Well, Vlad, my partner in this venture, has written up a bit of an explanation where he got the original idea and goes over, in some detail, some of the components.  It’s at http://hacksrus.com/~recompiler/tars.php

Vlad’s post goes over the original idea, propellant, shells, and some of the arming ideas we have come up with.  In this forum, we’re going to do a post about the electronics, cameras, battery packs, etc.

But go read Vlad’s post.  He has GREAT details about the components and ideas!

Oh, and for the video of our first launch, go here.  http://www.youtube.com/user/quadling1#p/a/u/0/u0OZ45EvO8o

Only the first minute or so is useful, but we left the whole thing there so you can watch our failure drills. 

A beginning.  We wanted to throw a camera that could push live video to receivers on the ground.  And we wanted to use a 37mm flare launcher to do the pushing.  Well, Vlad owns a launcher from Spike’s Tactical.  (Awesome people at Spike’s, by the way.  Their products rock, and their customer service is fantastic. We do not work for Spike’s.  We just like their stuff.)

Josh owns enough cameras to outfit a small Indian casino.  No, seriously.  So let’s try putting it together.

We managed to find small wireless cameras that would fit in Baby Soda Bottles (or Parison Tubes, for the pedantic).  Battery adapters were hand made, and hand wired.  Soldering lithium-ion batteries was fun, in a fatalistic way. Hey, you heat up something that burns, enthusiastically, and not be fatalistic!

Custom shells were acquired, ballistic tables calculated, and primers bought.  It’s time. Drumroll!

Well, it was an abject failure.  But a great success all at the same time.  The projectile only flew about 30 feet.  The video was not-so-good.  But it flew.  It worked.  We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but Vlad and I are convinced it’s workable.

So we presented on the matter at BsidesLV and Defcon.  Why would you present a firearm talk at a Hacker Con?  Ah!  Well, we’re hackers.  And the informational aspects of this make this a tool of Cyber war, or Ground Search and Rescue Info.

Um, people listened. Wow!

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/92192-home-made-grenade-launcher-digital-camera-shown-off-at-def-con

http://gizmodo.com/5828751/build-a-military+grade-camera+flinging-grenade-launcher-for-500-bucks

http://www.geekosystem.com/diy-camera-launcher/

http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/the-firefly-is-a-military-grade-grenade-launcher-that-shoots-a-wireless-camera-2011088/

http://www.techworld.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/

http://cio-asia.com/tech/security/build-your-own-camera-launch-it-like-a-grenade/

http://geeks.thedailywh.at/2011/08/08/camera-drone-launcher-gun-of-the-day/

http://techshadez.ishadez.com/tag/marpet/

http://www.networkmirror.com/OIhtu2pQS35a635D/www.techworld.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/index.html

http://www.cio.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218962/Build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_a_grenade

http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/

http://todaysdefense.com/?p=6059

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/hackers-show-diy-defense-and-disaster-response-gear-at-defcon/2011/08/08/gIQAbmiu2I_story.html

http://www.cio.com/article/687365/Build_Your_Own_Camera_Launch_it_Like_a_Grenade

http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/08/hackers-show-diy-defense-and-disaster-response-gear-at-defcon/

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/08/08/0354228/Build-Your-Own-Camera-Launch-It-Like-a-Grenade

Couple things.  The photo in many of the stories is of me.  (Dear god)  Oleg Volk took the photo.  Oleg is a friend of ours, and a truly awesome photographer.  If you get a chance, please check out his site.  Olegvolk.net

There are many things unsaid in the articles.  Slashdot has some great questions and comments.  I’ve answered some, and I’ll answer any here too.

For now, I have a Blue Man Group show to go to, since we’re still in Vegas.  Talk to you a little later tonight!

Joshua

Edit: Looks like we made GeeksAreSexy!  Yes!

Also, we made a website called Sync, albeit with a few details wrong. We are aiming for 3-400 meters in the air, not 75, but hey, thanks for checking us out anyway!

The first trap scenario was a slight gully in front of us with a hill sloping up showing sky behind with trees on either side. This trap shot the clay straight up and I was told to lead slightly ahead and shot just as it started to slow before the height of its trajectory.

The next one was looking up a cleared hillside with heavy woods left and right. For this one we had to shot twice. The first clay winged out quickly close by from my right and flew away up the hill almost immediately followed by a second clay further out on the left crossing to the right about half way up the hill with maybe just a two or three seconds between shots. That was quite a challenge!

Our third scenario was an open field with lots of sky, with the sun in our eyes on the left shooting at a clay traveling to the right and at a quickly rising clay on the right making a slight arch to the left.

All in all it was a great morning and I even got two compliments from our guide. A great experience that encouraged me to continue, and with the 20 gauge, very little punishment. I was just a little bit sore the next day, but pleasantly so, if you know what I mean, but ready to go for my first day hunting with a shotgun! I’ll save that story for my next post.

