If you're learning about radios, it's important to understand the key differences between digital and analog radios. Explaining all the details of the digital vs. analog radio debate would require a lengthy technical article, and that would be overwhelming for beginners, so we'll give you the simplified Cliff's Notes version instead.
Most consumer-grade two-way radios and walkie-talkies are analog, meaning they send information (i.e. your voice) in a continuous wave. Digital radios convert information into packets of binary data (ones and zeros), which are sent over the air and converted back into audio by the receiver. Rather than a continuous wave, digital signal is intermittent.
In practical terms, this means that the quality of analog transmissions gradually declines as distance increases. If you’re near the edge of an analog radio’s range, voices may sound garbled or may be drowned out by white noise. On the other hand, digital radios maintain loud and clear audio quality all the way to the end of the covered area, at which point signal will cut out completely.
Pros and Cons of Digital Radios
For the sake of brevity, we’ll leave you with some general pros and cons for digital radio:
PROS
Clearer audio quality
Longer usable range
Up to 50-percent longer battery life due to low standby power consumption
Capable of transmitting voice or data (text messages, GPS coordinates, caller ID, etc.)
Capable of “splitting” channels to allow simultaneous private conversations from multiple users
Napoleon famously said, “The secret of war lies in the communications.” This concise statement reinforces the importance of communication at all levels of a fighting force — individuals, squads, platoons, companies, battalions, and so on. If communications are severed, the ability to coordinate often follows suit. Outside of a military context, the same principles apply to civilian emergency preparedness. If your group of family and friends is your squad, you should establish a solid plan for communications for any emergency. In yesterday's article about encrypted radios, we provided an introduction to how encryption can help you ensure communication security (COMSEC). Today, we'll take a look at two plate carrier radio setups from Safariland and Silynx that integrate our encrypted Off Grid Comms handhelds into our load-bearing gear.
Radio Setups & Applications
Above: Integrating a dual-comm setup into this TYR Tactical plate carrier was easy, with one radio placed on each side of the cummerbund.
You can do a lot better than clipping your radio to your belt or shoving it into a pocket. There’s a nearly endless ecosystem of accessories and upgrades for radios, especially popular models such as the Motorola XTS series. To make the most of your radio, we recommend integrating it into the rest of your gear. A few options to consider:
Add a speaker mic so you can use the radio while it’s stowed in your hiking pack or on your duty belt
Connect a low-profile earpiece so you can talk more discreetly in public
Pair your radio with an active ear protection system for use at the shooting range, or other loud environments
Build a complete dual-comm system that includes two radios on separate frequencies with a push-to-talk (PTT) button to activate each radio
Above: The Motorola XTS 3000 radios provided by Off Grid Comms can be used as stand-alone handsets, or can be connected to a variety of headsets and PTT systems.
Read on as we share two plate carrier radio setups configured by our staff. Each of these is connected to one of the Motorola XTS 3000 radios featured in our encrypted radio article. However, through the use of modular connectors, each of these systems can also be connected to a variety of other radios and comms devices.
Patrick McCarthy: Safariland Liberator V
I spend a lot of time shooting, whether it’s out in the desert with friends, at local competitions, or taking classes to learn about specific skills and weapon platforms. These activities don’t always require the same amount of gear — sometimes it’s just ear pro and eye pro, and other times it’s a full plate carrier, battle belt, and helmet with night vision system attached. With this in mind, I wanted a scalable, modular comms system.
The Safariland Liberator V is a professional-grade headset that integrates active ear pro and a dual-comm radio setup. Ordering the Liberator V reveals options for color (black, FDE, or OD green), left or right-side microphone placement, three types of suspension systems, two types of PTT controls, and even a gas mask input. Each system is made to order, and can be configured for a wide variety of military, law enforcement, and commercial radios. Certain configurations also offer a connector to integrate a cell phone into the system.
Above: Safariland's Adaptive Suspension Kit allowed me to mount the Liberator V headset to the back of the rails on my Team Wendy helmet, keeping the top rails open for lights and other accessories.
Since the Liberator V is a dual-comm system, I requested connectors for two Motorola XTS radios. This allows me to use one in digital encrypted mode for secure communication with Off Grid Comms radios, and one in analog GMRS mode for general use, or use both in encrypted mode to communicate on two separate encrypted channels. Audio from both radios is piped into the headset, and I can control each from the two-button PTT. This configuration didn’t offer a cell phone connector, but I’m OK with that. My phone is clipped into a Juggernaut Case PALS mount for navigation and video-recording duties.
Above: This PALS Plate Carrier Mount from Juggernaut Case offers quick access to a cell phone for communication and navigation.
Both XTS radios are mounted on opposing sides of my TYR Tactical plate carrier’s cummerbund in Blue Force Gear elastic pouches. The PTT’s inline disconnects allow me to unplug or replace a radio without any hassle. In situations where I don’t need one of the radios, I can shove a rifle mag into the vacant pouch.
Safariland’s Adaptive Suspension system makes it possible to swap the headset from a headband to a helmet mount in seconds. When I’m training with night vision, I attach it to the Safariland rail mount installed on my Team Wendy Exfil LTP bump helmet. The rest of the time, I use the headset in the standard Comfort Fit headband. And in situations where I just need ear pro without comms — like casual range sessions with friends — I can disconnect the headset from the PTT and use it as active ear protection. Clear sound and comfy gel cups make the Liberator system easy to wear all day, no matter what I’m using it for.
