Small Portable Radio's?

[StarHalo]

NOOBish in this department. Without reading 50 pages, and for recent opinions, whats a good, small radio that can run on Lithium Primaries for a Bug out bag?

If this is a radio you won't be using for casual listening all the time, and you've got a news station you can tune to, the Sangean SR-35 is a simple and straightforward 2xAA-powered unit, $20.

 

[more_vampires]

NOOBish in this department. Without reading 50 pages, and for recent opinions, whats a good, small radio that can run on Lithium Primaries for a Bug out bag?

:wave:

What size lithium primaries? Not talking hotwire hacks. You pack CR123 primaries, yes?

If 3.0v primaries, you can run any AAx2 radio off of that. Sorry, didn't mean to sound like MacGyver.

 

[5S8Zh5]

Just got my Tecsun ICR-100 and it is small. The sound is very good. Tuned in my favorite FM station and it's playing while I charge the lithium battery with my ipod touch wall adaptor and supplied unit to usb. I can't wait to play some mp3s.

Annoyingly, it turns on at volume level 7 (way too loud - 4 is about right). I would prefer a volume wheel. Found some classical music tracks already on the micro card.

 

[revscott]

I just started researching radios for emergency situations (when cell phone/Internet/TV goes down). I just want to have one available just in case, but I have a few questions.

How important are the weather bands? (I live on the gulf coast) Is good AM reception enough for most emergency situations? How critical is SW?

I do like the idea of being prepared and having multiple ways to get information, but not sure what all I really need.

I like the idea of analog for longer battery life. Not sure about the necessity of hand cranks and solar panels.

I would rather have an antenna than have to plug in earbuds.

I have read most of this thread and I'm torn between models like these:

CCrane Solar Observer
Kaito KA210
Several of the Eton's FRX5 & Scorpion

 

[ForrestChump]

If this is a radio you won't be using for casual listening all the time, and you've got a news station you can tune to, the Sangean SR-35 is a simple and straightforward 2xAA-powered unit, $20.

Thanks, can it handle AA Lithium Primaries? ( Energizer ultimate lithiums )

It is soul crushing trying to find this out for a lot of radio's and often lights- (you wouldn't believe how many light manufactures don't even know).

Manufactures seem dumfounded when you say lithium.....

This is a deal breaker as the radio is for storage and I need it leaky-less ready to rock.

 

[more_vampires]

How important are the weather bands? (I live on the gulf coast)
Is good AM reception enough for most emergency situations? How critical is SW?
...
not sure what all I really need.

The best advice is to get something, anything, and listen to the service in your area. If your weather radio is not in a reception area for service provided on the frequencies you've got, then it won't work.

AM is nice and all, but unless you know the magic frequency to turn to, then AM reception by itself is of little help.

A key to working radio RX is to work it during the normal times so you know when something's wrong when it goes wrong. Believe it or not, consumer FM radio (like in your car) involves quite a heck of a lot of infrastructure. That isn't even close to trying to work the world with shortwave atmo bounce.

Anyway, radio is not a possession or a trading card, it's a knowledge and a goal. People have made radios with razor blades and writing pencils.

I can lay in a tent among broken terrain with a pocket radio and tune in a foreign country. You cannot quite convey that in one single post, but I'm trying.

Perhaps less of a tool and more than what you're familiar with? A chisel is no good unless you know what to do with it.

 

[more_vampires]

Thanks, can it handle AA Lithium Primaries? ( Energizer ultimate lithiums )

It is soul crushing trying to find this out for a lot of radio's and often lights- (you wouldn't believe how many light manufactures don't even know).

Manufactures seem dumfounded when you say lithium.....

This is a deal breaker as the radio is for storage and I need it leaky-less ready to rock.

Alkaline AAx2 is equal to 1.5V Lithium primaryx2, yes. Only in strange corner cases will this not work due to a weird factor like reliance upon internal battery resistance or such.

 

[StarHalo]

Thanks, can it handle AA Lithium Primaries? ( Energizer ultimate lithiums )

Yes, pop in a pair and leave it stored for years, no parasitic drain, no worries..

How important are the weather bands? (I live on the gulf coast) Is good AM reception enough for most emergency situations? How critical is SW?

The weather band is best for SAME alerts, which sets off an alarm on a SAME-equipped radio to alert you when there's a new warning; this is most helpful in the Midwest where storms can pop up, whereas most folks on the gulf have plenty of warning and time to prepare. Short of that, the weather station itself is only useful if you don't have an AM/FM news station; tuning in to a live broadcast with an actual meteorologist and news anchors is much more helpful than a pre-recorded computer voice reading off lists of counties.

Most news stations are on the AM side, so good reception helps here. The AM band comes alive at night with stations from hundreds of miles away, so you may get more news stations in the evening that weren't there during the day, aside from interesting programming from other states that will give you more options for entertainment and morale, the better the reception the merrier..

Listening to SW during an emergency is just shy of useless - you can search for HAMs discussing what's going on, but it's a lot of antenna-wrangling and band hunting for what may just be idle chatter; the time is better spent listening to a solid news source.

The cranks and solar panels are just backups, the idea being that you should have as many options to power your radio as possible because anything could go wrong. I own a multi-power-source radio that has a crank I've never used, it's good to know the crank is there just in case.

The CCrane Solar Observer is my first recommendation for an often-used emergency radio, and is vastly superior to the other models you listed.

