This is a good portable weather radio with SAME capability. Anyone who reads the review should read everything the writer says since he/she says good and bad things. On the one hand, the person complains about the big antenna, but in the next breath, praises the big antenna for the unit's good reception. He complains about the flimsy belt clip but also praises the ruggedness of the actual radio itself. I don't disagree with the opinions, just that it isn't an entirely negative review, for any of you who sees OBG's little snippet of the negative comments.

I'm not sure where the battery consumption problem is, but my 74-250 will last about two weeks on 2xAA alkalines. That's not bad for 24/7 stand-by, particularly running on just 2xAA versus the more typical 3xAA/AAA arrangement. However, running on NiMH batteries, I also get only a few days of use before it shuts off. It's not clear what is going on with the rechargeables.

Anyway, personally I would say this is a steal at $9.