Category Archives: Emergency Preparedness

Checking out the CCRadio SolarBT

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

The syllables coming through the headphones were unknown to me. Clearly it was a language, but not one that I knew. So I logged it: 2/18/24, 1101Z, 1660 kHz, unknown language, orchestral music. (I later found out it was a Korean language station from New Jersey.) Then I moved on down the band.

Next stop: 1650 kHz, male voice French. Then: 1630 kHz, pop music, followed by “Arabic sounding music” on 1610 kHz, and so on down the medium wave band. It was a pre-dawn morning, and I have had a great deal of fun, creeping along in 1 kHz increments using the 2.5 kHz bandwidth, turning the radio from side to side in my hand, trying to tease out distant stations, and hoping to hear my first transatlantic DX.

In my lap was a radio that very much resembles a brick, but a very elegant designer brick. In the words of the instruction manual: “The CCRadio Solar is likely the first emergency radio that doesn’t look like one.” The folks at CCrane sent me one for review without charge.

The CCRadio SolarBT measures 6 inches wide by 3 inches high by 2.5 inches deep and weighs just a bit over a pound with batteries installed. Most of the SolarBT’s case is white polymer, but the bottom, top, and sides are covered with a gray rubberized “skin.” The end effect is a solidly built unit that is pleasant to view, easy to handle, and won’t readily slide off a slippery surface.

The CCradio SolarBT can receive AM (MW) band from 520 to 1710 kHz, FM from 87.5 to 108 MHz (76-108 MHz in expanded mode), and 7 NOAA Weather Radio channels from 162.400 MHz to 162.550 MHz. In addition, the SolarBT has a wealth of other interesting capabilities, and we will get to those in just a bit.

Clearly, the CCrane folks are serious about this radio’s emergency capabilities. There are five different ways of powering the SolarBT: (1) an 18650 Li-ion 3.7 volt rechargeable battery which provides around 50 hours of playing time (the manual advises fully charging the internal battery before use), (2) 3 AA batteries (not included, but good for about 40 hours of playing time. The manual warns: don’t use Lithium batteries), (3) a 110 mA solar panel (park the radio in a sunny window to keep it trickle charged), (4) a wind-up dynamo generator (300-500 mA at about two rotations per second. 90 seconds of winding will power the radio for 8-13 minutes or will charge your cell phone enough to make a few quick calls), or (5) a 5-volt DC, 1000 mA micro USB cable or optional AC adapter.

On the left of the front panel, you’ll find a 2-inch, 3-watt speaker. To the right of that is an LCD panel which serves as information central for the SolarBT. The display’s backlight will stay illuminated for about 10 seconds after each button press; you can set the light to stay on continuously if the SolarBT is plugged into continuous power. To the right of the display are a couple of up and down tuning buttons. Press quickly to advance to the next tuning increment. Press and hold to automatically tune to the next strong station. Hold continuously to cycle through the entire band.

Below the display are 5 memory station buttons that have some additional functions we’ll get to in a while. To the right of the memory buttons is the volume knob.

The top of the radio is dominated by a solar panel that, if exposed to direct sunlight for 8 hours will provide 10 to 14 hours of playing time at medium volume. Surrounding the solar panel are 4 buttons: one for power, one for the flashlight, one for changing radio bands, and one for BlueTooth functions. At the extreme back edge of the top is a fold-out telescoping antenna for FM and weather band reception. Inside the case is 10-centimeter a ferrite bar antenna for AM reception (by comparison the ferrite bar inside a CCrane Skywave is 7 centimeters).

CCrane’s attention to detail is evident: the button for the flashlight glows in the dark (very handy if you awake to find the power is out), and the instruction manual is very informative and well-written. In fact, it’s been my experience that CCrane consistently delivers the best-written user manuals in the radio business. Well done!

On the left side of the case is the LED flashlight. On the right side is a soft rubber hatch that provides access to a jack for auxiliary input, a radio power/charging jack, a switch for selecting between the 3 AA batteries or the 18650 rechargeable battery, an earphone jack, and a standard USB port that can be used to charge your cell phone.

On the back of the SolarBT is the fold-out crank for the dynamo generator and a hatch for accessing the 3 AA batteries and the 18650 rechargeable battery. That’s it.