Above: The Safariland Liberator V headset can be used as standalone ear protection, or it can be connected to the included push-to-talk button that offers control over two separate radios.
Tom Marshall: Silynx Clarus
Setting up my comms system, I was looking for two things. First, I wanted my communications system to be independent of my helmet. While over-the-ear muffs attached to helmet rails look cool and are awesome for combat operations where a helmet is mandatory, nowadays I rarely wear one outside of a photo shoot. Even working as a security contractor overseas, helmets weren’t widely used, even though comms capability was mandatory when rolling out of bed in the morning. The other factor important to me was a system that could integrate with multiple types of communication devices. While having an encrypted setup is a boon for family or neighborhood teams working together, prepared civilians cannot ensure everyone around them will be operating on the same frequency or even using the same radio platforms. Enter Silynx. Though their bread-and-butter is outfitting military and government organizations, almost all of their equipment is available to civilians, and they offer scaled hardware suites for a variety of applications.
I started with their Clarus dual-lead push-to-talk (PTT) box, the cornerstone of this entire setup. I wanted to make sure I had the ability to communicate within my family/team on the Off Grid Comms encrypted radios as well as outside elements or responders who may be talking to me on other devices. The Clarus has a modular split-cable adapter system allowing you to configure the PTT box to interface with multiple types of devices. Silynx offers adapters for a variety of device types. I focused on three: the Motorola XTS pattern, a two-pin adapter for Baofeng radios, and a 3.5mm headphone jack that’s compatible with smart phones.
After playing with a couple of different permutations, I settled on setting up my Arbor Arms Communicator Armor System (CAS) plate carrier to run the Silynx Clarus with one Motorola and my smartphone. The Motorola is stowed in an Esstac radio pouch on the left cummerbund arm of the CAS. The smartphone is on a Juggernaut Case phone case and PALS Adapter tray, which lets me attach my phone directly to my plate carrier for hands-free operation. It should be noted that most current-gen smartphones don’t have legacy-style headphone ports built in anymore. But there are small adapters available that will interface this jack with either USB-C or Apple Lightning Cable ports. Since I run a Galaxy phone, I purchased a $20 USB-C adapter from Amazon and was in business. This particular capability — integrating your cell phone into your radio communication setup — is perhaps the most unique and useful feature of the Silynx system for prepared citizens.
With this setup, I’m able to make a phone call and keep the line open hands free. But the person on the other end of the phone can only hear me when I press the corresponding transmit button on my Clarus PTT box. This is an outstanding capability to have if, for example, you have to call 911 and speak with first responders while also coordinating with a family member, neighbor, or friend who has an Off Grid Comms Motorola. Now you no longer have to be at the scene of the incident to direct responders to someone else who needs help — you can relay information remotely by having two lines of communication open. While a regular phone call will not be secure, you can use apps like Signal or Threema (both discussed in Issue 53), to make voice or video calls with end-to-end encryption, while still having the ability to transmit/receive through your Off Grid Comms Motorola, also encrypted.
Above: We used an Esstac pouch to secure the radio to the cummerbund, routing the wires through it and into the rear plate bag.
Since I specifically wanted my communications to be independent of a helmet, Silynx sent me their Clarus in-ear buds, which are equipped with an in-line microphone as well as their hear-thru and sound localization technology. This feature directionally amplifies low-level ambient sound to enhance situational awareness but cuts out when receiving or transmitting communication so you can have clear conversations over radio or phone. This technology functions much like current-generation active hearing protection systems, but with the added benefit of receiving radio and phone transmissions as well. It should be noted that the Clarus we used also has a modular top lead, meaning you can unhook the in-ear buds and switch to helmet-mounted muffs or boom mic-style headsets if that better fits your application.
Above: The Arbor Arms CAS 2.0 offers plenty of routing pass-throughs, which let us bury most of the Silynx wiring underneath the carrier.
I was able to route all my cables through sleeves integrated into the Arbor Arms CAS, to minimize the amount of cable exposed to snagging or environment damage. While the Silynx system does include clips that are sized to pass through MOLLE/PALS-style webbing, I used a couple of small zip-ties to fully secure the hardware to my carrier. Routing the antenna and PTT cables through one arm of the wraparound cummerbund lets me don and doff the carrier without having to swim through a sea of cables to get the carrier off.
My experience with Silynx’s communication hardware suite was excellent. Transmission and receiving quality were both clean and clear. The modularity of the Clarus system offers a high degree of flexibility for both user interface and communication/radio platform interface. There are also single-channel and fixed-lead versions of the Clarus available that’ll save you some money if you don’t need dual-comms capability or don’t plan on switching radio types.
The “Internet of Things” (IoT) is a tech industry term that sounds innocuous, but its existence has some serious implications for our security and privacy. IoT devices are ordinary objects or appliances with embedded sensors, computer processors, and communication modules — WiFi-connected cars, smart picture frames, internet-connected thermostats, and so on. These devices offer some conveniences, but they've also become more invasive and prone to security vulnerabilities. You might be concerned about someone hacking your computer or phone, but you probably hadn't thought about someone hacking your smart fridge. A powerful example of this comes from California, where new digital license plates — promoted as an optional upgrade — were legalized by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2022. A few months after release, California's electronic license plate system has already been hacked, allowing hackers to track GPS location, access the owner's personal info, change text on the plate, and more. They could even flag the vehicle as stolen, which could prompt police to conduct a high-intensity felony stop.
Screenshot via Reviver.com
The Electronic License Plate Hack
Above: Reviver's product page touts “control in the palm of your hand” by using the mobile app to customize your RPlate.
