R_Bert

Get started. wear it out.   VHF & UHF are truly amazing parts of the spectrum.    There are technical solutions that dramatically increase your range and capability, and on all levels are fun to explore.  On 50 MHz, I have worked 115 countries and all 50 states, and on 144 MHz, I have worked 7 countries  and 42 states (all confirmed, and all on terrestrial modes). I would have to check, but I think I have worked ~30 states on 432 MHz, and ~25 countries (moonbounce).

Not a bad idea, but check and see how many local repeaters are already available (and effectively unused  <hint...there are probably dozens>).  BTW, most repeater owners in TN & KY coordinate frequency & tone access via SERA (Southeastern Repeater Association).  BTW, if you think maintaining a home radio station is expensive, a usable & reliable repeater system will be 10X that.  Make friends with local repeater owners as a starting platform.    BTW, As I recall, there is a pretty nice RF-linked system down that way.

I see vintage (??) gear all the time, that is perfectly serviceable, and just a few hundred $.  examples - TS-430S, TS-520S, TS-850S (what I run), loads of same era Yaesu & Icom rigs.   The new rigs have more computer integration, but the older stuff is still excellent (and in many cases, better...especially basic receive).    There is a lot  of bang-for-the-buck out there.   BTW, I will note... the current and very popular rig - Kenwood TS-2000 was introduced in the late 1990s (I still have first release).  Not much has changed, really. (except I paid $1800 in 1998 for mine... not the current $1900 for the X version)

sheeeeet.  I had to look up Iron Maiden.  Apparently they were later evolution than Iron Butterfly.

and apparently, the new king has dementia.    http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/saudi-king-abdullahs-death-sets-up-complex-succession-process/2015/01/22/340e0a9c-a28e-11e4-9f89-561284a573f8_story.html

I read 3

Moved two minutes closer this week; now 3 minutes left -   Closest to midnight since 1984   http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/22/doomsday-clock-three-minutes-to-midnight/22158457/

FTFY.....

I can't believe he let his battery get down to 36%.......

Someone has to do it -   http://pjmedia.com/blog/liveblogevent/drunkblogging-sotu/

I made the mistake of parking 12" inside the line today (I was just sitting in truck waiting on wife).   Backed in, facing the morning sun for a bit o warmth.   A lady in a big black car pulls up, looks at me, then pulls in the parking space adjacent to me (and centered perfectly).    I go back to surfing the web on my phone & listening to my mp3 player when "WHAM!!!".   She almost fell out of the car, *SLAMMING* her door against my running board.   I drive a beater, but she put about a !/4" crease in the edge of her door, and took it down to bare metal.   She started to apologize, but I waved her off.... No big deal for me.   About an hour later, she returned.  I moved the truck to give her plenty of room.    And my wife wonders why I don't drive the good car......

I cannot speak for the efficiencies of our own government administration of the programs, but the Russian side was held pretty darned accountable via procurement audits for work done under contracts ( and inspected by folks like me). When the Soviets fell, some weapons designers and nuclear specialists were suddenly without jobs, and for hire under great demand.....by the Iranians, Pakistanis, and North Koreans. As history now tells us, some did defect. But we tried to save a lot of people from going bad. And did. No good answers, but as for .gov programs, it was better than most, and paid dividends back to us. Now.... its shut down by the Russians, who have had enough ( of the demands that come with dollars, which become less technical each year thanks to DOS /admin agendas. But.... they don't hate us because the $ went away. They hate us on principle. And now refuse the $ (from that program anyway). They are choosing new countries to cooperate with....despot block, islamofacists, and G8, and emerging african. Basically, they are shutting us out of all the nuclear trouble-spots, and are setting the agenda for the regions. They are playing our game, better than we do.