Judicious pressing of the memory buttons provides access to the clock and alarm functions, to selecting 9 or 10 kHz AM band tuning steps, to designate clock or frequency while listening to the radio, to select 1 kHz running steps on the AM band, and to choose among 3 different bandwidths for the AM band: 6 kHz, 4 kHz, or 2.5 kHz. The manual will tell you how.

Yes, you say, but how does it perform? Bottom line: just great.

The SolarBT may be small, but, in my opinion, it punches above its weight and provides excellent sensitivity for its size on the AM, FM, and weather bands. You might buy it as an emergency radio, but my guess is that you will soon discover the joy of DXing with it.

I would be remiss if I didn’t add the following. Normally, I “play radio” using headphones to help compensate for a hearing deficit. Lately, however, I have been listening to the NOAA Weather Radio on the CCRadio SolarBT through the speaker, and I have found that the sound coming through the speaker is very pleasing indeed.

A final note: I did not test any of the Bluetooth connectivity because at present I do not own any gadgets that would connect through Bluetooth.

Bottom line: I liked the CCRadio SolarBT a great deal and can happily recommend it. You might buy it as your emergency radio, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself using it for general listening or for DXing distant stations.

Click here to check out the CC Radio Solar BT at C.Crane.

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Raddy RE40 Emergency Radio

By Robert Gulley (Guest Post)

The Raddy RE40 is another portable shortwave radio offering from Radioddity, but with a twist – it is intended to be an emergency radio first, and a listening-for-pleasure radio second. In this review I will cover the emergency options incorporated into the unit, as well as discuss operability and its overall functionality as a radio.

As always when I do a radio review, I will point out what I believe are the radio’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as where this might fit in your radio arsenal. The usual disclaimer applies for any product I review – I tell it like it is, good or bad. While the radio was provided to me without cost by Radioddity, that does not affect my opinions one iota. With that out of the way, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of the rig!

As we have come to expect from other Raddy portables, this has a lot of features packed into a relatively small package. I say “relatively small” because it is thicker than many vertical portables, and heavier. This is a solid bit of kit, and the size and weight are the first clue that this radio is not just intended to sit on a coffee table. It is definitely designed to work outdoors, as well as finding a place in the car or boat for when you need to check on the weather, or be out in it.

Specifications

    • Frequency Range: FM: 87-108MHz, AM: 520-1710KHz, SW: 5.7-17.9MHz, WB: 162.400-162.550MHz
    • Bluetooth: Version 5.0
    • Card Type: MP3/WAV/FLAC/APE
    • White Noise: 7 different natural sounds
    • Max. Capacity of Micro SD Card: 256GB (not included)
    • Size: 81x52x132mm / 3.2x2x5.2in
    • Weight: Approximately 350g / 0.77lb
    • Operating Voltage: 2.7V-4.2V
    • LED Light: 1W/120LM
    • Max. Power: About 5W
    • Speaker: 4? 5W
    • LED Flashlight: 1W/120LM
    • Battery Capacity: 4000mAh / 3.7V (non-replaceable)
    • Operating Temperature Range: -10? to 60??14°F to 140°F?

What’s in the box?

    • 1 x RE40 Radio
    • 1 x Type-C Cable
    • 1 x Wrist1 x User Manual

Power Options

This radio can be powered by an internal battery charged by a USB-C port, solar powered to charge the battery, or by a hand crank. Here is the manual description of the emergency power options:

A. Solar Charging

  1. Put the solar panel directly towards sunlight. When the green charging indicator lights on, it indicates that the solar panels charging the internal battery.
  2. The charging efficiency depends on the solar exposure: the stronger the sunlight, the better the charging effect.

B. Hand Crank Charging

  1. Turn the hand crank clockwise or anti-clockwise and the green charging indicator will light up to indicate that it is
  2. Speaker has no sound: Hand crank at 130-150 rpm for 1 minute, the flashlight can be used for more than 30+ minutes or play the radio (medium volume) for 3

NOTES:

  1. The hand crank can be turned for 3-5 minutes before using the product to activate the internal battery.
  2. The hand crank is normally used in emergency situations when the power is out.

Solar Panel

The radio has a compass built into the volume control knob on top, a flashlight, analog tuning dial, and switches for moving between playback modes (Radio, Bluetooth, and media) and desired operations (SOS, Standard battery or solar/crank charging modes, and USB charging). As an aside, the SOS feature is LOUD!

Almost the whole back of the radio is devoted to the solar cell. This is much larger than other solar cells on portable radios that I own, and presumably will recharge the internal battery faster. There is a rubber flap over the headphone, USB and memory card jacks/slots.