Luckily, the hackers in this case were benevolent “white hats” who had no intention of using this vulnerability to cause chaos. Instead, they immediately reported the vulnerability (likely for a large cash bounty) to Reviver, the company that sells and manages the new RPlate electronic license plates. Reviver reportedly patched the flaw within 24 hours. After an internal investigation, the company claimed that it had never been used maliciously and that no user data had been leaked to the public.
Above: This privacy promise from Reviver seems rather ironic given the recent cybersecurity revelations.
Even though a cybersecurity disaster was narrowly averted in this case, it's certainly concerning to learn how serious the vulnerability was. Security researcher Sam Curry explained that a Javascript flaw in Reviver's web site allowed his team to switch their account access level from that of a standard user to a “super administrator.” Once they had admin access, they could…
Access personal information of any electronic plate owner, including vehicles owned, physical address, phone number, and email address
Remotely track the GPS location of any electronic license plate
Delete license plates from the system
Add new license plates to the system
Replace the dealer logo on temporary tags for new cars
Change the custom text line at the bottom of the plate
Update the status of any electronic plate to “STOLEN,” which might potentially lead police to stop the driver at gunpoint
Above: Under normal circumstances, the ability to mark a plate as “STOLEN” instantly might seem beneficial. In this case, it almost became a huge safety issue.
A Growing Cybersecurity Problem
This isn't even close to the only serious vulnerability documented by Sam Curry in his blog post, Web Hackers vs. The Auto Industry. He also showed web backdoors that affected a staggering list of automakers, including Kia, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti, Nissan, Acura, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, and even Ferrari. Many of these included the ability to “remote lock, unlock, engine start, engine stop, precision locate, flash headlights, and honk” using only the vehicle's publicly-visible VIN number.
Photo via Reviver
In the past, hackers have also demonstrated the ability to remotely turn off vehicles that are already in motion, which could lead to a serious crash.
Auto industry aside, the state of California is no stranger to glaring cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Last summer, the CA Department of Justice confirmed that the personal data of everyone who was granted or denied a concealed-carry weapon permit between 2011 and 2021 had been leaked. This info included “names, date of birth, gender, race, driver's license number, addresses, and criminal history.” This leak affected nearly a quarter-million Californians, including judges and police officers, possibly making these individuals a target for home invasion robberies and other crimes.
Talk is Cheap
In almost every case, the affected companies or governing bodies have been quick to apologize and assure everyone it was an isolated incident. But it's clear that these hacks will continue happening unless those responsible for our data spend the time and money to make cybersecurity a much higher priority.
In the meantime, we encourage you to weigh the pros and cons carefully before adding more IoT smart devices to your home (or garage).
Whether you're going hunting, heading out for some target practice at the range, or loading up for an emergency situation, it's a good idea to keep your gear in a hard case. This ensures your guns, ammo, tools, and other equipment will make it to the destination safely. But all hard cases are not created equal — the best cases have organizational systems that can be configured to prevent gear from sliding around in transit. Most of the time, this means “pick and pluck” foam that can be cut or torn out to fit the outline of your gear, but that's a one-way process. If you change your loadout after you cut the foam, you'll need to buy new foam. Magpul recently announced a new modular rifle case organization system for Pelican, Plano, and other hard cases known as the Magpul DAKA Grid organizer.
The Magpul DAKA Grid case organizer consists of three pieces. It starts with a thin layer of bottom foam to provide cushioning, and tops this with a middle layer containing a grid of equidistant holes. Included sets of 10 double and 10 triple blocks can be inserted into these holes like pegs to create any layout you need. Best of all, they can be reconfigured in seconds if you want to change the layout.
Magpul says that additional expansion sets will be offered for the DAKA Grid in the future, including:
Angled blocks to fill atypical gaps
V blocks to support barrels, bows, fishing rods, and other narrow items
Tie-down straps to secure items onto the grid
Organizational containers for small items
Currently, the DAKA Grid system is only available for two gun cases, the Pelican Vault V730 and V800. However, Magpul's announcement video mentions that models will also be available for the Pelican 1720 and 1750, the Plano AW2 42″ case, and a new DAKA rifle case manufactured by Magpul itself (coming soon). You can read more about the Magpul DAKA rifle case line, available in 35, 44, and 53-inch sizes, here.
MSRP for the DAKA Grid system is $140 for Vault V730, and $160 for Vault V800. Block expansion kits (6 additional double-blocks and 6 triple-blocks) will be $30, but they're currently marked “coming soon.” The remaining case systems and accessories are expected to be available later in 2023. For more information, check out the video below or go to Magpul.com.
When someone mentions “urban survival,” what comes to mind? For many, that term evokes images of wandering alone through a barren, dystopian landscape like those seen in I Am Legend or The Walking Dead. But the reality of urban survival is much more practical — it's about finding a way to live in a densely-populated, fully-functioning metropolis while avoiding confrontations with other residents or authorities. The so-called stealth camping movement is an interesting approach to this everyday form of urban survival. One YouTube content creator known as Stories from a Van filmed a 15-minute video showing how he lives comfortably under the radar in his innocuous-looking Nissan NV200 panel van.
Evan, the man behind Stories from a Van, says he built this Nissan NV200 with help from his father, a carpenter. Aside from a small vent and some low-profile solar panels on top, it appears to be a completely normal delivery or utility van from the outside. These small vans are common in cities, so no one will bat an eye at it, unlike a larger 10-passenger or Sprinter van.
