Monthly Archives: February 2019

Review: Commando Precision Pocket Screwdriver Set

Last month I received a $50 Amazon gift card from my new mobile phone company, Visible. It was completely unexpected (and most welcome, I might add), likely due to a few network glitches we experienced shortly after launching their service.

When I receive a gift card out of the blue like this, I like to use it to buy something I’ve always wanted, but never could bring myself to pull the trigger to buy: items just a little too indulgent for me to justify snapping up with my hard-earned cash. Gourmet coffee, high-end earphones, travel bags/pouches, or radio accessories come to mind…you know, a proper splurge.

At home, I have a great set of precision screwdrivers, but they’re not really portable––at least, nothing I’d want to carry with me every day. So when I received this Amazon card, I knew exactly how I’d use it, because I’ve been searching for a quality set of precision screwdrivers that I could tuck away in my EDC pack.

Screwdrivers are an important part of my EDC (“everyday carry”) kit. In fact, I think I use screwdrivers almost as much as I do my pocket knife, nearly as much as a pen. Since I was a kid, the screwdriver was my light-saber––the means by which I could effectively crack into toys and pull out the insides. Harbinger of things to come?

Yep. If I had a disclaimer as a kid, it should have been this one…

Today, I reach for precision screwdrivers, among other things, to work on small electronics, open radio cases, as well as to snug up the screws in the hinges of my glasses.

And I freely admit it: on occasion, I still void warranties.

Over the years I’ve tried a number of pocket screwdrivers, but I’ve never found a quality set I could recommend. Almost all of them have multiple bits that fit inside the body and magnetically lock into head/handle of the screwdriver. The lock is never that strong, and quite often, I pull up the screwdriver only to find the bit still stuck in the screw: not useful. In addition, very few of these screwdrivers have a handle with the requisite grippiness––you know, for those times when you need a little extra controlled force.

Last year, I started searching for a higher-end solution, and discovered the Commando Precision Pocket Screwdriver Set. This set comes in a familiar pen-shaped form factor: tips attach to the head and are stored in the body. The price of this set floats around $33 US or so ($31.95 at time of posting).

Overall, reviews are very positive, with most owners stating that the screwdriver set “was worth the investment.”

The set comes with the following heat-treated alloy steel tips:

.040, .055, .080, .100 and .125 flat
#00, #0 & #1 phillips
Scribe/Awl & Punch

Better yet, the whole set is made in the US, the anodized aluminum body handle has a lifetime warranty, and each of the tips have a one year warranty.

The Amazon gift card gave me an excuse to pull the trigger and buy the set, so I did…Now, I only wish I had purchased it long ago.

I’m very pleased with the Commando. It’s very lightweight, yet durable. The finger grip texture on the body is superb. The best part, though, is that the tips/tools don’t rely on a magnetic lock to stay in position; rather, this mini set uses a chuck nut and grip much like a full-sized drill or screw driver––excellent design.

Once locked in properly, there’s no way a bit can slip or fall out in use. Just what I had in mind.

And, best of all? It easily fits in my Maxpedition Fatty EDC pouch which then tucks neatly away in my Tom Bihn Stowaway pack.

This kit goes with me everywhere, and even though I’ve only had the screwdriver set a month, I’ve used the little Commando multiple times, and feel I now have a pocket set that matches (or exceeds) the quality of my full-sized set. One that should last a lifetime.

I know this review is a little off-topic, but if you, too, like having precision screwdrivers handy to support your radios and other gear, I highly recommend this particular set.

Retailers:

Amazon.com ($31.95 shipped) affiliate link helps support the SWLing Post
Walmart ($38.76 shipped)

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End of WWV weather information

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Photo taken in 2014 of the sign above WWV’s primary 10 MHz transmitter.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:

As monitored here in NB on 15 MHz today (31 January), WWV ended the National Weather Service Atlantic and Pacific marine high-seas and storm warnings after 19:00 UTC. Before that time, announcements about the ending of the warnings were transmitted during minutes 4 and 7 after the hour with the Atlantic information in minutes 8 and 9 and the Pacific information in minute 10. So, the last storm warnings were during the 18:00 UTC hour. After 19:00 UTC, the announcements in minutes 4 and 7 were discontinued and the storm warnings in minutes 8, 9, and 10 were replaced with an announcement about the ending of the warnings. Presumably, there was a similar transition on WWVH.

Thanks for the report, Richard!

In terms of an overall update about WWV in the 2019 NIST budget, there has been no real news to report. It seems the funding level for the Laboratory Programs (where the radio stations reside) will be funded at the same level as it was in 2018. Of course, NIST can internally-allocate many of their funds as they wish. Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Cuff, who’s been keeping an eye on this budget process.

I must admit that I find it interesting WWV, WWVH and WWVB all continued to operate as normal during the Federal Government Shutdown.

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The curious history of the Foxhall Transmission Station

Representative from Nuku, PNG asks NBC to reintroduce shortwave

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(Source: PNG Post Courier via Michael Bird)

Member for Nuku Joseph Sungi has called in the National Broadcasting Corporation to reintroduce the short wave band to reach the rural people.

Mr Sungi in a series of questions to Minister for Communication and Information Technology Sam Basil said in the late 1980s, the NBC at the time through the provincial radio stations was using the shortwave band.

He said Radio Sandaun in West Sepik could reach districts like Nuku and parts of Telefomin but that was not the case anymore.

“Does the minister and the department have any plans to make sure that same service under short wave band can be replaced by a new one or improvement can be made so that provincial radio stations can be revived and broadcasted straight so that remote parts of PNG can use to get news and update on what is happening around the country?” Mr Sungi said.

Mr Basil, who is also responsible for Energy, said a lot of people in the rural areas were asking the same question because they could no longer have access to NBC radio.

[…]“I have had discussions with the managing director of NBC and I told them that we want that service to return. We are now moving the system at NBC from analogue to digital so I asked them how we can fit in the short wave system when we do the migration.

“They came up with a few ideas. For some places like Bougainville shortwave is available.

“But I asked them how can we asked the shops to start selling shortwave 1 and 2 transistor radios that receive this wireless signal, a lot of shops are not selling, In places like Bougainville we want to import some radios to distribute so that they carry out the awareness.”

“We are now talking about bringing back these services and improvement.

“We will start in Port Moresby first and roll out to provinces, We are trying our very best to bring the service back because most of our people are in rural areas, A lot of our radio stations now invest into FM band which signals of often blocked by barriers like mountains that is why we want to bring back the shortwave band,” Mr Basil said.

Click here to read the full article at the Post Courier.

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