The unit has another interesting feature: you can charge your phone or other USB device from the standard USB slot under the flap. To use this feature the mode switch on the back of the radio has to be in the right-hand position under the charging symbol. When set to charge another device all other functions are disabled, so if you turn your radio on and can’t get anything to work, you might just have pushed the button over to the right accidentally, or intentionally the last time you used the radio.

Radio Performance

I’ll not spend a lot of time here, not because the radio performance is poor, but because as I have already noted, that is not the primary focus of this radio. There are plenty of portable radios by Radioddity and others which have better performance. However, I found the FM reception to be exceptional for a radio in this class, and AM radio reception to be reasonably acceptable for a radio with a lot going on inside. I did not test the AM radio reception with one of my loop enhancement units, mainly because I am not looking to use this as a regular radio receiver. This is going in my car for emergency/safety issues, and to grab when I am having a picnic lunch or the like.

Shortwave reception is on par with other radios of this size, and a pleasant feature is a sturdy telescoping antenna. Unlike several other small Raddy radios which have very fragile antennas, this one is much more solid.

Weather band reception is decent, but not quite as good as other radios I have tested. I can pick up one very strong signal, and a usable/readable second signal, but some other radios I have give me 4 or 5 stations. Of course, as long as you can get one strong signal, it is likely that is the one most important to you in your immediate location. With at least a second station you have the chance to pick up information should the one nearest you experience difficulties.

Sound and White Noise

As for the sound quality, it has a nice large speaker and delivers good sound, and I have found this typical of most all of the Raddy radios I have tested. In addition to the typical sleep timer radio option, this radio features a “white noise” option which allows the user to select between 7 different white noise options for those who prefer to go to sleep that way.

Compass and Flashlight

Pros

  1. Feature-Packed in a small footprint
  2. Loud SOS
  3. Sturdy Antenna
  4. Large Solar Charging Cell
  5. Ability to charge phone
  6. Multiple ways to power radio/flashlight
  7. Strong FM, acceptable AM and Shortwave (no SSB)
  8. Price ($49.99 from Radioddity, $44.99 plus 10% off coupon from Amazon at time of writing. There is also a bundle offer from Amazon which includes an SP4 4W Portable Solar Panel for $59 plus 10% off coupon) [Note that these are affiliate links that support the SWLing Post at no cost to you.]
  9. 18-month(!) warranty

Cons

  1. Weather band not as impressive as some other radios, but hardly a deal-breaker
  2. Analog tuning dial very sensitive (if you have shaky hands this is probably not for you, except perhaps for the emergency functions)
  3. Multi-colored striped analog dial is sometimes hard to read (then again, I need my reading glasses for a lot of things!)

Wrap-up

This little radio packs a lot of punch for the money, adding features similar emergency radios do not have. If you are like me, emergency radios are a necessity given our unstable weather and power grids, and I like knowing I can use solar power to recharge a radio, or crank it when the sun is not available. Some folks expect more power from a hand-crank generator than these small radios produce, but my main goal is to be able to quickly check weather conditions, use the flashlight, or make use of the SOS function if needed. These do not require massive amount of time spent cranking the generator, and to me that is a plus.

I would recommend one for each car or boat, or to take with you on outdoor trips just in case of an emergency. Of course, you could always listen to the ballgame on your front porch, too!

Cheers, Robert K4PKM

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Weather Station and Display Unit

WF-100SE Weather Station Review

WF-100SE WEATHER STATION

By Robert Gulley K4PKM

Weather stations have always intrigued me, particularly ones that sent information to the Internet. They are often more revealing than the local weather forecasts, and certainly can be used to augment NOAA weather reports. When living near a big city there were enough stations around I didn’t feel I could justify the expense, but living out in the country now there are only a few stations in the county, so I decided I would get one eventually.

About that time Radioddity came out with the WF-100SE and it seemed to tick most of the boxes I was looking for, and, as a amateur radio operator, had the Internet connectivity I sought. Since I suspected I would not be the only radio aficionado who might be interested in it, I approached Radioddity to do a review of the station and they promptly sent me a unit to review at no cost. I have reviewed other products for them, and they understand the ground rules – I tell it like it is, good or bad.

