GM 3800 Engines, Slight Mods That Help a Lot

GM 3800 Engines, Slight Mods That Help a Lot

General Motors 3800 Series Engines.

In many GM sedans, the 3800 engine resides inside in one form or fashion. Hundreds of thousands of these cars have been produced. The 3800 engine can be found in normally aspirated, supercharged, aftermarket turbocharged, bored out, heavily modified and bone stock. With some small modifications, they can last a long time. GM used some inferior components that tend to fail. Replacing these can make your car last a long time with minimal maintenance. One common issue with them all is the use of the orange Dex-Cool coolant.

General Motors sold many vehicles with orange Dex-Cool as the coolant medium, only to have these vehicles leak coolant and/or oil in a short period of time. This coolant has an acidic property that tends to eat away at the cheap gaskets used in these engines. A class action lawsuit resulted in payouts by GM, however they still use this coolant. The intake manifold gasket became another problem and many recalls have been made for this. Eventually, after all current stock was used up, GM improved this gasket. The acidic coolant will eventually blow out the intake manifold, and/or the head gaskets. Then fluid leakage occurs. Coolant leaks can cause the car to catastrophically overheat. Oil leaks can rob the vehicle of its life blood and result in a blown engine as well. At one point these cars were sold as not needing a coolant flush until they reached 100,000 miles. Well in reality, they do not make it this far.

In the case of this car, I removed the Dex-Cool at about 24,000 miles. Glycol based green coolant allowed me to drive over 150,000 miles before the gaskets began to leak. However, several recalls have been announced for this car. One was for the front head gasket leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold. In this car, the exhaust is right in front, just behind the radiator fan. The foil like heat shield can be seen. If oil leaks onto the exhaust, during hard braking for example, a fire can result. GM says to park the car outside so that the car burns and does not take the house with it.

The way this happens is, often times the coolant eats the intake manifold gasket and then pools up in between the heads, which then eats the head gaskets. This gives you two opportunities to have your car blow its engine and leave you stranded somewhere.

Spark plug wires are routed right over the metal intake manifold. No protection is provided for the wires. The spark plugs have heat shields for the boots where they enter into the car engines head. In my picture, metal foil bubble wrap insulation is added to give some protection to the spark plug wires going over the intake manifold. Some versions of this engine have a plastic intake manifold. This will crack over time, and cause leakage of coolant. This engine is a 3800 Series III, or Third Generation, where they at least decided to use an aluminum manifold. However, aluminum transfers heat more easily than plastic. I recommend the addition of foil bubble wrap to protect the spark plug wires. There are other areas GM went cheap on this engine.

GM left the front and rear strut tower brace off many of their cars toward the end of their sales life. Pontiac, Buick and Oldsmobile sedans had these at one time. However, the Pontiac and Oldsmobile cars lost this feature when those divisions of the company were being shut down. Aftermarket parts with "Pontiac" emblazed in red are available, as are hot red and chrome variants. All of these cost several hundred dollars. The stock Buick strut braces in black are available and will bolt on fairly easily into the cars. The black brace shown in my picture here bolted right onto the front tower braces. Bolts were already in place for this part. $35 cost savings per car, times several hundred thousand cars add up. The addition of these braces stiffens the suspension and makes the car ride a lock tighter. It also transfers more forces to the sub frame for aggressive driving. You never know when you may need to enter a corner at high speed or when maneuverability is needed. This particular car came with a free flowing exhaust, but many have a very restrictive intake.

The air intake is a large black box, that cuts off free flow of air. K&N intakes are worth the price of more fuel economy and horsepower. You may have a cavitation sound though, which may be a good thing for some. It is louder, some may like this, and the car sounds like it is out of tune under acceleration. In reality though, the car runs quite well. The increase in horsepower is about 5-15 and if you do not punch the accelerator too much, fuel economy does increase. These cars often get 25-30 miles per gallon. For a 3600-pound car, this is not too bad. On the highway, they have done better yet. This is all with about 220 horsepower in a normally aspirated car. So with a few modifications, you can have a long running GM product and save all that extra cash for other things.

Tactical Arm Bands

Tactical Arm Bands

Something I have seen recently has been "tactical arm bands" for sale by various vendors. I was issued one of these for a trip to the Middle East several years ago. Mine was made by the Krill Corporation and has a backlit panel for reading your information stored on your wrist. These armbands seem to have come into fashion recently.

