You can find these Wouxun Programming programs pretty easily on the internet. However, you may have to log on to a forum or a download site to get the unblocking program.
As a service, I figured I would put them all in one spot. My radio is the KG-UV3D model, but I am told the UV1 and UV2 models are the same. They just have different firmware – so the programs should all work on earlier models…
If you unlock the frequency ranges in your radio, you can then transmit on frequencies you probably aren’t licensed for. This is illegal and can get you in trouble. Also, while you can unlock the public safety channels, if the agency your trying to communicate with is using digital radios or a trunked system, your not going to be able to communicate.
Know What You Are Doing…
The software is for windows, it may work on a mac with a windows emulator, but I haven’t tried it. Also the programming software has to find the right port, so you may hook it up and get an “failed” message, if that happens try again. It is not uncommon for me to have to try to download the radio setting two or three times to get everything connected. (You also need to buy a programming cable…)
How to Deprime Shell Casings is something that really probably does not deserve its own post. If you cannot figure out how to do it your probably shouldn’t reload your own ammunition. However, I do have a couple things to say:
You Can Deprime in Bulk
I ended up with lots of brass before I started reloading and I wanted to deprime them in anticipation of reloading but I did not have a press. What I did was find a socket that fit the case, and inserted a long finishing nail into the case and into the flash hole. A wack with a hammer drove the primer out. I bent a lot of nails until I decided to ground a larger nail tip down. This is not something I recommend, but it worked for me, and is pretty much the process used by the Lee hand loaders.
Boxer vs Berdan Priming Systems
The only problem I had was with reloading surplus WWI and WWI rifle rounds, sometimes I have Boxer (single flash hole) primed rounds, and other times I had Berdan (double flash hole) primed rounds. Due to the case neck, I never really looked into the rounds to check and I screwed up many Berdan cases. That was no big deal as I couldn’t reload them anyway.
I have, on rare occasion screwed things up (Okay so maybe not so rare) and had to deprime a live primer. Most recently I reloaded a couple hundred .223 and found out I resized them wrong. I prefer to pull the bullet and powder, and just fire the primer so it’s inert, but for pistol rounds I have gently and smoothly pressed the live primer out. Either way I don’t reuse the primer as I want to make sure my rounds are going to fire, and I a worried about damage to the primer anvil.
I Often Use a Lee Handpress
Most of the time I deprime my cases separate from reloading (before cleaning). I like to use a Lee Handpress and a Lee universal decapping die. It is a simple process to with those tools. I can change cases and only have to change shell holders.
This process is one of the few reloading steps I feel comfortable doing while having a distraction in the room. (specifically watching TV, but on occasion this could mean having the wife in the reloading room talking about her day….)
Spent primers are small, and tend to get EVERYWHERE if you’re not careful. Most presses have a small collection cup under the ram that collects the primers. If you keep this clean, you can just dump out the primers every once in a while. A hand press doesn’t do this, and tends to keep the primers in the ram. Either way, your wife will be angry if you leave them in the carpet for her to vacuum up. I have heard you can recycle them, if your patient enough to collect up a LOT of them, but I never have.
Reloading is not hard, especially if you pay attention and get some good advice from a mentor. It’s not something that leads itself to learning on your own, as mistakes can be costly, but this is not rocket science if all you want to do is make some inexpensive target rounds.
So as I said in my Physically Check Your Firearm Chamber video above, firearm doctrine is created by our understanding of what works and why it works. Some things may seem to be superfluous or unnecessary when our understanding is limited, but as we understand the framework of the system we begin to realize WHY we do what we do.
This post shows one such firearm safety procedure and why you should always check your firearm chamber, physically as well as visually when unloading.
Firearm safety rules and procedures are fundamental to our safe use of firearms. Later we will delve into the 4 fundamental rules of gun safety and why they are the fundamental rules. For now let’s just talk about one thing. Why do we need to physically check to make sure our firearm is empty? Isn’t enough just to look into the chamber to see there is not a bullet inside?
I get a lot of personal joy helping someone become more comfortable shooting. However, the main reason I like firearm training is the knowledge I get from keeping current in the field. To teach defensive firearm use I need to learn about how the mind works under stress, and how to apply that knowledge to physical tasks.
Why You Should Physically Check Your Firearm Chamber
You don’t rely on just your eyes to ensure our firearm is unloaded is because you cannot always trust them. To be more accurate, we cannot always trust our brain to accurately interpret what our eyes are telling it. Our brain is constantly being hit by stimuli, our clothes, background noises, smells, air currents, and other things would drive us crazy if the brain was not able to catalog and then ignore what it finds to be unimportant. It also creates little shortcuts to deal with minor repeatable tasks. If a stranger says “hello, how are you?” your brain automatically responds with something like “Pretty good, you?” (Or if you’re a Dave Ramsey fan “Better than I deserve”).
Of course someone is saying, “That’s stupid, I would never go into autopilot with something important like seeing if my gun was unloaded?”. I bet if they thought about it, they could not remember a recent time that they actually thought through the steps it takes when they start their car, they just do it. Cars are serious business; more people are killed by cars than by handguns.
Furthermore, I bet that if they really think, they can remember a time when, after changing jobs, they found themselves missing a turn to their new workplace because they found themselves on autopilot driving to work.
When your brain goes about deciding to ignore the unimportant as background, it is creating ruts to preserve its processing power work together in this case. If you find yourself “going through the motions” of gun handling you may be in for a surprise.