Here is a feature description as found on their website:

  • Easy-to-read Display: The WF-100SE features a large and clear 13-in-1 color display that presents weather data in a user-friendly format. Check temperature, humidity, rainfall, UV index, feels-like temperature, dew point, sunshine intensity, weather forecast, wind direction and speed, barometric pressure, and moon phase at a single glance.
  • Effortless Setup & Maintenance: Set up your weather station quickly with intuitive controls and straightforward installation instructions, and benefit from smooth operation with minimal maintenance requirements.
  • 7-in-1 Accurate Outdoor Sensor: The WF-100SE is equipped with a highly accurate outdoor sensor with upgraded rain collector, thermo-hygrometer radiation shield, and a solar panel that precisely measures weather conditions in your area. The system offers an impressive communication range of up to 330ft.
  • Sync with WeatherCloud & Wunderground: Stay updated with these platforms’ latest weather updates and forecasts via Wi-Fi. Access real-time data and make informed decisions wherever you are.
  • 24-48h Weather Forecast: Rely on the WF-100SE’s accurate sensors to provide reliable 24-48 hour weather forecasts. Whether it’s sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy, get prepared for any weather condition that lies ahead. Plan your activities in advance.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Since photos often do more justice to something than just mere words, I have taken images of my display screen, as well as screen captures of my unit as it appears on the Internet. As you can see from the display unit, the image is bright, easily readable, and contains a lot of information in itself. In addition to the wind, rain, indoor/outdoor temperature, I also like that the unit displays the UV and solar radiation levels, and even the moon phase, as I like to take the telescope out now and again when the moon is not too full and obscuring things.

Display Unity

Clear, easily readable display with large print for these old eyes!

Where the unit really shines as far as information goes, is what can be displayed over the Internet. As can be seen in the images below, there is a lot more information available online, including Day/Week/Month totals and averages. These can be viewed as graphs or as a table.

Weather Underground Display of Information

Basic Information similar to the Display Unit

Weather History on Internet

Weather history can be viewed by Day/Week/Month, a really nice feature to look for trends.

Graph of weather history

Visual graph of weather history requested

Table view of weather history

This is a partial Table View of the weather History

Setup and Internet Connection

Setup was remarkably easy, and connection to the Internet was simple. Setting up the station on the Weather Underground and Weathercloud was just a matter of entering some basic information. Between the two sites I prefer the display of the Weather Underground, but that’s just me. Both worked fine.

I have ben testing the unit for several months now and it has performed flawlessly. I have compared my readings with nearby stations and they essentially agree, with slight variations as you might expect.

For those curious about the station working with APRS on the aprs.fi site, there is a process for setting up the station so that it can appear on the Google maps site for APRS, but I have not done that yet.

Conclusions

I am very pleased with the performance of this weather station, and find it’s features comparable to other well-known brands. The current price is $179, again, pretty much in line with (or less than)  other established stations, and if you sign up for their email list you will get various coupon offers throughout the year which should save you some money.

Anyone familiar with my typical reviews knows I normally try to list pros and cons, but honestly, I can think of no cons I have encountered with this unit. If you have specific features you are looking for that are not mentioned or displayed here, I would encourage you to contact Radioddity with your questions, as I have found their customer service to be quite helpful.

Update One Day Later:

I had a bit of a storm pass through this morning with some heavy wind gusts which knocked down my Weather Station. It was on a PVC pipe clamped into a tripod, no stakes, so blowing over was my fault. (Fixing that today!)

Good news is that falling from a height of 8 feet or so, no damage to the unit, everything working fine. Whew!!

Purchasing the WF-100SE ($15 Discount)

If you purchase the WF-100SE weather station via our affiliate link, you will receive a $15 discount and Radioddity will send a small commission to the SWLing Post. Click here to make your purchase (simple search for WF-100SE).

Robert Gulley, K4PKM, is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post.

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RADDY RF320

A review of the Radioddity RADDY RF320

(Almost) All-in-One in a Box

By Robert Gulley K4PKM

The RADDY RF320 is a rather attractive, if not slightly curious-looking radio, which breaks from the more recent offerings from Raddy and other small portable radios. Compact, but not pocket-sized, the radio comes in at roughly 3-3/4” x 4-1/2” almost square (not counting the tuning dial on the side, the slightly raised antenna on top, or the light on the side).

The radio can receive AIR, FM, VHF, MW(AM), SW, and Weather Band signals. (For those interested in the U.S. Aircraft Band, this model does feature AM modulation, so civil aircraft can be monitored). While the radio does have AM SWL bands, there is no SSB reception. SW bands run from 90m thru 13m, with tuning in 5kHz single steps and scan mode.

