First thing, we gotta talk about chow. Because the weather is still cool. In fact, there’s even a mention of SNOW in the local extended forecast out in the week-from-Monday range.
This is when I don’t beat myself up too much for eating carbs. Yeah, carbo toxicity and all that, but half a pizza is easier to convert to heat and muscle power than a steak – no matter how big the cow. So last night, that was the call.
Today, I’ll be doing a pork meatball and cabbage soup with a shot or two of Lenni (aquavit) on the side.
And for the balance of the week? Two of my favorites for cooking arrived and were unwrapped in the shop Sunday:
The finer juice is great stuff when married into a Jamaican jerk sauce from scratch. And the sulfite-free Sicilian lemon juice? Oh, we’ll find a use for it in the BBQ, broiler, or air fryer.
I just won’t weigh myself for a couple of days. weeks.
Easy way to make points with the spouse (and sneak more tool purchases into the shop)? Unwrap everything in the shop and bring only new – clean – things to the house. Elaine appreciates the lack of clean-up. And, like I said, no box inventories and I can smuggle in damn near anything up the the new floor-mounted drill press I have been thinking about…
(Easy solution is call my UPS buddy and have him plan the stop here while Elaine’s out feeding the feral cats out front. No audit, no mentions.)
WATCH LIST IT: New studies are pending that may blow out the theory of “carbo-loading” before extreme sports: The End of Carbs: Dr. Koutnik Reveals BRAND NEW Study that Ends 57-Year Debate on Performance.
Designer Tool Carts
A while back here on Amazon, I picked up a blue tool chest with three slide out drawers. And over the holidays, possessed by a fit of cleaning disease. There was this sale, you see, on blue roll around carts with drawers. Though the colors are slightly different.
About here you may be asking “How many roll arounds you got?”
In my office there’s only a single red one and a black equipment cart.
In the shop (blushes a bit but WTF) there’s a green one for general tools (from HF). There’s the blue tool box and roll around drawers for electrical tools (“Electric Blue” – ah…remember them days?). Two black roll around handle sharps, a not often enough used mortising machine and such wise.
On the back wall there are three more roll arounds: One is for welding paraphernalia, there’s jewelry. drill station bits, and artwork materials, and I half forget what’s in the third on. (How about everything I didn’t put in the others?)
The drawers are all arranged with “grab and twists” in one drawer” like so:
While the next one down is the “cut your wires (& nuts) off tools” like these:
The “electric blue” is smaller electrical gear – the big mechanicky things are in the green roll around.
OK T2FH Antenna Dissertation
When last we spoke about the T2FD *(twisted, tilted, terminated folded dipole) antenna, I had ordered one (on sale, of course). But when it still hadn’t shopped by mid week due to a supply chain glitch, the outfit I bought it from promptly refunded. Perhaps they understand people in their 70’s with ADHD…
About that same time, my buddy Ehor (up in what will be Frozen Canada – until August or statehood, whichever comes first) sent me his professional level take on my plans to employ a T2HD for frequency agile HF ham modes like ALE.
After telling me about his approach (in part):
“Have not heard of a T2FD antenna, decided to do a quick check what performance may look like based on a simplistic model, sketch attached.
Some explanation when it comes to modeling, if one has no initial idea what is going on, mathematics goes CRAZY!!! This is simplified by making certain assumptions, if correct, it eliminates a lot of mathematics to get at the fundamental principles. Good example being Maxwell’s equations….
Using Faraday’s experimental results, it reduced complicated math to 4 equations describing the total field of electromagnetics.”
Eventually, Ehor got down to a George bite-sized math answer:
“Bottom line, if I had an antenna requirement, T2FD would not be on my list.”
As punishment, I sent Ehor an electronic copy of the late L.B. Cebik’s book “Antennas Made of Wire Vol. 3” Where I directed him to page 741 (chapter 77) of this monumental book on antenna modeling where Cebik reached the same general conclusion.