Basically, if you expect to see an empty chamber, you will probably see an empty chamber. You can learn more about this in the book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
By physically using a finger to Check Your Firearm chamber you fix both of these root causes. By taking the extra step, your brain attaches extra importance to the act of ensuring the chamber is clear. When your finger actually touches a round, the double dose of reality jars the brain into admitting its mistake.
Train like you Fight!
I know this may sound a little farfetched to some, but put this in your head for perspective. You fight like you train. For decade’s law enforcement trainers told their students to let the rounds fall to the ground when reloading their revolvers. Rather than reload quickly law enforcement students would instead take the time to dumping spent rounds into their hands. Cops dumped the rounds in their hands so they wouldn’t have to pick them up later. Officers routinely said they would only do that on the range. They argued that they were smart enough to know the difference between range ease and street tactics.
After the Newhall shooting, the officers killed in the line of duty were found with casings in their pockets and unloaded firearms in their hands showed both trainers and students that training outweighed notional ideas of what you might or might not do. The officers involved were good cops and they fought back the best they could. However, they did not have a full understanding of their tactics and training issues involved and they ended up murdered.
We might not carry revolvers as much anymore, but firearm fundamentals and mental preparedness apply to any firearm action type. You can easily check your firearm chamber by feel in a semi auto as a revolver.
Take what I am saying to you, and apply it to your situation. I would hate to hear about a negligent discharge caused by an “unloaded gun”.
I needed learn how to make Green Sand for metal casting. If you watched the furnace video you saw me making refractory, and making green sand is about the same process. Simply put, it is a mixture of sand, bentonite clay, and a bit of water. Using this kind of sand is called green sand casting.
Since I had some fireclay left over I was going to use it, but after some research I realized that since fireclay vitrifies (fuses) with heat, I probably could not reuse it after I molded something. So I figured I would go with Bentonite (as everyone else does)
Where to Get Bentonite Clay Cheaply
If you cannot buy bentonite clay in bulk (luckily my ceramics supply store has it), you can grind up clumping kitty litter (cheap without additives) and reclaim the bentonite. It must be ground up VERY FINE and you will need a dust mask.
Bentonite now gets added to a 5-gallon bucket of “fine” masonry sand (I used play sand, but the finer the sand the better quality your castings will be). You need a 1 part clay to 9 parts sand. Mix this dry, and then add water in small increments (like coffee mug sized). Mix between additions over several hours. You want the clay to coat the sand evenly, so the more you mix and the slower you work the happier you will be.
Test if your Greensand is Packable
The next thing you need to do is check to make sure the sand is “packable” You can read about this in the Gingery book, or watch my video. Basically you just grab up a handful of sand and squish it in your fist. It should mold to your hand. Then break it in two. If the lump of sand holds its shape and breaks cleanly when you snap it then it’s good to go.
Store your greensand in a covered container (I use 5 Gallon buckets with lids) and the longer you store it (unless it dries out) the better it will be
More Resources:
You can read many good books and articles on green sand casting, or just the process of casing metal. I have several reviews on this site.
Firearm Safety is essential. It is not hard to be safe around firearms; it just takes the knowledge of basic safety rules and a little common sense. There are many variations of safety rules taught by differing organizations but they all encompass the same thoughts and goals.
The following are what is commonly called the four fundamental safety rules.
Four Fundamental Firearm Safety Rules
Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
This rule is sometimes over-zealously and incorrectly taught as load every firearm. This is not what it means. This rule means that no matter what condition you believe the firearm is always act as if it is loaded. It is generally not possible to tell just by looking if a weapon is loaded.
Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
Firearms are tools. And like any tool it has a purpose. A firearm’s purpose is to punch holes in things. You would never use a saw on something you did not want to cut, or hit something with a sledge hammer that you did not wish to break. It is the same with a firearm.
Keep your weapon on safe until you are ready to fire.
If your firearm is equipped with an external safety device, never disengage it until you are ready to cause your firearm to discharge a bullet. There have been many instances where people have disengaged safety devices while their firearm was in the holster and then proceeded to shoot themselves. Do not turn off a safety device until the firearm is actually pointed at the target.
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
Actually placing your finger on the trigger should be the very last action before firing the weapon. As soon as you are done shooting the finger should be immediately taken off the trigger and lain along the frame of the firearm. This helps ensure a firearm is not discharged accidentally. Humans have a flinch response that causes them to clinch their hands when startled. If your finger was on the trigger while you were walking with a firearm and you tripped, you would instinctively pull the trigger. With your finger outside the trigger guard and alongside the frame of the weapon this will not happen.
It is also important that there are other rules common to firearm usage, or even specific shooting disciplines. You may even create other rules as you see fit. Anything that makes you safer with a firearm is acceptable. Nothing will reduce accidents 100% however, these four rules will greatly increase you safe and enjoyable use of firearms.
How to Deprime Shell Casings is something that really probably does not deserve its own post. If you cannot figure out how to do it your probably shouldn’t reload your own ammunition. However, I do have a couple things to say:
So as I said in my Physically Check Your Firearm Chamber video above, firearm doctrine is created by our understanding of what works and why it works. Some things may seem to be superfluous or unnecessary when our understanding is limited, but as we understand the framework of the system we begin to realize WHY we do what we do.
I needed learn how to make Green Sand for metal casting. If you watched the furnace video you saw me making refractory, and making green sand is about the same process. Simply put, it is a mixture of sand, bentonite clay, and a bit of water. Using this kind of sand is called green sand casting.