The build began by insulating the interior and adding a layer of vinyl to cover the insulation. Custom wood cabinets were built across the full length of the van's floor, offering storage space as well as some surprises like the shower pan and drain in the center compartment. A folded foam mattress serves as Evan's bed, and a simple Igloo cooler acts as his refrigerator.
At the back of the van, there's a sink concealed underneath the desk surface, along with a clever U-shaped drawer that makes use of the dead space around the sink. The lighting on the ceiling and power outlets are connected to a custom electrical system Evan built. It includes onboard batteries linked to the solar panels as well as a charge controller hooked up to the van's engine for cloudy days.
The rear of the van also contains a custom plumbing system with two fresh water containers and a gray water tank underneath the body. There's clearly a lot of thought put into this setup, and we appreciate how truly discreet this stealth camping van looks. Check out the full video walkthrough below:
On the hierarchy of resources required for survival, clean water is near the top. As the old adage goes, humans may survive as little as three minutes without air, three hours without shelter (in extreme climates), and three days without water. But even if you have access to a nearby lake or stream, there's a high likelihood the water is contaminated by microorganisms that will make you violently ill. To avoid this, you'll need to purify the water first. British water purifier company LifeSaver, whose products we've reviewed in the past, recently launched a new compact purifier called the LifeSaver Wayfarer — the company's smallest and lightest device yet.
The LifeSaver Wayfarer is designed to fit easily into a pocket or small backpack, and weighs only 11.4 ounces. As with other LifeSaver products, it's made in Britain and tested to exceed NSF/ANSI P231 standards for removal of bacteria, protozoan cysts, and viruses. It also removes chemicals, microplastics, heavy metals, and unpleasant taste/odor from water. Additionally, the Wayfarer features the company's FailSafe technology that cuts off water flow once the filter reaches the end of its lifespan, ensuring contaminated water won't pass through.
The Wayfarer consists of a black polymer housing with a retractable pump handle, inlet tube, and outlet tube. The 4.2-foot scavenger hose is connected to the inlet, then placed into a body of water; the integrated float keeps it from sinking to the bottom. A shorter clean water hose connects to the outlet, and can be placed into your water bottle or hydration bladder. Pumping the handle forces water up through the first-stage ultrafiltration (UF) cartridge and second-stage activated carbon disc. Both components are replaceable — the cartridge lasts for up to 5,000 liters, and the disc lasts for up to 100 liters.
We were pleasantly surprised to learn that the LifeSaver Wayfarer will retail at an MSRP of $105. Many purifiers in the sub-$100 price range are made in China with questionable testing standards or no mention of lab testing at all. So, the Wayfarer seems like a solid value in comparison.
LifeSaver says the Wayfarer will become available on February 1st, 2023, but it's currently available for preorder. we're looking forward to seeing it in person later this month at SHOT Show. For more updates, keep an eye on IconLifeSaver.com.
Catfishing: a security term most commonly used online when a bad actor (criminal) lures prospective victims to give money by pretending to be someone else. — My dad was a baby boomer born in 1946. At age 18, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served a 13-month term in Vietnam. Dad was very proud of his “service to his country.” He wore the hats and pins that immediately identified him as a proud veteran and would often suggest that debit cards and the internet were a means of social control. Even with all his suspicions, he never quite appreciated how technology and information could be weaponized against him.
In 2019, my father joined the 21st century and purchased a smartphone. He called me on his new device and said, “Now, do I have to go to the library and checkout a Facebook?” A follow-up question was, “What’s an app?” Needless to say, he was in over his head, but he thought he was entering a new age and would brag about his phone and that he learned to text.
How My Dad Fell Victim to a Catfishing Scam
My dad was the type who visited a local coffee shop where he’d complain about the newer generation and there being too many lawyers and the normal rantings of retired people in small-town America. Some of the waitresses thought it would be funny to install a sassy silver singles app on his phone where he began to get requests to “friend” him. He had no idea why these “old crazy women” were calling him. He brought me his phone and I deleted the app in a flash of wizardry. But what my father and I didn’t know is that key pieces of his information were out there for the bad people to see. My father used his real name and phone number. Well, bad guys like to put that information to good use (for them).
Shortly after deletion, he received separate text messages outside the app on the phone number he plugged into the app. He received a text that went something like, “Hey, I saw you on sassy silver singles and I’m looking to move to your town.” A person reached out to him and started with very innocuous requests like if he could recommend a realtor, or if the schools in his town were nice. This back-and-forth blossomed into a full texting relationship where one individual who appeared to be a younger lady would contact him several times a day. His guard began to drop, and he truly failed to realize how information about him was being compiled. Simple statements that might appear genuine included, “Hey, if you’re married, I don’t want to upset your wife.” He replied that he was divorced, and he lived alone. He added that he retired with a full pension from the local mine, that he had five adult children, and other information that might seem routine in conversation. However, this was all done through texts. His guard clearly dropped the longer this texting relationship continued.
Above: This is the “girl” my dad was talking to. It is unknown at this point if the lady pictured here is involved or if this was a random photo lifted off the internet the actual scammer used. This person may be completely unaware their photo is being used to hustle unsuspecting people.
