New Cammo Dude truck
Desert Shadow
cammo dudes. This truck came flying up the back of their hill while
the other (regular) cammo dude truck was watching us at the warning
signs on GLR. The white truck drove up the back of the hill and
parked right behind them. The two in the white truck got out and
started talking to the other two and before long they were all out
talking to each other. It was like they totally forgot about us at
the warning signs. Have you ever seen this truck before?
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/desertshadow/Trip%2010-31-09/Area51103109013.jpg
Lumpy
> This is the first time I have seen a white GMAC Jimmy driven by the
> http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/desertshadow/Trip%2010-31-09/Area51103109013.jpg
I thought a "Jimmy" was the GMC version of a Blazer?
Maybe I can't tell from the pics. Is that what it is?
An SUV?
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
Desert Shadow
> Desert Shadow wrote:
> > This is the first time I have seen a white GMAC Jimmy driven by the
> > cammo dudes...
> > http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/desertshadow/Trip%2010-31-09/Area51103109013.jpg
>
>
> I thought a "Jimmy" was the GMC version of a Blazer?
> Maybe I can't tell from the pics. Is that what it is?
> An SUV?
>
> Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
>
> www.n0eq.com
mi...@sushi.com
It is really hard to tell given the resolution. However, the sheriff
visits the dudes once in a while. Also, I've seen private SUVs behind
the border on recent trips. Once visit to Bald Mountain brought out
two guys in a Ford Explorer with Nevada plates.
A high resolution DSLR and a telephoto would help, but there is a lot
to be said for bringing binoculars to the range. I don't recall if
Vegas has an Orion store, but they sell those 15x70 Celestrocs for
about a hundred. Get a Bogen monopod since the binocs are heavy.
Basically the idea is high power large aperture with the ability to
mount on a tripod, or in this case monopod. Anything under $200 will
be Chinese. Probably $100 is the bottom end. The large aperture helps
at night.
The dudes either recognize the permitted vehicles, or there is some
RFID scheme that lets them know a vehicle is OK to pass the border. Of
course, you still have to show your papers at the gate (I guess).
RedRocks
Anyone seen a black PU no plates
Desert Shadow
Two Cammo dudes got out of the white blazer. The one who drove the
blazer is the cammo dude talking to the driver of the tan colored
cammo dude truck. The other guy that got out of the blazer was also
dressed in the brown cammo dude attire. I had my binocs on the
foursome and it looked like they were just talking up a storm. I also
noticed the cammo dudes that got out of the blazer had nice hand guns
strapped to their legs. Cool. They usually don't get out like that
but the two from the blazer didn't seem to care a whole lot about me
taking pictures with my crappy camera and watching them with my
binocs. I am definitely going to upgrade my photo gear this
Christmas. I am spending too much time out there and am getting
really tired of using a sub par camera.
mi...@sushi.com
Oh, like this?
http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/dudes5.jpg
I have a few shots I never bothered to upload. I felt kind of sorry
for the dudes that day since they tried to zoom past me to get on
their side of the border, but the road was washed out. Lots of good
close-up photos that day.
mi...@sushi.com
So was it a Nevada civilian plate on the Jimmy?
Binocs are really handy. Granted you don't get to produce photo
evidence of what happened, but you can record detailed notes about the
events. Usually it is easier to read a tail number with binocs than
from a photograph if the aircraft isn't moving too fast. Glen Campbell
logged all the Ghost Squadron tail numbers but never delivered a
photograph with one IIRC. So I assume he was using binocs.
The dude at the back gate sometimes has a gun strapped to his leg.
It's pretty easy to spot if you hang out there long enough for someone
to need dude services, that is make him leave the "can."
About the longest focal length lens most people use is 400mm. To judge
magnification, figure on 50mm as normal vision, so the 400mm is like
400/50 or 8x. Now you can crop to get more magnification, but you can
see how 12x to 15x binocs are really handy, plus with two eyes you can
generally pick off detail better. I use the 400mm 5.6, which I got
years ago. Most of the shooters around the range are using the
100-400 f4.5-5.6 IS lens. It isn't as sharp, but the zoom is handy.
