Radio Activities is produced in collaboration with Music For All, which promotes liberty and self-reliance in the arts.

Before the Internet, there was a global communication network in place that was completely decentralized, largely peer-to-peer, and virtually indestructible. That network was known as shortwave radio, and it still exists in parallel to our modern telecommunications infrastructure—along with CB, GMRS and a number of other radio systems. While HAM radio operators can both transmit and receive over shortwave, this article will focus on "SWLing", or shortwave listening, and alternative radio signals in general.

I was 10 years old when my grandfather gifted me my first shortwave radio. I would sit there for hours, carefully, slowly turning the dial and listening for signal. I heard Chinese news, Slavic folk music and dispatches from remote, tropical islands. The T.V. went off by 8 pm in our household, lights out by 9. Sitting under the covers with that radio, slowly turning the dial and traversing continents, I felt like I had entered a portal to another dimension.

Radio has a presence and immediacy not found on the Web. When you listen, you know that other people, somewhere, are listening to the same message and precisely the same time as yourself, so it's a kind of live, shared experience. It's also an important way to obtain real-time information in an emergency, and alternative viewpoints. Unlike most radio, which is line-of-sight, shortwave signals bounce off the upper atmosphere and back down to Earth, enabling broadcasters to transmit from anywhere, to anywhere. In this era of media control and online censorship, shortwave presents an attractive outlet for freedom activists and political dissidents, whose shortwave broadcasts are effectively un-cancellable.

The medium as the message

SWLing is a specific type of long-distance A/V reception more generally known as "DXing". Those who seek out obscure, remote radio signals quickly realize that the character of DX transmissions lends as much to the listening experience as their actual content. The received audio is lo-fi and monophonic, and the fluctuating signal-to-noise ratio adds interesting, unpredictable coloration to the sound. In addition to music and spoken word, the radio spectrum picks up coded telegraphs, ambient interference and strange electromagnetic artifacts.

This intriguing DX aesthetic has inspired many experimental musicians—first during the Cold War malaise of the late 70s and early 80s, and again after the fall of the Soviet Union. Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity (1975) explores the dual themes of radio communication and radioactive decay, its bleak aesthetic inspiring artists like Monoton and Throbbing Gristle. The 90's "Chill Out" scene—so named for The KLF's seminal 1990 album—regularly blended electronic instrumentation with field recordings and radio ephemera. Examples include Tetsu Inoue and Richard Dorfmeister.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySrbuW8277E&t=1m

One notable release is William Basinski's 1982 album, Shortwavemusic, which is composed entirely of shortwave transmissions processed with tape loops and delay.

You can listen at home

It's a good idea to have lots of different radios for different purposes—including walkie talkies, which we'll discuss in a future installment of Radio Activities. But the Swiss Army knife of radio listening is the SDR, or software-defined radio. Today, I'm going to show you how to build a listening station at home. For this project, you will need the following items, which are pictured in the gallery below:

1. An SDR. I recommend an RTL-SDR USB dongle. You can buy a starter kit at that link, but I'm going to get you a lot farther with only a small investment.
2. A 9:1 balun (available at the RTL-SDR store link above);
3. A twin lead, using an FM radio antenna;
4. Some wire nuts and electrical tape;
5. Some ferric beads (available via the RTL-SDR store);
6. Some PVC pipe, or any plastic that can live outside in the elements;
7. A USB extension cable (available via RTL-SDR.com), and
8. A long, single-strand wire. For my long wire, I cut a dead line off a telephone pole and split it into a single strand.

We're going to create a longwire, or 'random-wire' antenna. Basically, when the length of your antenna matches the wavelength of a specific radio frequency, it becomes "tuned" to that frequency. We don't want our random-length wire accidentally tuned to a common frequency, but we'll probably be OK if we use one of these lengths (in feet):

One we have our wire, we need to get it up in the air. This gallery will show you how to set up your antenna. Click the images below to see them full size, and then scroll down to see the instructions below each slide.

Well that was a pain in the ass! Now that we've set up the hardware, we need the software to control our SDR. I use GQRX and have found this to work best for Linux, though it's also available for Mac. I can't comment on Windows SDR software but there are several options available.

When you start GQRX, it will prompt you to input your settings. It should find your RTL-SDR by default, but in order to pick up shortwave, we will need to add direct_samp=2 to our device string:

Click 'OK', and then in the menu go to file → start DSP. You should now be connected! For more details on using GQRX, read their tips and tricks, or you can ask for help in their user group.

OK, so now that you're receiving shortwave, what to listen to? ShortwaveSchedule.com is pretty comprehensive, so that might be a good place to start. Or, you can just start jumping around until you find the broadcasts you like. Note that most stations broadcast intermittently, and you'll have way better reception at night than in the day.

