Category Archives: Alternative Energy

Episode 200 – “American Blackout” from a Real Prepper’s Perspective

Posted on November 21, 2013 by

Here are some thoughts and opinions on NetGeo’s TV show, “American Blackout.” Though it had a lot of implausibilities, it still made for a good what-if scenario. Below are my notes on it. The show illustrated two main points: You need a plan, That plan needs to include other people. Day One People were told that it was cyber-terrorists that were attacking the power grid. Attitudes Confusion Gaity Not much of a real concern Power out during the day Transformers blow up from surges Cyber attack starts in East, cascades to the west 10% traffic signals have battery backup. Cell towers … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Current Events and News, Information, Entertainment and Plans, Technological Disasters | 6 Comments

Episode 192 – Build a Small Solar System

Posted on August 28, 2013 by

-= PODCAST TOPICS =- Build a Small Solar System – Suitable for recharging batteries and small electronic devices First thing to understand is basic electrical theory. At the minimum, you should have an understanding of what voltage, amperage and watts are. There are so many places on the Internet where you can get information about electricity, I’m going to assume that you either have a basic understanding of it, or will soon will after you do some online research. For a small solar system, it’s probably best to stick with 12 VDC. With bigger systems, you’re likely to go to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Preparedness Podcast | Tagged | 7 Comments

2012 Solar Storm incoming! (how's that for a 2012 coincidence?)

Posted on August 27, 2010 by

If you’re into ham radio, you’ve probably heard about Solar Maxima/Minima issues, and how they affect high frequency propagation, and the various other things good old Sol affects. This is for the other folks. Those of you that aren’t ham radio people, the effect the sun has on many of our systems is huge. Of course, I’m not talking about the weather – I’m talking about things like the GPS system, the power grid, computers, telecom, data storage, and all sorts of other systems that can, and have been, affected by “Solar Storms”. What am I leading up to? Well, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Communications, Natural Disasters | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

QuickerTek intros soloar chargers for range of MacBooks

Posted on December 1, 2009 by

A little pricey, but all solar is these days. If you’re looking for a way to power you MacBook on an indefinite basis, this setup has a lot of merit. Sure, you can put together your own solar power solution for your laptop, but that flexible solar panel is pretty neat. — QuickerTek intros soloar chargers for range of MacBooks QuickerTek has expanded its line of solar chargers to include new models capable of supplying power to MacBooks. The Apple Juicz chargers feature a flexible solar cell that can be folded for storage while traveling. The 27 watt version unfolds … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy | 2 Comments

Episode 7 – Where should you be after you’ve completed your preparedness plan?

Posted on January 19, 2009 by

~ Survival is the Art of Being Prepared – The More You Prepare, the Better Your Chances of Surviving ~   Greg and Rob continue on the theme of the last podcast – where you should be after you’ve completed your preparedness plan. I’ve posted the Preparedness Plan Notes on our blog, as it’s rather long for a podcast note. You can find it here: http://www.thepreparednesspodcast.com/where-you-should-be-with-your-preparedness-plan Current Events… Peanut Butter recall Ukraine still not getting gas form Russia Bird Flu http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-01-19-peanut-butter-problems_N.htm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902823.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/health/morris/1.html New and Cool gear and tech… Greg’s LED tech find Joule Thief http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk/bigclive/joule.htm http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/joulethief  

Posted in Alternative Energy, Information, Entertainment and Plans, Preparedness Podcast | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment