backpacking storm radios

[Garrett Schmidt]

Just wondering what you guys use/have for backpacking emergency radios. I'm thinking more AM/FM type of radio not the two way as much but if it has both that would be a bonus. Wind-up is a plus but not necessary. Hopefully if not wind-up, AA batteries. Any thoughts?

 

[desmobob]

I have two of these and think they are the best bang for the buck:

The tiny digital AM/FM/Shortwave radio from CountyComm

Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[Erasmus]

My main radio is a heavily worn Radio Shack dx399. It gets AM, FM, Long Wave(?!) and shortwave, from 2 to 30 MHz. I think it is a Chinese copy of the Sangean 606. A good radio.

The AM reception is excellent, the FM, and shortwave merely good. There's nothing to hear on Long Wave here in the continental US (apparently). Cost $100, several years ago.

My more portable and latest acquisition is a Grundig 300. It goes for dozens of hours on 2x AA batts, gets reasonable shortwave reception, and struggles to be as good as the dx399 with AM reception. Cost $30 a few weeks ago.

Emergency nothing! You don't need an excuse to pull out a radio and listen in to some program.

 

[Quill]

I think a small one with NOAA alerts would be nice.

 

[sawgrass7]

I guess it depends on where you plan to use it? Can you pick up FM/AM in the middle of nowhere? Dunno...

I have an old mini- NOAA one that I can't find now nor do I see it for sale online. Roughly 3 x 5, gray, kind of rubbery, it runs on one 9V and though sometimes has poor reception - has been good to me on long trips in the backcountry.

I used to only want to hear the weather forecast. Nowadays it would be nice to get FM for the news. So I'd want NOAA and FM, I guess. I'm interested to hear what's good now, too.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

I do have a shortwave I take car camping, but on the trail, my GMRS and CB both have Weather radio bands. I don't always carry a two way though.

Sometimes I just look up and if I see the sun, it is dry, if I start to drown, I know it's raining.

 

[BlackHills]

The Grundig Mini 400 looks interesting and is pretty inexpensive.

Can you pick up FM/AM in the middle of nowhere? Dunno...

Yes, though AM much more so than FM and especially after dark. I regularly listen to an AM station out of Omaha, NE (about 700 miles away) at night on my portable.

 

[shecky]

I guess it depends on where you plan to use it? Can you pick up FM/AM in the middle of nowhere? Dunno...

AM carries pretty far, particularly at night. FM can get pretty dodgy beyond line of sight. And by nature, FM broadcasting is not really intended for long distance listening. Shortwave, despite offering world wide broadcasting, is really kind of useless, IMO, unless it's a hobby and/or you have broadcast ability... a whole 'nuther can 'o worms.

I've never found NOAA broadcasts to be all that useful, but that's probably because we don't get much weather here.

I'm pretty sure I've plugged it here before, but the Sony ICF-S10MK2 is a very good pocket transistor radio that's inexpensive, performs very well, and costs very little. Runs a pretty long time on two AA batteries.

I have one of those Grundig wind up radios. It's performance is OK. Shortwave performance is surprisingly good for what is basically a low end radio. However, the analog tuning is practically a random affair. It works well even without any batteries, by cranking alone. Winding for about a minute yields about an hour's worth of listening. Battery life is good. Has a built in white LED light that's actually pretty darn useful as a low power flashlight. However, the Grundig is significantly bulkier than the Sony. And while it hasn't fallen apart, it does feel a little bit on the fragile side.

 

[Stainz]

I bought a pair of Uniden GMRS handie talkies on closeout from Wally World a year or so back - they were ~$15 and included NiMH battery packs that when removed, revealed a AAA battery holder. They also automatically scan the NOAA weather channels and receive as well as my old Bearcat BC-200XLT handheld does in that function - and they are much smaller. That's the real reason I have them - I have a WX radio for the home and car - with a pack of fresh AAA alkalines for backup. Also, as FRS/GMRS handie talkies, they can also be of use.

I do have a mini-tote in the closet for emergency use - with a 'Freeplay' mini AM/FM radio and flashlight, as well as other emergency items. They are okay at home - I'd hate to tote them through the woods, as the wind-up generator that Freeplay developed uses the same large helical spring that retracts seat belts, a use insuring a long life product. The smaller wind-up PRC-made radio/flashlight combos you find for <$20 simply won't take the 1k+ wind-ups the original units would. They were made to fill a need in southern Africa for rural use where power wasn't always available and batteries were expensive. The original versions included the tropical SW bands, too, although the radio circuitry was rudimentary analog and not very good. Some of the US SW radio distributors, like Universal Radio in Reynoldsburg, OH, have carried a Freeplay radio of some sort for years.

I would think a pocketable radio with headphones and a frugal power requirement would be ideal. As the CR123 3V Li-ion cells have the highest energy packaging density, their use in an LED flashlight and mini-radio would keep the battery spares at a minimum.