Mine is an Army Combat Uniform (ACU), camouflage pattern and uses a CR123 battery to illuminate the inside. Two elastic straps and Velcro fasteners allow you to wear this like a gauntlet on your wrist. For my purpose, this was issued to hold a chart of: call signs, tail numbers and radio frequencies for use during military operations. Since I am old school however, my Rite N Rain notepad did just fine in its place. My go-to notepad used to be the green "Memoranda" pads issued to many military personnel. These were glued together like a scratch pad with ruled pages. The Rite N Rain version adds a better cover and water resistant paper. The tactical armband was supposed to be a replacement for my pocket notepad.

This arm band reminded me of something that a football quarterback would carry to the field. I never used it in the field and thought it was overkill for what it was. It has several layers of plastic with Velcro fasteners on the edges and made a lot of noise when opening. I also noticed a slight hissing sound from the electronic circuit that drove the electro-luminescence panel. My other thought was getting the sand of the Middle East into the barely protected electronic circuit. A small slot for a pen holder is also included, as well as a panel to place a name tape.

Since the new uniform already had pen slots on the sleeve, this seemed redundant and a waste of space. It was also another layer added to your wrist. In cold climates this may be an advantage, but in 100 degree plus heat, it is not. It could also rub your arm if you chose to wear it under your sleeve. So this sat in my Battlefield Airman Module footlocker for several years, unused.

Now I take this out, after posting a video on Youtube.com of it. And after several responses, this is being sold under different names and manufacturers once again. None of them have the illuminated back panel though; many have no lights at all, or include a third party light attached to the arm band by straps or clips. Now they are sold as an accessory you need for long range shooting. Your bullet dope charts go here on your wrist now. I just shake my head and wonder why so many people think you need more gear to take to the field. Real operators do not need more "stuff", it is only a matter of practicing the basics until you do it very well.

The basic dope chart as I was trained was to be attached to the inside of the rifle's scope cover, or laminated and attached to the butt stock. This way the information is attached to the weapon. If you were injured or killed, someone else could use the chart on the weapon to fire it effectively. Now it would seem that it is fashionable to place it onto your wrist.

The Umarex Buckmark Pellet Pistol

Picture above, my results of the first set of pellets fired from the Umarex Buck Mark pellet pistol. Disregart the 1000 feet per second, this is what my taerget is rated for with the vinyl inserts used inside.

The Umarex BuckMark is a spring powered pellet pistol that I recently added to my airgun collection. This was a Big 5 Sporting Goods sales item that seemed to be a good stand in for the real powder burning version. This 0.177 caliber pellet pistol feels good in the hand, is reasonably accurate and looks almost like the classic 0.22 Long Rifle version it copies. Umarex has made another great replica pistol.

Umarex came on the scene with some very good replica pellet pistols a few years back. I have other Umarex products, and they have all been well made, reasonably priced and accurate. Some are made to look like the real thing, but may not function realistically. Others are made to function like their powder burning version, but may lack the power or accuracy. This replica looks like the real deal but does function a little differently. It is after all a spring air pistol.

Being a spring air pistol means that the barrel is "broke" down to cock the pistol. With the barrel broken down, you place a 0.177 pellet into the chamber. A small lever piece can be seen under this barrel when it is ready to fire. The grip is a soft rubber that feels good to the touch. A fake slide lock lever is on the left side. Behind it is an automatic safety that engages when the barrel is cocked.

My first shots through this spring air gun were very accurate. The pistol grouped very well firing offhand. The soft rubber grips helped with this a lot. Flipping down the safety for every shot was a bit for me, but for new shooters, this does force the safe use of this pellet pistol.

For a replica of a Browning Buck Mark pistol, for indoor or discrete use, this is highly recommended.

Icom Mobile Radios

Icom of Japan has made some good mobile radios over the years. Most of mine have held up to the

test of time. Here are two that I have owned for a while that have done well. The first is the IC-

2100H 2 meter amateur radio. The other is the Icom IC F-1020 commercial mobile. These two Icom's

have lived in a mobile environment for many years, and are now being retired to basestation use.

First the IC-2100H will be discussed. This was my first ham radio after completing my Technician

license test in 2005. I bought this through Ham Radio Outlet, and also ordered a magnet mount

antenna for it as well. The selling point for me was that it was only about $150 dollars, had three

power levels and the backlight could be changed from green to yellow. The hand mic seemed to be the

weakest part of the radio. It felt light and all of the buttons sometimes got in the way. Over

time,there was some audio noise with the radio. Of course this came up after the warranty had

expired. Looking online, people said it may be the lack of ground screws inside. Opening the top

cover showed 5 holes for the main circuit board to be secured to the metal heatsink/chassis. Only

two of these holes had screws in them. I placed three more screws inside, and the noise went away.

It seems many people had this problem with the Icom IC-2100H. Some said this was worse if you

actually mounted the radio inside of a car, rather than using it stationary. Even though mine was

used in a car, it had stable power and didn't get jostled too much.

