Radios??

runningboar

runningboar

Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
2,325
I am addicted to radios, carry one with me everywhere and wouldn't think of not having one in my pack.

On the morning of September 11 2001 I was in a C-5 Galaxy somewhere over Egypt. I was heading for a multi national, multi force training exercise called Bright Star. With no warning, the plane banked very hard and then the aircrew told us there had been a terrorist attack against the US and we were being diverted to another airstrip and would be arriving in about an hour, we were all speculating that it was part of the exercise. When we landed, with about 400 other soldiers we were told that we were in lock down status until we got more information. There were wild rumors going crazy but no one had any real information, I had a small portable radio in my ruck. My radio only had earbuds so I found an english speaking station, I would listen to the reports and then relay it to the 100 or more soldiers clustered around me.

This story keeps going with one tense situation with egyptian soldiers and us in sort of a Mexican stand off with locked and loaded weapons, but that is another story and has nothing to do with radios.:D

The main radios I carry now are a sony ICF-SW35 portable short wave and my EDC is a sony SRF-M37V which is very compact, RXs FM, AM, televsion and weather band, best of all it will run for a long time on one AAA battery. From personal experience, a radio can be almost vital in a crisis to get the latest information on your situation. Anybody else carry a radio? If so whats your favorite and why? Chris
 
I agree. I've carried one of the little Sony AM/FM/TV/Weather band rigs for years while commuting and it has helped through storms and earthquakes and a riot to boot.

I have a CountyComm GL4 AM/FM/SW radio that is great for hiking. It is small, has an LED light, and clock/alarm functions too. With a long wire, you can pull in all kinds of SW traffic. We were on the Olympic Park beaches when a tsunami hit SE Asia and although we were not in danger, there would be no other warning in that area if there were a problem. 99% of the use is simple entertainment, just to see what I can pick up at night.
 
I have had radios warn me twice about approaching violent weather that was giving no obvious warnings, including "Bob" and its spin-offs in 1985. ("Why is all that stuff spinning around in the air?" :eek:)

I am awaiting a Sangean DT 300 VW. Unfortunately, "awaiting" means waiting for November, 'cause everyone seems to be on BO status. :(
 
Dale,
I am seriously thinking about upgrading my sony sw35, it doesn't have a connection for a long wire. I pull in plenty with the stock telescoping antenna but from experience it is not even close to a long wire.

Thomas,
How do you like the sangeans, I have been reading some good things but have always owned sonys. Chris
 
The communist internet auction site that no longer allows legal gun parts is a good place to get used radios. Other than that, a little google fu will get you all the reviews and retailers you could ever want. My little M37V is sold at wally world. Chris
 
Kaito SW with SSB capability model KA1102, it has lots of features for only $99.

I took that radio all over the USA this summer and all over Europe last summer, with the wire antenna I was pullin' in stations from all over.

The only downside to this radio is it take a little while to learn the controls, they are not really intuitive but the radio specs and real world reception is well worth the money, you'll be hard pressed to find the same options in a radio for $175.:thumbup:

Here's a link to their site Kaito Electronics
 
This will be my first Sangean -- IF IT EVER ARRIVES! (pant! pant!)

I found my way to reviews, articles, and vendors via Google, as Chris suggested.
 
My current radio for gathering info is a portable sony with AM, FM, UHF, VHF, and weather band channels. Not sure of the model #.

I also picked up a couple Motorola HT750's recently with handsets for comunication. They're my first real two-way radios (as opposed to the WalMart bought Cobra/Audiovox type FRS/GMRS radios). I've got plenty of reading to do in order to get up to speed on these.

I keep the Sony at work just in case I have to make my way back home on foot. The Motorolas are at home 'til I get 'em figured out.

Great topic RB.Thanks.

Chris
 
Several years ago, we were locked down at work due to a bank robber running into our complex while chased by police. They didn't provide any info over the PA, since the robber would get the info. Thankfully one person had a radio. The local news station was getting all the info from the police and broadcasting it. After that experience, I always have a radio in my commuter bag and office. Information is critical when things are unusual!

Spud

PS: I also carry the Sony radio that gets the TV stations. If something big is happening, I can see a helicopter circling. I then turn to that station to hear what is going on. This has prevented me from traveling into a chemical release two years ago.
 
runningboar said:
I am addicted to radios, carry one with me everywhere and wouldn't think of not having one in my pack.

On the morning of September 11 2001 I was in a C-5 Galaxy somewhere over Egypt. I was heading for a multi national, multi force training exercise called Bright Star. With no warning, the plane banked very hard and then the aircrew told us there had been a terrorist attack against the US and we were being diverted to another airstrip and would be arriving in about an hour, we were all speculating that it was part of the exercise. When we landed, with about 400 other soldiers we were told that we were in lock down status until we got more information. There were wild rumors going crazy but no one had any real information, I had a small portable radio in my ruck. My radio only had earbuds so I found an english speaking station, I would listen to the reports and then relay it to the 100 or more soldiers clustered around me.

This story keeps going with one tense situation with egyptian soldiers and us in sort of a Mexican stand off with locked and loaded weapons, but that is another story and has nothing to do with radios.:D

The main radios I carry now are a sony ICF-SW35 portable short wave and my EDC is a sony SRF-M37V which is very compact, RXs FM, AM, televsion and weather band, best of all it will run for a long time on one AAA battery. From personal experience, a radio can be almost vital in a crisis to get the latest information on your situation. Anybody else carry a radio? If so whats your favorite and why? Chris
Click to expand...

