Thanks for all the feedback. I've given the radio a try and it seems to work great. Holds a charge well and gets decent reception, though it is an analog dial, so you have to hunt a bit. The only issue is bulk, but it fits great in the side pocket of my BOB. Weight's not bad, especially since I don't need batteries. If size were more of a concern, I'd definitely hit CountyComm but, for the moment, this piece is an item I'll use and recommend. Plus, I'm wanting to keep everything on AAs not AAAs, which I think the CountyComm radios use. As for the crystal radios, I'd love to learn more about those and see someone's setup who's had some success with them.