Friday, March 13, 2009

Tactical Reviews: ClearShot Lens Cleaning Kit

© 2009 Albert A Rasch


ClearShot Lens Cleaning Kit

I recently received Charlie King's ClearShot Lens Cleaning Kit. Charlie is a motorcycling enthusiast, who after struggling to find a kit to keep his helmet visor clean, put together the ClearShot. (Charlie's ride to the Arctic Ocean is photo-chronicled here.) As a fellow outdoor enthusiast he saw a need and striking out on his own, has built a great product, and is now marketing it through dealers throughout the United States.



ClearShot Lens Cleaning Components

The ClearShot system puts all of your lens cleaning items in one self contained package. The container is a rigid ABS plastic case, with three separate compartments. Four rubber caps seal the ends securely. The caps are attached, so you can't lose them! If necessary, the caps and tethers will come off and you can paint the ABS flat black, sand, or any other subdued color that suits your needs.

The long compartment contains a small spray bottle of Charlie's proprietary lens cleaning and anti-fog solution. The raspberry colored compound is non-toxic, biodegradable, and safe for all optic surfaces; this includes glass, mineral glass, plastic, and polycarbonate lenses. The pump sprayer works very well, surprisingly well! I can tell that Charlie put a lot of thought into the whole package.

There are two cloths for cleaning your lens, a blue heavy cleaner, and a white polishing cloth. The Blue cloth is an optical grade microfiber made for coarse cleaning. (Like getting bugs off your visor.) The white polishing cloth is also a microfiber textile, but softer and with a finer weave. It will leave a polished, streak-free finish on the surface on your optics

Here is a word of advice. If your lenses are so dirty that you think you need the blue cloth, wash them with running water. Tip your canteen over and get the grit and grime off first, before you try to use a piece of cloth on it. Then use the blue cloth to dry it. Otherwise you will just damage the surface of your optics and degrade its capabilities. This is especially true of coated optics.


ClearShot Lens Cleaning Spray


Blue Cloth


White Cloth

If it is just a case of fingerprint smudges, fog, or nose oil on your lenses, then a quick spritz, and a wipe down with the polishing cloth will get you back in business again.

It is available in the following colors: Red, Blue, Orange, Silver.

My only suggestion is to take a Sharpie, or an engraving tool, and mark the ends of the tubes with their respective components. Makes it a whole lot easier to determine the contents!

The ClearShot Lens Cleaning Kit is a great little package that is well designed. It is cheap insurance for those optics that frequently cost far more than the rifle they sit on, and for all of your lens cleaning needs.


ClearShot Lens Cleaning Kit
1-888-294-8109
Email: info@clear-shot.net
MSRP: $20.00


Monday, March 9, 2009

Tactical Reviews: TriSquare’s eXRS TSX 300 Two Way Radios

© 2009 The Range Reviews: Tactical

I have been looking forward to this review of the TriSquare eXRS TSX 300 radio. Two-way and license free communication radios, they are innovative and modestly priced for the technology and privacy received.



TriSquare’s eXRS (Extreme Radio Service) two way radio products are "new technology," hand-held, portable, and two-way radios. eXRS utilizes advanced digital frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) techniques originally developed to provide stealth radio communications for the military. By constantly switching between many frequencies,rather than broadcasting on a single one, the FHSS techniques prevent eavesdropping and interference from other radios and scanners, including other eXRS two way radios if not tuned to the same channel. Furthermore they operate in the 900MHz range as opposed to the more common 400MHz, thereby staying out of that very crowded frequency range. And if that isn't enough, the transmissions are digital which gives a bit more privacy and clarity of signal.

All the pieces and ready to go!


Size comparison to a 30rd CMMG Immortal Magazine


Starting Out:

First thing I did was install the two 4.8V NiMH batteries into their respective radios. The Value Pac comes with a dual desk top charger and the AC adapter. I dropped them in for a daylong charging session. The Desktop Charger does have built in overcharge protection circuitry to prevent overcharging and damaging the batteries. When I picked them up, the radios battery level indicator read full. Note: To prolong the life of the rechargeable battery pack, the radio should be removed from the charger regularly and the batteries should be allowed to discharge. The full discharge and charge cycle keeps the battery in good condition.