At that time, I was driving a 2000 model SUV and this seemed to fit one of the crevices under the

dash alright. With the magnet antenna, a Larson, it picked up a lot of traffic in my part of the

country. The scan feature let me listen to a lot of radio nets. This radio rode in the SUV until

2004. This was when I switched out vehicles. My new vehicle, was a mid size sedan that did not have

a good spot for a radio of this size and shape. The microphone even aged well, I never had the Push

to Talk button problem others said they had. Supposedly, the spring could fail and the button would

stay keyed on. My only issue was sometimes getting it caught in the area between the console and

seats of the SUV. My Icom F-1020 had a similiar life.

In 2005,I took a job with a company that was consolidating hardware and had merged with another

company. Both companies had a fleet of ships and vessels with VHF and UHF radios on board. I was

given an Icom IC F-1020 VHF mobile to use for myself, as these were being replaced with Motorola

radios to standardize hardware. These had been used in company trucks and vessels for several years

before I started. This radio was stacked with my amateur radio.

In 2016, both of these Icoms are still running strong, in a basestation use now. I now let them

monitor local traffic. The commercial F1020 listens to weather stations and the 2100 is still

working 2 meters. Both are now connected to a Comprod antenna on the roof, and have RG-213 coax

connecting them. A generic antenna switch lets me determine which radio is connected.

After about 16 years, both have strong and bright backlights to their LCD displays, the buttons all

still work and the speakers have loud and crisp audio. They show some tarnish on their bare

aluminum heat sinks from use, but seem to have held up well. Either of these would work well for a

fleet of vehicles or vessels as used radios. They have both been replaced by newer models. The IC-

2100H was replaced with the 2200 and then 2300. The IC F1020 and 2020 UHF version have had several

replacements as well. For me they have been great mobiles and I intend to use them until they

actually fail to function.

Kniper Multitool - with Tobacco Pipe!

          $145 Knife and Multitool

While reading about survival tools in the October issue of Popular Science, I came across a knife with some other tools built in. This knife is called the Kniper Multitool. This knife is listed for $145 and balanced to be thrown. It was at this point that I thought it was not the knife for me. Then I read that it also has a tobacco pipe too.

Kniper Multitool picture - www.urchinsky.com

Per the website www.urchinsky.com, "The Kniper is an ultra-sophisticated weaponized lifesaver that'll easily replace every piece of survival gear in your bag" - Supercompressor.

This made me wonder, is this something that there is really a market for? One of the things I learned a long time ago, was that you do not throw your knife, and if you do, it had better be a cheap one. This is why throwing knives are usually sold in sets and not made to look all that nice. This knife is an avocado green color and made to look large and intimidating.

To be honest, it looks a lot like one I saw at the Dollar Tree store the other day. Kitchen knives in assorted colors and one was green like this one. However, I could buy a whole case of 36 of these knives for $36.

Royal Norfolk Cutlery Stainless-Steel Colorful Paring Knives with Sheaths
SKU 164532 - Dollar Tree

Do we really need a survival knive with a tobacco pipe in it? The screwdriver, fork and wrench can be believed, but a tobacco pipe. Is that so essential for survival. If this had been in the April Fool's edition of the magazine, I would have accepted it. I'll use a better knife to make a fork, spoon and spear tip.

My last thought on this knife is, who would buy this? I have spent a lot of money over the years for knives, but most of them have one purpose, to cut things. Some also have a couple of tools, or folding accessories like a Swiss Army Knife. Others have a whistle and some have a screwdriver. But none of them are meant to be thrown or used as a pipe. My guess is that the type of person that buys this knife, will not be using tobacco in it, it will be something else.

Use Road Flares Against Gophers

 Use Road Flares to Get Rid of Gophers

Do you ever get mounds of dirt in your yard from those little critters known as gophers? You know the rodents that make all of those ugly mounds of brown dirt pop up overnight. It always amazes me that a small rodent can make such a mess in such a short time. This year, I tried something different than my usual road flare solution.

In previous years, I used road flares to keep the gophers away. Each hole got one road flare. My yard once looked like a mini war zone, with red flames and smoke coming out of holes in the ground. Well this year the solution was supposed to be "Gopher Bombs". These were sold in packs of 8 at a local big box store. They were meant to be used specifically for ridding your yard of gophers. I thought this may work better than road flares, as their use is to be a bright light for road emergencies.

After placing one in each hole, and taking a few pictures to note the occassion, I hoped this would work. Well it did not. More holes came a few days later. In a couple of the holes, there was evidence that the gophers moved the "Gopher Bombs" out of their holes. I also noticed that they did not burn all the way down like a road flare.