I plan to go.  Sawed-off heading to LLF's.  (he'll get it).   Look for the 7' height differential, and that's us.  (and I'll wear a hat, too)

You greatly misunderstand the purpose of this cooperation.   It was never intended to remove their defense capability, but to bring their accounting & control, storage, physical security, and human reliability to industry best practices.    The benefit to us was a cheap source of fuel, but would never have impacted their strike capability.  It did greatly reduce the risk of materials getting outside to bad operators, and it supplemented the paychecks of the Russians who needed to be relied upon (for a time, the RF could not afford to pay them), and it provided technical cooperation between the two sides (so yes.... for a period the cold war was indeed over....)   AND..... we dealt with the Soviets also.  So that argument of "old ways" does not hold water.   All of this is the result of a pissing match between current admins. This particular falling out started when we began to press the Russians over social agenda (they really don't like us telling them how live), then went to hell in a handcart when the Russians decided to go into Crimea.   SO... It ain't just a simple Black Hat - White Hat situation.  The Russians are xenophobic and paranoid, but they are not just plain evil.   BTW..  I have actually been inside the bowels of  a number of their closed city facilities as a weapons program inspector over the last 20 years.

Yes, This one removed the major portal (and it was significant access) to the Russian nuclear weapons program.  It was the "feet on the ground" and affects 1000's of engineers, scientists, and nuclear workers in Russia alone.  Of anything we did to make the world safer from nuclear threat.....this was by far the largest and most important.   To bring it home, just in Oak Ridge, TN alone, it is tied to the majority of $0.5 B  (yes...billion) of program & project funding.  This is a MAJOR collapse in nuclear security (and this was not "security theater").  This was removing & destroying devices, and irreversibly down-blending uranium & plutonium, relocating for feed into power reactors.  Now, is BIG FUBAR.

Nuclear Security.......disconnected.     About 10-15% of my career time was spent in this program, usually on-site in Russia.  A lot of my former colleagues in the US and Russia are feeling pretty betrayed / gut-punched right now.   http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2015/01/19/after-two-decades-russia-nuclear-security-cooperation-becomes-casualty-deteriorating-relations/5nh8NbtjitUE8UqVWFIooL/story.html?event=event25   This is the result of a admin foreign policy that is literally "don't do stupid sh!t !".      Well, they did. I cannot begin to describe the damage getting to this point has done, and will have fallout for decades to come, in every off-shore nuclear weapons & energy related program we (the USA) tries to engage.   :wall:

Love it.  Mine was $300 last year (or was that year before...)

how low, will we go?  So how much is a forbidden chunk of plastic worth now?  I may have to pick one up.  (New, locally, is now $110)

I'm figuring, probably same as admissible evidence in any other court case. And to really gum it up, shooting it is probably not necessary. (bonus points if pulled out of same place BATFE got all this crap from).

Of course, I am sure we can place the buffer tube anywhere we like as long as we can pull it out of our *** like the BATFE is doing.

that was the question I was going to pose as well.  Really broad wording. How about buffer tube cheek-weld?

I said "learning mode"..... but I should have used "startup".  I will have to say, I get a lot of satisfaction from hearing one of my rounds go "bang", and when they go where I intend.  I am sure you will also.  Have fun !!

Actually,   (and seriously)...I would suggest mid-range, normal, everyday loads to start on.  Keep it simple and reliable. (low power loads would carry some risk of not exiting the bbl if screwed up)   BTW, I started out lubing the inner neck.  I was also using Mobil One at the advice of "experts".    During the learning mode, I was simply not able to not kill a primer with contamination. So.. I don't do those things now or anything else exotic..  Usually follow the book nowadays.   It was a real PITA cleaning up the mess (and post-fire screw-ups) otherwise.  But, I still learn a lesson from time to time.  Most recently was "I need another small-base die" for new chambers.

      Hardly.  Wally Walks usually do not maim and disfigure.   You ought to try pulling the trigger on a new load in a brand new gun.  That you built.  Even worse, experience a hang fire when you do.  It sucks, and it puckers the butt big time.

I use this, just a very small dab sprayed on finger, then wiped on the case.   I keep a cotton rag in my lap & wipe after sizing. Fairly neat & tidy.   http://www.midwayusa.com/product/204960/frankford-arsenal-case-lube-8-oz-pump   I bought two bottles about 7 years ago, and half way through the first.   Dolomite has a homebrew version of this as I recall, from lanolin & alcohol.   B.