American Leading Together, Deepa Iyer
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, Helly Lee
Tech America, Jeff Lande
Tyson, Nora Venegas
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Angelo Amador
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Ryan Dwyer
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, David Ferreira
UNITE HERE, Brenda Carter
United Farm Workers, Arturo Rodriguez
United Food and Commercial Workers, Joe Hansen
University of Texas, Dr. Ray Marshall
Wal-Mart, Adam Hemphill
World Relief, Jenny Hwang

From the Boston Globe:

"Today's White House meeting demonstrated a genuine commitment to engage in a dialogue that will lead to a smart and workable legislative package," Mary Giovagnoli, director of the Immigration Policy Center,said in a statement afterwards. "Secretary Napolitano strongly supported the need to bring all undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, streamline naturalization procedures, improve immigration processes that allow immigrants to live and work legally in the U.S., and create smart immigration enforcement mechanisms. Both the president and Secretary Napolitano acknowledged the importance of immigration to our country as well as the need to create a sustainable legal immigration system for the 21st century. We must all remain committed to following through on the dialogue that began today."

Can you just smell the stench of another amnesty being shoveled into our faces?

The only reform needed is enforcement of existing laws, and repatriation of those here illegally.

Texans 1 - LaRaza 0

Leaderless Resistance

Many of you have heard the mainstream media, and the mouth pieces of the tyrannical government now exercising its unconstitutional powers over this nation, bemoaning the threat of a "lone-wolf" terrorist or assassin.

What they are truly afraid of is the "Leaderless Resistance".

Without a leadership, or an organized group, there is nothing to infiltrate. Nothing to corrupt. Nothing to subvert. No way to control or direct people into carrying out activities that will land them in jail. No Hal Turners to incite the less thoughtful, the less stable, the more extreme elements in order to thwart the efforts of true patriots. No way for them to discredit the message of "Freedom for all."

If you're reading this, chances are you are already a member of the Leaderless Resistance, or will soon join. Once you have made a decision that you will not obey laws and edicts that run contrary to what you believe, no - what you know instinctively, is right, just, and moral, you have become a member of the Leaderless Resistance.

The American Preppers Network, and The Canadian Preppers Network are examples of a Leaderless Resistance. There are people who maintain the websites, contribute information, and work to network like minded people and spread the message of self reliance, but there isn't a leadership.

No one issues marching orders. No one tells people what or what not to do. Suggestions are made, and requests are made, but people are free to come and go as they please. They are free to participate as little or as much as they would like. No one demands dues or fees.

I fear what the government seems to be set on bringing us, the American People. A world of forced vaccinations, regulated travel, a regulated Internet, and denial of our most basic and cherished freedoms is not of my choosing.

I will resist.

I am resisting their efforts every day, as are many others. I do not have a leader who tells me I must do this. I do it because I believe it is right, just and moral of me to resist the efforts of those who would blot out everything our ancestors, our forefathers, our Founding Fathers worked and sacrificed blood and sometimes their own lives to achieve.

Many here see what we have in this land as their right, or worse they take it for granted. It isn't a right. It is a gift. A gift bestowed upon us by those who passed this way before us. Freedom is like the gift of fire. It must be tended and nurtured if you expect it to benefit you. If you fail to tend it, it will go out, and you will be left in darkness.

I will not live in the darkness! I will not be one to see a new dark age grip this land as those in power seek to quench the fires of Freedom! I will not serve feudal lords and masters! I will not be a vassal, a subject, or a serf!

Join me, join us, in The Leaderless Resistance!

Being a member of The Leaderless Resistance doesn't mean you have to take up arms and engage in open civil disobedience. It doesn't mean you have to be violent or make threats against the people in office or their families.

Our enemy is the marriage of corporations, state and federal governments. Anything that you do that denies them a single penny from your wallet, denies them a drop of their life's blood. We can bleed them to death drop by drop.

1) Avoid using credit cards (this includes debit cards). Even if you have the cash to pay off the charges immediately and can avoid the finance charges, they make money by charging the merchant a fee when you use the card. Pay in cash, or by check whenever possible.

2) Use your ATM card only at your banking institution. If possible, seek out a stable local bank and move your accounts away from the large corporate banks that received bailouts.

3) Avoid financing big ticket items (washer, dryer, refrigerator, etc) unless you absolutely have to.

4) Patronize local mom and pop establishments as much as possible. Forget the big box stores if you can. Sometimes you can finance your big ticket items through a local mom and pop appliance store.