So short story, use road flares. Road flares work as gopher repellant. Road flares burn all the way down and do not leave half a stick un-burned. Bought in bulk they may even be cheaper. I will be sticking with road flares in my future.

Used Briggs and Stratton Engines

Well Used Briggs and Stratton Engined Generator

Have you ever been offered some cast of item with a Briggs and Stratton gas engine? Perhaps someone left an old lawnmower by the curb. Ormaybe a relative had a weed wacker or generator they no longer wanted.

About ten years ago, I was given an already well used Briggs and Stratton engine generator. It was an old 6000 watt Craftsman from Sears. It was in rough shape and did not run. The previous owner gave it to me for that reason.

Looking it over, it had a clogged fuel filter and possible a dirty carburator. Seeing that it had sat outside,and was covered in rust and dog hair, I figured maintenance was not adhered to. The fuel tank was filled about a quarter of capacity.

Unlike many peole who store their gas engines dry, I usually keep them totally filled to the brim. About a cup of Stabil and a topped off tank later, I changed the fuel filter. The carb was primed and I gavethe pull start some pulls.

The choke was leaking a bit of fuel and the carb was trying to let fuel flow. After a few pulls, there were some chugs.Flipping the choke off, the engine started. All this thing needed was good fuel and a new filter. Stabil has saved many a gas engine for me. Craftsman used to warranty everything they sold. But this did not apply to generators. Luckily Briggs and Stratton engines have been made forever. They are usually fairly easy to work on.

Fuel filter, eventually new fuel hoses, and cleaning some corrosion is about all this engine has needed. Corrosion forms in the pull start mechanism. Small ball bearing use centrifugal force to act as a clutch to engage the pull rope to the crank. Compression and a spark plug then do their work to fire off the engine. Thisengine probably has many years left in it now, with just minimal maintenance.

For all two stroke gas engines, make sure you use some sort of fuel treatment to keep water sepration and shellac from forming inside the carb. This is why I prefer to keep all fuel components "wet" instead of running them dry. Ran dry, shellac can form from the ethanol gasoline sold today. Next, checking and adding oil as needed is about all you should need to do for maintenance.

Of course, keeping the engine out of the weather helps a lot. I made a nice wood cover for this generator. A custom pigtail cable lets me run about 2/3 of my house off of this generator when needed. The custom pigtail was made from a section of large industrial grade generator cable and connectors from a big box home improvement store. This lets me connect the generator to a connector on the outside of my house. Briggs and Stratton engines have been used in many items, not just generators, and many of them use the same parts.

My John Deere lawnmower, even though being a smaller egnine, is still a Briggs and Stratton. They both use the same air filter, fuel filter and spark plugs. They even have the same carburator. This makes maintenance easier as you are not buying spare parts for multiple models. Thiscan be a great thing if you are needing or wanting to keep things simple.

If you find an old Briggs and Stratton engine in a lawnmower or generator. Give it a second look, it may be an easy fix. It may even use parts you have for another item. They are relaible and easy to repair in most cases.

Wood Orca

Wood Orca

Through my travels and adventures, I meet lots of people. One is a woman named Marlene. She carved a wooden orca decoration some years ago. This is a free standing native style rendition of the Orca's found in Puget Sound, Washington. It was modeled after some of the local tribes totem pole carvings. And no, it is not for sale, I already asked that question.

Even though it is not for sale, the picture shows how some people that may not be famous or have galleries make some pretty cool art work for their own enjoyment. This is one of those pieces. 

Radio Direction Finding, Bird Dog 360

Bird Dog 360 Receiver

A new toy of mine has been the Audio Intelligence Devices, Bird dog 360 Receiver. This is an old school, professional grade direction finding receiver made in the late 1980's. These were commonly used by private detectives and police departments to track suspects while driving vehicles. They came with very specific transmitter frequencies and a magnet mount transmitted that needed to be placed on the vehicle. The receiver consists of two main components.

The main components of the receiver are the receiver box and the display unit. The receiver box allows for the reception of up to 6 transmitters at a time and can look for pulsed RF signals as well as audible modulated signals. Continuous Wave (CW) and voice settings allow you to listen to more than just the transmitters included in the kit. Line lever outputs are included for headphones and connection of a tape or digital recorder. A large speaker is on the face of the receiver, and puts out some loud audio. A ribbon cable with locking connectors sends received data to a display unit that can be up to three feet away from the receiver box.

The display unit has the common circle of LED's and a center display that gives a numeric value to the bearing of the received signal. Signal strength and indications for movement alarms can be shown as well. The entire display is red and can be dimmed to a point where no light is output. This is perfect for those discrete moments when everything needs to go dark. These would have been used in a van or truck with blacked out windows or curtains most of the time, but you never know when you may need this feature. These two boxes connect to four antennas, and receive signals from a small magnet mount transmitter.