Stainz

 

[Garrett Schmidt]

I bought a pair of Uniden GMRS handie talkies on closeout from Wally World a year or so back - they were ~$15 and included NiMH battery packs that when removed, revealed a AAA battery holder. They also automatically scan the NOAA weather channels and receive as well as my old Bearcat BC-200XLT handheld does in that function - and they are much smaller. That's the real reason I have them - I have a WX radio for the home and car - with a pack of fresh AAA alkalines for backup. Also, as FRS/GMRS handie talkies, they can also be of use.

I do have a mini-tote in the closet for emergency use - with a 'Freeplay' mini AM/FM radio and flashlight, as well as other emergency items. They are okay at home - I'd hate to tote them through the woods, as the wind-up generator that Freeplay developed uses the same large helical spring that retracts seat belts, a use insuring a long life product. The smaller wind-up PRC-made radio/flashlight combos you find for <$20 simply won't take the 1k+ wind-ups the original units would. They were made to fill a need in southern Africa for rural use where power wasn't always available and batteries were expensive. The original versions included the tropical SW bands, too, although the radio circuitry was rudimentary analog and not very good. Some of the US SW radio distributors, like Universal Radio in Reynoldsburg, OH, have carried a Freeplay radio of some sort for years.

I would think a pocketable radio with headphones and a frugal power requirement would be ideal. As the CR123 3V Li-ion cells have the highest energy packaging density, their use in an LED flashlight and mini-radio would keep the battery spares at a minimum.

Stainz

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Although I really like the cr123 powered gear, i am trying to get everything that I have for hiking to be powered by AA. They are a little bit more common and the majority of what I already have runs on them. ie GPS, headlamp, etc. Is worth considering the cr123 powered stuff though.

Here is one I found on Cabelas website. This one is solar powered as well.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...5&hasJS=true&_requestid=4223&_requestid=36915

 

[akennedy73]

I'm pretty sure I've plugged it here before, but the Sony ICF-S10MK2 is a very good pocket transistor radio that's inexpensive, performs very well, and costs very little. Runs a pretty long time on two AA batteries.

+1 :thumbup:

and I pack along a little solar cell to recharge the AA batteries

 

[sawgrass7]

blackhills and shecky - thanks guys.

"Shortwave, despite offering world wide broadcasting, is really kind of useless, IMO, unless it's a hobby..."

So shortwave is useless in a wilderness location? Listening - wise?

I grew up listening to AM station at night that was hundreds of miles away, too - but I was in a large city. In my radio frequency ignorance, I guess I am asking if one's AM reception is dependent upon one's physical location in regards to one's distance from any large population center and its accompanying electrical matrix/antennaes?

Like I said, I am radio ignorant... So will I still pick up AM stations if I am literally miles away from even small cities - NOT in any straight line between big cities - and in a wilderness area? thanks again.

 

[BlackHills]

blackhills and shecky - thanks guys.

So shortwave is useless in a wilderness location? Listening - wise?

You're welcome. I think what he meant by 'useless' is that there are a lot fewer SW stations broadcasting than there were several years ago....blame it on the internet. However, you can still pick up SW broadcasts in the US from the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Radio Netherlands, etc. The eastern part of the US is better for the most part because of the locations they broadcast from and some other factors.

I grew up listening to AM station at night that was hundreds of miles away, too - but I was in a large city. In my radio frequency ignorance, I guess I am asking if one's AM reception is dependent upon one's physical location in regards to one's distance from any large population center and its accompanying electrical matrix/antennaes?

Like I said, I am radio ignorant... So will I still pick up AM stations if I am literally miles away from even small cities - NOT in any straight line between big cities - and in a wilderness area? thanks again.

AM broadcasts normally only originate from the station's home city, there aren't any repeaters to boost the signal along the way. Whether or not you receive the station depends on a number of factors but the single fact that you are in a city, small town or wilderness area isn't one of them. For example, I am a good 250+ miles from any city larger than 60,000 people (and that's 100+ miles away) and I have no problem listening to Omaha (700 miles) at night. This Wiki article should give you some help in understanding better, particularly the part on propagation.

 

[sawgrass7]

Thanks again, BlackHills! I appreciate the link and you explaining that. I sure learned a bunch here. I don't mean to hog this thread, but maybe it will help Garrett, too.

The County Comm radio looks interesting, anyone else have feedback on this one?

 

[shecky]

So shortwave is useless in a wilderness location? Listening - wise?

Sort of. Unless listening to SW is your hobby. The band is largely reserved for international broadcasts, so what you're likely to hear in English tends to be a bit on the bland side and not particularly topical for the average American listener. Sometimes propaganda-ish. Domestic SW broadcasts seem to be wacky religious nuts and such.

That being said, it can be a fascinating hobby. The SW spectrum is very wide with all kinds of public and private broadcasts constantly fading in and out, some easily identifiable, some absolutely mysterious and cryptic. I find that SW listening isn't really about listening, but finding and identifying. If you want to listen to music, talk and news, a plain old AM/FM radio is what you want.