Reasonably sized.


There are also two ear pieces that connect to the radios via standard Motorola connections. The wrap around earpiece molds to the shape of your ear and holds it in place securely but comfortably. The wire is long enough to be routed in whatever way you deem suitable.

Set up for unobtrusive Push-to-Talk.

I wrapped it around my belt, and then in my shirt and out the collar (While using the VOX setting.) to keep it unobtrusive and snag free. On PTT (Push to Talk) I routed it out between buttons and back in again.

Left Voice Actuated, Right Push-to-Talk.


Earpiece is light and stays in place.


Power:

It puts out the signal at one watt. That is enough that the Mrs and I, traveling in different vehicles, were able to communicate across several lanes of traffic and at varying distances of up to about one mile. That was the outside limit on the road. Possibly the metal car bodies affected the signal strength.

Another operator and I tested them in thick, subtropical brush and woods, and found that we had several hundred yards of range with no problem. We actually never reached a signal loss point. This would be great item for hunters working an area together, or checking in with each others before approaching a blind or stand. I can think of many applications for this when out in the field!

The Mrs and I also tried them in a "big box" store with plenty of aisles between us, and again had no problems.

On bicycles though, we never were able to get far enough to degrade the signal. I estimate we were 3.5 miles apart and still getting crystal clear signals. This of course is Florida near the coast with flat land and few obstacles.

Though they are not waterproof, we where caught in a rain squall which soaked us thoroughly. The radios were somewhat protected by our shirts, and I was pleased to see that they suffered no ill effects from the dampness.

The model TSX300 is available in a single pack and in a value-pack which includes 2 TSX300 radios, a dual port drop-in charger with AC wall adapter, 2 NiMH rechargeable battery packs and 2 VOX/PTT headsets.


I think this is a great value for the money. Clear communications, rugged, programmable, private, and once again reasonably priced. The only thing I did was add clear packing tape over the screen to protect it from the rough use I knew the kids and I would put it through. I was impressed with the package as a whole. If you need more headsets and units, they are available in single units, and as I mentioned earlier they are programmable so they synchronize to a single net.

TriSquare
eXRS TSX 300
MSRP: $99.00
Street: $79.99 to $99.00

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Border Security: America is in Danger: Part I

© 2009 Albert A Rasch


I recently received an Email from my associate, "He-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless," asking me to scratch the surface a small amount and see what was going on around the border towns between the United States of America and Mexico. Always happy to oblige.

It has been a long time since 1916. That's when Pancho Villa crossed the American border and was hounded by Blackjack Pershing and a young Lt Patton. And as some of you may be aware, the border towns on the Mexican side are suffering through a relentless wave of violence, murder, torture, kidnappings, and armed battles. The Mexican officials seem unwilling or unable to stem the tide of criminality. The state of violence is so great that one would be hard pressed not to call it a civil war.

The United States Joint Forces Command puts out a yearly study named the Joint Operating Environment.

"The Joint Operating Environment is intended to inform joint concept development and experimentation throughout the Department of Defense. It provides a perspective on future trends, shocks, contexts, and implications for future joint force commanders and other leaders and professionals in the national security field."

Though speculative in nature, it is meant to be a starting point for discussion.

I'll spare you all the details of the global threat assessment. Suffice it to say that you should not read this to your kids as a bedtime story. One paragraph in the 56 page document caught my eye. (PDF is available here.)

"The Mexican possibility may seem less likely, but the
government, its politicians, police, and judicial infrastructure
are all under sustained assault and pressure by criminal gangs
and drug cartels. How that internal conflict turns out over
the next several years will have a major impact on the stability
of the Mexican state. Any descent by Mexico into chaos
would demand an American response based on the serious
implications for homeland security alone.
"

Let us take a moment to analyze that for just a moment. Mexico falls into anarchy, turns into another Somalia, right at the doorstep of the United States of America. Not withstanding that one fifth of all Mexicans now live within the United States, (approximately 42 million documented, and possibly up to 30 million undocumented) the decent into chaos would cause untold American deaths, and misery the likes of which we have never seen. The powder kegs of the Barrios of LA, Chicago, and New York, could potentially destabilize large sections of American territory, to say nothing of tying up valuable and necessary resources.