Techies have a funny acronym for a “girl I met online” defined as Guy In Real Life (G.I.R.L.). But a man in his late 70s had no exposure to such things. “Why me?” he would proclaim. “I’m nobody. She just likes an old man who tells it like they see it.” This “girl” pretended to be from England and discussed relocating to Arizona from the UK. She stated that she was due to inherit 2-million British pounds, and she wanted to move to a warmer climate. Dad passed the names of good realtors and good schools to the “girl.” The British “girl” said she had a 4-year-old daughter, and the duo discussed the pains of moving a child before kindergarten. My father was slowly disarmed by the charm of this “girl.” Dad didn’t have enough exposure to the apps to spot scammers.
On Christmas 2020, dad hadn’t arrived at my cabin, and I called him. He stated that he wasn’t meeting with us for Christmas. He stated that he was going to meet “a special lady who likes me for who I am.” This was the first I’d heard of any plans that they were supposed to meet. I dropped the hammer on him and said, “Let me guess, you told her you’re in room 305 of a hotel and you’re waiting with a pocketful of cash to take her around town.”
Above: Photo of the “girl” and her supposedly sick daughter. Again, it is unknown if the individuals shown in these photos are knowingly part of this scam.
He replied, “YES! I did. If she shows, great. I’m really looking forward to meeting her.” I said in no uncertain terms that he was going to be robbed and beaten for the money he had on his person. I ascertained that she had picked the place, and he checked in and told her the room number. The next knock at the door was going to be a robber and a “get the hell out of there” message for him. In an instant, my father presented as a scared little man. He was fearful of this dream not coming true. I persisted and said the “girl” will claim that she missed her flight and try to set him up for a second attempt. He seemed sad that maybe he had been duped and was quite embarrassed.
Above: Photo of the forged boarding pass that helped accelerate the investigation.
He left the hotel more lonely and somewhat suspicious than when he entered. It bugged him that his son (the lawyer) only saw the negative in people. He went home to spend Christmas alone … he spent too much time alone. The COVID pandemic made life on the elderly especially difficult. They became afraid of younger people who might give them the disease. I could tell he was not at ease and felt foolish. Also, part of him wanted to believe this relationship was real. It had been going on for seven months (tens of thousands of texts) — why would anyone in their right mind engage in so much conversation if they were not genuinely interested in him? Again, he failed to consider the totality of all the information he had given up to this “girl.” This was a man who spent decades performing hard labor. The thought of someone stringing him along served absolutely no human purpose in his mind.
Fatal Consequences
Above & Below: Additional documentation I found that substantiate the travel arrangements and fraudulent attempts to gain access to money.
In March of 2021, my dad suffered a serious heart attack. I had to assume control of his resources and monies to help with his recovery. He kept the phone near his side, always close at hand. He would nervously check his phone like a teenager. His health quickly deteriorated, and he passed away.
Under normal circumstances, the story would be over. When I took possession of his phone, papers, and effects, I noticed a $30,000 wire transfer made out from his account. I noticed another $15,000 wire transfer out of his account, and so on. All monies were sent to a law firm in Kansas City. The sum total of the transfers was $168,000. To some people, this is all the money in the world. In fact, this $168,000 represented all the money my dad had to his name. There was even a loan request where he asked for an additional $30,000 loan that was “declined.” There were piles of gift cards in Amazon for $2,500, iTunes for $1,500, eBay for $3,500 — these gift cards totaled another $18,000. My father didn’t know what iTunes was. He never even bought anything off eBay. I went through his phone and found answers.
This “girl” told my father that her daughter was dying. There were pictures of a 4-year-old girl with a sign that said: “I can’t wait to meet you American Daddy.”
My father was instructed by this “girl” to send front and back pictures of the gift cards. This “girl” was able to redeem the gift cards electronically from anywhere in the world. All of this money was promised to provide for this so-called dying 4-year-old child. The pictures were there of a sad kid whose head had been shaved by someone to pretend to be sick. This “girl” had been working him slowly for nine months, every day texting him about how he was doing and was he eating enough vegetables, etc. The “girl” claimed the money was being used for her sick daughter’s treatments (wire transfers) and little toys from Amazon (gift cards) to keep her happy while spending the holidays in the hospital.
The worst realization was in March 2021, my father had stated that he had no more money to help. He was financially tapped out. The “girl” said she needed to know that he could care for the 4-year-old and to attempt a loan with his bank. But, the saddest news came when I compared the date of his heart attack with a text message wherein this “girl” said my dad could not be trusted to provide for her sick 4-year-old. When he realized he was taken advantage of, the heart attack occurred less than 30 minutes later. The disgrace of giving all that he had to someone who tricked him did him in. He sat on his hospital bed and sent a picture to this “girl” to state that he was in the hospital — maybe as proof that he was really ill.
When she failed to appear at his bedside, he knew he had been duped. He died ashamed and broke.
A Long Shot for Justice
I took this information immediately to law enforcement. I received the usual “the internet is not our jurisdiction,” if I was even able to reach an actual officer. I reached out to everyone from the FBI to Homeland Security, Arizona law enforcement, Kansas City law enforcement, etc. What concerned me the most was the forging of boarding passes for international travel. The “girl’s” boarding pass looked legitimate; she was pretending to come and visit my father. It was as if she was trying to say, “See, I really was coming to see you in December, look at my boarding pass.” I compiled a file of relevant documents that I’d forward to law enforcement. I was flatly rejected nearly every time. However, things turned around for the investigation when an officer reviewed my file of information. Apparently, the forging of a boarding pass created a true security concern, and the case began moving forward. The boarding pass, I’m told, was a good enough forgery to board a plane and that got the attention of law enforcement. Certain details I can’t reveal because it might jeopardize the ongoing investigation. Hopefully, the bad guys see justice, but I’m doubtful. And nothing will bring back my dad.