“The purpose of these notes is not to recommend or disrecommend
the vertical or sloping T2FD. Instead, the purpose has been to
explore what modeling might tell us about the basic performance
characteristics of the T2FD. Actual use decisions must measure the
antenna performance characteristics (refined for the actual
proposed design) against the application. “
Another Country Heard From!
Still, I kept wondering about canceling the commercial-made T2FD especially because of that British ham who had posted on one of the radio boards about having good luck using inductors instead of resistance on the un-fed side of the T2HD antenna.
This ham (whose initials are G3RKF) was kind enough to tell me about his inductor experience.
“I removed the resistor many years ago and threaded/taped several inductors onto a 3ft plastic rod. The centre 35ft of the t2fd is inside my loft at 25ft, whilst the ends slope down to 18ft. The inductors include traps from a Comet 80m-10m dipole and Multiturns on ferrite rods that I wound myself. They are all in series and hang horizontally in the loft. I’ve no idea what the inductance of this arrangement is George.
I did this after seeing a EZENEC radiation model. With >5% at best radiated and with such low angles on 160/80m, my thoughts turned to getting these better. The inductors have.
“I chase dx and play in some contests. So far my atno score is much improved. Incl obsoletes from the previous century, it’s approx 317. I have dxcc on 7 bands, WAS, WAZ and so on. 160m is 42 and 6m is 67. SFI obviously helped this along on the higher bands.”
That is some mighty impressive ham radio work. But, I also know (from experience) that you can have the best of everything in the way of equipment and radiation patterns and still be outgunned on any particular weekend by a superior operator, regardless of what they attribute their contest scores to.
After ruminating on it (again and again) and more iterations in EZNEC (the antenna modeling program I use) it came down to dumping the T2HD and going with the late W4RNL’s recommendation – the slightly oversized doublet antenna – a long center-fed dipole. But with the hip-shot of using horse fence tape which is 2″ of woven poly with 12-18 strands of stainless.
On we move in that direction, then.
Or, it will be the OCFD out of horse tape which on 20 meters would model like this:
And even better because a dB or so of modeling losses can be added back to these gain figures so 8 dBref (which in my model is set to dBd.
For Solder Smoke Fans…
Three of my old “restoration project” radios sprang to life this week. The Hallicrafters SR-400 is waiting for a new tube and troubleshooting of the P.A. tuning section.
One of the Swan 500’s is working so-so. Likely needs a 6GK6 driver tube (so that was ordered). The other Swan 500 is also receiving, but the AGC sucks on it, so ordered the tube which is used as the AGC amplifier. 6BN8. While I’m at it, another 6GK6 driver and then we’ll see how that one plays.
The radio bench is back in business and I’m praying for a long winter so I can clear out some of the gear restoration projects and sell some of the herd off to more dedicated (less ADHD) collectors (and bases and drains and..- rimshot).
Write when it warms up, but not like SoCal…
George@ure.ure AC7X
“This is when I don’t beat myself up too much for eating carbs. Yeah, carbo toxicity and all that, but half a pizza is easier to convert to heat and muscle power than a steak.”
The End of Carbs – Dr. Coutnik reveals brand new study that ends 57 year debate on performance.
https://youtu.be/FSI3OoFgIZs?si=RBXIJtXXj79x8lSj
What a sad thing..no carbs.. phew I love carbs but do it respectfully…
my daughter is on no carb diet to.. and you still can make home made pasta using a no carb flour.. recipe is basically the same..
1 cup flour
1 egg ( egg pasta is 2 eggs )
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp of salt ( various other spices can be implemented be creative)
remember chef pasquel leads recipes or those lovely ladies the pasta grannies…on youtube.. my two most favorite go to site to love and learn the old world ways of cooking..
2 lbs hot italian sausage
1 bag of navy beans
2 boxes of organic chicken broth
2 cups water
boil until beans r good
shred 2 heads of iceberg lettuce and add to boiling mixture
Dam..thanks for that..I am going to make it.. I might toss in a chopped carrot or two maybe an onion… I haven’t ever tried boiled lettuce..but I am game..I love to try new things..