If you want to follow a specific show, I recommend VORW Radio International, hosted by the food critic and supreme gentleman known as "Reviewbrah", a voice of dignity in an undignified world. VORW Radio International's current schedule is as follows:

Here are some examples of shortwave transmissions I can hear over GQRX:

Other frequencies

If you remove direct sampling from your device string, you'll be able to receive all kinds of messages, including:

• Police scanners
• Emergency first responders
• Marine band broadcasts, if you're close to the water
• Freight train dispatchers
• Truckers on CB (citizen band) radio
• Air traffic controllers
• Certain types of walkie-talkies

If your internet goes down in an emergency, and you don't feel you can trust the information you're receiving from the mainstream media, the SDR provides a lot of ways to determine what is happening 'on the ground'. Here are some signals I captured with my SDR:

[playlist images="false" artists="false" ids="21740,21741,21742,21743,21744,21745"]

Further reading and listening

• SF 10-33 is a 24-hour streaming radio station that mixes ambient music with live transmissions from the San Francisco public safety scanner. San Francisco is renowned for its New Age and Ambient music scenes, and also for its total failure to maintain public order.
• Worldwide DX Radio Forum is the best place I have found on the Web to meet other radio enthusiasts. Their members are very knowledgeable and helpful.
• The SWling post is a blog dedicated to shortwave listening. If you want regular, fresh content on SW, this site is very active and frequently updated.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you have any questions or corrections.

I have written several articles related to chemical biological and nuclear survival over the past twenty years and I covered these subjects in all five of my books. My qualifications include being an EMT, HAZMAT Technician, and certified Radiological Monitor way back with the Civil Defense Department in the 80’s. These articles were regarded as interesting but academic a few years ago, but recent chemical spill incidents, an ongoing pandemic, and serious potential for limited or unlimited nuclear war make NBC protection and decontamination skills both relevant and critical for every citizen.

Rules of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Survival

1. Keep the contaminant (chemical, virus, bacteria, and fallout) out of your body. Have or improvise protection.
2. Keep the contaminant (chemical, virus, bacteria, and fallout) off your body.
3. Get out of the contaminated area as fast as possible. Have a plan.
4. Get the contaminant (chemical, virus, bacteria, and fallout) off your body and covering as fast as possible.
5. Isolate yourself from people and material that are contaminated as soon as possible and for as long as possible. Have supplies.
6. Treat the symptoms of chemical exposure, diseases and radiation as effectively as possible. For nuclear contamination have a supply of potassium iodide tablets. Have antibiotics purchased from pet stores, or survival supply outlets. Also have plenty of electrolyte hydration powder, as dehydration is often the main killer from radiation sickness, and infections.

Respiratory Protection

Ninety percent of the immediate harm from biological agents, chemical agents and radioactive fallout is from inhalation and ingestion of the contaminant. Skin and hair exposure must be decontaminated as soon as possible, but what you have breathed and swallowed is irreversible harm. It is unlikely that you will have an M-17 or an Israeli gas mask handy when the NBC event happens. You may be at your job, at school, shopping or on the road. Even if you have full NBC masks and gear at home you may well breathe a lethal amount of contaminant before you get there. Remember: “It’s not what you have that saves you, it’s what you have with you.

Fortunately, the N95 dust/mist masks sold in most hardware stores for painting is all the protection you need from biological threats and nuclear fallout. These mask cost less than $2.00 each. They also can protect you from chemical contaminated dust and soot created by bombs, fires and storms. These masks are small and light enough to carry everywhere. You should have at least one in every jacket, purse, glove box, briefcase, and pack. Have more of them at home. It is critical that you keep them in a sealed plastic bag so that the inside of the masks is not pre-contaminated before you put it on. It is also critical that you fit it properly according to the instructions on the package.

Air and contaminants will not go through a filter if they can go around them. Be aware that all bets are off if you have a beard or heavy facial hair. You may need to consider packing a plastic razor with the mask. The mask will keep biologically contaminated air and mists out of your lungs and will keep radioactive dust partials out of your body where Alpha and Beta radiation do the most harm. The N95 is not rated for chemical protection but does provide very limited short-term reduction in exposure. There are also some N95 plus masks that have a charcoal impregnated layer for improved protection against chemicals. So, you’re most important and effective step to NBC protection is stocking-up on N95 masks and have in a least one with you and every family member wherever you go.

Instructions for Fitting N95 Dust/Mist Masks.

1. Mold the nosepiece to the shape at your fingertips, allowing the headbands to hang below your hand.

2. Press the respirator against your face with the nosepiece on the bridge of your nose.

3. Place the top band high on the back of your head. Move the bottom band over your head and position it below your ears.