"The drug business has become so large and so extended; it is like this octopus with something like 50 tentacles that has infiltrated every aspect of Mexican society today." "The very chief of the people in charge of investigating criminal activity was himself jailed for connections with the mafia." From Voice of America

Ciudad Juarez borders El Paso, Texas and is one of several frontlines of the narco-terrorists assault on the United States. Consider that 1500 Mexican citizens have been murdered in Juarez the last year alone, 5600 for all of Mexico. That's on the Mexican side.

Over the Rio Grande, life is still relatively calm. "'It’s strange to be the third-safest city in the United States right next to a war zone,' said Mayor John Cook of El Paso, as he gazed at the ramshackle neighborhoods of Juárez." NYT 01/23/09

None-the-less, Texas Governor Rick Perry went to El Paso to announce that has asked Washington for 1,000 more "boots on the ground" to enforce the border. TIME

It is just a matter of time before the war spills over onto our streets.



Tim Gaynor – Mon Mar 2, 9:42 PHOENIX (Reuters)Hit men dressed in fake police tactical gear burst into a home in Phoenix, rake it with gunfire and execute a man. Armed kidnappers snatch victims from cars and even a local shopping mall across the Phoenix valley for ransom, turning the sun-baked city into the "kidnap capital" of the United States.



In the meantime American citizens are doing what they can.

Roger Barnett has been doing the job of the Border Patrol for them. Roger Barnett, 64, began tracking and holding illegal immigrants in 1998 and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, after the damage to his property became intolerable. Not only were fences cut, but calves were killed and the illegals broke into his home.

His Cross Rail Ranch near Douglas, Ariz., is known by federal and county law enforcement authorities as "the avenue of choice" for immigrants seeking to enter the United States illegally.” Jerry Seper, Washington Times (Contact)



To add insult to injury, 16 illegal aliens have sued Mr Barnett over supposed violations of their rights. Represented by MALDEF, a legal organization that bills itself as “the nation’s leading non-profit Latino legal organization.” “Often described as the “law firm of the Latino community,” MALDEF promotes equality and justice through litigation, advocacy, public policy, and community education in the areas of employment, immigrants’ rights, political access, voting rights, education, and language rights.” (About MALDEF), they have sued Barnett to the tune of $32 million.


On Febuary 18th, using the laws of this Nation, against a citizen of this Nation, for the benefit of people illegally entering this great Nation, MALDEF convinced a Judge and jury that Mr Barnett is “liable for assaulting and intentionally inflicting emotional distress on a group of immigrants he found on public land.” Arizona Jury Finds…

The judgment was for $73,352.00, far less than the Illegals and their representatives from MALDEF had wished for.

I find it very interesting that the language used by MALDEF in their News Release is accusatory, filled with innuendo, and as filled with racist overtones as their accusation of Mr Barnett was.

They also feel the need to indicate who the law firm that represented Mr Barnett was.

I wonder why?

In addition, MALDEF’s news release claims that the Illegals were on public property: “group of immigrants he found on public land.” The Cross Rails Ranch is in fact private property.

"This is my land. I’m the victim here," Mr. Barnett said. "When someone´s home and loved ones are in jeopardy and the government seemingly can’t do anything about it, I feel justified in taking matters into my own hands. And I always watch my back." AP



MALDEF National Headquarters
634 S Spring Street
Los Angeles, California 90014
213-629-2512

The contact persons for the Barnett Case are:
Estuardo Rodriguez: (202) 631-2892
Marisol Perez: (210) 224-5476

Estuardo Rodriguez is an attorney that specializes in public relations. He serves as a principal at the Raben Group. “The Raben Group combines "inside the Beltway" experience, insight and access with outside-the-box thinking for clients in the corporate, public and governmental sectors.” From their home page.

Marisol Perez is a MALDEF staff attorney and counsel for the plaintiffs.


To add to the volatile mix, we need to go further south to the Triple Border Region, where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. If you feel like sweating a little read this: Terrorist Base South of Border."Intelligence experts now assume the so-called jihadi spider web is moving north fast from Paraguay."