“First thing, we gotta talk about chow.“
Around here we get beef fat from the local butcher. Gotta be from a grass fed cow. We cube it and melt it down in a slow cooker, which results in Tallow. Strain it into jars and use it as cooking oil. It’s really quite easy to do.
Why?
https://carnivoreaurelius.com/blogs/carnivore-diet/what-is-tallow
And there’s this interesting study done in 1989, which our alcoholic drinkers might like …
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2646971/
And if you repeat the melt down process above several times, the beef taste and smell is removed, which renders an all natural, highly effective skin moisturizer. You can add any essential oil scent you may prefer. My wife likes adding frankincense oil.
Just food for thought. ;)
Not even considering the many other uses for tallow..soaps and heat light etc.
old world products..
one of the things we did was make bright betties.. old world used oil lamps bright betties is just that..the pancake coils were challenging..
siege stoves a quick way to make a sand heater using tallow
https://youtu.be/Sq2J51s4zJ4?si=cXIUSUTKL6A50-2n
or the half pint tallow candle..
add steam and you get the jet heater..
small space heater..
https://youtu.be/6ZnayOUQN28?si=InB9drU5PzQ2EgQ7
the possibilities are pretty endless..
Rendering fat down then clarification.. simple enough with jello.. two cups of hot Jello stirred in then cold crash it..the beef solids fall to the bottom.. biodiesel from animal fats..
https://youtu.be/WDbzd4cDUGw?si=rOjC0tfFLeimB3pd
this guy takes an old jerry can and converts it.. one change I would make is a dual heat chamber.. stove pipe inside a stove pipe and glauber salt or sand as the heat retaining mass..
and its free… meat processing places toss tons of fat out..
one of my more disgusting day labor jobs was scrapping the fat off of road kill hides.. nasty stinky.. but for a time every year done.. ( its not as disgusting as steam cleaning blood tanks that have driven across the usa delivering blood to other factories) but it is pretty rank.. going to the butcher shop its not so nasty..
Speaking of kitchen gadgets.. my oil infuser pot has a crack .. and the company doesn’t have any replacements..
what is an oil infuser ..basically a tea pot with a magnetic stirrer..or a pour over coffee pot..I have a ton of various coffee pots I collect them..the odder the better.. I make essential oils to.. there’s nothing better than lemon oil for cleaning..
I started a project to make some cream DeMint for grasshoppers.. the wife hates it when I make the kitchen cupboard look like a mad scientist lab..and would rather I run to the store and buy a bottle rather than make a bottle..
the Levo-C oil infuser is the unit ..small and does a wonderful job..https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3Y6ZSMX/ref=olp-opf-redir?
new pitcher is on its way…
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DNDW19BL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
the zon has it all…
“Speaking of kitchen gadgets..”
So, are you the chef of the past, or the future?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ9h8XkNog0
Lol lol.. not a chef.. just a crazy old loon in the wastelands..
during hard times I learned how to make the things each of us takes for granted.. why make it when you can just run to the store and buy a bottle..during stressful times..where the option of just buying a bottle is not even a remote possibility.. what is it that you use that makes life worth living.. what do you do if you don’t have access to it.. so I like the creature comforts..
the last dramatic life event..they wanted us off the health insurance..medical institutions usually have the annual witch hunt to downsize the higher paid employees to make way for cheaper..anyway we had the year without an income.. no unemployment .. that’s usually just for temp or seasonal not the unemployed..
the wife every once in a while would say..I wish I had a little wine.. so I made it a point to learn how its done.
Then a few years ago a group of archeologists started a project called the table of the gods..
https://www.tableofgods.com/yt
I got involved.. old family stories that are passed down.. things you won’t ever read about..such as the story of one of my ancestors.. he wasn’t willing to share his plans..so he sent everyone to pick berries..he made a bunch of berry baskets then while they were out.. took off..I have a two hundred year old berry basket..saved from the fire.. so what were the pancakes that king tut loved taste like.. I’ve made them..nothing spectacular ..the bread jars ..Harvard professors harvested the yeast from his jars..it took a great deal to get some..the bread a sweet bread similar to the amish.. the flat bread recipe of the Hopi tribe is exactly the same today as it was in the kingdom of UR..
the story of NOAHS drunken goat.. fascinating..when my health took a dump and having had challenges.. it became a hobby..how are cheese curls made or popcorn or puffed wheat from a canon..
its exactly why high flying pilots and space astronauts wear pressure suits..interesting as hell..
the past and present combine..my first set of challenges I learned how to rest coffee and grains ..still something I like to do from time to time.. did you know that if we all quit trying to destroy each other over a F…… number that you can still get grape juice from the legendary vineyard of Noah’s goats..
