Please help--want advice on an idea pro vs. con. Thank you in advance

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Kevin L

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Hi guys.

I have an immense collection of books, but I want to go a step further:

I want suggestions on a dedicated, portable, battery-powered DVD player.
I'm interested in a certian degree of ruggedness, but I realize that a DVD player is not intended--but it's very purpose--to be handled like a sledgehammer or a Ka-bar.

I want it battery powered so that I can have commonality with all of my batteries and battery charger.

I want to get a massive collection of DVDs on survival, nursing care, gunsmithy, chemistry, basic small-scale agriculture, and so on. Also some fun DVDs.

And I plan to keep this all in a climate-controlled metal safe--which will also protect them from EMP.

If I can find one affordable enough, I'll purchase 2 or 3 of them . . then I'll have backups, or they'll be an immensely lucrative barter item. Either way is fine with me.

So, what do you guys recommend? Thank you in advance for your time.

P.S. I, myself, have never bought a dedicated portable DVD player. I'm not sure what to ask for, although I have a good idea of what I want. I know DVDs can be played in a laptop, but laptops get viruses, they're kind of fragile for my purposes, and so on. I also believe that a dedicated DVD player can't get viruses because it's not hooked to the Internet.
 
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Kevin.... just get a notebook computer. They make ruggedized notebooks. Not only will it play DVDs, you can store a ton of useful data on them as well. Monitor wifi cameras, etc. DVD player, battery, display, all in one.
 
TexasFreedom said:
Kevin.... just get a notebook computer. They make ruggedized notebooks. Not only will it play DVDs, you can store a ton of useful data on them as well. Monitor wifi cameras, etc. DVD player, battery, display, all in one.
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I do plan on ruggedized notebooks, but I still want a battery-powered (ie: D, C, AA, AAA, or 9V) DVD player for certian reasons.
 
Fair enough Kevin. But you can see the redundancy in this? I'd find a DVD player that works with those lithium ion 18650 batteries. As they can be recharged hundreds of times. But I have no idea what models of DVD only players are out there any more. Let us know what you find.
 
TexasFreedom said:
Fair enough Kevin. But you can see the redundancy in this? I'd find a DVD player that works with those lithium ion 18650 batteries. As they can be recharged hundreds of times. But I have no idea what models of DVD only players are out there any more. Let us know what you find.
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Ok.

My issues have to do with the idea that devices should be simple.

Texas, I'm not sure how to counter your argument. I often have most use for my swiss army knife or my Leatherman tool (invaluable at any time, let alone after SHTF) before I use my dive knife, or one of my many Ka-bars.

Even so, I like the simplicity of "Play", "Eject", "Pause", and, obviously, rewind, stop, fast forward, volume, maybe a low battery light . . . and that's it!!!

An old person, someone who's terrified of electronics, a person who isn't computer savvy and is intimidated by drop-downs, pop-ups, all of these questions the screen asks you . . . I just want to put fresh batteries from my solar charger into the machine, turn it on, and view cleaning instructions on a new gun that I've never used before.

And so on. I calculated that one large suitcase can hold 2 such machines (if they are about as big as most laptops), a decent supply of batteries, a battery charger, and about 4,000 hours worth of DVDs.

Things on medicine, guns, agriculture, home repair, basic chemistry, survival techniques, how to process an animal hide, perhaps rappeling (although I concede that if one ever wants to rappel, by default get a certified instructor who knows what they're talking about. Not from a "how-to" video), and so on.

It seems that a video library--especially if it's inexpensive--would help with a lot of issues.
 
Convert onto modern Flash drives and then you can read on any device, or if you want to go hard core survivalist have the collection stored on microfiche then you can read it with a very simple magnifier.
 
I think Rellgar has the answer. Start watching yard or garage sales in the spring. Or check out a flea market for used players. This used to be a very common item but they are becoming rare as things move to other storage media. You should be able to pick up several for fairly cheap so you could have backups. Heck, even PC and notebooks no longer come with DVD players.
 
With a 12V unit made for a vehicle, it's already designed to handle varying voltages, you can just string the requisite number of batteries together in series to get your power supply and let the unit handle the voltage changes. Just about any kind of batteries. Alkaline, Li-Ion, etc. Automotive systems usually deliver between 13 and 14 volts. My truck inverter has a voltage meter that typically reads about 13.4 volts when the battery is fully charged but can be as low as 12.8 when the truck first starts up. Note that is not the voltage at the battery, but at the interior of the vehicle. In other words the actual voltage an electrical device will be getting. Of course you will want a parallel/series setup to get more capacity. The more capacity, the higher the voltage will be under load.