IOS APP

This is the IOS version of the Bluetooth App. Clean layout, keyboard frequency entry and radio control

There are four tuning methods if the user includes the Apple or Android app which feature direct keyboard entry in addition to the three modes found on the radio. As a rather cool feature, the QR scan codes are imprinted on the back of the radio for both IOS and Android apps, so if you are out and about you can easily download the app to your phone or tablet. A nice touch! No having to type an esoteric web address or search for the app. (I tried both codes and they worked just fine.)

In addition to the usual tuning methods, the RF320 has what they refer to as “fine tuning knobs” on the side and front of the radio, with the knob on the side a continuous tuning within a band mode. The knob on the front is something, well, a bit unusual. While it is a fine-tuning knob, it is designed to manually tune in search mode. A little explanation is in order.

Most radios which feature a search mode, this one included, allows the user to long-press a directional button or rotate a tuning dial a given distance to activate a search mode. When the typical radio finds a station, it may stop momentarily or completely, depending on the design. The search modes in this radio all do the latter- they stop completely. However, unlike most radios, this radio features three different methods of searching. The up/down arrows can be pressed for a second or two to start a search, or the tuning knob on the side can be rotated some distance quickly, and a search will begin. The third method is the tuning knob on the front. By manually turning the knob the radio will attempt to find the next signal within the current band or sub-band without stepping through each 5kHz frequency (of course it is doing this internally, but it is not really obvious visually).

For example, when in FM mode, this tuning method will jump to the next usable station. In SW mode, in a given sub-band (13m, 90m etc.), this knob will jump to what it senses as the next usable signal, rather than scanning every 5 kHz as done in the other modes. This allows for a very quick check of a given band (or sub-band).

As with any search mode on a radio like this, there will be false positives. Life is not fair – static crashes and birdies and digital signals can all fool a radio’s search mode.

Bass Boost, Back Lights, QR Codes

Changing lights, Bass Boost, and QR Codes for Downloading Android or IOS Apps

The radio features excellent sound for its size, with a rather large front-facing 5W speaker, and a bass port on the back. I can crank the volume louder than I would ever want in a room and the audio remains clear.

Reception on all the bands is quite acceptable, keeping up with typical portables its size, and even ones with longer antennas and larger ferrite bars for AM reception. This is not a Panasonic RF-2200 or a GE Superadio, but for what it is designed to do, it does quite well.

The radio also has an abundance of memories, allowing you to save up to 995 stations, including 199 each for AIR, FM, VHF, MW, and SW.

Like some of the other radios from RADDY, this one has Bluetooth connectivity to Android or IOS for the App functionality, and takes a TF memory card to allow for playing music, podcasts etc., as well as having a flashlight and S.O.S. capability. There is a headphone jack and Aux. jack, as well as a USB-C charging port for the replaceable 18650 2000mAh battery (whoo-hoo!). Sleep mode, timer, wake to music and six sound effects are added features.

Lights, lights, and more lights. ‘Nuff said! (See images)

Pros and Cons

Pros: Good audio, AM receive for aircraft band, good sensitivity, multiple ways to tune, excellent App connectivity on my iPhone with direct frequency entry, good form factor, unit seems solid, replaceable battery, 18-month warranty(!), carry strap, aux. input to allow the radio to act as a speaker, included wire antenna and charging cable.

Cons: Telescoping antenna a bit frail, side tuning knob feels a bit wobbly (but I experienced no problems), back colored lights seem unnecessary (nit-picking and just a personal opinion, YMMV), EQ effects seem weak as only a few seem to make much of a difference (and not needed in my opinion, since the standard audio is quite good), no SSB (not a problem for me but will be a deal-breaker for some), and typical for this type of radio soft muting while tuning.

Conclusion

This is a good, solid radio with lots of options in terms of modes and bands, as well as extras which make it an almost all-in-one radio. This is a radio one could take to the beach or a park, or use in an office or on the coffee table or night stand. It is small, portable, packed with features, and controllable from your phone or tablet. At a price well under $100 ($71.99 special price from Radioddity at the time of publication), this may well be the radio you have been looking for to fill that portable niche!

Note: Using this link to purchase the Raddy RF320 will include a $15 discount for you and a small commission to the SWLing Post.

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The new Sangean MMR-99 series emergency radio

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mangosman, who writes:

Thomas,

I saw the Radio World review of the Sangean MMR-99 (page 16).

