Hey folks,

I'm in the process of reevaluating the gear I carry in my day pack
which is usually with me in the office or near by in my car. After
reading about folks going through the big black out and with Isabelle
blowing through recently, I decided that a radio would be good to have
with me. I've read some of the relatively recent threads here on radios,
and I was looking at the Sony SRF-M37V last night. I like it. However,
I already have an aiwa digital tuning AM/FM/cassette player lying around
that I haven't used in years -- who uses cassette tapes anymore, right <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
The cassette player doesn't work well anymore. I think I damaged it cleaning
the heads one day when I hit play to expose the heads to clean them better and
forgot I had batteries in it. I don't like the idea of carrying the useless
cassette part and adding more bulk to my pack. I'm trying to avoid needing a
dolly for my pack <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Then it struck me that I could carry the ear buds in the
cassette compartment, so maybe it's not so bad.

Anyway, my real question is how important is it to have the TV/Weather
capabilies on a radio? I'm trying to decide if I should just keep what I've
got or shell out the bucks for the Sony. I figure if a situation happens to
the point where I need to use the radio to find out what's happening, the
FM stations would be broadcasting the information, right? Anybody had or know
of a situation where a TV or weather band was really useful and the regular
FM stations didn't cut it??

Thanks,
Mike

If you want to hear the weather and all the FM stations are broadcasting Eric Clapton for the 40000000'th time then you will have to wait on the schedule of the DJ while they attempt to sell oriental rugs to the Muzak Anesthetized PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER.. OTOH if you have the weather channel you can turn on the radio and in 10 min be fully updated on the storm track and the local weather and know the potential of needed evacuation for the next week. This helpful in planning ahead and being prepared ahead of the declaration of the state of emergency which is required to take the stupid DJ off the air and put FEMA in charge of the FM Band.

If you go further and get some VHF and UHF monitoring ability on the HAM bands you can follow the direct information on the emergency as it is happening rather than wait for the digested calming reassuring BS is propagandized through the PD and FEMA to keep the peace and sent out over the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. bands of AM / FM

That's a good point about the "media filter." I hadn't considered that. I'm not a HAM operator, but you've got me thinking about a handheld scanner now. I remember growing up in a rural area, and we had a scanner at home. It was very interesting during tornado season when the various fire departments were providing good info on tracks and damage.
I may put something like that on my Christmas list.

Mike:

If you live in a populated area with an AM news station you may be okay with what you have. Here in CT I can pick up WCBS out of NYC and WBZ out of Boston. This is in addition to smaller stations in the area that provide news and WX on a regular basis.

NOAA is nice but the $$$ may not make it economical.

Chris

I have a Sony Walkman with non-powered computer speakers at my desk at work, & headphones somewhere. The external speakers require no extra power, and are easier to use in a group situation.

I also have a 5” AC/12V DC/ 10xC battery black & white television. This past February (2003), when the big Thursday snowstorm hit locally around 09:00, I found the TV to be more useful than the AM/FM radios I had available.

We were released from work around 10:00; for various reasons, I didn’t attempt to leave immediately. While still at the office, we used the TV occasionally, taking it to an external door in our area (we’re in a basement) for decent reception. The TV stations were reporting both weather & traffic, and were using the new TN Dept of Transportation cameras to good advantage, too.

When I finally did head home about 13:00, what was normally about a 40 minute drive in rush hour took 3 hours. I left the TV in the office, but in hindsight, should have taken it with me. As noted, the TV stations were giving far and away better traffic coverage than the radio stations, which were keeping to regular programming as much as possible. Had I brought the TV with me, I could have powered it from the 12V port in my truck, and listened to it as I drove. I was stopped enough I could have watched it a good bit, too.

Now, a 5” TV running on 10 C-cell batteries is heavy, & takes up too much space in a pack, but it’s what I have, & would have been more useful had I simply carried it to my truck & took off, than left it sitting at my desk. A radio with TV bands would have been more useful than the AM/FM stereo in my truck, based on my experience that day—especially if I could have powered it from the truck, as well, or had plenty of spare batteries. It's something I will consider in the next radio I purchase.