I LOVE those 18650 batteries. The flashlights I have that use them seem to last forever on a charge. Seriously, I took a flashlight that used a single 18650 battery on a hunting trip, using it heavily, and when I got home and put the battery on the charger it was still at 91%
 
DrHenley said:
With a 12V unit made for a vehicle, it's already designed to handle varying voltages, you can just string the requisite number of batteries together in series to get your power supply and let the unit handle the voltage changes. Just about any kind of batteries. Alkaline, Li-Ion, etc. Automotive systems usually deliver between 13 and 14 volts. My truck inverter has a voltage meter that typically reads about 13.4 volts when the battery is fully charged but can be as low as 12.8 when the truck first starts up. Note that is not the voltage at the battery, but at the interior of the vehicle. In other words the actual voltage an electrical device will be getting. Of course you will want a parallel/series setup to get more capacity. The more capacity, the higher the voltage will be under load.

I LOVE those 18650 batteries. The flashlights I have that use them seem to last forever on a charge. Seriously, I took a flashlight that used a single 18650 battery on a hunting trip, using it heavily, and when I got home and put the battery on the charger it was still at 91%
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Thank you very much.

I'll be getting a bonus at my job in a few weeks, so I'll post info on how this project is coming along.

Part of my criteria--if I go with a device that has a built-in rechargable battery--is to buy more of the same kind of batteries, and swap them out as they wear out with time and use.

I really like the idea of thumb drives storing video, but there are nuances to work out that I'm not computer savvy enough to navigate around.

I like the idea of something like an iPad that I can:

1) Switch batteries as they near the end of their cycles.
2) Play videos on "how-to" for after SHTF.
3) Be solar rechargable.
4) Contain everything in thumb drives or on-board hard drive without any connection to the Internet.
5) Bonus points for durability.
 
You bring up a great point. Books are heavy. My wife is strong, but I don't want to hear her complaining if we have to go far. What DVDs do you recommend? Let's get a list. The thumbdrive idea is excellent too. I also love those 18650 battery flashlights! I get them on Amazon for $20. Charge on the cpu and last forever, work great. I have one on every rifle and my 590A1.
 
Helen Back said:
I also love those 18650 battery flashlights! I get them on Amazon for $20. Charge on the cpu and last forever, work great. I have one on every rifle and my 590A1.
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$20 is a bit much? Ebay, I get the flashlights on ebay for about $3, $1 battery, $1 charger (free shipping). Add the rail attach for a couple bucks. Search ebay for 3000LM 3 Modes Lamp XML XPE LED Focus Tactical Flashlight Outdoor Torch Lamp HOT

I buy them a dozen or two at a time.
 
Helen Back said:
You bring up a great point. Books are heavy. My wife is strong, but I don't want to hear her complaining if we have to go far. What DVDs do you recommend? Let's get a list. The thumbdrive idea is excellent too. I also love those 18650 battery flashlights! I get them on Amazon for $20. Charge on the cpu and last forever, work great. I have one on every rifle and my 590A1.
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In the end, books will outlast anything electronic/digital format, It's best to have both.
 
TexasFreedom said:
$20 is a bit much? Ebay, I get the flashlights on ebay for about $3, $1 battery, $1 charger (free shipping). Add the rail attach for a couple bucks. Search ebay for 3000LM 3 Modes Lamp XML XPE LED Focus Tactical Flashlight Outdoor Torch Lamp HOT

I buy them a dozen or two at a time.
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Good eye. I was building up the curse words then I checked ebay for the ones I buy on Amazon, and they are $27 to $40 on ebay. I get these WOWTAC A1 LED Flashlight

For a few bucks, I will definitely get a few of the ones you recommend. The batteries have to cost more than that.
 
Helen Back said:
Good eye. I was building up the curse words then I checked ebay for the ones I buy on Amazon, and they are $27 to $40 on ebay. I get these WOWTAC A1 LED Flashlight
For a few bucks, I will definitely get a few of the ones you recommend. The batteries have to cost more than that.
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Nope. If you buy 50 batteries, they're about $1 each. And the chargers are about $1-2, and that's with free shipping (yes, insane). I buy a bunch of all of these because I give them as gifts to friends/fellow preppers. The flashlight+2 batteries + charger are still $5-6. Recipients are always really pleased, and think it's a $20+ gift.
 
Maverick said:
In the end, books will outlast anything electronic/digital format, It's best to have both.
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I couldn't agree with you more.