As I usually do I go to the source which in this case is the Sangean website to find

    • Sangean MMR-99 FCC AM/FM and in the USA version Weather radio band.
    • Sangean MMR-99 which is the UK version which is AM in the MF band for 9/10 kHz channel spacing No Low Frequency (LW) band.
    • Sangean MMR-99 DAB which is interesting because it is typically DAB+/FM no AM or Weather Band.

Your posters around the world may wish to review this radio which is available on line and in retailers.

Thank you for the tip! Impressive that MMR-99 is IP55 rated and ruggedized. I like the fact they’ve also made regional variants of this radio even including DAB.

The US version of the Sangean MMR-99 is available on Amazon.com (affiliate link) for $89.76 shipped

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Hawaii: FEMA unveils new emergency-hardened broadcast studio

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Benn Kobb, who shares the following news:

FEMA & KHKA Unveil New Emergency Broadcast Facilities to Improve
Emergency Broadcast Capabilities

KHKA, Honolulu, HI

https://www.espnhonolulu.com/2023/05/24/fema-khka-unveil-new-emergency-broadcast-facilities-to-improve-emergency-broadcast-capabilities/

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and KHKA, CBS 1500,
unveiled Hawaii’s first Primary Entry Point (PEP) emergency broadcast
facility today. The KHKA facility, located at Kahauiki Village, joins
FEMA’s National Public Warning System (NPWS), which provides critical
information to the public before, during, and after emergency incidents
and disasters.

The NPWS emergency broadcast facility, part of the Integrated Public
Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), includes improved operational
capabilities for up to two months, expanded broadcast capacity,
emergency power generation, and other resilient protective measures for
all types of hazardous events, increasing KHKA’s ability to continue
broadcasting during emergencies.

In the event of a disaster, trained staff can operate the emergency
facilities for several weeks to keep KHKA on air to broadcast messages
from the local, state, and federal governments, as well as community
organizations.

– – –

FEMA Unveils Disaster-Resistant Broadcast Studio in Hawaii
KHNL-TV Honolulu, HI

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/05/25/fema-unveils-disaster-resistant-broadcast-studio-hawaii/

As the official start of hurricane season approaches on June 1, federal
and local emergency officials introduced a critical tool Wednesday to
keep the public informed in the event of a disaster.
FEMA unveiled a brand new emergency broadcast radio studio that sits on
the grounds of Kahauiki village near Keehi Lagoon.

The facility features a full media setup designed to keep transmitting
communications through any type of threat.
“Everything from tsunamis to earthquakes to tornadoes to hurricanes,”
said FEMA national public warning system manager Manny Centeno.

– – –

Prepared for Anything: Hawaii’s Emergency Broadcast Studio
KHON-TV Honolulu, HI

https://www.khon2.com/local-news/prepared-for-anything-hawaiis-emergency-broadcast-studio/

A new facility on Oahu is already relaying information to help recovery
efforts in Guam, even though Hawaii is almost 4,000 miles away.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave a tour of their new
emergency broadcast studio on Wednesday, May 24; but the hope is that
locals never need to use it.

The footprint of the studio itself is small, but it is quite a tank. It
is engineered to keep broadcasting before, during and after natural
emergencies like hurricanes and tsunamis. The station is even made to
withstand man-made catastrophes.

“This thing is designed to protect against high-altitude electromagnetic
pulse, EMP. So, this is EMP protected. it is also chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear protected,” said FEMA National Public Warning
System project manager Manny Centeno.

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RF75A Radio

Raddy RF75A Review – Pocket Radio with Interesting Bells and Whistles

Radioddity Raddy RF75A

By Robert Gulley K4PKM

The RF75A is an interesting little radio which (currently) retails on Amazon for ~$53.00 in the States. It can also be purchased via Radioddity directly for $53–if you use this referral code, you can save $15 off a $65 purchase.

Before we get into specifics, two things are worth mentioning right off:

  1. I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing this radio by our fearless shortwave listening leader, Thomas, and the copy I have was provided to me at no cost by Radioddity directly. (I have no other affiliation with them, but have recently purchased a GMRS mobile radio from them which I am looking forward to using when I finish my review of the RF75A.)
  2. This is, as you will see from the photos I am including, a pocket radio, not to be confused with a tabletop radio or a small portable radio such as the CCRadio Skywave or similar radio. I mention this because invariably there will be folks who expect tabletop or portable quality from a radio about the size of a playing card. It is not going to happen!

