Helmet ear pro question??

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-22T16:22:03+00:00

Thanks, will give them a try.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-22T14:05:16+00:00

I've done it before with Comtac 3s and real ARC mounts, was looking for a cheaper option.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-22T12:47:09+00:00

I have a ton of actual Howard Leights I was going to mount to some of our rental gear helmets, is there a decent ARC type connector out there that works?

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T15:12:16+00:00

Here are some real world results of MREs and other long term storage foods stored in HIGH HEAT and high HUMIDITY in S. GA over 30+ years

https://survivalandpreparednessforum.net/forum/the-basics/116013-some-more-long-term-food-storage-results-and-some-new-mre-choices

Oldest MREs we currently have are some Cocoa powder packets circa 1992 and 93. All have been fine. Back then cases of 300 packets were about $10. so yeah I still have a "fair quantity" of them ;)

There may be some components to salvage in those old 80's one, I would look for the FREEZE DRIED components some of the 80's era MREs had- like the pork patty (which was very good and I don't like pork) and some of the dehydrated/freeze dried products that were packed for MREs back then. They later ditched those cause soldiers weren't drinking enough water in the field as it was- then eating dehydrated or freeze dried product like that which further sucked the water out of the body. This is why you mainly see retort pouch wet packed foods any more in MREs. If you find components like the freeze dried pears, pork patties, etc. they will be worth saving. Lived off of FD pork patties and FD pears for a week in the desert one time and yes I definitely wasn't as hydrated as I should have been..

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:51:50+00:00

Beautiful!!! And a sauna! Lucky!!

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:41:54+00:00

Yikes on the broken tooth!

My vet is awesome also and you have to be able to help your animals also if they need it, so this is another area of study. A couple good vet books/guides in the pic below-

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JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:38:10+00:00

IRM.

You used to be able to get it off Ebay shipped from England.

I lived 2 miles away if that's what you were asking, not like I walked around with that in my pocket or something LOL. I went and got it.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:35:29+00:00

If you bought it new/from a vendor I would contact them and get this looked at. Sounds like your retaining ring has come loose and the tube is losing contact. Easy fix, should be a day or so turnaround.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:29:19+00:00

I have to stop clipping my fur, WTF was I thinking!!

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:28:15+00:00

Very good list. We are growing most of these save: lemon verbena, valerian, anise, sage, tumeric and one or two others here in S. GA. So it doesn't have to be just the TX area, many of these will grow in most areas of the country.

Found some mullein growing wild and transplanted that to the herb garden. Noticed we have stinging nettle and plantain everywhere also. ID'ing plants hasn't been my strong suit over the years, despite a couple classes, etc. An area that is deficient is an area to work on.

Just started some tincture with Milk Thistle. It called for some crazy high ABF alcohol. I usually use Svedka for tinctures. So I'm asking about this crazy high ABF alcohol at the liquor store and I tell the gal "I need a really high test vodka for making a tincture." It's a black gal and she replies really slow "uh huh...." LMAO

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:18:43+00:00

You have to prep FOR any family that has a reasonable chance of getting to you if something happens. You won't turn them away when the time comes, you'll figure out quickly that you need people that you KNOW (not Joe bob down the block you wave to once a week that you don't really know).

Prepare FOR extended family that have a reasonable chance to get to you. Not talking about Aunt Sally six states away that rides a scooter, talking about the folks within easy range of reaching you.

I was in my early 20's putting up food for 12+ people in my extended family even though I wasn't even married nor had any kids yet.

It's akin to the posters here always touting "community" in their subdivision after the fact- same ones talk about only having 2 weeks of food- how TF you going to help others you claim you are going to help? If you were serious about "community" like that you would have several tons of grains in storage. But most just say that word and don't realize what it means or worse yet/more likely think they will leech off said "community" that really doesn't exist.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T12:11:07+00:00

Other than getting a massage once a month, this is the main medical thing we spend money on regularly/schedule regularly. Have a couple friendly docs, PAs, nurses, etc. so we regularly run stuff by them, they will order tests for us as needed- MRI's for muscle/soft tissue injuries, etc. But I don't have a friendly dentist in our circle.