 

[ForrestChump]

Short of that, the weather station itself is only useful if you don't have an AM/FM news station; tuning in to a live broadcast with an actual meteorologist and news anchors is much more helpful than a pre-recorded computer voice reading off lists of counties.

Finally, that was jumbled in my brain, I focused on NOAA when in reality if X is going down, wouldn't all the local stations be all over it?

Also, no disclaimers from the manufacturer on lithiums? I've called a LOT of radio companies and the answer is always a resounding "no".... weaksauce.

 

[revscott]

So I'm thinking I just need a good am/fm radio with long battery life and a possible alternate power source like a hand crank.

How important is DSP? Seems like analog would be better for battery life.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

NOOBish in this department. Without reading 50 pages, and for recent opinions, whats a good, small radio that can run on Lithium Primaries for a Bug out bag?

:wave:

I think you need to first tell the folks here who are the radio whizzes what you desire in a radio in the way of features and bands and battery types.

 

[revscott]

The brands that keep popping up in my research are ccrane, sony, tecsun, sangean, kaito, grundig.

Is Eton and Grundig connected in some way? It seems like a few of these companies are connected.

I would like a smaller radio, but not at the sacrifice of needed am/fm reception and battery life.

 

[StarHalo]

Also, no disclaimers from the manufacturer on lithiums? I've called a LOT of radio companies and the answer is always a resounding "no".... weaksauce.

The only devices I've ever seen that don't work with primary lithiums are cheap analog clocks and cheap LED flashlights.

How important is DSP? Seems like analog would be better for battery life.

Is Eton and Grundig connected in some way? It seems like a few of these companies are connected.

I would like a smaller radio, but not at the sacrifice of needed am/fm reception and battery life.

DSP is good for FM casual listening, not AM distant listening. It doesn't help battery life.

Eton bought Grundig and they're part of some corporate flotilla; they made legendary radios ~5 years ago, not so much since. I'm not a fan of their emergency radios as the designs are style over substance.

The CCrane Solar Observer pretty much checks all the boxes. It's not a pocket radio, but pocket radios don't have all the emergency-specific features.

 

[Lebkuecher]

When I think of survival situations and living on the go you can bet the gear you take may take some abuse so having something that will survive drops and bang is a must. As mentioned I would want something small given space may be limited if you run out of gas and have to carry your survival gear. I would also want a radio with a good runtime on a set of commonly found batteries and I would also want the radio to be very sensitive so picking up distant station would be possible. I've never bought a radio specifically for a go bag but for me the radio I would grab in an emergency is my Grundig G5, it the most rugged radio I have and fits the above criteria. I read a story of a guy literally dropping his G5 off a cliff and the radio still worked. It is an amazing radio but it's discontinued so EBay is pretty much you're only buying option.

Grundig G5

 

[ForrestChump]

I think you need to first tell the folks here who are the radio whizzes what you desire in a radio in the way of features and bands and battery types.

AA or AAA lithium primary batteries. Small, relatively durable, for emergency news / Bug out Bag. The more under $50 the better.

Asking too much? I always liked the CC Crane pocket radio... but I think it's over the $50 by $15 or so?

 

[StarHalo]

AA or AAA lithium primary batteries. Small, relatively durable, for emergency news / Bug out Bag. The more under $50 the better.

Asking too much? I always liked the CC Crane pocket radio... but I think it's over the $50 by $15 or so?

The CCPocket is a top shelf full-featured pocket radio, which makes it too good to store away for emergencies. It'd be like putting a new iPhone in your car glovebox for emergency use. The $20 Sangean is cheap and simple enough that you won't miss it in storage.

 

[ForrestChump]

The CCPocket is a top shelf full-featured pocket radio, which makes it too good to store away for emergencies. It'd be like putting a new iPhone in your car glovebox for emergency use. The $20 Sangean is cheap and simple enough that you won't miss it in storage.

A LITTLE OT.....

Just got an iPhone 6 yesterday, sat in a box until today, I don't even care anymore.... I was a DIE HARD APPLE SUPER FAN, used to walk into empty stores with pretty computers and pretty sales chicks, glossy white goodies all over, Titanium PowerBooks, this thing called iPod....... I miss Steve. Thought he was immortal and had it all planned out, but even all that money, all that empire, he focused on his family when it came to an end. Now we got Tim Cookie.... to little to late. I was rooting for him hard too. I always argued Apple would overcome, but Steve really was Apple.

Sad forrest. :mecry:

$20 Sangen it is then....

Now Im just depressed......

 

[revscott]

Who makes the strongest durable hand crank for a radio? I'm considering a small hand crank radio to go in each car.

Looking at Midland, Eton, Kaito, Ambient Weather

 

[ForrestChump]

ccrane solar observer

If It was 1/4 the size I would have it in my bag all day long....

 

[StarHalo]

Radio Shack filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, the downhill gallop becomes a roll..

Who makes the strongest durable hand crank for a radio? I'm considering a small hand crank radio to go in each car.

I wouldn't recommend a crank radio for a car; the crank charges an internal NiMH battery, and rechargeable cells don't handle extreme temperatures well over time. Aside from that, don't your cars already have a radio?

Just got an iPhone 6 yesterday, sat in a box until today

Now Im just depressed......

I'm typing this on a 6 I got shortly after launch, which [along with the TuneIn app and the aforementioned big speaker] is how I do almost all my radio listening now. There's also a MacBook Pro 13"/i5/SSD next to me, I don't feel at all depressed..