What You Can Do to Prevent Catfishing
I write this as a cautionary tale to other people. Watch out for the elderly. The strong men and women in our lives lose tremendous faculties as they age. The elderly are literally more prone to scams. We like to think of our elders in the best days. We don’t track the missteps or mistakes. The elderly don’t fully comprehend how information can be weaponized and used against them.
Help your loved ones by insisting that your family member have your contact information stored with their banks and credit cards. Ethical bankers will call the family to guarantee the transfer is valid prior to funds being disbursed. In fact, insist upon the bank being ordered to check with another member of the family if funds are directed to non-family members (or anyone). Most banks have a policy on the elderly sending money to persons outside their immediate family. Also, check their credit and credit card activity often.
Make sure that money doesn’t go out that hasn’t been vetted by someone else. The elderly can be quite generous to preferred charities, and they get used to people cold-calling them for donations. They don’t often perceive how much sensitive banking information they give away on what may at first appear to be routine calls. Scammers pretending to represent legitimate charities can steal a tremendous amount of sensitive information. Ask your family members to immediately report to you if someone is contacting them for any money.
Social media is a fantastic venue to see updated pictures of the grandkids, but remember we present a tremendous amount of information about ourselves when we post online to the world around us. I’ve heard stories of scammers pretending to be Mexican police and reporting to have a grandchild in jail. The scammer pretends to be a law enforcement official and requests a bond of $5,000 or kiddo goes to Mexican prison. A simple internet search of social media usually shows friends and family. It’s reasonable to assume that a college-age boy in the southwestern United States might travel to Mexico for spring break. The kiddo posts picture of Mexico and then grandparents get a demand for money and are instructed to tell no one or said relative goes to prison. Guess what? Grandparents pay $5,000 and the kiddo never was in trouble to begin with, but the money will never be recouped.
Please have a family discussion about scams and money. Never, never let parents send any money or divulge any information that comes from email or text messages. Please protect your loved ones so they don’t die alone and ashamed, as my dad did.
About the Author
Jason Squires is an attorney with over 23 years of defense experience protecting the rights of citizens accused of gun crimes. He is an avid firearms enthusiast and in his off-time he competes across the nation in three-gun competitions.
Lever-action rifles have experienced a massive resurgence in popularity over the last few years, and it's not hard to see why. While they're obviously not as combat-effective as modern semi-auto rifles like the AR-15, lever guns can be used very effectively for hunting anything from varmints (in pistol-caliber form) to big game (in rifle calibers such as .30-30 and .45-70). Also, in states and countries where semi-auto rifles are heavily restricted, lever-action rifles usually aren't subject to the same invasive rules, even when equipped with modern features. Above all, they're simply fun to shoot, as evidenced every time we take our Marlin 336 Dark Series project to the range. POF USA has announced its own entry into the modernized lever-action rifle market with the new Tombstone 9mm carbine.
POF USA Tombstone 9mm Carbine
The new POF USA Tombstone is a modern, lever-action, pistol caliber carbine (PCC). POF says it's “initially offered” in 9mm, but this language tells us other pistol calibers may be available in the future. From front to back, it features a free-float, fluted, 16.5-inch barrel with a two-chamber muzzle brake over standard 1/2×28 threads. The barrel is surrounded by a 10.5-inch Modular Receiver Rail (M.R.R.) which includes M-LOK slots, Picatinny rail sections, and QD sockets for a sling.
Ghost ring sights are built into the rail system, but we suspect most users will install a red dot sight as shown in these photos.
Magazines & Controls
The receiver features a magwell and button release for the detachable 9mm magazines, which are a proprietary POF USA design compatible with the Tombstone and Phoenix series. Standard Tombstone models include one 20-round mag; Colorado-compliant models include a 10-round mag instead. Additional 35-round magazines are also available separately.
This rifle's manual of arms should be somewhat familiar to anyone who has used lever guns in the past. It starts with a proprietary 3.5-pound, single-stage, flat-face trigger. The Tombstone's hammer has the half-cocked position many lever-gun users will already be familiar with. There's also a shotgun-style cross-bolt safety at the rear of the aluminum receiver. The lever is contoured to fit a standard Magpul SGA shotgun stock, which offers the ability to accept length of pull spacers, cheekpieces, and QD sockets from Magpul.
Total weight of the Tombstone is 5.75 pounds, and total length is 36 inches. MSRP is firmly positioned in the premium end of the spectrum — $1,962 for black variants and $2,097 for FDE tan variants. Additional magazines are $35 each.
Teaser Video
We're interested to get our hands on the new POF USA Tombstone later this month at SHOT Show, and we hope to review one in the future as well. In the meantime, check out the video below from POF's YouTube to see the Tombstone in action.
Night vision capability is a powerful advantage for any emergency preparedness plan. Last year we dedicated an entire print issue to the topic. The most important lesson is that working effectively in the dark isn't as simple as buying a PVS-14 monocular or a pair of goggles and slapping them on your helmet. Particularly if you want to effectively pair defensive firearms with night vision, there are some unique considerations to account for. Integrating infrared lasers and illuminators onto your night vision rifle setup of choice will make it more versatile under NVGs.
Above: An infrared laser offers the ability to “actively” aim at a target without looking through the weapon sight. Even if you plan to “passively” aim through a red dot sight, an IR laser serves as a valuable backup.
