Prepper Spy "Satellite"

[All Talk]

I didn't know if this should go in Armory, Gear Locker or Homestaed, so I decided to put it here.

Has anyone been watching the NatGeo series "Rocket City Rednecks"?

These guys cobble toger stuff in their garage. One is actually a physicist and the main guy I think is some kind of engineer, but they slather on plenty of their Alabama "well we was drunk as Cooter Brown" routines for character.

In recent episodes they made their own fireworks (dry rocket fuel) and armored the underside of a pickup against IEDs using, among other things, beer cans as a crumple layer.

The most interesting for our purposes though (I think) was that they launched a tethered weather balloon with downward-looking cameras. They were able to control the attitide (yaw) of the platform using vanes and tiny propellers, so they could track and search with the cameras, which had a live feed via some kind of WiFi download to their ground command center.

I imagined upgrading this to include a IR or night vision (I think I'd go for IR) and launching it at night for a look-down surveillance in retreat defense.

I know it sounds hokey but if you see the episode, it actually seems somewhat practical and a force multiplier.

(the reason i suggest flying it only at night is so the baddies don't spot it/shoot it down.

[Klayton]

Interesting, thanks for the idea... :)

[ebb]

Doesnt sound hokey at all some mapping company came to our neighborhood (where i work) and put up a camera on a ballon and took aerial photos of the back side of the industrial center. I watched the thing on a monitor that he had ,it gave real time intell and was of exceptional quality.

[DIM TIM]

I considered this with one of the RC blimps and a remote IR camera. A few IR emitters placed around a retreat would help give some added heads up at night. For added security, a motion sensor set to turn on the IR emitters would greatly increase OPSEC, because the emitters would give themselves away to others with IR devices themselves. If set as a sort of trip wire device, by the time they activated your security sensors, it would be too late for them to try to remain unobserved. ;)

[sabretech2001]

If you are fortunate enough to be able to throw money at the project, there are a bunch of R/C aircraft out there with a camera already mounted. Those of us who cannot have to be a bit more creative.

Also, there's Arduino, which is a basis for robot design. Radio Shack, who has been losing money trying to be another form of Best Buy, is allegedly going to start selling Arduino, along with getting back to their 'parts for tinkerers' roots. I keep asking, but none of the employees seem to know anything.

The first choice is power. Electric motors are quiet, but batteries are heavy so your payload is reduced. Plus endurance is currently so-so. Gas engines are noisy, but can keep an A/C aloft for a long time.

[All Talk]

I've also thought about R/C aircraft, and i'm sure they could be very useful (especially during an actual operation/defense). What i liked about the tethered balloon idea was (virtually) unlimited on-station time, little or no need for full-time personell manning/flying/controlling (as someone else suggested, you could have warnings and trip wires of sorts around your perimters, and only then man the balloon montior to investigate, vector in interceptiors, etc).

[tarheelsman71]

We played with that idea a couple of times. Thought it might be fun to fly a couple of larger size RC helicopters hauling a small container or tannerite lined with bb's, sort of a flying claymore. Theory is sound, but didnt want to toss 300 bucks away testing it. Sure would be fun to try though. :) As for the weather balloon...kinda think it would look like a beacon for people to come see what it is. For example, you are bugging out with your band of malcontents and on a rise heading into the mountains you spy a balloon in the sky...I would like to know what that is. Nice idea, but I wouldnt want to advertize my location.

[All Talk]

I agree on the opsec problem. For that reason, my thinking was only in the dark, then reel it back in -- or during an actual firefight defense.

I suppose you could simply install camerars around the approaches and get similar results with less opsec issues.

But watch the episode, and you'll be thinking "cool, I need to figure out why i need that!"

[PerryJeff]

Great Idea and thoughts. Agree night would be most practical with IR. I have thought of the RC copters but you do still have the noise while this would give nice over the horizion night vision without exposing your abilities.

[Klayton]

Great Idea and thoughts. Agree night would be most practical with IR. I have thought of the RC copters but you do still have the noise while this would give nice over the horizion night vision without exposing your abilities.

Go electric, and go quad copter with gyros for stability and perfect hovering ability with little input from you.

[All Talk]

Go electric, and go quad copter with gyros for stability and perfect hovering ability with little input from you.

And then keep if in a Faraday enclosure :-)

[Klayton]

And then keep if in a Faraday enclosure :-)

True, but EMP is only ONE of the potential threats we as preppers are challenged with. I am betting on economic collapse as being our first "knock at the door". Just my best SWAG.

[610Alpha]

Been looking at some of their clips and these guys rock. Where can I find the full episodes? Tried hulu and no luck.

[All Talk]

I get national geographic channel on my directv. I imagine if you get that, they'll run reruns.

Also, just typed in "rocket city rednecks" on amazon and they show offers to sell by the episode, $1.99.

[610Alpha]

found them on the catchup section for TV Series thru my cable company...saw a good one for off grid power (wood gasifier) and one for making a storm shelter that can withstand a F5 tornado.