The antenna array is also magnet mounted to the roof and must be in a specific square orientation. Each antenna is the same length and uses the Doppler effect to determine bearing and distance. What this means is that each antenna receives a signal and each signal is compared. The one closest to the transmitter determines the bearing. Then the other three are used to determine strength. electrically this requires the antennas to be separate from each other physically, but with the same length of cable, and insertion loss. With four antennas, with the same cable, same resistance and other electrical factors, it is easy for an electronic circuit to determine direction and signal strength.

Then it is a matter of driving around and getting used to the unit. Neither the receiver box or display nit has any way to connect it to the dash. No suction cups, Velcro, or mounting brackets are included. These really look like they would be mounted to a shelf or desktop. Small rubber feet are on the bottom of both units. The display box being so light that the ribbon cable forces it to go where the cable folds push it. I use this system with the receiver seat belted to the passenger seat and the display wedged between my windshield and dash. The red display and background lighting match perfectly with a Pontiac or BMW back light scheme.

In 2015, many people may wonder why a hardware direction finding kit is useful. Software and computers have replaced a great deal of test equipment and radio gear. Well in the case of direction finding, even the software based systems require the use of hardware antennas and some form of interface box. The  fact that a computer is not required could be seen as an advantage or a fault. Computer based receivers could log the data better, but would require software updates, a computer to be booted and connected, and Microsoft licenses to be updated on occasion. For stand alone units, they just work, and do not need updates to work. Their is also no possibility of malicious code or corrupt software causing damage to the equipment. For the amateur user, the only other real option is the Ramsey electronics kits. these are small plastic kits that are for hobbyist use, they are not as rugged and do not appear to hold up well with permanent installation.

For those with the need to find and range a specific radio signal, look to used commercial gear to fill this need. As a better alternative to the hobbyist kits, this type of receiver can be found on auction sites and used radio locations. Seek out county auctions, police and fire department sales. Often times the hardware is older, but fully functional. It may only lack a manual or a cable. I have had great luck finding very well made hardware that has minimal usage time for cents on the dollar this way. You can build up your arsenal of radio gear quickly and it will last longer in the field. Good luck on the fox hunt, happy hunting.

Please Try It Our Way First

Try It Our Way First

Everbuy something and proceed to break it by not reading the instructions? Sure you have, most guys have done this at some point in their life. So would you do this to something sophisticated like a business telephone system? How about a telephone system used got 9-1-1 call taking? Some companies do this.

When I bought a sophisticated piece of electronic hardware, with many subsystems, it came with a note to "Before you do it your way, Please Try it Our Way". This company had obviously had too many end users try it their own way first. I have seen this with many telephone and dispatch vendors for 9-1-1 equipment. Feel safe? Have you ever needed to call 9-1-1? Wouldn't it be better if you knew that smart and competent people were involved?

The people who install and maintain many 9-1-1 dispatch and telephony systems, do not read the manual first. Sometimes they are not even trained on the gear they install. Other times, they lack the basic installation and test equipment to do their job. This may not be the employees fault, perhaps the company only buys a few pieces of equipment. For phone systems, and telephone service technicians, a common piece of gear is the buttset. Tone wands helps trace wires. Multimeters show electrical activity. These should be in every technicians toolbox. However,without knowledge, or reading the manual, these are all worthless.

In this litigous age we live in, even items that should not need instructions come with them. So when you purchase complex hardware, why not read the manual? Do you really want to look like a fool in public? Do your part and read the instructions. Knowledge is power, and knowledge is becoming harder to come by. For you sake and for those that may rely on your work, read the manual and do it by the book. This will take you far in life, and may safe your job some day, or even someones life. That life may actually be your own. Imagine if I decided to not worry about instructions one day. What if I did this with a Mk12 thermonuclear warhead? Before you do it your way, please try it our way first!

Who Watches the Watchers

Who Watches the Watchers?

Ever think about who watches the watchers? Many peope say that we do not need to keep tabs on the overseers, our government, or military. Sure there is supposed to be Senate oversight, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. Well in the real world, we, the citizens watch the watchers.

The American people need to watch their government. If you do not like something, do something. If someone is hiding things on their own servers, back it up on your own server. Much of the data that moves around the world, goes over satellite, the internet, or telephone lines. This makes it pretty easy for us to keep an eye one government officials. Just as ISIS used social media to keep tabs on military personnel, or steals information and service records, this can be used by pretty much anyone in society.

Obviously, if you are the type that has that blinking 12:00 on your VCR, this may not be your area of expertise. But for those that can, a lot of this information is free for the taking. It's not just social media, much of the worlds traffic is transferred with little encryption or security measures in place. Get yourself some equipment, education and practice with it. You may be amazed at what is out there. Most of society has smart phones now, this is an easy way to watch the watchers.