5) Buy used if you can. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Garage Sales, Flea Markets, Swap Meets, anything to keep money away from corporations as much as possible.

6) Avoid companies that received money from you in the form of a bailout. They owe you money already. Don't give them any more.

7) Barter with your neighbors, and get a growing co-op together before next planting season. Some people are really good with tomatoes, others with squash. Have people concentrate on what they can really produce, and exchange with each other for variety.

8) Walk or ride a bike if you can do that instead of driving for short trips. It's more healthy for you, and means saving money on gasoline. Less money to the corporations.

9) Make them pay for annoying you. Unsolicited mail? Stuff it all back in the prepaid return envelope and send it off. Companies ignoring do not call lists? Document times and dates, seek a restraining order, and sue them in small claims court for violations.

10) Always look for a way to screw "The Man". An example: See an expired meter? Feed it if you can. Save some poor bastard from a ticket, and keep the fine away from the corporate government.

Another Leaderless Resistance

The Gathering Storm - Join The American Resistance Movement

Sometimes it can feel as if you're the only one in the world who cares about this nation, her history, and her people.

You're not alone.





Join The American Resistance Movement.

What is the A.R.M?

Video Of ARM mission statement.

Listen to the voice of ARM. Freedom Fighter Radio.

Jim Stach, the host, is a personal friend. He invites everyone to call in during the show, and will frequently give out his own personal phone number to answer any and all questions.

Listen in live, or download the podcasts.

Obama To Appear On Conservative Radio Show

Word is out that Obama is to appear on a "conservative talk show" tomorrow, Thursday August 20th.

I don't know how "conservative" it is since the host, Michael Smerconish (former trial lawyer), openly endorsed Obama's campaign.

Allegedly Obama will be taking calls from listeners. Personally, I think the calls will be all pre-screened by a battery of DNC monkeys manning the phones.

You can view Smerconish's website here at MASTALK.COM.

Smerconish's show is hosted at the studios of WPHT, in Philadelphia. His on air time starts at 0500 local time. If you want to try to get in and take a swing at the Comandante and Thief, you can call in to the show at 877-434-1776.

Here is a link to a page from StreamingRadioGuide. It has all of the links to stations that carry the show and stream the content over the internet. The times are often delayed from the original broadcast times.

Just in case you need to hear something that will make you queasy enough to stick to your diet.

Canine Killers

Dogs.

"Man's Best Friend" or something else?

Wild Dogs Kill Georgia Woman and Husband

This is something to be aware of if and when a serious disruption occurs in society. It takes a surprisingly short time for "Fido, The Friendly Family Pet" to go to Cujo, "Terror of the Wastelands".

There is a discussion on the subject in the archives of the forums at Backwoods Home Magazine. Some opine that it can take as few as two days for a dog to go feral.

When I was in High School, one of the kids I knew had a family that raised sheep.

One lambing season, he came to me and asked if I had a rifle. I told him yes. He wanted to know if I could come out to his place on Saturday morning and bring the gun with me. He asked me not to mention this around school.

I arrived at the appointed time and found four other guys that I was acquainted with also bearing rifles. I had the only semi-auto, a Ruger Mini-14. Everyone else had bolt action hunting rifles.

The kid's father came out and explained what he needed for us to do. If we didn't want to, or didn't feel right about it, he understood and no hard feelings. I suspect it was teenage bravado and not wanting to lose face in front of each other that kept us all there.

We loaded up in an old Jeep and a Ford Pickup and set out across the hills in search of a pack of dogs that had been mauling the sheep and had killed a few lambs.

I've never been "hunting". Taking game has never been something that I've needed to do. I suspect that I should probably do more than just read books on the subject, but I don't think I'm prepared for that yet.

We found the pack of dogs that day.

They ACTUALLY charged the vehicles! Snarling and snapping as they ran alongside. Surprisingly, I was so damn scared that I had no problem opening fire on them. After the first few were shot, the others scattered and we had to chase them into a Manzanita stand.

After we finished, I was surprised to see a couple of the dogs had collars with current tags.

Many years later, when Felinae and I lived on a farm after just getting married, we had a problem with something coming after the geese at night.

One night, the ruckus was particular loud so I grabbed my 1911 and a flashlight and headed out to the goose pen. There are no lights out there by the pen and there was just the light of a waning moon. I heard something running toward me, and I raised my flashlight and gun at the same time and fired as something black came at me out of the darkness.

It was the dog from across the road. It had jumped at me in the darkness, and was now laying dead in front of me.

