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Signal Mirror Demonstration
By admin | July 11, 2009
In this three part series, Patrick and Dave test various signal mirrors at both short and long ranges, and discuss the pro’s and con’s of the various devices. Be sure to watch all three videos! Then leave a few comments, or suggestions for other product demo’s you’d like to see.
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJPPDD22htc
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-1ZP66FduI
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYf2ojb2zEE
As always, you can get more disaster preparedness information or start your family disaster plan at MyDisasterPlan.com
Topics: Supplies and Equipment | 5 Comments »
September 5th, 2009 at 23:00
Great video, and spot on on the desirability of a retroreflective aimer for signal mirrors. The US military switched from their prior designs to retroreflective aimers in 1944.
Here’s a nice set of user instructions with photos of what you see:
http://www.equipped.com/pp/pic2042.htm
Another good illustrated tutorial is here:
http://www.dougritter.com/psp_rescueflash.htm
There are several good mirror choices besides the (excellent) American Medical Kit Model. Coghlan’s supplies two true signal mirrors with retroreflective aiming grids in the center – a 2″x3″ glass model carried by REI, and the “Sight -Grid” mirror, a 2′x3″ floating plastic model. ACR makes a 3″x5″ plastic model with a red retroreflective grid that REI used to carry.
A discussion of: how retroreflective grid aiers work, how to tell real retroreflective grids from false ones, and where to buy good ones, is here: http://www.equipped.com/phony_signal_mirrors.htm.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:03
While it is tough to capture photographicly, it would be neat if your video included a view of what the aiming spot from the AMK mirror looked like.
Here are two tutorials for signal mirrors with retroreflective aiming grids that include photos of the “bright spot”. The “bright spot” is
not the main rectangular reflection of the mirror, bur rather an extremely bright fuzzy glowing circle whose apparent diameter is that
of a penny held at arm’s length. The “bright spot” is visible only when looking through the aimer – it is a virtual image, not a true one.
http://www.equipped.com/pp/pic2042.htm
http://www.dougritter.com/psp_rescueflash.htm
September 7th, 2009 at 12:24
One surprisingly common error in using a signal mirror is to partially shade it with the brim of your hat or cap. As far as the signal goes, you are throwing away half your mirror by doing this.
It is safest to reverse your cap when using a mirror, as the gentleman at the end of this NASA video.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/mov/228106main_mirror_640×360.mov
In the demo video on the American Medical Kits site, you can see this error being made over and over – it is evident in the clipped rectangle projected on the hand, and in the dark part of the mirror in the front views:
“Be Safe with Ed Viesturs – Survival Essentials”
Go to: http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/
On the center of the page, click on:
“Be Safe with Ed Viesturs – Survival Essentials”
While the runtime on my machine is not strictly repeatable:
Signal mirrors are discussed at 00:35-01:50 and 03:40-04:08
The main tutorial is from about 00:45-01:50, and is reviewed
after Ed’s farewell, from about 03:40-04:08
September 7th, 2009 at 14:41
One tip specific to the AMK mirror:
If your view through the sighting hole is blurry, especially at oblique angles, check to see if a thin plastic membrane was stuck to the mirror to protect it from scratching. The membrane should be on the front (though I once found it on the back). Don’t lose the membrane – you should put it back on to protect the mirror afterwards.
“The polycarbonate mirror face is protected to prevent scratching in storage. It can be removed and replaced so that a purchaser can practice with the mirror.”
That quote is from a history of the development of the AMK mirror written by the designer, which
is about 40% of the way down this page, starting to the left of the mirror photo:
http://www.pilotmall.com/product/1637/Safety
February 4th, 2010 at 01:28
China and Russia put the blame on some screwed up experiments of US for the earthquake that happened in Haiti.
Chinese and Russian Military scientists, these reports say, are concurring with Canadian researcher, and former Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief of Forbes Magazine, Benjamin Fulford, who in a very disturbing video released from his Japanese offices to the American public, details how the United States attacked China by the firing of a 90 Million Volt Shockwave from the Americans High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facilities in Alaska
If we can recollect a previous news when US blamed Russia for the earthquake in Georgio. What do you guys think? Is it really possible to create an earthquake by humans?
I came across this article about Haiti Earthquake in some blog it seems very interesting, but conspiracy theories have always been there.