You can save yourself some money by getting the L series zoom in the
first place. The regular series zoom is not very sharp. [L series
lenses are known as "red ringers". This all assumes you go Canon.]
I wouldn't buy in haste, especially since you probably won't be going
to the range much in the winter. The glass is more important than the
body, since lenses will take you through many camera bodies.
Hancock Summit can be nasty if you get to it before they put cinders
on it. In the winter, if you wait until afternoon, generally the ice
will melt. Now conversely, if you are shooting images on the dirt
roads, it is nice to drive them in the morning when the ground is
hard. Around noon, things get muddy.
Paradise Ranch? I don't think so.
RedRocks
> On Nov 1, 10:11 am, RedRocks <t.w...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > On 31 Oct, 19:28, Desert Shadow <rch49...@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > > This is the first time I have seen a white GMAC Jimmy driven by the
> > > cammo dudes. This truck came flying up the back of their hill while
> > > the other (regular) cammo dude truck was watching us at the warning
> > > signs on GLR. The white truck drove up the back of the hill and
> > > parked right behind them. The two in the white truck got out and
> > > started talking to the other two and before long they were all out
> > > talking to each other. It was like they totally forgot about us at
> > > the warning signs. Have you ever seen this truck before?
>
> > >http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/desertshadow/Trip%2010-31-09/...
>
> > Anyone seen a black PU no plates
>
>
> I have a few shots I never bothered to upload. I felt kind of sorry
> for the dudes that day since they tried to zoom past me to get on
> their side of the border, but the road was washed out. Lots of good
> close-up photos that day.
dark glass
Lumpy
Isn't that Wayne Newton, driving?
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
RedRocks
goodies,that could have been the truck,hard to be precise,came by in a
cloud of dust as they went by.
Lumpy
> > > http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/dudes5.jpg
> Don't know about that but they got a nice ice chest there & some other
> goodies,that could have been the truck,hard to be precise,came by in a
> cloud of dust as they went by.
What's the hand written letters on the
grey plastic box benind the driver?
Looks like some kind of water tight electronic
gizmo, like in a Pelican box. "SWFO"?
Bigger question, since these dudes were apparently
out on the public side of the border, where were
they going/coming from? Outside of a true emergency,
what would ever cause a cammo to come across the border.
Surely they don't go to lunch at the Inn.
I guess they go to "Wal Mart" or whatever that
viewpoint is called and I think that's on the
public side. But surely whenever they do
come over, they go back by "retreat" rather
than get out onto GLR.
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
RedRocks
Were they out replacing a sensor,might not be security just workers,no
reason why security should not come outside,may need to check up on
something.miso might remember where the shot was taken,looks like
winter.
RedRocks
roof,it has been mentioned on another board being for radio,would that
be for GPS also.
If they were out somewhere & had vehicle trouble would thay have gps
to give a fix or just know the area that well it not a problem to
explain where they are to a rescue team.
mi...@sushi.com
The white antenna is for the trunk radio system. They also have a MRK
portable radio laying on the dash and a portable GPS. [I have a few
other shots from that day.]
There are two ways for the dudes to reach the border area of Bald
Mountain. One is simply to get on the ET highway and take the same
dirt road you take. The other is route from the back of their front
gate shack to the general area, all off road driving Since it was
muddy, they chose to use the ET Highway. However, they didn't know the
road was washed out further ahead, so that had to come past me twice,
once ot retreat from the area.
I really don't know why they use the small, low profile antennas. It's
not like they drive anywhere that the antenna would get snagged in a
tree branch, or they have garage door clearance issues.
http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/pimpmyride_1.jpg
http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/pimpmyride_2.jpg
Lumpy
> Were they out replacing a sensor,might not be security just workers,no
> reason why security should not come outside,may need to check up on
> something.miso might remember where the shot was taken,looks like
> winter.