There are stories from soldiers serving in Iraq about having to fight off packs of feral dogs as well as insurgents.

Man's Best Friend? Maybe as long as you feed them.

ABC15 News, Open Carry AR15 at Obama Event

Courtesy Of ABC15 News, Phoenix Arizona

Fight Obama And His Policies

Even though Obama and The Whitehouse appear to be in retreat on the subject of Nationalist Socialist Healthcare, do not be fooled.

We know that these snakes will run this plan through piece by piece by burying bits of it in other legislation. It has happened before when they couldn't get it through in one big piece.

Either that, or they ran it through in the middle of the night just before a holiday.

Those of you who were fortunate enough to be granted the top rung in our welfare system (political office) have not been listening, and we're getting ready to kick you to the ground.

We didn't just say "NO" to bailouts and TARP. We said "HELL NO!"

And you didn't listen.

Now we're telling you we don't want a socialist health care system, and you're doing your damn best to thwart the instructions of your EMPLOYERS again! Do you know what happens to any of us who actually work for a living when we give our boss the finger?

The same thing is about to happen to you.

Get ready.

The sidewalk is hard and cold when it hits your ass. You better pray that being tossed out of office isn't the only thing that happens to you.

-note to Liberal Trolls-

Criticism of Obama is NOT racism. Here's proof. Unless you want to call this man a racist. But then you'd have to label all black men who refer to each other by the "N" word as racists too. But you won't. It doesn't fit your agenda.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Yes, I am aware of Manning's background and prison record.

Setting A Tire Bead Without A Compressor

Not recommended. Not endorsed. Play at your own risk.

Starter fluid, and a lighter. What could be easier?

Some have said that using propane or butane works as well as the ether contained in starter fluid.

Do be cautious as serious explosions are a risk if too much combustible gas is used. Fires are also a consideration, so have an extinguisher handy. Also be aware that some combustible gas may remain inside the tire after mounting. The same caution should be used when handling the wheel and tire combination when servicing as if you had used a product like Fix-A-Flat.

Why? See this recent story. Tulsa Apartment Explosion Result Of Emergency Tire Inflator

Using A Portyanki

Portyanki or footwrap was, up until recently, standard footwear for the Russian soldier.

The story is that the Portyanki was introduced to Russia by Peter The Great. If you're interested in reading more of the history of the Portyanki, please visit Foot Talk.

Why should you be interested in learning about the venerable Portyanki?

Simple.

The Portyanki is a strip of cloth wound around each of one's feet taking the place of a sock. There may come a time when you may not have a pair of servicable socks, or even shoes and you will need something to protect your feet.

Strips of cloth can be found almost anywhere and can be easily obtained by sacrificing items of clothing. Make sure you evaluate your needs before cutting up clothing in the field. You might make things worse for yourself in the future if you sacrifice the wrong item.

If you find yourself without shoes, a sole can be added to the Portyanki by adding a layer (or several) of cardboard or folded paper (newspaper). This along with a good thickness of cloth will get you across gravel, broken glass and similar without damaging your feet. This is intended as a stop gap measure only, and not recommended for extended wear.

The Portyanki can be as long or as short as practical for you and the size of shoe or boot you are wearing. Adding layers can add insulation in the winter, and fewer layers will allow moisture to easily wick away in the summer.

If you are in a survival situation and only have access to a poorly fitting (not your size or heavily worn) boots or shoes, additional layers of material may help the shoes or boots fit better. Do not rely on this for a long term solution. Poorly fitting footwear can cause additional problems in the long run.

How to wrap your feet the Red Army Way
with drawings and text by Simon Vanlint
Other nonsense by Arkady Rodinko

ONLY the Russians would come up with the idea of footwraps rather than socks. It is just so....Russian.
Simon sends us these drawings taken from life, from modern Soviet Soldiers donning their wraps. The pictures speak for themselves...




1. 2. Fold Cloth corner over toes to tuck in.






3. Pull Coth right round over the top of the foot and pull tight. 4. Tuck Toe in
Smooth out edge.





5. Pull remainder up the side of the leg 6. Pull round the back of the ankle tight.




7. Tuck in low or high. 8. Pull breech leg down over foot clothand tie up over cloth to stop it slipping down.


The cloth is white and heavier than plain cotton. Sorry I don't know precisly what cloth should be used. ...The best material we have found is a white linen often used for dustsheets, the exact demensions are again a mistory, I personally cut mine 36cm by 118 cm. The initial trick is to get them around the feet nice and smooth, then wrap them around the back of the ankle and tuck them in, in theory they should be held up by the ties on the long-johns, or even the breeches. This is the basic meathod I have seen with my own eyes, no doubt there may be other ways to do it. If your boots are too big the foot cloths will slip down. They must be a snug fit within the boot to stay in place. If you find you are still loosing your portyanki during the day, try using a longer cloth and don't forget, don't use cloth that is too thin!