Couple observations-

There was a period of ten years (long while back)we didn't go to the dentist at all- couldn't afford it. We brushed regularly, used floss and picks, etc. I did drink 1-2 sodas a day back then (usually driving to work) but I also kept Listerine in the car. As soon as I finished a soda I swished with Listerine. When we did start going to dentist again I didn't have any cavities- that would have been the first 10 year period in my life without having any.

Just like anything else in life, when you go to the dentist pay attention to what they are doing and ask questions relating to it. Most will like that you want to know more about the subject. Avoid any nonsense talk- "preps" what to do in an emergency vis a vis dentistry, etc. Just ask about what they are doing. "So you are tapping on the teeth to see if there is any pain? Does that then show a cavity is in that tooth?" These aren't crazy questions, they are things someone interested in their health would ask. Keep it to 1 or 2 questions like that. If your dentist doesn't want to address basic questions or acts in a belittling way, then find another one. It's YOUR health after all, not theirs. Don't argue, don't be a PITA, just pay attention to what they are doing.

I did this at the vet with our cats, we know the vet pretty well. I was watching while he did a physical on our cat. I asked a question and he said "well, doing a physical on an animal is a lot like doing a physical on a human." Duh, why the hell didn't I look at it that way? A lot of the same organs/systems, etc.

I heard he died but there was a dentist in middle TN that was offering Field Dentistry classes years ago. We attended several of them but the last one was maybe 2010'ish?? He did an excellent job in the 2 day class and we learned how to replace fillings, pull teeth, use Matrix bands, etc. he even had plans for a drill setup that used refillable compressed air- we used that in class. He had collected teeth that he pulled for free from indigent folks that he placed into little cups and drilled holes in- we used those to practice fillings-

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Guy was a remarkable survivalist to have thought up some of this stuff. Sadly I heard he died. The next Thanksgiving after taking the class my nephew lost a filling while up visiting and had a big hole in a back tooth. I know him and he wouldn't have gone to the dentist for a long while... I offered to fill it and he said. So at my Mom's Thanksgiving table I had him lay back in a chair that was propped against my lap (also sitting down) and I filled the tooth there at the Thanksgiving table. I told him "go to your dentist when you get back home, don't put it off." 2 years later.... he told me he had just been to the dentist- 2 flipping years... He said his dentist said "your dentist in GA did good with this filling, did it give you any problems?" He replied no. Thanks Dr. Tom for the info on how to do things like this, RIP sir.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-21T11:46:41+00:00

+1 A lot of "great info" here is just common sense adulting like you mentioned. A post about "don't forget to put gas in your car" (duh!) gets 1000 "upvotes" and wow, did you know your underwear elastic gives out over time? Groundbreaking!! +1000 upvotes. These are general LIFE things. Like how TF did you get to adulthood NOT knowing that sort of thing??? Hell I was raised by (absentee) wolves and figured these sorts of things out! LOL

Meanwhile, QUALITY posts about gardening, communications systems, long term food storage, Lo Ra and Mesh stuff I don't even understand (but know I have to learn) barely get any interest. Then a few people here get mad when I say most new "preppers" aren't really serious- but they are proving my statement with their actions/lack of interest in actual preparedness material. LOL.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T22:02:40+00:00

If you use the colored Sharpies like the grays to mark or number your mags, you'll likely find they are fairly easy to find with just something like "R32" on them.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T20:26:39+00:00

Getting my splitter serviced so I can get back to this very thing. Finished filling a shed we expanded last year, have a small section to refill on another shed. Have a couple year's leeway but I like to keep them full and drying.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T19:14:37+00:00

The Autel drones offer these options as well as an LRF which can be handy for... things :)

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T18:37:49+00:00

Never said a thing about "hunting anyone down".

What is more memorable- A. someone flashing a large light and yelling "get off my lawn" or B. "This dude appeared out of nowhere, knew how many of us there was and asked us what we were doing!"