Yeah, I guess the sensors would be a reason.
I wonder if normal camos do that or do they
have some contractor do it. Perhaps coming
from outside so the dudes aren't exposed.
Never putting the camos in any spot where the public
gets an eyeball seems to be a prime directive.
Maybe they simply pay Steve to do it.
Apparently the CoSO is well aware of the sensors.
The dicks from the SO dealt with Glenn that time
at his trailer over the sensor disappearance issue.
Maybe the Co road crews do it so they don't
attract attention.
Actually, the dudes in these photos could easily
pass for just a couple of good ol' boys out
4 wheelin. Wouldn't have to disguise much.
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
obviouslydelusional
> Oh, like this?http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/dudes5.jpg
What's up with the optical flare on the passenger side rear view
mirror? It looks like a flash going off inside the cab, but that's
not likely. From the shadows the sun is at right angles to the truck,
on the right, so it shouldn't be in the mirror.
So what is it?
Lumpy
Sun reflected off of passenger window onto mirror,
then back toward lens?
Angle of the tire shadows would seem to
support that.
Either that, or they're transporting one of
those glowing orb alien things in the jump seat.
Lumpy
In Your Ears for 40 Something Years
www.LumpyMusic.com
obviouslydelusional
To get the bounce you're suggesting would require the sun be directly
behind the camera, and the shadows don't jive with that (sort of like
a retroreflector setup). From the direction of the shadows, it looks
like the sun is at right angles to the truck. That means the sun will
be reflected back at right angles to the windows, not into the rear
mirror. Do cammo dudes glow?
Lumpy
> To get the bounce you're suggesting would require the sun be directly
> behind the camera, and the shadows don't jive with that (sort of like
> a retroreflector setup). From the direction of the shadows, it looks
> like the sun is at right angles to the truck. That means the sun will
> be reflected back at right angles to the windows, not into the rear
> mirror. Do cammo dudes glow?
I think it's in line. Look at the shadows of the tires.
Or the highlights/shadows on the angled bumper.
Say, for sake of argument that it's 15 degrees from
broadside to the truck. So the sun hits the window
at 15 deg, then bounces off at 15 deg to the mirror
where it is then bounced back at us at whatever
that combined angle is.
Or to look at another way, shoot a laser at the
spot on the mirror, then extrapolate where the
various light bounces happen.
Like look at where we can see the reflection of
the MIRROR in the window.
It probably really is the glowing security orb.
And the cooler in the bed is filled with missing
children to feed the greys. But just to keep them
thinking I haven't caught on, I'm going with the
sun reflection theory.
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
mi...@sushi.com
Afternoon sun, or photon weapon aimed at me.
I should point out that the dudes don't show up at Bald Mountain on
the weekend. Nor did they show up at Road Block Canyon. It used to be
they would stop you from crossing the line even if crossing the line
was not going to cause them any harm. That is, it's my border and I
can defend it if I want to. Now maybe they have reduced the presence
at these spots since nothing really is accomplished. They can cut you
off at the pass a thousand times if you try to enter the range from
Bald Mountain or Road Block Canyon.
mi...@sushi.com
The sensors are battery powered, so some maintenance is required. I
have the manuals and schematics if you ever need more information.
It's a really crappy design, especially the power management. It uses
four 9V batteries, all in parallel.
RedRocks
>
> - Show quoted text -
I'm thinking that the light truck in these pics & the black one are
work trucks.
Are the security mostly white & have light bars.
I'm more sure the black one I saw had a tail gate,don't seem to
remember a light bar,most definatly had no license plate at rear.
mi...@sushi.com
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I'm thinking that the light truck in these pics & the black one are
> work trucks.
> Are the security mostly white & have light bars.
> I'm more sure the black one I saw had a tail gate,don't seem to
> remember a light bar,most definatly had no license plate at rear.
