Yeah, the current model has an SSB mode which is nice when listening to HF/SW broadcast on upper/lower sideband. This is a great radio imo. It runs on three AA batteries and if you read the instructions, you will use rechargeable NiMH batteries because the radio can recharge them when connected to a USB 5V power source. One seemingly innocuous accessory is the GP-5 Desk Pod which is a simple aluminum block which allows the radio to stand vertical. Standing upright is a good thing when you use the AM Ferrite Swivel antenna. The pod keeps the radio stable so the antenna can swivel. DSP and a really good AM ferrite antenna makes it an outstanding AM radio. The previous version of the GP-5 SSB is still marketed by the manufacturer as the Tecsun PL-360 but does not have SSB. I have the previous version of CC’s GP-5 on my desk here and I use it for AM because it’s probably the best AM radio I own.

What else -- Tecsun’s Easy Tuning Mode (ETM) allows you to scan the local spectrum and it logs the active stations to temporary memory and then when you tune from station to station, you skip all the noise between stations. Nice feature, but it won’t find weak signals, you’ll need to work for those. No piece of tech is a panacea for doing your homework. Know the KHz and MHz of the stations you want.

The GP-5-SSB is a nice radio, but when I think of a survival radio the first comms I think of are local AM/FM broadcast and a different CC radio fills that requirement nicely -- Pocket NOAA/AM/FM Radio. Since the subject is EDC, the CC pocket radio is just that, sized for pocket carry; drop it in your pocket/purse and it’s always there. Much smaller and lighter than a GP-5. I have the same radio with the Kaito brand name -- Kaito KA210 Pocket AM/FM NOAA Weather Radio