Simon Valint


A handy video to watch:

Things You May Have Missed

The media has latched on to the tales of Town Hall Meetings and seems concerned with little more than those salacious stories and a beleaguered Obama still trying to float Obamacare across to a decidedly resistant population.

Foreclosure Filings Jump In July Just a few weeks ago they were saying the market had bottomed out.

Retail Sales Declined Unexpectedly In July Wasn't Obama saying in July that the economy was improving? Not to mention all the car sales with "Cash For Clunkers", and it still dropped?

Israel Stops Buying Dollar Who can blame them? I wouldn't continue to fund a drinking binge either.

Walmart Tops Earning Estimates But did you see how they did it? Cutting inventory.

Speaking of which......

Inventories Fall For Tenth Straight Month Why stock, when no one is buying?

Initial Jobless Claims Rebound Last week it was unemployment declining.

The story about inventories should motivate some of you who may have been putting off purchases you need for prepping. A smaller inventory base will mean shortages if people rush to buy at one time, not to mention the prices will go up.

Get what you need now.

"Militias" are back to scare the population

The Southern Poverty Law Center has again raised its ugly head and reported that "militias" are again on the rise. The Associated Press article and the authors of the report from the SPLC have done their level best to equate average Americans who have come to recognize the threat posed by the government with extremist organizations driven by racial identity.

Fox News' massaged AP article can be read here: Independent Report Claims Militia Groups On The Rise

Original AP article can be read here: Officials See Rise In Militia Groups Across US

Notice the change from the original article to the fox story? Original AP Story: "Officials" Fox News' Story: "Independent Report". Now who is fooling whom?

In my personal opinion, the SPLC has become nothing more than a mouth piece for elements of the US government intent on the destruction of our Constitution and Bill Of Rights.

A piece located at The Land Of The Free, "Southern Poverty Law Center Has Become A Danger To America" mirrors most of my concerns regarding the organization.

I find it curious that these types of reports always pop up conveniently whenever the government finds itself on the defensive. More misdirection, and more hatred bred by the cowards too chicken to face their constituents at Town Hall Meetings.

The efforts of those in power to drive a fearful population in a particular direction is completely transparent. Everything from the National Guard advertising for Camp Guards (SonderKommando), to Swine Flu Martial Law provisions (yet another more sensationalist Fox piece here) to the latest attempt at painting gun owners as terrorists.

The attempt to mold the psyche and consciousness of the public is at a fever pitch right now. Beware, for what we have been warned about is on the horizon.

Watch the videos below, especially the last one.

Police Guard Home

Improvised Inverter

Many people are struggling with the cost of buying material things to help them prepare.

One of the most costly (depending on the size) is an Inverter.

An Inverter is a device which takes a DC voltage, (typically 12 or 24 volts) and converts it to 120 volts AC. There are 220 volt units out there, but we will confine this discussion to 120 V units because it is typically what most of us need.

Over at ABS Alaskan is a table of common household appliances and their average power consumption. The listings of power consumption (Watts) is general, and you should look at your own individual appliances to determine their actual power consumption.

Many auto parts stores sell inverters that plug into your cigarette lighter (or power port as they are often called today) and they tend to be fairly reasonable in price. I have seen them for anywhere form $15.00 to $75.00 depending on the power rating.

There are also many companies selling the same items on the web, and through catalogs.

Did you know there is an alternative to buying sometimes costly inverters? Many times you can get the items free. You may even have a couple laying around your house right now.

How many of you have seen, or use a computer UPS, or Uninterruptible Power Supply?

The UPS is basically a 12 volt DC battery with an Inverter attached. If you're interested in how a UPS works, How Stuff Works has a concise explanation.

Typically in my experience, many computer UPS units are discarded because the sealed lead / acid or gel cell (VRLA Battery) has worn out. They're no different from the battery found in your car, truck, or SUV. The Inverter is perfectly fine, but because people often don't understand what a UPS is, or what to do with a failed lead / acid battery, or where to get a new replacement battery, the entire unit is discarded.