Having my scanner with me would have been even better, though locally, the police & fire departments have switched to trunked digital systems. I could have used it when I got to my home county. The scanner, along with a WeatherAlert radio, were invaluable at home in early May 2003 when the tornadoes hit. As someone else noted, the scanner provided real-time information from emergency personnel in my area.

Come to think of it, my scanner is capable of receiving some of the TV audio bands in our broadcast area. Hmmmm...maybe I'd better give carrying it in the truck a second thought.

Regards,

David

Money aside, a good bet would be to either get your HAM radio license or a wide coverage receiver (think scanner, but with more coverage). Companies such as Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu make some nice receive-only radios. Most can run on "AA" batteries, too. Even if you don't get your ham radio license (which is pretty easy, btw... check out http://www.arrl.org for information), you can always buy a wide-receive ham radio and use it just for listening in.

You might try two receivers put out by Icom called the R-2 and the R-5. Both can run on AA batteries and are pretty small & light. I think they run in the neighborhood of $200 or so. Here is a link:

http://www.icomamerica.com/receivers/handheld/index.html

I find that listening to police / fire / weather bands is far more informative than AM/FM and TV.

I bought the Sony Sony SRF-M37V a while back. I like it a lot, especially the digital tuning (very accurate). In a size that's just as small as many other AM/FM radios, this radio give you the bonus TV and NOAA Weather bands. When it comes down to a need for info in an emergency, the more the better....right? Not bad for $25.

I'm a big fan of having TV/weather bands available on a pocket radio. I own a Sangean DT300VW, which is an awesome little radio (not short-wave, however):
http://www.sangean.com/pocket.html

The problem is the local radio stations are becoming the property of a select few radio broadcasting companies. One such local (my area) station has only the “morning crew” on from 6:00 am to 10:00 am. After their show they go to taped programming (FM Side) and satellite rebroadcasts. The actual DJ is located in sunny San Diego over 1000 miles away from bad weather Idaho. This homogenizing of AM/FM radio began back during the Regan era and was cemented with the FCC’s blessing. You should check your local station and see who actually owns them etc. Makes all of the difference in why they insist on playing PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. music and not reporting any adverse weather, or decent news. NOAA attempted to remedy this with the Emergency Broadcast Network. More info here
In the 1950’s the Red Cross recommended carrying a transistor radio (AM only) since most autos of the era did not have radios and live DJ’s were the norm. Today the recommendation is still there even though radio is quite different. BTW, most local AM stations were federally funded for the purpose of disseminating information in mass form during the Cold War era. Even television has its downfall. Our stations would likely incite panic and confusion. We have news anchors who delight in constant Oh dear, Oh me, Oh my, while incessantly wringing their hands. They will also make comments like stay out of the area. Don’t interfere with the street department, police or fire personnel and wait for those trained (as few as they are) to come to you. OH DEAR; OH MY… From what I have read (hurricane Isabel) here neighbors helping neighbors etc. is always a good policy. This behavior predates anything from the media know-it-alls. In a larger market I could see the advantages of having a portable TV. If you evacuate with enough warning a small screen TV will help entertain kids. Check your local thrift store as people are unloading their old VCRs since the advent of DVD. If your family evacuation plans are used to evacuate you should already be headed to a “safe house.” Hopefully the electricity works there, or you may need a small inverter.
So, what do I carry EDC or rather BOB? I carry an AOR AR 8200B wide range receiver, which I just picked up for $1.00 at a yard sale (saved $699.00) this covers from 5 KHz to 2.04 GHz w/ cellular blocked. I also have two ICOM HAM radios both modified to talk on the PSB. I use these while volunteering on an ambulance service. I have 3 cellular phones I can throw in and believe it or not a HH CB radio. Amazing weather updates can be heard from the truckers on CH 19. The AOR replaces a scanner and an AM/FM radios definitely a weight and batteries savings. The local HAM club is qualified to handle RACES, but they would argue over who was to do what and the local emergency services don’t them much anyway. Too old and too stupid they will interfere is exactly what the Chief of Police said once. It is a shame to hear comments like that from our supposed community leaders.