Great story Chris. I have a Grindig yb400 that got used during a hurricane and never had to use my portable mini world 100PE. I may upgrade the latter.

I like the Grundig FR series radios that are multipowered and wind up. May pick up one of them as well.

Good topic

Skam
 
I'm a bit of a radio nut myself. Decided last year to get into Amateur Radio. I liked it so much I upgraded this year from a Technician to a General license.
I haul around a Yaeus VX-7R. Ina ddition to getting NOAA weather brodcasts in its stock configuration it has been modified to receive a wide variety of signals including TV and broadcast radio. It's a great little radio and I take it with me everywhere. I get some funny looks when I'm out hiking. One of the things I really like is that I can reach someone just about anywhere through one of the many repeaters scattered around the area. Can't say the same for cell phones. Also if there is an emergency the net is cleared so the emergency traffic has priority. Being a amateur operator had been a great experience and I have met a lot of courteous, helpful and knowledgeable people.
 
Nothing really packable. I do have one of those Eton FR300 Emergency & Weather radios in my bug-out kit. It features:

AM and FM
TV1 and TV2 – VHF channels 2-13
NOAA weather – all 7 channels plus “Alert”
3 LED light system with emergency flash

Can be powered from five different sources:
  • Built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery
  • Dynamo crank alone
  • 3 “AA” batteries
  • AC Adapter (not included)
  • Cell-phone charger

515JYSMRSRL._SS500_.jpg
 
Let me pass along what I thought was good advice that I ran across. If a bad storm hits, you will be getting news and advisories from AM stations miles away from you. The local stations will likely be dead due to loss of power or physical damage to their facilities.

That scenario dictates a radio with "DX" - long distance - capacity. (FM [and TV sound] is line-of-sight). The radio receiver - not the power supply - is the first consideration. My Sony would go hundreds of hours on its batteries if I used earphones (until wife ran over it with her Toyota. RIP. :()

Range is also an issue if you're in the boonies. I have been places - sure other have too (only more so) - where only one station came in - and that weakly and after dark.

What the man said was that wind-up radios are a complex solution to a problem that largely does not exist in this land of plentiful, cheap AA and AAA batteries and radios that go hundreds of hours on a fresh set.

If I could find a wind-up and/or solar with the same range as the one I'm getting, I would. (Intel?)

(And I still have a wind-up 'cause 'ya never know. :o)
 
runningboar said:
Dale,
I am seriously thinking about upgrading my sony sw35, it doesn't have a connection for a long wire. I pull in plenty with the stock telescoping antenna but from experience it is not even close to a long wire....
Click to expand...


All you need ot do is to clip a wire on the existing antenna. They make retractable long wires if you want to bother with the expense. I have a long peice of 22ga with an aligator clip on the end. You can just loop one end over a tree branch when camping. I've run it from one hiking pole hand loops to the other a tree wasn't handy.

The Sony SW35 is a pretty nice little radio. Definitely try the long wire-- it makes a huge difference.
 
runningboar said:
This story keeps going with one tense situation with egyptian soldiers and us in sort of a Mexican stand off with locked and loaded weapons, but that is another story and has nothing to do with radios.:D
Click to expand...

...I wanna hear this story.

As for radios, I'm glad you posted this. I bought one of those cheap wind-up shortwave radios at Brookst0ne a while back and it crapped out on me the first time I tried to use it. I've been meaning to get a new one but I thought I'd get some recommendations first, so I'm curious to hear about everyones favorites.
 
For a number of years I've bought radios, flashlights, etc. from the C. Crane Co., Inc. in California with excellent service and complete satisfaction. I have one of their original (clockwork spring mechanism) Bay-Gen Freeplay radios, one of their original CC Radio models, and an original pocket-sized DT200V. They all work great, though there are some slightly enhanced versions of each available now. Be sure you get something with a digital frequency display if at all possible, though the Freeplay didn't come with that and it works just fine when a storm takes out the power here. C. Crane also sells a little inexpensive reel-type clip-on long wire antenna, plus a load of other radio accessories. Anyone with even a little interest in radios and lights should be on their catalog mailing list. www.ccrane.com
 
I have an Inexpensive "Dynamo radio" That I got years ago, I started using it on midnight shift in a security vehicle because it picked up stations the vehicle radios wouldn't. I have used it during storms and other emergencies and it seems to work well. I like this one because it has Solar, crank, battery, or ac plug power capbilities.
 
AM radio DXing late at night can be a lot of fun, even without any fancy antennas or other tricks. Too bad Art Bell has finally retired for good this time. His old show has drifted further and further toward the lunatic fringe lately. Art was the master.
 
Dr. Mudd said:
AM radio DXing late at night can be a lot of fun, even without any fancy antennas or other tricks. Too bad Art Bell has finally retired for good this time. His old show has drifted further and further toward the lunatic fringe lately. Art was the master.
Click to expand...

AM Coast to Coast Was all I had to keep me occupied on many nights, Im sorry to hear about arts retirement, I havent really been a listener for, about 4 years now, I have the internet and Blade forums to fill those early am lulls.
 
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