The news has shown how a camera in the hands of a citizen can keep those that would harm you at a distance. Cameras and information are powerful tools. We have the power to monitor and keep our leader in their place. Better yet, vote them out of office. Stop listening to their scare tactics. Take ownership of your leaders, and watch them closely. If they feign ignorance, but the proof is out there, post it for all to see. Here is one method I use to keep tabs on some of the radio waves.

Shown here is a small listeing station, monitoring UHF satcom transmissions. Trivec satcom antennas and high end data capable radios allow for the logging of radio traffic all over the world. Forums online show how to set up your monitoring station, what works equipment wise, and how to get everything tuned just right. Just remember, we watch the watchers. We hold the power.

Cheap Alternative To Cisco Call Manager Based Phone Systems

Want to save money on your next PBX? Ditch that proprietary Public Branch Exchange telephone system and use an open source Asterisk based PBX instead. For just the small investment in hardware and some mental work on your part, you can have a nice phone system for not a lot of money.

Instead of paying thousands for Cisco Call Manager and licensing fees, Asterisk only requires modest hardware and some computer know how. Sites such as Nerd Vittles can show you how to make your very own PBX in short order.

Begin with a server, the computer hardware that runs the phone services. Then add Asterisk, this is like Cisco's Call Manager. Then add an unmanaged switch. Think D-Link or 3Com. Then run all of this in RedHat/CentOS linux or even Ubuntu. Your cheap PBX is on its way.

The heart of this phone system is SIP. This is Session Initiation Protocol, an open source phone protocol. This means that you do not need to pay for the software, but for ease of use, some vendors will help for a fee.

Once set up, a Linux based PBX will save you money, not cost you licensing fees, and you do not need to go down that path of constant Cisco certification. You know, where you must test every two years to keep your certification. Testing that forces you to spend thousands of dollars to only understand one proprietary protocol. If you want a phone system that works, and works well, look to Asterisk and Linux for the answer.

Sure you can still use your Cisco 7960 phones if you want to fake out others, making them think you are running a Cisco Call Manager based system. Go ahead, I won't tell, will you?

Drozd BB Gun - After a few years in storage.

                                                        The Baikal Drozd, One Great BB Gun

While cleaning out one of the far frung closets in the house, I noticed a plastic wrapped cardboard box buried high up on a shelf. Upon moving several items to get it down, I see a faded Baikal emblem on the box. Looking closer,I see that this is the Drozd BB gun made in Russia. This awesome BB gun was an impulse purchase many years ago.

While making extra money saving the world from hurricane ravaged flooded areas, and placing radio and telephone gear around the Gulf Coast region of the United States, I found ways to spend my overtime pay. One item that allowed me to spend more than I would have thought was the Baikal Drozd. This was the original model, a yellow and black plastic and steel BB gun that had an electronic trigger and motorized feed mechanism. A local pawn shop had sold these for $200 each. One was placed on the wall, for all to see.

This particular store sold more ammo and firearms than they took in pawning. The local police department was known to place orders through them as well. This yellow and black contraption seemed to get picked up a lot, but placed back on its perch on the wall. I finally asked about it one day, and held it in my hands. I was told that this was the easiest full auto device to get your hands on. Being in a state where full auto weapons were hard to come by, this sounded like it could be fun. The saleman said this was CO2 powered and fired BB's at up to 600 feet per second.

Two slide switches are on this gun, one on each side. On one side is a selector for: 1, 3, or 6 round bursts. The switch on the other side selects: 300, 450, or 600 BB's per minute. With an electrical trigger and feed mechanism, this model runs on 6 AA batteries. The unit can be "dry fired" and makes a low sounding clack when it would be shooting BB's. The barrel is rifled steel and a warning in the manual says to only shoot lead BB's through it.

Having the $200 burning a hole in y wallet, I decided to get one. However, the one on the wall seems to have some dirty grime from the number of people pawing over it. The yellow frame has the dark marks of dirt and scratches on it. I ask for a new one, in the box. A few minutes later and I have a new Drozd. Taking it home I realize I need to find my CO2 cylinders. This takes normal 12 gramm cylinders like other guns I have. The magazine is made of heavy steel with only one plastic cover on the bottom.

With the one included magazine loaded with 30 BB's and a CO2 cylinder, I place this assembly into the Drozd. I take aim at a piece of wood in my back yard. Along with the clack I get the wizzing of BB's out of the rifled barrel. This things zings BB's pretty fast. It is also pretty loud. A few bursts later and 30 BB's are gone. The piece of wood is flipped around and tore up into match sticks. This is a fun "toy".