4. Using both bands, mold the nosepiece to the shape of your nose.

5. Test the fit. Cup both hands over the respirator and exhale vigorously. If air flows around your nose, tighten the nosepiece. If air leaks around the edges, reposition the bands for better fit.

If you are concerned about chemical agents, consider purchasing a mask designed for pesticide spraying. Most chemical warfare agents are based on pesticides and these masks will work well enough for you to evacuate the affected area. You will also need a pair of chemical goggles to protect your eyes. Both of these are usually available at garden supply stores.

Home Made Mask for Biological Agents

Mix 1 tbsp. of bicarbonate of soda to 1 cup of water. Mix the solution well and soak a cloth or handkerchief in it. Wring out till damp and secure over nose and mouth.

Protective Clothing

In the case of biological agents, you generally will not be wearing protective clothing. However, clothing worn in public (stores, buses, etc.) where it may have been contaminated by coughing, sneezing, contact with furniture etc. should be removed wearing gloves before the mask is removed and should be laundered thoroughly.

Your best protection against biological hazards is the ability to stay completely isolated from the public until the epidemic has run its course. That means having enough food, water and other supplies to eliminate any need to leave home for from two to six weeks. During this time you will have to treat every approaching person including friends and family members as a threat to your life to be turned away or isolated. Decontamination will not save you if the “visitor” is already carrying the contagion. Remember that a person may be contagious long before showing symptoms. In fact biological warfare agents are designed to work just that way. Once the epidemic has started anyone and anything that enters your home must be decontaminated with a 10-percent bleach water solution. Even though you may still have running water it may be contaminated or even be the source of the epidemic. Boil all water for 5-minutes or ad 8-12 drops of bleach per gallon. Never run out of bleach. Have at least five extra gallons on hand at all times and rotate frequently. You will need it for water purification, decontamination and body waste disposal throughout any emergencies. All potentially contaminated food containers (cans, bottles, etc.) that were recently been exposed in public places (stores, etc.) should be wiped down with a 10% bleach solution or a strong soap before opening.

Having kept the hazardous material out of the body, we can move to how to keep them off the skin and hair. There are three situations where body protection may be necessary:

1. Situations where heavy biological contamination exists, such as hospitals, dead bodies, or areas where biological agents have been dispersed.
2. Situations where airborne chemical contaminants are present, such as downwind of a chemical spill. Or in building debris.
3. Any area in the downwind “footprint” of fallout from a nuclear detonation for at least two weeks.

Fortunately, there are fairly simple and easy solutions available. You do not need heavy NBC suits and masks. These products are designed for the military and industry to fight, and work for extended periods in high-risk environments. You just need immediate protection long enough to get out of the contaminated area or reach a fallout shelter.

You can improvise a protective suite from plastic bags rubber bands and a pair of surgical gloves. Latex gloves are a handy item that I keep with each mask. The suit below consists of two large bags used as a skirts and head/body cover and four small ones used to cover arms, legs and shoes. It is important to note that any form of non-porous covering is better than none. Even just the one big bag covers 50% of the body. A raincoat or poncho is far better than nothing.

A step better is the basic Tyvek ™ chemical protective suits with the hoods and feet. These are cheap (around $12.00) light and easy to carry. I keep one in all my survival packs. These two are often available in hardware stores and are used by painters. They are a bit bulky for the pockets, but fit well in the glove box, desk drawer or locker.

Decontamination

Now that we have kept the bad stuff off of our skin and out of our lungs, we need to be able to remove the contamination and contaminated coverings without transferring it back into and onto our bodies. This process is called decontamination. Of course we want to do this when we are outside of the danger zone or at the entrance to more effective shelter (underground for fallout, enclosed from biological or chemical) locations. Ideally this is a two-person job, with both wearing protective clothing. It should be done in a location that will not permit contaminated run-off, spray mists or dusts to contaminate other safe areas.

There are five steps to effective decontamination.

1. Gross decontamination involves simply brushing off or rinsing off any surface contaminants as well as dumping any contaminated gear that will not be needed.
2. Thorough decontamination is accomplished by the use of pressurized water (not high pressure) with a neutralizing or disinfecting solution. A ten-percent bleach solution is best for biological contaminants. Soap and water will clear most chemical and fallout materials. Plain water used copiously will be less effective but may be adequate. The best device for spraying is a commercial pump garden sprayer. Keep a clean one handy at home. They are also good for fighting small class “A” fires and general hygiene tasks.
3. Next you need to“peel of” the protective clothing minimizing any contact with the clean clothing and skin underneath. Step out of the foot coverings* onto an uncontaminated surface. Remove the face mask and then peel off the gloves.