Adding an IR illuminator and/or laser to your rifle will have a noticeable effect on its ergonomics and control suite. Not only do these accessories take up a good chunk of “rail-estate” but so do the buttons and switches required to operate them. If they're configured in a confusing or inconvenient manner, they may impede your ability to use the weapon or distract you from the task at hand. Fortunately, the aftermarket is flush with options for operating both white lights and IR lasers seamlessly, with minimal impact on how you would normally handle your weapon. While there are also plenty of options for handguns, this article will focus on carbine and PDW switchology, as it tends to be a little more equipment-intensive than configurations for handguns.
Night Vision Rifle Configurations
Above: Web Editor Patrick McCarthy's 11.5-inch SBR features an ATPIAL IR laser / IR illuminator combo unit on the top rail as well as a Cloud Defensive REIN white light offset at the 2:00 position.
The first step in determining what your switching/control requirements are is to determine what your IR laser/illuminator setup looks like. There are two basic answers to this question:
Combination unit that has both an IR laser and IR illuminator
Standalone IR laser that will, most likely, require a separate outboard IR illuminator
Above: The author's “Do-All Survival SBR” incorporates an Arisaka/Malkoff Devices white light at 3:00 and a Holosun IR laser/illuminator combo at 12:00.
Subdividing the choices even further, there are two possible illuminator/light solutions to consider:
Dual Mode (VIS+IR) — pair your standalone IR laser with a dual-output light that features both white light (a.k.a. visible light) and IR light
IR Only — pair your standalone laser with a dedicated IR-only flashlight, and attach a separate white-light-only weaponlight
Read on as we show some practical examples of each of these night vision rifle setups.
IR Laser / IR Illuminator Combo + White Light
These are the ideal solution if you can afford it. The general performance of your NVGs will depend on the quality of your tubes, but all night-vision requires ambient light and all will experience degraded performance when environmental lighting is in short supply. For example, think of a dark basement with no windows, or a bedroom at night with the curtains drawn. While lasers will give you a visible point of aim for shooting, they will not light up the target or its background. This is why IR illumination is so vital to a holistic NV-capable weapon setup.
IR laser / IR illuminator combo units offer a one-stop answer to this problem. But they’re noticeably more expensive than purchasing a standalone laser. Some examples include:
Almost all systems in this category come with factory pressure pad remotes, but many folks will simply use the on-body button. Since you typically will not activate a flashlight and IR unit simultaneously, combo units are great for those who prefer avoiding the clutter of tape switches and remotes altogether. Position the combo unit and white light so that both push buttons are near your support thumb, and press whichever one you need when you need it. This is most effective on shorter weapons like SBRs and PCCs/PDWs where rail space is limited.
The alternate option is a remote switch, or switches. As we said, just about every laser out there will come with a tape switch. But when you are trying to integrate said switch onto a handguard that already has a remote pad for white light, space becomes limited quickly. This is where aftermarket solutions like the Unity Tactical TAPS come into play. Designed in conjunction with TNVC, the TAPS offers a single, slightly enlarged pressure pad with two distinct buttons, and dual cable leads, to activate light or laser off a single plate. The TAPS is designed from the bottom up for low-light use. Each of the two TAPS buttons includes visual and tactile “dots” molded in so that, even without being able to see the buttons, you can figure out which peripheral you are about to activate.
If an IR laser with built-in IR illuminator is out of your budget, you can pair a standalone laser with a dual-output weaponlight. Some examples of standalone IR lasers without onboard illuminators include:
Steiner OTAL and most DBAL-I2 models (excluding 9007)
Holosun 117 and 221 series
Zenitco PERST-4
The example seen here is a Holosun LS221G, which is a green/IR laser-only unit, paired with a Surefire M600V Scout Light. The V-series Scouts feature a head assembly which can be switched from white to IR light by twisting the head to select your desired mode. This option can help keep costs down as you get both a white light and IR illuminator in a single purchase. But there are two trade-offs to this. First, building dual-spectrum output into a single light head means that, while your light becomes a jack-of-all-trades, it will be a master of neither. Dual-mode lights typically have much lower white-light output than their dedicated brethren. For example, the white-light-only M600 Pro has an output of 1,000 lumens. But the dual-mode M600V Pro only pushes 350 lumens of white light and 120mW of IR illumination.
The other issue is one of switching. When you’re using white light, you only want the white light. When using IR, you’ll want the light and laser activated simultaneously. For cases like this, we are back to Unity Tactical for the TAPS SYNC. Its physical layout is identical to the standard TAPS, but features internal program that can be had in several configurations. Our example here is the “V1” programming, setup as follows:
Button 1 activates light only
Button 2 activates light and laser simultaneously
When you need white light, rotate the head to white output and use button 1. When you want to shoot under NVGs, rotate the light head to IR mode and use button 2 to fire it and your standalone laser at the same time for targeting and illumination.
This is, of course, not the only way to do this. You could try to use a combination of body button (or click tailcap) plus a single-output tape switch, but we have found that this is awkward to operate on the fly, and we run out of fingers trying to push two buttons on and off while maintaining a positive grip on the weapon.
IR Laser + IR Illuminator + White Light
The third option is to mount a standalone IR laser (as discussed above), a dedicated IR illuminator, and a dedicated white light.