Having those thoughts out of the way, the quick and dirty answer as to the quality of the radio is, I am impressed. For those who have not read anything related to my past experience with radios, I have been a shortwave listener since I was about 10 years old, and now in my early sixties. So, I have seen a fair number of radios in my time (speaking as an old codger, or is that curmudgeon?) and have even moved with the times to incorporate SDRs into my radio arsenal.

Each style of radio has its place, and a pocket radio is designed to be the ultimate in portability and space savings. As light as this shirt pocket radio is, it still manages to feel reasonably solid, and of course, it could be packed into anything one was taking along for a trip.

Size Comparison with Playing Card and Cell Phone Battery

The radio measures 2.5″ x 3.5″ x 1″. Playing card and cell phone battery for comparison.

Here are some specs from the manufacturer’s website (saving you my long-winded descriptions!):

  • APP Control SW Radio: Thanks to the app intelligent remote control and Bluetooth 5.0 features, you can enjoy the convenience of RF75A. With its intuitive user interface and powerful wireless capabilities, you can easily control your radio from your devices (support iOS, Android, and HarmonyOS systems).
  • Wider Reception Range: Listen to FM, VHF, AM, SW, and WB, and stay up-to-date with your favorite radio shows and music with this powerful multi-band receiver. RF75A has a wider range of shortwave frequencies compared to the RF750.
  • Automatic Scan and Manual Storage: You can save up to 396 stations, so you can easily access your favorite stations. Experience powerful sound and crystal-clear reception with its 9.85′ wire antenna.
  • Personal Music Player: Boost your music experience with this all-in-one outdoor audio system. With Bluetooth 5.0 feature, a 3.5mm earphone socket, and a TF card socket, you can easily connect to your personal audio devices and connect to your computer as a speaker.
  • Outdoor Companion: This one-of-a-kind radio is designed to be small and lightweight, making it ideal for travel and outdoor activities. Use the flashlight and SOS for emergencies.

What’s in the box?

  • 1 x Raddy RF75A
  • 1 x Storage bag
  • 1 x Lanyard
  • 1 x Wire antenna
  • 1 x Type-C charging cable
  • 1 x Earphone

Reception

I always like to start a radio review by either listening to AM stations first, or WWV time stations for checking out shortwave reception. In this instance I started listening to AM stations in the daytime to see what I could hear on a typical day (no storms nearby, early spring, etc.).

Living in a fairly remote area I was surprised it captured as many stations as it did, making me think the ferrite bar inside must designed well for such a small radio. Evening and nighttime listening brought in many of the usual stations with which we are familiar, particularly the so-called Clear Channel stations. What was more impressive were the many small stations I was able to pick up, not only at night, but early in the morning around 8 a.m.

Ferrite Bar- Front View

Surprisingly effective Ferrite Bar

Ferrite Bar Side view

Side vide showing the magnetic wire wrap

One in particular caught my attention as I am quite certain I have never captured them before, was WHKY 1290, Hickory North Carolina. That’s a distance of about 285 miles, received in the morning. I am only about 50 miles from Cincinnati and cannot receive some of their smaller stations on any radio! Color me impressed!

Nighttime brought stations in from several thousand miles, as you would expect, yet I was likewise impressed with this little radio’s capabilities on AM.

FM

I confess to not being much of an FM listener, but I did tune around the band for FM stations to test its ability to “lock on” to signals (as indicated by a tiny red light) and to pick up stations from quite a good distance away with clarity and good sound.

This might be a good time to mention the quality of sound from the small 3 Watt(!) speaker and bass boost from the back. Again, this is not my Sangean 909 X2 with a large speaker, nor my CC Radio EP, but it has rather amazing clarity and volume capability for such a small radio. I cranked the volume up quite high with no distortion, and even though the speaker is small, the bass boost seems to round out the sound quite nicely, avoiding some of tinny sounding speakers common in such a small radio.

Weather

The radio has coverage of the NOAA weather radio stations and it surprised me with being able to receive 4-5 stations, more than I have gotten with most other radios. All but one of the signals were crystal clear, with the fifth having some noise, but still quite intelligible.