Going online, i realize I need another magazine, and any other options it can take. At this point I realize that this futuristic pistol came with a plastic press in buttstock. This is a two piece unit that just slides into the back of the Drozd pistol. This makes it two in one. With the buttstock the Drozd is a bit more controllable.

After ordering more magazines and some bulk fill modified magazines online, I start looking for an idea to get rid of the yellow look. This thing is really colored like a bumblebee. It is pretty ugly as it is now. My idea is to take it apart and paint it black. But paint has a bad record with me and plastic. After some searching online, I find others who dye the plastic with RIT brand dye. This is my next project.

After getting some black RIT dye and heating a large pot of water on the stove, I bring it all to boil. The RITS dye is stirred into the water, then the plastic pieces of the Drozd go in. I have read that you must keep the parts moving or else spots form in the plastic. The Drozd came apart easily, my concerns are, will it look good and go back together well? After about 20 minutes boilin this plastic mass in water and dye, I am satisfied in the deep black look of the plastic. It is now time to let the pieces dry.

Once dry the plastic looks even better. The RIT dye left a deep purple/black color in the plastic. After careful reassembly, the contrasting of died pieces and those that came in black looks great. A full function test is in order once it is back together. Adding in AA batteries and a loaded and charged magazine, a few shots are taken in the back yard. Everything works perfect, and now it looks cool. This thing looks like a space gun.

A short while later, a fake supressor, and muzzle brake arrive. These screw onto the threaded barrel and change the look without messing with function. Fast forward a few years later, and it still looks cool. This version has been discontinued and with imports from Russia being limited, these are great BB guns to buy and keep. They seem to hold their value and are built tougher than most BB guns. I recommend you get one for fun burst firing in your back yard.

Hungarian? Entrenching Tool/Shovel

Hungarian? Entrenching Tool/Shovel

 Surplus Hungarian Military Shovel

Have a need for a small foldable shovel for use around

the yard, or auto? Perhaps you hike a lot and need a

small shovel. Or maybe you like the idea of a military

surplus shovel. Here is a good one to have. The Hungarian

military surplus shovel.

These shovels were found in a military surplus mail order

catalog a few years back. They looked a little different

from the standard American military folding shovel. They

also seemed to have different handles and I could not

tell how they folded. Due to the cheap price, I bought

two of them.

What I received was two Hungarian military surplus

folding shovels, and their canvas sheaths. The sheaths

were made of cotton duck fabric and has Velcro style hook

and loop fasteners for the cover flap. I found it odd

that they had two strips of fastener, but maybe that is

for some military use.

Each shovel was folded inside of its sheath and was

coated in what appeared to be battleship gray epoxy type

paint. Both appeared to be slightly used or at least

refurbished. One had grease marks on its cotton sheath.

They are on the heavy side, but for their size, seem to

be very durably made.

The handles are made of fiberglass, one had a black

handle and the other had a white handle. The handles are

two piece and connected with a metal cable. When the

handle is aligned with the folding hinge of the shovel, a

threaded portion allows both handle pieces to screw

together. Once screwed together, the shovel is a solid

assembly about a foot long.

This is a great folding shovel, but could use some slight

modifications. I added some grip tape to the end of the

fiberglass handle. This makes it more of a non slip

handle. I also proceeded to grind off the paint on one

edge. If sharpened, this could make it usable as a

weapon. (Very much like the Soviet Spetnatz shovels.)

Sharpening also allows it to dig better too.

As a digging tool, this shovel works well. While small, it

is comparable to an American military entrenching tool,

or the Soviet military shovels. The blade makes for a

decent shovel, while still keeping the size small enough

for backpack or hiking/camping use.

Grinding the paint off of the edges or just using them as

digging tools should wear the paint down, making it a

better tool over time. Some light grease on the hardware

and threaded portion will help with maintenance over

time.

It is hard to tell when these were made, no markings were

found on mine. But I am guessing sometime in the 1980's

as this seems to be the type I see online, searching for

entrenching tools. It was sold as a Hungarian entrenching

tool, but I have also seen Czech versions that look like

this.

This makes a good tool for digging your vehicle out of a

ditch, or for use at a camp site. These can be had rather

cheaply compared to other countries entrenching tool

shovels. They hold up well to abuse and use. I'm keeping

mine, they will age well and be used less than they were

in their previous life.

If anyone knows for sure when these were made, it would

help my curiosity, let me know any details you may have

on these unique shovels.

Defeat Taser

How to Defeat Taser

With most law enforcement agencies carrying Taser devices, it is important to know the weaknesses and how to defeat this tool. This method also works for contact energy weapons such as stun guns and cattle prods too. This is not to be confused with the commercial product names after a Norse god that carries a hammer.