We have books that are, literally, over 4,000 years old. There is no way that I can believe that any electronic format would last 1/100th as long . . . and even that's really stretching it and being--perhaps--somewhat overenthusiastic about the real possibilities.

Even so, the correct electronic system can be an intermediate survival aid, with thousands of books on agriculture, carpentry, veterinary science, any number of medical issues, military science, gunsmithy, basic through advanced chemistry, small engine repair, and so on.

I've calculated that--with a large suitcase--I can have two portable DVD players, two solar rechargers, and about 500 DVDs, with about 8 hours available on each.

That's enough for a truly huge amount of live-saving info.

This suitcase is easy transportable, easily concealed, and easily set-up and used.

Does it replace books? Absolutely not!

Books last forever because they can be recopied by hand onto successive copies.

So . . . I maintain that electronic media and book media complement each other.

Plus . . . paper books can be created later by transposing material from the electronic media. This would--no doubt--be a very tedious task that reqires both patience and an exacting nature.

This type of work should be spread around, but people recovering from illness, who are elderly, or possibly pregnant may be offered this kind of work if they rocognize the live-saving importance behind it . . . and that such work not interfere with any convalescence and/or complicate things medically.
 
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Kevin L said:
I do plan on ruggedized notebooks, but I still want a battery-powered (ie: D, C, AA, AAA, or 9V) DVD player for certian reasons.
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When the kids were small we bought them small battery operated DVD players. I also had an adapter to plug into the car port or attach to main car battery. They were about $60 at the time. Probably not as rugged as you want though. I think i still have a couple.
 
robinjopo said:
My SHTF scenario is there will not be electricity. Probably due to EMP.

That's why I'm stocking up on paper books and non electrical tools.
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I agree that an EMP must be planned for. Creating an EMP with a high-altitude nuke seems like it would be very tempting to Iran, North Korea, or Russia.

The Carrington Event in the 1800s was a natural EMP event from the sun. Telegraph operators got some hefty shocks from using their equipment, and some operators were able to transmit messages without using electricity.

There was, evidentally, a solar flare (a "mass corona ejection") that happened to be in our direction. As you point out, if this happened today, our electronic infrastructure will get fried. This can also happen with high altitude nuclear weapons. Project Starfish was a high altitude nuke that gave off an EMP that destroyed much of the electronics in Hawai'i, and--I believe, but could be wrong--parts of Guam.

I have a cache of electronic stuff in an improvised Faraday cage made from a grounded galvanized steel garbage pail lined with rubber floor mats.
 
Kevin L said:
I agree that an EMP must be planned for. Creating an EMP with a high-altitude nuke seems like it would be very tempting to Iran, North Korea, or Russia.

The Carrington Event in the 1800s was a natural EMP event from the sun. Telegraph operators got some hefty shocks from using their equipment, and some operators were able to transmit messages without using electricity.

There was, evidentally, a solar flare (a "mass corona ejection") that happened to be in our direction. As you point out, if this happened today, our electronic infrastructure will get fried. This can also happen with high altitude nuclear weapons. Project Starfish was a high altitude nuke that gave off an EMP that destroyed much of the electronics in Hawai'i, and--I believe, but could be wrong--parts of Guam.

I have a cache of electronic stuff in an improvised Faraday cage made from a grounded galvanized steel garbage pail lined with rubber floor mats.
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My Faraday is a large galvanized garbage can too. My husband thought I was crazy when I asked for one as a Christmas present.
 
robinjopo said:
My Faraday is a large galvanized garbage can too. My husband thought I was crazy when I asked for one as a Christmas present.
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At least my dog food will be protected then, lol. I use the galvanized cans to deter the occasional mouse from getting a free meal....
 
Those trash can faraday cages are bunk. Put a battery powered radio in there. Put it on a local AM station, turn it up, and close it up. Do you still hear the station? Repeat for an FM station. If radio waves get in there, so will EMP (and they run much, much higher frequency)
 
robinjopo said:
My Faraday is a large galvanized garbage can too. My husband thought I was crazy when I asked for one as a Christmas present.
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We'll see how crazy your husband finds you when something like this happens.

I do believe (note that I said "believe" and that I didn't say "know") that if a natural EMP occurs because of a coronal ejection, that it would be a good idea to keep electronics sequestered for a month.

If someone has diabetes and needs to test blood sugar, I imagine an entire Faraday cage room--a metal shed with a metal roof would probably work--and bring the person to this room to test sugar (or do whatever else that's urgent that involves electronics.