I know why the forbidden wine of the first emperor was forbidden ..that is good wine better now that its aged..I have six bottles left..
so I learned how to retort can freeze dryer etc..
want a little adult beverage..where did it originate?
take the old story of Eve.. by campfire stories she had migraine headaches wanted to die.. the food stuffs had she thought spoiled and wanted to die..the first wine was born.. in Iran and Syria they still make it similar to the original recipe. A combination of beer and wine Aarak.. I tried to get some sent to me..just so I could taste it.. dam if everyone is so bent on killing each other so that some fat asshole can have more numbers on a sheet of paper that I can’t get it lol..
my question is..what do each of us use take advantage of without ever considering the what if it was gone..
The other thing that interested me..is the exact same reason that I found where I was needed and my place in healthcare..I could not only be the helping hand for someone that needed a hand while they were at their weakest..but I got to know them.. literally people from every walk of life..rich poor famous or infamous..
my wife and I have opened our doors and hearts to so many needing a warm place to lay their head..the can man one of the most sincere gentle men lived in a dumpster..another did the right thing..he had it all.. the mansion on the hill then then.lost it all living in his car..
in the end we are all the same.. the same needs and wants desires..
they said I would never be able to own a home.. thrown under the wheels..the only way was build it..cute story about the thirty minute video of the cute blonde that built a house lol lol yeah I can sit back and laugh at it now.. But when I was hanging the garage doors on my first homes garage a gentleman I took care of.. ( in th B social class ) had a business meeting in the wastelands and stopped by had a cold drink and landed a hand hanging the doors..shot the shit for an hour..
building furniture with cardboard.. or leaves…. the how to or what if.. thankfully my wife accepts my crazy experiments and by learning how..we are sitting in our home built by my hands warm and toasty while the cold winter wind blows.. ( my dream home would be to build one of rammed earth ..) or earth Crete as the ancients did..
Yo Loob –
thanks for the info on oil infuser..Gummies! Ah but I digress, for you see I am concerned about overall Health and most importantly GUT Health..
For something completely new, fresh and outta this world, I give youse the “Microbiome Mocktail Mojito” recipe in a how to video. Youse got to see it to Believe it..
-https://ctrk.klclick.com/l/01JHDCF7KJN6XYRXHRAHKGBG6X_5
Now you 2 can join the Bazillions…largest “network” on EARTH.
I will try it..
mojito recipe.. we have had mojitos during Christmas get together the daughter made some over Xmas holidays…
the essential oils those are awesome…for Xmas my great grandson and gradsons are taking after me I got them gummy bear factories for xmas..
the other thing was the grandkids were reminiscent of us making pasta.. so everyone got a small pasta press.. once you have fresh you will always enjoy fresh pasta..
and the light I always give a light.. show your heart light.. to others around you..
great song to
https://youtu.be/Ys1RlxC8QC8?si=vlnVGUOnVeiKb5WS
https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-Electric-Giant-Gummy-Candy/dp/B0CM9TY2CH/ref=sr_1_1?
Use ivermectin for flux when soldering the horse tape.
Now that was funny…
Amen
Before Diana stopped working I used to be able to get away with all sorts of tool and equipment acquisitions as long as they were delivered to the shop and any packing materials were secured while she was not home. Now if UPS or FedEx even thinks about driving down the county road by the ranch I am busted.
Stay safe. 73
Fang gives me away lol lol lol ..It changed everything when they started giving treats to the dogs..