The next part will deal with transnational gangs, narco terrorists, and our tenuous grasp on national sovereignty.

Have a nice Day!

The Range.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Tactical Reviews: aLOKSAK LOKSAKs

© 2009 Albert A Rasch

Made by LOKSAK, aLOKSAK® bags are resealable element-proof storage bags, that hermetically seal with a slide and squeeze of the finger and thumb. That means absolutely no water, air, dust or humidity can get into the bag. Sort of like a Ziploc, but better.

They are designed for a wide range of applications and environments. They come in multiple sizes ranging from 5" X 4" to 32" X 16". You can fit anything from a PDA to a rifle in these bags. The transparent bags are flexible and puncture resistant, and can be sealed over and over again. The unique and patented materials, closure systems and manufacturing techniques used to fabricate the aLOKSAK meet the most rigorous testing standards including those of the US Navy. The US Army Special Forces Group Dive Detachment also uses them to protect their valuable electronics from salt water and hot humid conditions.

Well if they are that good, let me put them to the test.

Will it leak?

So I got a little crazy. I took a couple of 5.56 rounds, a carbide blade sharpener, and a ball of tissue paper, and stuffed them into the 4.5" X 7" LOKSAK, and...

Washer filling up; LOKSAK up to the challenge.

Dumped it all in the washing machine.

Well, after the cotton/heavy cycle I am happy to report that no water made it into the bag. The bags are puncture resistant. With the beating it took in the washer, I was pleasantly surprised that bag showed no sign of abrasion from the carbide sharpener.

Kodak EasyShare Z710 inthe LOKSAK

Feeling much more confident I took the large bag, a 12" X 12", and put my Kodak EasyShare Z710 digital point and shoot camera in it. The Mrs has a Fuji FinePix F50 SE so I borrowed that, to take pictures of what I was about to do. I went to the lake and submerged my Kodak. Fiddling around with the controls from outside the bag, I was able to turn it on and take a few pictures, none of which came out in that pea green soup near the edge. But the camera didn't get wet, and you can take pictures through the bag. I'll be testing that capability further.



This is going to take some work to wring the picture taking bugs out.

After squeezing as much air out as possible, I found that a left to right squeeze and slide, and a right to left reiteration, made sure that the seal was 100%. This is important, as any lack of seal will allow water to penetrate. Yes it takes a few more seconds to do right, but it is worth it. I have read of failures with the bag, and I suspect that either an excessive amount of air was left in the bag, which then forced its way out through the seals, or the bag was not sealed properly to begin with.

Keeping valuables safe.

The LOKSAK has a myriad of uses. It works great for its intended purpose of keeping water out, but it also works just as well at keeping things in. Dehydrated foods can be rehydrated by pouring boiling water into the bag. It can be used to protect valuable items from weather or enviromental damage.

So far, I really like the aLOKSAK. It performs as advertised, and does the job well. I Rate this another solid buy for those people that need to keep things safe and undamaged while outdoors.


And remember, it's made in the USA!!!

LOKSAK, Inc.
Street prices range from$6.99 to $11.99 depending on size.

How Free is Your State?

© 2009 Albert A Rasch

Here is an interesting report from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The Mercatus Center applies scholarly research to the problems facing policy makers with respect to economics.

Jason Sorens and William Ruger present a comprehensive ranking of American states on their public policies affecting individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres.

"We find that the freest states in the country are New Hampshire, Colorado, and South Dakota, which together achieve a virtual tie for first place. All three states feature low taxes and government spending and middling levels of regulation and paternalism. New York is the least free by a considerable margin, followed by New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, and Maryland. On personal freedom alone, Alaska is the clear winner, while Maryland brings up the rear. As for freedom in the different regions of the country, the Mountain and West North Central regions are the freest overall while the Middle Atlantic lags far behind on both economic and personal freedom. Regression analysis demonstrates that states enjoying more economic and personal freedom tend to attract substantially higher rates of internal net migration."
From Freedom in the 50 States


The full PDF report is available at Freedom in the 50 States.


Regards,
Albert A Rasch