I say that a month is adequate time, as the Sun rotates on it's axis every 30 days or so.

By waiting a month, we will be either behind or ahead of the solar eruption.

Another good tip about a natural EMP is that it will cause exaggerated Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) and Southern Lights (Auroa austrialis).

During the Carrington Event, Northern Lights could be clearly seen and appreciated as far south as Jamaica (the Carribbean Ocean, not the one in Queens, New York).

If the Northern Lights (or, for that matter, the Southern Lights) are intensely active, it means the event is still ongoing.

However . . . just because these lights may have died down, it's still possible that the event is still in progress.

That's why I have dozens of cheap claculators in individual Faraday Cages made of bubble wrap and aluminum foil, and stored in a grounded steel box.

I plan to treat these calculators like canaries in a coal mine to test if the event is still occurring.

If the calculator gets fried when I try to use it, then I'll know that the event is still ongoing.
 
Kevin L said:
I have an immense collection of books, but I want to go a step further:

I want suggestions on a dedicated, portable, battery-powered DVD player.
I'm interested in a certian degree of ruggedness, but I realize that a DVD player is not intended-
Click to expand...

You are doing the right thing, but maybe in the wrong direction, DVD is not a reliable storage system if you need to take it with you. Scratching and breaking them will get you lost and blind fast. Learn all you can before the SHTF, put the info (copy) onto the micro chips or USB sticks. A DVD can hold a few GB, but the new sticks and chips will keep over 60 GB of info, are easier to protect from EMP, take up less space and are also much faster with the searching that a DVD. I have three sticks with a total of 100 GB of info and they are only 1/3 full with all my stuff on them. About 175 books, from 45 to 500 pages each. Any type of smartphone with a USB cable and/or micro chip on Flightmode, will do that which you are looking for. Display, battery, re-charge, storage space, light, transportability, EMP-proofable. GP
 
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GaRp58 said:
You are doing the right thing, but maybe in the wrong direction, DVD is not a reliable storage system if you need to take it with you. Scratching and breaking them will get you lost and blind fast. Learn all you can before the SHTF, put the info (copy) onto the mirco chips or USB sticks. A DVD can hold a few GB, but the new sticks and chips will keep over 60 GB of info, are easier to protect from EMP, take up less space and are also much faster with the searching that a DVD. I have three sticks with a total of 100 GB of info and they are only 1/3 full with all my stuff on them. About 175 books, from 45 to 500 pages each. Any type of smartphone with a USB cable and/or micro chip on Flightmode, will do that which you are looking for. Display, battery, re-charge, storage space, light, transportability, EMP-proofable. GP
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What you have to say makes sense.

Thank you. I will have to try and educate myself more about electronics. I can see how thumb drives and memory sticks might be a better way to go.
 
Back in the 1990s, I had to store a large number of digitized photos electronically, and went through all sorts of different storage media trying to figure out what was the most economical, most reliable, and most compact medium. As a result of that, I've been watching various media over the years to an eye for the best thing to use for long term storage. At one time I used a SyQuest drive with removable hard drives (actual hard platters just like in a regular hard drive, but in a cartridge) Those however were rather expensive and each disk was only 120 MB, so it became apparent that it wasn't an economical long term solution.

Fast forward to the early 2000's and I was recording TV Shows. Wanna eat up hard drive space in a hurry? Record a few movies in HD! I had 14 seasons of NCIS stored on my computer at one time, LOL. So again my attention was drawn to finding ways of long term storage that were feasible and economic. And because of those large files on my computer, doing a full backup became a problem (it would take something like 425 rewritable DVDs to do a full backup of just the primary drive, and I have 4 hard drives in the computer). I now back up to another high capacity hard drive.

At one time I thought USB sticks and SD cards were the ticket, until they started failing on me.

I have a very large collection of DVD and CD data disks. Optical media have been more reliable than electronic for me.
But what has been the most economic and reliable is good old fashioned hard drives. (but not the most compact) With a USB hard drive interface, OTG cable, and a USB splitter cable than can draw power from a USB charger, I can plug in a regular hard drive to my cell phone and tablet. It wasn't feasible to store large quantities of data (I'm talking terabytes) on hard drives at one time without a warehouse to hold all of them and Bloomberg's checkbook! But now with high capacity notebook hard drives that are very inexpensive, you can store immense quantities of data in duplicate in a small amount of space at relatively low cost.

The jury is still out on SSDs. They haven't been on the market long enough to know how they will hold up over time. It is possible that they will be the best medium, but based on my problems with memory sticks, I'm not holding my breath.
 
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