Most of the newer vehicles have red and blue flashing lights behind
the front grill rather than light bars. I was driving to the border
once after sunset and the dude decided to run the flashers as I got
close to the border. Perhaps a warning, or perhaps he flipped the
wrong button. When you approach in total darkness, you can see the
light from the dome light and he logs your approach, probably due to
tripping a sensor, though I never bothered looking for the sensor. If
you have the planning manual for the sensors, they indicate to put
them after intersections, which is how they can tell your direction of
travel, roads used etc. There is a Marine Corps document that is
similar to the Qualtron guide on sensor placement.
There are probably more dudes on duty than you see at the border, so
some may be maintaining equipment while other others baby-sit the
visitors. I have no evidence of this, but I'm reasonably sure if every
border point was visited at the same time, they would find bodies to
watch the watchers. If they run out of dudes, they will get MPs.
Probably occupying every border site would get the chopper out.
Desert Shadow
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > I'm thinking that the light truck in these pics & the black one are
> > work trucks.
> > Are the security mostly white & have light bars.
> > I'm more sure the black one I saw had a tail gate,don't seem to
> > remember a light bar,most definatly had no license plate at rear.
>
> Most of the newer vehicles have red and blue flashing lights behind
> the front grill rather than light bars. I was driving to the border
> once after sunset and the dude decided to run the flashers as I got
> close to the border. Perhaps a warning, or perhaps he flipped the
> wrong button. When you approach in total darkness, you can see the
> light from the dome light and he logs your approach, probably due to
> tripping a sensor, though I never bothered looking for the sensor. If
> you have the planning manual for the sensors, they indicate to put
> them after intersections, which is how they can tell your direction of
> travel, roads used etc. There is a Marine Corps document that is
> similar to the Qualtron guide on sensor placement.
>
> There are probably more dudes on duty than you see at the border, so
> some may be maintaining equipment while other others baby-sit the
> visitors. I have no evidence of this, but I'm reasonably sure if every
> border point was visited at the same time, they would find bodies to
> watch the watchers. If they run out of dudes, they will get MPs.
> Probably occupying every border site would get the chopper out.
The white truck seems to be driven by a supervisor type cammo dude.
Somebody on a different forum posted a border crossing incident photo
and the white blazer showed up. I am guessing about the supervisor
type role.
RedRocks
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > I'm thinking that the light truck in these pics & the black one are
> > work trucks.
> > Are the security mostly white & have light bars.
> > I'm more sure the black one I saw had a tail gate,don't seem to
> > remember a light bar,most definatly had no license plate at rear.
>
> Most of the newer vehicles have red and blue flashing lights behind
> the front grill rather than light bars. I was driving to the border
> once after sunset and the dude decided to run the flashers as I got
> close to the border. Perhaps a warning, or perhaps he flipped the
> wrong button. When you approach in total darkness, you can see the
> light from the dome light and he logs your approach, probably due to
> tripping a sensor, though I never bothered looking for the sensor. If
> you have the planning manual for the sensors, they indicate to put
> them after intersections, which is how they can tell your direction of
> travel, roads used etc. There is a Marine Corps document that is
> similar to the Qualtron guide on sensor placement.
>
> There are probably more dudes on duty than you see at the border, so
> some may be maintaining equipment while other others baby-sit the
> visitors. I have no evidence of this, but I'm reasonably sure if every
> border point was visited at the same time, they would find bodies to
> watch the watchers. If they run out of dudes, they will get MPs.
Thanks only suppose they are stretched is went theres a mass meeting &
people might try the side roads to explore.Will try to find that guide
you mention.
RedRocks
>
> - Show quoted text -
mi...@sushi.com
http://www.southwestmicrowave.com/product_detail.html?id=1
These are used at Edwards south base.
That MIDS/EMIDS stuff probably only catches dumb people. Yeah, I
suppose if you drive by a sensor, you will be detected, but that
depends on knowing the choke points. I seriously hope the base has
better stuff closer to the goodies. They use EMIDS at the US/Mexico
border, hence my conclusion about their effectiveness!
