A Yaesu VX-7R has been a part of my EDC for almost two years now. I've used it as weather receiver during my commutes in both winter weather advisory and tornado warning conditions. It is also handy to pick up CB channel 19 chatter when traffic on I-96 comes to a screeching halt and the traffic reports haven't picked it up yet. Oh yeah, can even listen to the traffic copter's off air updates.

Rugged, water resistant (I've doused mine with no ill effect). Battery life on receive is great and you can get a battery adapter that permits full receive and low power transmit using AAs.

Save some money and get the VX-7R or VX-6R, or better yet the VX-3R, if all you really want is the receive, and don't need the GPS, ARPS (Amateur Radio Positioning System) and other advanced amateur radio capabilities. Both radios have pretty much the same wide-band receive capability and dual-band transmit. Get the Amateur Technician license and you'll be surprised how often you might actually talk as well as listen.

The other recommendation I'd make is an after-market antenna. I have two Diamonds, a dual band I use most of the time and a 19" tri-band that also provides amazing (for a hand-held whip) receive on the short-wave bands. And I have a small mag-mount with 10' cable in the commuter van.

I don't own a VX-3R, but my friend, N8TZQ, does. As a wide-band receiver (with the right antenna) it is very nice and <$150. And like the more expensive VX-8R, it does stereo FM with head-phones. It's transmit capability is more limited, but it does still transmit too.

Doug
AC8BY