Tactical reloads are not sexy, exciting, or interesting to watch. But they are useful. So let’s talk about them. What is a tactical reload? Well, assume you have a firearm with a 15 round magazine. You’ve shot at and eliminated a target/threat with 5 rounds, and have 10 rounds left (don’t worry about one in the chamber for a minute, ok?) So I have enough for 2 more threats! Hell, no! You might, you might not, and heck, you might have 5 threats around the corner. So you tactical reload. You drop the mag, and put it in a pocket in case you need it. And you put a new mag in the firearm. That maxes you out on immediately available rounds (in the weapon) while still conserving the rounds in the semi-used mag (in case, god forbid, that you need them). Oh, you did do a 360 scan before you reloaded, right? Just checking. And where did you get the full mag from? A mag carrier or pouch? Do not put the semi used mag in there. Put it in a pocket, or dump pouch instead, so it does not get mixed up with other (full) mags. But, do grab another full mag, and refill the carrier, if you have time.

Essentially, the idea is to keep every round you have maxed out, either in the weapon or in proximity to the weapon. Pretty simple idea in theory. But since it’s so simple, people just go, “Oh, yeah, that’s easy. If I ever needed to do that, I could.” Right! Because you will have fully rational thought processes in a firefight. Of course you will, so long as your name is Superman. I’m not Superman. I fight like I train. So I train like I fight. Simple idea. Made up of simple practical ideas. Because in a firefight, I don’t think. I react, and act, and move, like I train.

How do you train? What simple things do you do in a training session, to prep for a real problem in the real world?

http://www.knotandrope.com/store/pc/Military-webbing-climbing-ladder-p437.htm#details

I was looking for manila or sisal rope for a project, and I came across this ladder.  Beautiful tough ladder.  I can think of a dozen uses for it, and its at a rope store? Hey, I find things all over the place.

Gear is expensive.  Good gear is REALLY expensive.  Sometimes you can find a break, and I recommend a few places to look for clearance items.

LA Police Gear – Their Clearance section is awesome, and their service is pretty exceptional. – www.lapolicegear.com

Quartermasters – http://www.qmuniforms.com/

Ebay – This one is worth an article all to itself.  That’s next week!
Botachtactical.com – These guys have some great specials.  However, I’ve personally had issues with them selling it to me on the website, and then it’s never in stock.
Liquidation.com – auctions of weird stuff, occasionally get some good deals.
gun-deals.com – deal aggregator for guns, ammo, knives, etc.
gunbroker.com – buy weapons, or at least get a good idea of the value of a firearm or knife.
govliquidation.com – Find out what amazingly expensive equipment the government paid for, and is selling off at ridiculous discounts!
Sierratradingpost.com – camping gear, and lots and lots of clothing.

But don’t forget, there are places you’d never expect to find usable gear, that you find things at.  I’ve gotten SOG Powerlock multi-tools on clearance at Lowe’s, some people found Surefire’s on clearance at Home Depot, and army-navy stores are always getting shipments of stuff in that nobody else knows what to do with, but would be perfect in your SHTF bag.

Some more examples:

http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.905 – cheaper flashlights than any surefire.

http://countycomm.com/ – Darn near everything they have is worthwhile to look at.

heck, just googling “survival deals” found me this treasure trove of stuff.

http://blog.shoppingbookmarks.com/2009/09/15/roadside-emergency-survival-deals/

http://www.remnantstore.com/ – Found this one from a Florida Survivalist website. Tiny fishing rods for backpacking, and some interesting other stuff as well.

http://www.flsurvival.com/index.php?topic=626.0 – a link to guy who makes titanium fire pistons.  This is apparently an ancient method to make fire, which requires no matches, flint, lighter, or anything but some char cloth and a compression cylinder.  Fascinating tech.

http://www.flsurvival.com/index.php?topic=2354.0 – Here’s someone happy that Ace Hardware had diamond strike anywhere matches for less than $2.  Are matches useful in a Survival kit or GO Bag?  Hell yes!

http://www.colemans.com/emergency.htm – Ok, maybe the bright silver reflective welders pants aren’t emergency gear, but they are interesting.

Basically, to be prepared, whether prepared to go camping, or prepared when SHTF, is an expensive process.  To minimize the expense, it takes a little time on the internet, every once in a while.  But make it fun.  It’s a journey of discovery and learning, not just spending money.

I never knew about fire pistons before, so I learned a new way to make fire.  Did you ever hear about it?  What have you learned while searching for a specific piece of gear?  Or what off-beat place did you find awesome cheap gear while surfing around on the InterWebz?  Let me know in the comments!

If you live in Nevada like I do the online exam is $15. After passing and printing out the online certificate you can then go to the Nevada Department of Wildlife website to register for an all day Hunter Ed class (9am – 5pm) where I had to pay $5. It’s a good idea to bring some bottled water or drinks with you. We did have an hour lunch break, and I finished the written test a little early getting done a little after 4pm. There were kids there too, but the kids were admonished not to help their dads with the questions!

After that, it’s just a matter of registering for an actual hunter’s license. I did learn a lot of great stuff in class, but more interestingly, the instructor told us that the number of hunting licenses are what attract federal funding to the state for wildlife management and conservation. If more people get licensed to hunt, more federal funds get allocated to the state. So, even if you’re not a hunter, but would still like to support wildlife conservation, ironically, getting a hunting license is a great way to do it!

Did the hostage taker have a gun? It did not look like it.
That was some pretty intense use of a firearm.
In the U.S. would that have gotten the police woman in trouble?

• Hobby
  1. Collecting
  2. Gunsmithing
  3. Art & Literature
• Sport
  1. Target Shooting
  2. Competition
  3. Trick Shooting
  4. Hunting
• Self Defense
  1. Weapon choices
  2. Philosophy
  3. Mindset