The really good stuff is buried fiber optic cable with a time domain
reflectometer. Impossible to detect. The southwest microwave cables
scheme uses RF, so you can most likely detect the presence of the
cable, though I don't know if you can defeat it other than catapulting
yourself over the fence.
If you like to mess with Linux, there is a program called ZoneMinder.
It takes digital video and looks for frame by frame differences. You
can some what control the size of the difference required to flip the
alarm. Pretty good stuff for open source software.
mi...@sushi.com
<http://www.combatindex.com/store/MCWP/Sample/INTELLIGENCE_OPERATIONS/
MCRP_2-24B.pdf>
This document is really just common sense on how to set up the
sensors.
I have one of those "plant" antennas they show in the manual. You
would be surprised the stuff that turns up at swap meets.
Lumpy
[70 gazillion excess lines trimmed]
> I have one of those "plant" antennas they show in the manual. You
> would be surprised the stuff that turns up at swap meets.
This guy has rubber, ground plane, fake plant
antennas for 2m or close -
www.murphyjunk.bizland.com
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
RedRocks
>
Thanks on both.expect they have some good means of knowing when you
are around,seems strange how they just seem to turn up when you are
going down what seems a harmless trail.
mi...@sushi.com
They have the PTZ camera on Bald Mountain, but it is really hard to do
surveillance with cameras since they observe zones. On my Bald
Mountain page, I have attempted to find stationary cameras on Bald,
but I can't be sure. My assumption is a stationary camera is a bit
smaller than that telescope. I would point cameras at the Inn, the
mailbox, maybe the gravel. They can't see the parking area at Coyote
summit, but can see the hill where the photographers hang out, so
maybe that spot too.
Those radar sensors have to contend with the line of sight, so they
can't really use them much in the boonies. Buried cable sounds good on
paper, but in the desert, it is really hard to make the ground look
undisturbed once you dig it. That is why you can see wagon wheel
tracks in Death Valley. The desert doesn't heal.
Thus I think the sensors we encounter are probably just EMIDS at choke
points. Anyone stupid enough to get close to the base will find
perimeter sensors and some very uptight guys in uniform/
mi...@sushi.com
I've bought from Murphy once in a while, but generally his prices are
just insanely expensive. For instance, I bought several ammo cases
that were set up for night vision goggle transportation. They fit a
Radio Shack base unit that I use in the range. My cost, $6. Murphy's
cost, $24. When he had those log periodic mil air antennas, I got one
from him at $120. Later I got one at the flea market for $20. Now
those antennas are hard enough to find that I didn't mind paying
Murphy $120. But ammo boxes are pretty common items at surplus shops.
Lumpy
lines when you reply, please?
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
Lumpy
> I've bought from Murphy once in a while, but generally his prices are
> just insanely expensive.
I don't know. I've never bought from him.
He had those rubber plant antennas
three for $25. I think they were 130-170Mhz
broad banded. I don't see them today.
Maybe he's down to little or nothing remaining
in stock.
I can't imagine what it would be like to be
a surplus reseller. Buy a thousand bomb sights
for a few dollars, then sit on the stock for
20 yrs while you sell one or two now and then.
mi...@sushi.com
In theory, we are following good netiquette. On usenet, you bottom
post and don't trim. Now I happen to think that is stupid, but there
is no shortage of arseholes that will bitch about top posting and
trimming, i.e. each post should be complete. Then you have the bottom
posters that insist you snip. Mind you, these people don't contribute
to the conversation, but rather play style police.
mi...@sushi.com
The military/feds got smart and started their own online auctions.
They are not terribly handy since you have to pick up the goods in
person. Anyway, these dealers have a much harder time getting surplus
stuff now, or more correctly, it is no longer pennies on the dollar.
Some base in Virginia or West Virginia has all the excess Navy test
equipment. If you follow the auctions, the gear ends up on ebay at
double the government auction. I don't think these vendors can afford
to sit on gear for decades anymore.