Again, with all things, there are trade-offs. On the upside, dedicated IR illuminators will have much stronger output than a dual-mode weapon light. Our setup here features an Arisaka Defense 300-series Scout-style light body with a Malkoff Devices EX IR 250 IR-only head. The Malkoff head is capable of 250mW of IR output, with a 4-hour runtime on a single CR123 battery. There is also a 700mW version available for longer-range use. Both will give you far superior illumination to a dual-mode white/IR light. But this requires you to then mount an entire second flashlight onto your weapon for white-light capability. Not only is this added weight and bulk on the muzzle end of your weapon (where you’ll feel it most) but you now have three wires to manage instead of two.
We mounted our Arisaka/Malkoff illuminator in tandem with a Steiner DBAL-I2, on an American Defense Manufacturing DBAL-SF mount. This is a single mount with QD lever attachment with direct-mount brackets for both a DBAL-style laser and a Surefire Scout-style light. This unit puts your laser at the 12-o-clock position, with a 45-degree offset for the accompanying light. This mount can be used with multiple lasers and lights in whatever combination you can think of, but we felt it was ideal to run a standalone laser with standalone IR illuminator. For white light work, we mounted a Cloud Defensive REIN 2.0 at the 5-o-clock position.
Any light with a Surefire-pattern remote socket would make this another ideal place to put a Unity TAPS SYNC. But because the REIN has a proprietary back end with its own remote pad, we selected a ModLite Mod Button Lite dual-lead switch to run the IR functions. The dual-lead Mod Button features the same combination of Surefire and Crane leads, but its microscopic footprint means the programming is limited to momentary-only, dual-activation-only configuration. That means there’s only one output mode – press the button and both leads fire. This makes it inappropriate for a combo unit + white light setup, as you typically would only want one or the other. However, in this arrangement, where we’re going to want to activate the IR-only light every time we activate the laser, it’s a good solution. This leaves the separate, REIN remote as your white-light-only switch, so you simply press one or the other depending on whether you’re using NVGs or not.
Conclusion
There are a nearly-infinite number of switching and control configurations that can be woven from all the available IR laser, IR illuminator, light, and remote switch choices on the market. But the bottom line is that the prudence of building low-light and no-light capability into your overall preparedness plan is not going to change anytime soon. While this guide is by no means all-inclusive, we hope to give you some reference points to start from in building out your own night vision rifle setup and night-fighting skill set.
There's a common saying on the internet: if you're not paying for a product, you are the product. The “free” online services such as email, social media, and streaming video you use on a daily basis aren't free — there are substantial costs for hosting, domain registration, maintenance, security, and so on. If you're not directly paying a share of those costs, the owners of these sites are using you as a source of income. Sometimes, this is through simple and unobtrusive banner ads on pages (as is the case here on OFFGRIDweb), but other times it's through silently capturing and reselling massive quantities of highly personalized data. Google is the world's foremost expert on tracking and monetizing user data, and the Silicon Valley tech behemoth recently added a new My Ad Center dashboard that sheds some light on the accuracy of their user tracking system.
Google's new My Ad Center opens with the slogan “Your ads, your choice.” It touts the ability to “easily customize” and “personalize” the types of ads you see on Google's various web properties such as Search and YouTube. But unless you want to reduce ads about a sensitive topic — for example, dog toy ads after your dog just passed away — the real value of My Ad Center is to see a small glimpse of what Google knows about you and your lifestyle.
How Much Does Google Know?
Based on data including every search keyword you type, every search result link you click, and every YouTube video you watch, Google automatically develops a digital profile about you. Although it's not explicitly mentioned in Ad Center, it almost certainly also factors in information from Gmail emails you sent and received, location data from Android smartphones (i.e. businesses or other Android users you recently visited), routes traveled on Google Maps, content you watched on your Android TV, and much more. This user profile also includes specific information such as:
Gender
Age
Primary language
Relationship status
Parenting Status (including approximate age of children)
Household income level
Education
Industry/Profession
Employer Size
Home Ownership Status
Google's My Ad Center also shows the general ad topics you're likely interested in, as well as “Brands for You.” If you wish, you can ask Google to reduce ads about “Sensitive Topics” (alcohol, dating, gambling, pregnancy and parenting, and weight loss). Finally, Ad Center shows recent ads that similar brands have paid to display to users that fit your specific demographics. So, for example, let's say XYZ Widget Co. wants to display ads to unmarried men under the age of 25 with an interest in technology — Google will happily oblige. Of course, this profile can also be used to target more vulnerable demographics, such as predatory loan companies serving ads to low-income users with limited education.
There should be no doubt that your Google advertising profile has vastly more specific and invasive data than what's listed here, so consider this the tip of the privacy intrusion iceberg. You should also assume other major tech companies such as Meta and Amazon have followed Google's example and developed similarly detailed profiles based on your activity. The more sophisticated and accurate a user's profile, the easier it will be to convince that user to purchase a product or make any other real-world decision.
What Can You Do About It?
Is there anything you can do to avoid this personalized tracking? Not really, short of deactivating all your accounts on Google services and not using those services (including Android phones, Android TV, Nest cameras, Google Home, etc.) again in the future. After all, Google isn't going to let you use their services for free — they'll only allow it if you willingly trade this personalized data for access. You can turn off personalized ads in My Ad Center and limit ads about sensitive topics, but that just means you'll see more generic ads. It doesn't mean Google will stop collecting or monetizing your data.
At the very least, reviewing Google's digital profiling dashboard should make you reconsider how much privacy you actually have online. Hopefully it gives you a moment of pause before the next time you type sensitive keywords into that search bar, email, or even text message. It might also cause you to think twice about filling your home with IoT smart devices that are always gathering data to add to your profile.