3M 2100 static guard anti-static bags can be used to shield you from the electric shock of the Taser. A fencing conductive suit can also do the same thing. The idea is to have a highly conductive layer that you are wearing. When the barbs of the two probes hit this conductive layer, their electrical energy is dissipated into the conductive material. This keeps it from short circuiting your nervous system.

Lots of online arguments say that you must be insulated, well this is just not true. The electricity must be spread out and dissipated. Even large amounts of electricity can be spread out with metal and metal foil impregnated material. 3M 2100 static guard bags can be found in the electronics industry, repair shops and locations that transport electronics. In a pinch, even aluminum foil could be used. The main thing is to make sure that the probes of the Taser or prod hit the conductive material instead of your skin first.

Once contact is made with your skin, the electrical charge causes pulsing of your nervous system. This causes your muscles to contract, and your body to go stiff. If you are able to disperse the electricity elsewhere or knock one of the barbed probes out, the shock stops. For contact devices like stun guns and cattle prods, both contact points must touch you or at least be close enough for electrical charge to reach your skin. This is a very small distance. Once again the conductivity of the material between your skin and the probes will dissipate the charge away.

Unlike the commercial product marketed to police departments, 3M 2100 film and fencing clothing can take multiple hits in the same location. Line your clothes and perhaps make a poncho liner with conductive material. This will allow you to defeat Taser, stun guns and cattle prods.

Alternative Uses of Fishing Gear

Alternative Uses of Fishing Gear

            Much of the gear used for fishing can be used for self defense and personal protection. This can include: spear guns, harpoons, knives, flare guns, bang sticks and gaff hooks. I will begin with the spear gun.

            If you are used to fishing for large fish and use a spear gun to hunt them, this could be an easy item to have along for protection. Spear guns are sold as only being able to be used under water. However, this does not mean they can only work underwater. Many spear guns work just fine above the water, and the spear can go a great distance in free flight. Just be sure to remove any cords or coiled rope from the spear before use on land. Harpoons can be used much the same way, but lack some of the flight capability.

            Halibut harpoons can be used for a defensive weapon, much like a spear. Most harpoons have a tip that is meant to come off and secure a metal rod on the opposite side of a halibut or flounder. This may get lodged inside of a human target, but would still do some damage to an attacker. Being 4 to 6 feet long or more, they may be a bit unwieldy in close quarters. Good halibut harpoons use stainless steel instead of aluminum in their construction. Now on to one of the most useful tools ever designed, the knife.

            Knives come in so many different types, but fishing knives also make good defensive weapons. A very common necessity of fishing is the common fillet knife. A fillet knife can cut a person into ribbons, just like a short sword in olden days. The military Hissatsu knife was designed as a thick bladed version of a fishing fillet knife. Just make sure the handle is of the non slip variety. Most have rubberized grip areas for use around slimy fish guts, which works for people too. Now what do you use to signal during an emergency? A flare gun is a good thing to have on a fishing trip.

            Flare guns have gained popularity with the prepper crowd as there are several companies making inserts to shoot bullets. This makes your flare gun legally a weapon, so be sure to comply with the law. Even loaded with flares, this is a phosphorus round flying at you at close range. You would not want to get hit with a flare. This is an item that is not even considered a gun, and can be sent in the mail. But hurry now since the price is going up on these. Stay away from the bright colored orange plastic models. Instead buy a metal military surplus version. These usually fire 26.5mm flares that are readily available online. Flare guns are common place on board vessels and for fishing. The last item I will cover is the bang stick.

            If you watch any of the alligator hunter videos, you may see .22 long rifle firearms or a stick with a large caliber bullet launching head on the end. These are bang sticks, chambers holding a waterproofed cartridge that fires when hit against the head of an alligator or critter. This can be used against people also. These are also not considered firearms unless they are used without a rod or stick to make them legal length. Check your laws for use of these devices. They are made of stainless steel and can be had in calibers from rimfire to 12 gauge shotgun and 50 BMG. The last type of fishing gear that can be used for defensive use is the gaff hook.

            Gaff hooks are banned for fishing in many states, but make very intimidating tools for self defense. They are a sharpened stainless steel hook made for grabbing a fish alongside a vessel. These can go into human flesh just like a fish. The hook is usually barb less, and can be removed easier than a fish hook too. These come in many sizes and are usually stainless steel hooks on a hardwood handle.

So if you need a defensive weapon and only have fishing gear available, here are some items you should think about having. Of course some fish are tougher than others, if you live where alligator garr or other extreme types of fish live, you may need every bit of this gear just to catch them. Happy hunting/fishing.