Similar to Murphy, but not the same caliber, is C and H:
http://www.candhsurplus.com/
Murphy and C&H sell on ebay too.
This is the main government auction:
http://www.govliquidation.com
Some stuff goes here:
http://www.drms.dla.mil/
And of course, the NTS has their auction.
http://www.nstec.com/auction/
mi...@sushi.com
This photo tell you everything you need to know about government
thinking. at least at the NTS
http://www.nstec.com/auction/auctionphotos/FY10-0002-01.JPG
They are selling off the total crap that is in the front of the photo,
while in the back, there is stuff slowly aging and becoming crap.
There is a 7000 series Tek scope with a pile of plug-ins on top of it
in the cage. A decade ago, a hobbyist might have paid money for it. I
was still using a 7904 in the late 80s. So now that pile will get
dustier until it really reeks, and they it will show up on the auction
website.
I cruise the silicon valley surplus shops and just laugh at the
33.4kbps modems and 10baseT ethernet on the shelves. An old bomb sight
might get sold as a collectors item, but nobody longs for the day of
the Bell 103 modem.
Lumpy
> In theory, we are following good netiquette...
I don't give a fuck what someone, somewhere,
thinks is netiquette. Quoting several hundred
lines to add a one liner is stupid.
Nobody, nobody needs the previous dozen pieces
of conversation quoted again.
Thanks for not top posting, the stupidist of
all stupid things that the lazy do.
Lumpy
> Similar to Murphy, but not the same caliber, is C and H:
> http://www.candhsurplus.com/
>
> Murphy and C&H sell on ebay too.
Isn't C and H the one's that used to be on Colorado
Blvd next to Pasadena City College? I used to go
there in the 60s. They closed their eBay store
a while back. Perhaps they're back. They weren't
very good at online sales. You had to purchase the
thing, THEN, ask them what shipping would cost.
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
mi...@sushi.com
Yes, the same company, but perhaps not the same management. And of
course a new location. If you saw the movie Syriana, I bought a TOW
missile transit case as shown in the movie. C&H shipped it without any
wrapping, so it must have amused the UPS guy a bit.
The ammo box guy of Beatty has similar transit cases, though I never
seem to time things right to meet him. Once I drove by as he was
closing the store, which of course is a joke since there are no doors
to his store.
mi...@sushi.com
Ah, but I think top posting is great. If you use a smart phone, it is
a bit annoying to have to skip all the useless text. Fortunately, it
is one keystroke on a blackberry to get to the bottom of the page.
RedRocks
direction & ask.
The lady clerk's daughter stands in if the guy is not there.She will
come down & serve you.
Was that clip ok,don't want to get kicked off here as well
Hiram
> I don't give a fuck what someone, somewhere,
> thinks is netiquette. Quoting several hundred
> lines to add a one liner is stupid.
I agree with Craig on this, I nearly always trim. I just leave the part
I'm responding too.
Lumpy
> Was that clip ok,don't want to get kicked off here as well
You will be allowed to live.
Thanks,
Gawd
mi...@sushi.com
Well, it can be done automatically on Google Groups. Just use the
reply at the bottom of the message rather than at the top. The top
appends, the bottom clips.
Hiram
>
> Well, it can be done automatically on Google Groups. Just use the
> reply at the bottom of the message rather than at the top. The top
> appends, the bottom clips.
I actually didn't know that. But I prefer to use a specialist news
server and client - just how I've always done it a old habits die hard.
There are a number of free servers for text only postings.
Lumpy
> I actually didn't know that. But I prefer to use a specialist news
> server and client - just how I've always done it a old habits die
> hard.
I didn't know that either. I'll keep that tidbit to tell
those who claim it can't be done.
I too, read the "real way" with a dedicated news server
and reader.
Lumpy
You were on CHiPs? Did you wear those sexy
tight pants and high boots like Erik Estrada?
No. Swimtrunks.
www.LumpyMusic.com