Super cheap Walmart soap bar holder transforms into an ideal portable radio stand

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Shawn Bliss (KB7WYO), who writes:

Hi, Thomas! I love the blog and check in every day or two to get my SWL fix. I recently purchased a PL-310ET on your recommendation (and those of many other radio people) and absolutely love it. My previous porch radio was a well-worn and filthy Grundig G8 Traveler II which of course suffered a broken kickstand soon after its purchase many years ago. Wanting to avoid the same problem with the 310, I figured I might be able to improvise a stand out of some household item, and a trip to a local big box store today proved extremely fruitful in that respect!

As I wandered through the kitchen accessories at Walmart, I spotted a little black sink caddy, typically used to hold a dish sponge and hang on a sink or faucet. I grabbed it, paid a little under four bucks for it, and took it home. It’s a cheap, lightweight, and adjustable stand for small to midsize radios.

The caddy is essentially a loop of flexible, bendable rubber-coated wire with a perforated rubber cradle for the sponge. Because it can be bent and shaped, it’s ideal for adjusting to different sized portables. In its default shape from the store, it held the 310ET, the G8, my Tivdio V-115, and other smaller items like my phone and e-reader.

I’m sure it could be bent to fit a PL-660, PL-880, Eton Satellit, XHDATA D-808, and other larger portables, all at adjustable back angles.

Best of all, the caddy can be bent down to fit into a go-bag or piece of travel luggage. I figure a fellow pack-nut like yourself would find this to be useful indeed!

These things are cheap and readily available at pretty much every Walmart, but I’ll post a link to the webpage for the Mainstays Flexible Sink Caddy. I hope this info is useful to other SWLs and hams. I instantly thought of the Post and your gear/accessory posts in the past when I saw it.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Flexible-Sink-Caddy/480104340

What a great idea, Shawn! Since this soap bar holder is so flexible, it could be bent to hold radios at pretty much any angle. Next time I’m at Walmart, I’ll pick one up. Perhaps this is even available at Walmart stores in other countries since it’s sold under the Mainstays brand name.

I believe this holder could also serve as a stand for numerous portable QRP transceivers.

Thanks again for the amazing tip, Shawn!

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9 thoughts on “Super cheap Walmart soap bar holder transforms into an ideal portable radio stand

  1. Paul Evans

    Caution…. Walmart in-store SKU is different from online: Walmart # 568937380. This causes great confusion in customer support on all products at Walmart!

    Reply

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