Air Band

This radio includes the air band frequencies and amateur 2-meter frequencies (30.000-199.975 MHZ). I am usually able to receive some signals, but I am quite far away from any local airports or repeaters, so my main reception is from CVG, Greater Cincinnati Airport. While the radio scans the air band frequencies, like any other radio, it is best to find local frequencies you want to hear and program them into memory so you are not wasting a lot of time scanning dead air (these are country specific). Likewise amateur repeaters or GMRS, marine, or public service channels would be best used in memory channels except when scanning for new frequencies.

SWL

Shortwave listening is very respectable, with frequency ranges between 4.750-21.850 MHz (it does not have SSB capability). Tuning can be accomplished by pressing and holding one of the directional tuning keys for about 2 seconds, a long press scans faster. A single press of either directional button will move the frequency increment based on the band/mode chosen.

The radio also features something I have come to really like: a pause button which works not only in music mode, but also when receiving regular radio signals, activated by a quick press of the power button. The frequency is held while pause is active, and then releasing the pause with a second quick press of the power button resumes with all your setting still active.

When comparing this with another radio it was particularly useful instead of having to turn the volume down like most radios. This feature is also nice for answering a call or other interruption, and you resume right where you left off.

Sound Effects, TF Card, Audio in, Bluetooth Usage and other Errata

I have not covered these features as they do not impact radio reception, but I mention them just for completeness. All of these features are available and can be read about in the user’s manual. I will mention the flashlight feature and the emergency siren features, as these are useful for portable operation. The light is quite bright, and the siren will hurt your ears if you trip it accidentally, especially more than once. Ask me how I know!

There is a sleep timer as well as an alarm clock function, with the sleep timer adjustable by default starting at 90 minutes. Most buttons have multiple functions depending on the mode employed, so reading the manual is important for some of these features. I was able to get up and running without reading the manual initially, but some features were functional only in certain modes, so eventually you will need the manual which can be downloaded from the Radioddity site.

The App

A bit of a novelty in this size and type of radio is the Apple/Android app available to control radio functions remotely through Bluetooth connectivity. I have to say, on Android at least, the app is beautiful and I wish more apps used such a clear color scheme and large controls. Your mileage may vary based on your preferences, but I like it!

Phone App on Android

The free Phone app on an Android phone. I like the crisp, clear layout and colors, and the intuitive design.

As to function, the app gives you more information than the radio screen, such as the Bandwidth, SNR, received signal strength and the volume setting in one display. As a side note, the radio can still be adjusted at the radio, and then changes are reflected in the app almost instantaneously.

Of course, the main use for the app is to operate remotely, and the controls are easy to use, including, most importantly, direct keyboard entry of frequencies! This is always the biggest drawback to small radios without a keypad. There are instructions for using the app, but for the most part the app is laid out so well you can control the radio pretty much intuitively.

Negatives –

Yep, there are a few. When tuning with a single press each time there is some soft muting – fortunately it does not last long, but it is there. The buttons also make a clicking sound, not too loud, but it is there. If something like that annoys you, be aware all the buttons make a mechanical click.

I have noticed on several occasions that the band/mode button may stick slightly and take you past where you want to go. Not a big problem, but it does happen now and again. Of course, this could just be my unit.

Also, naturally, the buttons are small. And while I did not have much of an issue even with fairly large fingers, there were times when I pressed the desired button but also hit the one below it. Not a problem for me, but again, if you have very large fingers you may find the radio a bit tricky to navigate in some places. (This only happened on the front buttons for me, the tuning buttons are adequately spaced for most anyone I think.)

The telescoping antenna is probably the weakest point on the radio – similar to most radios, really. It is thin and could be bent easily. I had no difficulties, but I always took care to raise it gently and watched where I was moving the radio around. Then again, I do that will all my radios with telescoping antennas. Just a heads-up to be careful.

Concluding Thoughts

I like this little radio, and will probably keep it in my car for those times when I might want to listen to the radio out and about, check the NOAA weather forecast, use the flashlight, or (hopefully never need) to use the siren. The battery seems to last a long time on a charge when using the radio – I cannot speak to the MP3 drain or a prolonged flashlight/siren drain, but under normal use it seems excellent. It uses a USB-C connection like my phone, so charging is not an issue for me. It will almost fully charge in an hour; the instructions say 2 hours.

Pocket radios certainly have their niche, and I think this one does quite well in that role. If you are in the market for such a radio, I think you will be pleased, especially for the price and the addition of the free remote-control app. 73!

Click here to check out the Raddy RF75A at Radioddity.

Click here to check it out on Amazon.com (affiliate link).

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