I grew up listening to AM station at night that was hundreds of miles away, too - but I was in a large city. In my radio frequency ignorance, I guess I am asking if one's AM reception is dependent upon one's physical location in regards to one's distance from any large population center and its accompanying electrical matrix/antennaes?

Like I said, I am radio ignorant... So will I still pick up AM stations if I am literally miles away from even small cities - NOT in any straight line between big cities - and in a wilderness area? thanks again.

Generally, the closer you are to the transmitter, the better reception. And not all AM stations are the same. Clear channel stations (not to be confused with Clear Channel stations) are usually the most powerful, on frequencies that are regulated so that they are clearest from interference. At night, as adjacent stations cut power or go offline, they propagate more clearly with less interference. In addition, they can bounce off the atmosphere at night, traveling hundreds of miles, listenable even with modest radio setups. Most AM radios have directional internal antennas, which often allows you to null out interference from different directions.

In contrast, FM broadcasts tend to be lower powered and due to the nature of FM mode, more intolerant of interference. Radios tend to "lock on" to stations depending on the strength of the signal. FM signals can bounce off the atmosphere like AM signals, but due to the power and frequency range, it's not usually reliable and demands more specialized equipment such as fancy antennas. This is in the more hardcore radio hobbyist territory.

 

[dblagent]

Here is one I found on Cabelas website. This one is solar powered as well.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...5&hasJS=true&_requestid=4223&_requestid=36915

Not sure if you are aware, but that is a discontinued/older model now that was recently replaced by the Eton FR160. Here is a link to information on the new model. Not sure how much has changed, but I am planning on getting one of these for my backpacking needs myself actually. I have been waiting on the new ones to come out and now they are apparently.

http://www.amazon.com/FR160B-Microl...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242264701&sr=8-1

 

[Garrett Schmidt]

Not sure if you are aware, but that is a discontinued/older model now that was recently replaced by the Eton FR160. Here is a link to information on the new model. Not sure how much has changed, but I am planning on getting one of these for my backpacking needs myself actually. I have been waiting on the new ones to come out and now they are apparently.

http://www.amazon.com/FR160B-Microl...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242264701&sr=8-1

I wasn't aware of that one. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Stainz]

Well, I hate to admit it, but I owned a new Eton FR-400 water-resistant 'Recycle Power' radio when I wrote my earlier reply. I bought it and a bag full of other goodies Saturday night at an auction - for $850. Oh yeah, a week at a condo on the Rednech Riviera, our choice of dates, was included - something like a $2k value for the condo(...and the radio!). It was 'for my wife'... I'd rather be in The Smokies. I have to start collecting pop bottles for gas money.

The radio seems quite sensitive on AM - and decent on FM, as well as local TV VHF channel (2-6 & 7-13) audio - at least for the remaining month until the digital switch. I hate to admit it, as I have had an FCC Radiotelephone First Class/General Radio License since 1968 - and been the chief engineer for several FM stations, but I don't know if they will continue to use a WBFM transmission mode for their audio after the change or not, making this radio's TV audio reception possibly of limited value. It also has the NOAA WX reception capability.

Power can be supplied externally, from a wall wart power supply, or from an internal NiMH pack or 3xAA batteries, or a hand crank powered dynamo, ie, not a spring-motor. I don't feel that solar cells would be a great attribute - treetop canopy cover, night, etc, render that less than important. It's 2" x 4.5" x 8.5" size isn't bad, it's water resistant rating, either... just note it isn't water proof. It also has a pair of white LEDs - or flashing red LED - that can be used, as well. The WX radio covers all 7 channels - and has an 'Alert' function where it can monitor quietly until a weather emergency is broadcast. Not a bad choice for your home 'emergency' kit - maybe a bit much for the back pack. It does have AA capability.

Re radio reception. FM, TV audio, and NOAA WX are 'line of sight', while AM will make it over the horizon, even if slightly, power and interference permitting, in the daytime. As dusk approaches, more distant stations to your east will start to come in as sky wave signals, producing more interference with lower powered or more distant local stations, begin to come in. When many lower powered stations go to night time reduced power - and night falls - the distant stations will often predominate.

Stainz

PS I have been a SW radio listener since Kennedy was president. The once plentiful English broadcasting beamed to the US in convenient listening hours is now a wasteland.

 

[Erasmus]

I often bring a shortwave (that DX399 mentioned above) when fishing or backpacking. With it, I've pulled in English language programming from:

Radio Moscow (usually worth hearing)
Radio Netherlands (Worth hearing)
The BBC (worth hearing)
Radio Canada (slight Anti-American tone)
Radio Havana (incessant whinging to lift sanctions)
North Korea (good for laughs)
Deutsche Welle (Shrugs, OK, I guess)

EWTN (A nice Catholic station)
TBN (Not quite as good Protestant station)
GCN (Get your tinfoil hat fix here)

This does not even cover the Upper/Lower Sideband chatter from actual radio stations, or just private hams. Also, I like the atomic time signal broadcast on 5, 10, and 15 Mega-Hurts:foot:

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Sorry, Heinrich Hertz.