Fang 2 ( the grandkids dog) ran off one morning everyone was searching for him..A chance glance at the UPS truck.. sure enough it came to town early Fang 2 seen it and follows from house to house happy as a lark getting treats..
You’re reading my mail Jim,
Mrs. E doesn’t much care about what I buy (knowing for the most part it’s for mutual benefit vs. acknowledged “tool sluts” like his Ure-ship). Still, as there are fewer interactions during winter, deliveries are more *special* in a way? Truly I have shut down Zon deliveries because their trucks may get stuck on our hill. Better it’s the driver for someone else.
ATL [around the lake]: snowing.again. It’s winter. We are in a different world of white constantly replenishing (it’s snowing, again, as I type). Yesterday we woke to unexpected 4-5″ of damp snowman snow. I shoveled (OK, scooted) snow 3-4 times so kept open walkways / driveway to 4WD. Padawan stopped by to check on us oldsters and shoveled to Pole Barn on his way out.
I keep punching transfer tickets for geese but now charge stipend penalty for late transit. Really neat crested ducks are in the mix and … gobs of white nosed Coot (local joke being they are Eagle chow).
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/-/media/Project/Websites/dnr/Documents/WLD/Waterfowl/american_coot_id.pdf
After virtual and audio coaching I can report my fam. in W. Hollywood still has a home, for now. He has run a set of sprinklers in series. Local FD asked everyone minimize water use but … that’s not what millionaires / Bs are doing. Just sayin’ And there’s arson addled looters on scene.
Audio. yesterday, while willing to suss out how-to on oh so many things to save his property, I urged him to grab and go now. Exit LAX or drive to Vegas, regroup, and move here. My TomCat won’t like his dog(s) but …
Robert R. Prechter Jr. published a seminal work which friends and I referred to as “turning of the tides” … they are … we must be ready for the turn, keep your helmets and remain near foxhole rim.
Or, party on Garth.
Egor
It’s good to hear your family in West Hollywood is safe. Hopefully, they will continue to fare well, as I don’t think the shenanigans out there are done yet, let alone the rest of the country. I concur with your advice to them. Go now. We ain’t seen nothing yet.
I used to keep a big cigar box full of old, ugly, dirty, busted or cracked or sented knobs.
if I brought home a radio treasure from a hamfest, I’d take off all or most of the knobs and dress it down to “ugly-stick” status.
I’d report my Amazing Bargain — exaggrating slightly — and allow myself to be conspicuously seen hard at work for a few days with toothbrushes, Q-tips, alcohol, and MEK, and whatever. (Swapping out ugly knobs, mostly)
Then came The Big Reveal.
Worked every time.
2) As I said, T2FDs do work, just not all that amazingly well, and are fine for fixed stations where the “operators” are office workers, or off-MOS MIL guys.
Good antennas take work and smartness.
73
With a new administration inbound, it will be interesting to watch the effect on the leftist and their trolls.
Recall that when Sessions first took office in Trump I, one of his first actions was to shut down the DOJ forfeiture funding of leftist street violence. America was on fire, courtesy of a DOJ sugar daddy.
When Musk shut down the Facebook leftist propaganda factory, the lefty trolls disappeared in mass.
It will be interesting to see who will be left standing in February.
“Recall that when Sessions first took office in Trump I, one of his first actions was to shut down the DOJ forfeiture funding of leftist street violence. America was on fire, courtesy of a DOJ sugar daddy.”
I wonder where the money to fund the 2020 “Firey, but mostly peaceful protests” came from. All from Soros? Leftists in Big Business?
..more useless numbers associated with terrible energy wastes…jeeze , and youse have the audacity to call Bitcoin useless numbers and energy wasters – PUUUUUULEASE! Got so much “smoke” blown up my ass by this bullscheisse my eyes are burning..
Bee Hear, NOW .
How about We investigate GBH and all the wonderful Sleep and Health Benefits the Human body DERIVES from it. Following is link to historical malfeasance conducted by FDA to assist in the Ruin of Humanities Health. Feeel the need to HACK their restrictions and set this miracle substance FREE..
