Jackalope

I've got a Hybrid 46, and I'm very pleased with it. Also have a couple of .22 suppressors, one is a Form 1 model. I'd like to get one more 9mm suppressor which would be mounted on one firearm all the time.

I have a small system in my Sheepwagon/camping trailer. The 50 watt solar panels are in briefcase folding style. Using a Bioenno 30 Ah battery, and a Renogy charge controller. Sheepwagon is home made, and wired strictly for 12 vdc, using LED lighting. If some AC is needed, a Renogy Phoenix power station is also aboard. I've used the Sheepwagon solar system to power low power amateur radio equipment, lighting and fans during short camping trips. It's nice when a plan comes together.

We had some high winds, which broke some branches and flattened some tomato plants. An EF-1 tornado touched down about a mile south of me, but there were no reported injuries. It's weird there was a tornado so close, as we had EF-1 tornado damage our barn and our property back in October, 2021. I guess this local area is a tornado magnet. The weather service dropped the ball on local tornado activity again, as they issued their warning after the tornado had already touched down in town.

There's Dead Zero Shooting Park located in Spencer, TN, south of Cookeville. There's no membership fee and they have ranges out to 1000 yards.

From my experience, in Middle Tennessee, two meter repeaters are active. I think a lot of folks are monitoring frequencies, and if you make a call, someone will come back to you. If I want to chat, I'll go over to a simplex frequency, rather than tying up a repeater. Some repeaters are much busier, especially in the metro areas. Rather than tying up a scanner with ham radio transmissions, I scan the ham bands with a dual band transceiver, and that radio almost always has some activity, and the HomePatrol 2 scanner catches everything else. I also hear a lot of activity on GMRS repeaters.

Yeah, encryption is a challenge. In my part of middle Tennessee, a Uniden Homepatrol II picks up a lot of transmissions. It's useful for following utilities and other public agencies that haven't gone with encryption. I'm also surprised at the number of GMRS repeaters and the associated amount of radio traffic. It's also amazing how much radio traffic has been diverted to cell phones.

Tennessee Silencer Shop in Seymour rents suppressed firearms, though they're closer to east Tennessee. They have a wide selection of machine guns to rent too. Not associated with them, just a happy customer.

I have the PC Charger take down version. It's one of my favorite guns especially with a suppressor on it. It's very reliable, no problem with any ammo using the suppressor.

We have a couple of IBC totes for our rain water collection system. The water in one tote is used for our gardens, we always keep one tote topped off, and the water is cycled due to using it in the garden. We also have 5 gallon containers and one gallon jugs that are kept full, with about 50 gallons in portable containers. If we end up using our rainwater, it would be filtered and then treated with either chlorine or UV light, depending upon the quantity needed. We also have a spring, and the water from that would also be filtered and treated. Additionally, we have a pond for non-potable water. Water sources were a major consideration when we were looking for property.

There's also Range USA right off of I-40 in West Knoxville/Farragut. They were called Shoot Point Blank, but they changed their name recently. They have a wide array of new firearms. Last time I was there, about a month ago, they only had a couple of used firearms, but plenty of new ones. It's part of a corporate chain of gun stores.

I've got both the .22 and 9mm versions which are both takedown models. Both are capable of having a brace installed, which increases their accuracy and versatility. They are fun firearms, and the 9mm version is my current favorite when outfitted with a suppressor and a red dot.

Our garlic is growing really well, better than last year, so far. I planted kale, lettuce, romaine and spinach yesterday. Planning on planting potatoes later this week. I'll wait until at least the end of the month for everything else, unless it's going to be planted in the greenhouse.

H&K USP .45. It's just fun to shoot, but I rarely carry it due to its size and weight.

800 yds, using a M1A.

Ural corporate has been sending out newsletters indicating they plan on continuing operations, but who knows? My carburetated model was in more or less continuous production from the end of WW II until 2014, so there should be plenty of parts floating around out there (the newer models are fuel injected). I've found needed parts on ebay, and there are a couple of forums dedicated to Ural, and several vendors, so I don't see parts availability as an issue. Nashville Motorcycle Repair is the dealer in TN. They apparently have a number of bikes in stock. Urals aren't for everyone, as the older ones require frequent maintenance. The newer models are more reliable. They are a lot of fun to ride, but there is a learning curve going from a two wheeled bike to a bike with a sidecar, versus a trike.

Here's another view from the side. It's nice being able to carry a spare wheel and extra fuel in style. I originally purchased the Ural specifically so one of my dogs could ride with me. And she does have a set of doggles for her eyes. It's a good set-up for camping, because it's possible to carry so much gear. Urals aren't very fast, maybe 60 mph on a good day, but having two wheel drive is helpful in mud and snow. It also has a reverse gear. The pipe on the hood at the front of the sidecar is for mounting a machine gun, seriously.

In, XL.

At least you can get parts to repair it. With the current world situation, I'm guessing it'll be hard to obtain parts for my Ural. I have stocked up on some spares, but if anything major breaks it'll be interesting. I've never seen a cam pulley break like that, it's truly remarkable. Rode a friend's Ducati once, nice bike.

I've got a PTR-9KT (SP5K clone) on lay-away. I couldn't justify spending another $1200 for a real H&K, plus it has a built in picatinny rail, so it's a more modernized version. I've got other H&K's, but the SP5 family seems over-priced. I went with the K model because I prefer the compact size, and I've used one and it felt comfortable to me. Also have one of the H&K MP5 .22LR carbines, which is essentially my wife's gun. Other H&K's include a model 91, USP 45, and a VP-9, which all have been reliable. Bought the model 91 back in the late 70's, or early 80's, think I paid around $700 for it back then. I wish I bought 10 of them.

I've got the Gear Up, so it's got the two wheel drive system, and reverse too. And as a bonus it has a machine gun mounting post. It's the only motorcycle that my wife will ride, she really likes the sidecar. It really needs the carbs cleaned, which will probably be a spring project. And it does take a lot of room in the garage.

I've got a couple of bikes that haven't been ridden for a while. I'm partial to dual sport bikes. I have a 2006 Yamaha XT225, and a 2006 Ural. I really enjoy off-road rides.

The general class license is the way to go. Study for both exams simultaneously and get it out of the way. I know a fellow that took all three exams in one day, went to extra, but he had zero practical knowledge. We went with solar and batteries for our amateur radio station and radio room with a little extra capacity for running a fridge or freezer. I have both lithium and standard lead acid battery banks. Lithium batteries usually require an integrated battery management system that could potentially fail in the event of an EMP or a CME. So the lead acid batteries are the back up to the back up, and they're typically on just a standard battery maintainer, rather than being connected to a solar system like our lithium batteries.

An ancient Extra class licensee here, who had to pass code tests back in the day. I'm also licensed in Canada and Sri Lanka. I'm active mostly on VHF, 40 and 80 meters. Mostly wire antenna in operation at my QTH, though I have at least one tower I hope to put up in the spring. It's a great hobby! Sorry for the late reply.

Congratulations and welcome to the area! There's a gun and knife show in town this weekend. If you have any questions about the local area, feel free to PM me. I think you'll like the area, the people here are very friendly and helpful.