4. If any clothing was potential contaminated before you put on the protection it must be removed and any skin, or hair must be rewashed before dressing and entering the safe zone or shelter.
5. Finish up by bagging all contaminated materials and containing all contaminated waters. Remember; the decontamination area is now a hot zone that cannot be entered without protection. Be sure your selected decontamination area does not block exit routs or entry routs for uncontaminated people. Be sure runoff from the decontamination area does not go into water sources or locations where others may track through it.

Conclusion

Your improvised emergency protection may not be as effective as professional and military equipment, but you are more likely to have it and use it when and where you need it. Used quickly and with care, these techniques will be effective enough to save you from the effects of exposure to radioactive fallout, biological contamination and most chemical exposures. It is recommended that you have at least one N95 mask and a pair of latex gloves in each jacket pocket and several in your survival pack. Have enough plastic bags and/or chemical suits to protect every family member handy.

NOTE: The plastic bag suit, or chemical protection suit and dust mask are all useful for cold weather survival situations and should be part of every survival pack.

Over the last few months, I have been building a new bug-out set-up. For the load bearing portion, I decided on military surplus equipment from the Netherlands, sourced from Varusteleka Oy in Helsinki, Finland. My reasoning for ordering from them has a lot to do with price, and wide availability of the equipment from one source, compared to US sources.

There are some things that one should know when buying any military surplus. One; the essential element of military surplus is the, generally, lower prices for quality gear. Second; unless you are lucky enough to find new, as issued surplus, you are getting used gear. This means that there is a chance there will be some defects. Generally, you will find a grading system to give you an idea of what to expect when you get the product. Varusteleka does not supply a grade, but they do inform you that quality may vary, so they’re honest about what to expect.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Lowe Alpine style “Sting” rucksack. It has a few qualities that made it an excellent choice for me. It is constructed of a strong Cordura-equivalent, Infrared Reflective nylon in a Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) camouflage pattern—very much like the old British
DPM, and like the old American Woodland pattern.

The lid to the pack has a large pocket to store items you need to retrieve quickly. That was the one defect in my pack; the zipper was not closing properly. A quick search on YouTube, and a pair of pliers, and it was functional again. The front of the pack has rows of PALLS/MOLLE to add pouches for extra gear.

The main compartment has a sleeve for a hydration pouch, but it is otherwise just a 60-liter tub that you load from the top. There is an additional twenty liters in the “rocket” pouches on the sides of the pack, and they were the asset that most sold me on the pack. They are removeable by zipper, and once
removed, they zip together and become a day pack with the included backpack straps.

The pack itself has an adjustable suspension system, comfortable shoulder straps, and a good hip belt to help make the bag comfortable to carry. There are variations in the packs—mine has daisy chain straps under the rocket pouches and on the top of the flap pocket that allow for more attachment
options.

Being that I live in Texas, I feel like the 80-liter pack is big enough for my needs and helps me avoid overpacking. If you want to carry more there is also the “Saracen” rucksack, which is just a 120-liter
version of the Sting.

The rucksack is where I will be carrying most of my bug-out gear, but there are tools that I may need to access while on the move. Trauma kits, various tools, compasses, and the like should be kept easily reachable, and a Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) vest will make that easier. It made sense to me to stay with the Dutch family of equipment for a Bug-Out Vest.

This series of Dutch surplus includes a modular vest that I find superior to most surplus LBE on the market. Like most modern gear, it is a PALLS/MOLLE style vest that gives the user a lot of choice. It is highly adjustable to fit most people. On the left and right front of the vest there are zippered pockets for maps and other flat items. Inside the rightside pocket is a holster for a small pistol. The MOLLE webbing covers the entire vest, front and back, to which you can add pouches for gear. They can be found in green, black and DPM.

Varusteleka carries a wide selection of matching pouches in assorted sizes, and for different uses. I bought two three-magazine pouches, a small, general-purpose pouch, and a first aid/admin pouch from the gear selection. I also bought an admin pouch, a trauma kit pouch, and a tool pouch in OD green from Condor. All these pouches fit on the front of the vest. It leaves the possibility to add more pouches to the back of the vest, but in my case, I will be using the rocket pouches for short trips away from camp.

The Dutch gear is proving to be of excellent quality, and functions as expected. Despite their reputation, I have been using Condor gear for years, and I find the quality to fits my needs just fine. In the next issue, I will start discussing what is going into the system, as well as a first-line belt kit. Your mileage may vary, but I am happy with where this set up is headed. The Dutch equipment is popular in Great Britain, and you can find some excellent reviews if you look on YouTube, so doing a little further
research will be easy.

Sources:
Varusteleka Oy
https://www.varusteleka.com/en
Hankasuontie 11 A
00390 Helsinki