-https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/cp/154648297
A Plea, a Call out – to good citizens of Urban Survival – We need this GBH – how to is the QUESTION – and I know this august community of Geniuses can figure it the fuck out.
Thanks for Ure time and consideration.
“Fight, Fight, Fight..
Hmmm.. an excerpt from that article….
(“Sleeping Pills
Despite a $65 billion annual market for sleep aids in the U.S. and a $432 billion global “sleep economy,” 50-70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. The pandemic worsened sleep for over half of Americans in 2020, and 76% admitted to buying sleep aids.”)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8096407/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36646500/
https://academic.oup.com/smr/article-abstract/9/2/221/6880242?redirectedFrom=fulltext
my sister once asked..I wonder what mom and dad did for recreation before there was cable and internet..
I about chocked ..seriously sis..how many of us are there running around… deregulation and sending mom to work not only affected the children by taking the adult presence from the home.. but it sent the sleeping pill markets higher in profits.. in my grandparents day they had church functions, the lodge, as their social outlets.. the potlucks and activities.. mom quilted..all the ladies would come around as a quilting bee..
neighborhood collapse.. how many don’t even know the people in their neighborhoods and who do you trust in your neighborhood.. the welcome wagons of yesterday are now a thing of the past..
This fire business will — must — get much worse The preliminary event — the fire — will go on for some days yet. It might even get a bit worse first.
The “Great Green Self-Delusion” still has many adherents. Seems there was Cismic Stupidity in numerous departments and functions.
Common Sense IS a-borning, so change will come.
Recriminations. Accusations. Slow investigations. Much frustration.
Lotta suddenly homeles people, added to the longer already-homeless — North Carolina — will not be pleased to hear of Cho-Buy-Den sending lots more aid overseas.
This is the stuff of revolutions.
“…collectors (and bases and drains and..- rimshot).’
I get it… but you are confabulating the bipolar transistor Collector, Base, Emitter, with the Field-Effect Transistor (FET) Source, Gate, & Drain.
As for hams, you would want to pass them on to a ‘collector’ who wants to use them as an ’emitter’ at his ‘base’ station.
Wait – how many years you been reading and you just noticed my confabulating? (woo-woo sounds…)
“VOLCANO Organic Lemon Juice” ?? I have that growing in my back yard. Ugly little lemons, but very juicy. Fresh off the tree.
E U want it all, but U cant have it!” stupid Urepeons.
Faith NO MORE ..https://youtu.be/A9aZWFG69-k?si=bBavj18gydAX1gKM
What happened to the biggest deposit of Lithium in EU ? Well first know that deposit is located in the Donbass. It was source of all of the EU’s wet green dreams.
Faith no more as my comrades in arms, have overrun the Lithium mine in the Donbass area. It belongs to Mother RUSSIA now…Losers.
Man do I love the smell of Victory – and this one smells ever so SAAAWHEAT!
Natasha, these ukey nogoodniks are all a bunch of Cutter Gauthiers, unh I mean Quitters.
Welcome the Philly, Ye Goats & Dogs.
Your so lucky …vanilla beans, lemons , pineapples in the area and some of the tastiest coffee on the planet..all local produce….
I worked as an aid at one place the guy in charge of landscaping did it all with the kitchen online almost every fruit and vegetable you could imagine.. greenscaping I have Harper about it fifty plus years..he did it..no one in the kitchen touched any of it..the best peaches.. watermelon a few times I would harvest a broccoli and carrots for our meal..how many times other coworkers would ask me where did you get the cherries or pears.. outside take a look its all out there…
after he retired all of it has been ripped up and asphalt and concrete has replaced it..what a waste..
So….
Where did all the drones go?
https://youtu.be/TEPL30Rv8r8?si=iy3Lf9Qpm71fha0F
away…lol
My guess they must hve gone down the drone!
Lol lol lol..I just seen my next t-shirt lol lol..
I’ve reached the age where my brain has switched from..
I Probably Shouldn’t do that…
to
What the Hell, lets try it and see what happens..
lol lol