If you have a few UPS units that need batteries, BatteriesPlus is often the easiest solution. Be aware that sometimes it can actually cost you more to buy a battery than to replace the UPS, so take that into account when making a decision. Another reason UPS units are often discarded.

UPS units come in sizes ranging from a few hundred Watts to thousands of Watts.

Frequently, the UPS is rated in VA, or Volt /Amps. It is easy to convert Volt /Amps to Watts in DC circuits. The definition of a Watt is voltage multiplied by current, or Volt/Amps. Hence if you find a UPS that has 500 VA listed on it, it is a 500 Watt UPS, if it was DC.

We aren't dealing with a DC system. Calculating the wattage in an AC circuit (resistive load) is much more difficult. Often in AC circuits, the peak of the current draw does not always follow the peak of the voltage in the sine wave (remember AC - alternating current is a sine wave). One must multiply the RMS (root mean square) voltage by the RMS current over each moment in time and take the average.

I hear some of you out there, "Great, what does that mean to me?"

I'm glad you asked!

It means 35.

Yes, 35. I know this will really tick off many math purists and by the book power engineers out there, but one of my professors taught me that if you don't have time to figure the crap out accurately, ball park it by multiplying by .35 or 35% and subtracting that number from the VA to get Watts in a resistive load system with a light to moderate inductive load. He said if you suspect there's a healthy inductive load (some motors and other devices draw more when they first start) add another 5%, so you would be multiplying by 40% and subtracting that number from the Volt / Amp to get your Watts. He also cautioned that in larger systems, this would lead to a larger errors, but the errors would be adding to the safety margin.

Here's an example:

You have a 500 VA UPS, and you want to know how much power you can get out of the the thing with a fully charged battery.

If you multiply 500 by 0.35, you get 175. 500-175 = 325 Watts.

If you have a motor that draws more power when it first starts (also called "inrush current") you would multiply by .40. You would get 200, and 500-200=300Watts, roughly.

So, if you go to the table at ABS Alaska, you see that an electric coffee maker draws roughly 200 Watts. You could run your coffee maker safely on the 500 VA UPS.

With a UPS this small, you could round up a 5 watt solar panel, say from the top of a highway call box, and a charge controller, (from inside the yellow box) and easily keep the battery charged. It would be ideal for powering a laptop or a radio. Oh, the thought about the call box? Its for after the world falls apart. Don't do it now. The cops kind of frown on that.

Great, I have a UPS, now what?

Let's take a good look at it:

This is an older 500VA unit made by APC.

This the rear of the same unit. You can click on the image to get a larger view and allow you to read the back. The cord on the left is the AC cord that plugs into the wall. The cord to the right is a surge protected outlet. It doesn't have power if the AC power is lost and the unit is running on battery power.

Notice the battery backup outlets. They're rated for 300 Watts! Right in line with what my professor was saying. To the left of the outlets, see the the button that says "Overload Protection"? This unit doesn't have a fuse. It has a circuit breaker kind of like your house. If you try and draw too much power, the breaker trips. Some less expensive UPS units do not use a circuit breaker and have internal fuses. Keep this in mind if you happen to get one and it doesn't work. Check for a failed fuse.

Yes, it is dirty. This one sits on my workbench in my garage.

This is the bottom of the unit where you access the battery.

Here's the lead / acid battery.

The battery removed. Notice the red and black wires that connect to positive and negative? These can easily be extended and connected to a larger 12v DC power source, say a car battery?

Keep your eyes peeled for those discarded UPS units, and you can score yourself a nice inverter!

Want to look for something bigger? Say 3000 VA? They're out there. Be aware that they are heavy. Some of these things are as big as your refrigerator. Check FreeGeek, Craigslist, and other places for stuff being given away!

A nice set of solar panels and some deep cycle batteries, and a few of these.....3000VA / 2100 Watt UPS. Replace the small gel cells with the large deep cycle batteries. Notice the difference between the VA and Watt ratings is only 30%. Not as much as a margin of safety....keep that in mind when wiring up an inductive load to that nice box you lucked out and got for free.....

Why only 30%? Computers have become much more efficient, especially their power supplies and hard drives. I suspect that the new ones don't have as big of a inductive load when they initially power up compared to older computers.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention. In the small UPS units is an alarm. When the unit loses AC power and is running on battery it will beep at regular intervals. Open the UPS and locate the piezo buzzer and disable or disconnect it. On some units there is a switch to turn it off.

On the large units, there is a silence button to stop the beeping.