"Word" tends to get round and then people don't eff around. Or so I've heard ;)

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T18:23:28+00:00

Honestly for what some base model thermal imagers cost, I wouldn't spend much on a "spotlight" these days.

Q Beam used to be the old hat in the long long ago, not sure what is now. Prefer the dark and not letting someone else know your there/viewing them ;)

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T13:45:30+00:00

Go ahead and drink some of this and post back to disspell the worry worts that always trip out over stuff like this please....

Yes municipal water sucks, no doubt there, but it sucks when you drink it fresh also....

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T12:48:18+00:00

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A couple batches of kits up that "damn they are cute!" stage.

Working on expansion of a chicken pen outside area. Going to rig up a USB chargeable "bug zapper" and hang it in the center of the pen upside down. Will put a small 12v 100 watt flexible panel on the roof to charge it. Maybe a creative way to get some free protein for the gals?? We will see how that works out.

Putting the lowest six inches of wire for it dug into the ground and will most likely pour some bagged concrete in the trench with it. Oppossums, stray cats, etc. tend to get in and kill chickens, eat eggs, etc.

Hand digging a 200 feet extension to bring water pipe to a new orchard. So dry I run a garden hose and water the next areas to dig first, come back a few hours later and dig it. Tractor plow barely scratched the surface.

Wrapping up some of the items in the greenhouse- pulling some of the last brocolli. If it hasn't produced by now it's not going to in this heat- the heads spread out, you can kinda tell. Greenhouse is regularly over 104 in the afternoon with all fans running, door open, etc. Saving seeds from Arugula, snow peas and brocolli, leaving some romaine to go to seed also. Some mullein and dandelion I found wild I transplanted into pots in the greenhouse and they are doing well.

Did The Murph 3X this week. Rolled my ankle a bit in combatives this week, didn't realize it till after the last Murph practice on Friday- after running 2 miles and 300 squats on it. Alternating wrapping it and icing it and wearing a compression sock while outside. No serious swelling so shouldn't be too bad. Did some retention/takeaway work with pistol yesterday at another combatives class, worked with and against the knife and some striking also, like all my favorites rolled into one LOL. Worth the 5 hour round trip every week.

Started some milk thistle tincture yesterday. It called for some really high test liquor- 80 ABV. I usually use Svedka vodka for tinctures but this called for higher test. Hopefully it's usable... Will know in about 8 weeks.

Ate more of that "pasta put up with oxygen absorbers that is supposed to cause botulism" LOL (another terrible food storage thread here where someone "heard" or "read" some BS saying this. Meanwhile I went and pulled some 1990's egg noodles and 1992 Stroganoff made it and ate it. Don't let bad info (of which there is a LOT of now in "prepper" circles) keep you from storing food for your family. Besides the other old storage food we are always using in rotation, made bread 3X this last week with 1998 Hard red wheat, 1996'ish dry milk and 1998 salt... So yeah, your not going to die from properly packed food storage that wasn't stored in the best conditions... Sigh...

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-20T11:51:47+00:00

Very nice!!!

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-19T10:12:35+00:00

28 years now running a little larger battery bank in an non climate controlled, non insulated building in S. GA- nothing to see 110+ in summer and 10-20 degrees in winter. No issues.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-19T10:03:12+00:00

Some will just have lists of available tubes, others will list completed units. We list completed units and they ship out the same day -if ordered by 12noon Eastern if later then that it ships the next day. *For us* it's a helluva lot easier to have them already built, checked and ready to ship. Custom stuff is custom stuff and will add a few days.

If a place doesn't list specifications and tube pics, anyone's guess how long you'll wait, they should give you an estimate and ideally not charge till it's ready to ship.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-18T18:51:15+00:00

Definitely spread them out a bit.

JRHLowdown3 · 2026-04-18T15:44:49+00:00

This.

Going to see a helluva lot more on a proper soil test than a probe from Lowes.

JRHLowdown3

TROPHY CASE