Category Archives: Portable Radio

What’s in the Box? Bob Colegrove Investigates the Forgotten Extras of Your Radio

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What’s in the Box?

Itemized by Bob Colegrove

Not one to throw anything away, I tend to save ‘the box it came in’ for many new purchases.  The other day I decided to organize all my radio boxes.  Besides the radios themselves, they usually contain a selection of “goodies,” which can include, cases, power adapters, USB cables, batteries, earbuds, antennas, manuals, and so forth.

I generally do not use much that is included in the box.  Over time, however, some of the paraphernalia has gotten scattered around, and my recent effort was intended to corral and sort the accessories.  My experience is itemized below.

Cases

The cases are invariably the largest accessories in the box.  These are sometimes firm, faux-leather enclosures with a zipper around the edges.  I prefer the soft, pliable pouches which seem to function more easily and take up less space.

The Sony ICF-2010 and -2001D did not include cases.  To give the radio some protection during travel and storage, I fabricated a ‘sock’ out of an old bath towel and some hot glue.  The so-covered radio was then inserted into a travel bag along with earphones and anything else I needed.  This worked very well over the years; so well that I extended the concept for some of my smaller radios, which came with cases.

Homemade socks for a PL-880 and ICF-2010 could even be color-coordinated with the rest of your gear.

Power Adapters and Batteries

The following is not intended as the definitive treatise on power adapters and batteries.  Enough guidance has been provided by others.  The takeaway here is that, if you ever refer to the radio’s manual, this is the occasion to do so.  Ensure you know how your radio was designed and the proper way to power it.

In my collection of portable radios there are several combinations of power adapters and batteries.

  • Some radios came with power adapters and others didn’t.
  • Some radios came with batteries and others didn’t.
  • Some just came with USB charging cords.
  • Some were intended for both chargeable and nonchargeable batteries.  Others were intended only for alkaline, nonchargeable batteries, in which case the power adapter disconnects the battery from the circuit and is only used to power the radio.

An adapter might be used to power the radio, recharge batteries, or both.  It’s hard to believe in these days of switching power adapters that an adapter could ever be used to listen to AM radio, but that was the case with the Sony ICF-2010/2001D and Grundig Satellit 800.  These radios came with a more costly transformer adapter which produced very little discernable noise.  Manufactured in pre-rechargeable alkaline days; however, the adapter did not provide a battery charge function.  Over the years, I have mostly used these radios in-house.  They tend to be D-battery-hungry, and so they are usually powered via the adapters.

When Sony got around to producing the ICF-SW7600GR, they took a different approach.  They simply figured it was a small, portable radio, and would mainly be used with batteries.  So, there is a power port for an optional 6-volt adapter, but no included adapter.

The OEM batteries aren’t always the best, so I have an extra supply of rechargeable NiMH and lithium batteries which I cycle through my radios, and the originals are simply included in the rotation.  The NiMH batteries that came with the Tecsun PL-600, -660, and -680 only had 1000 ma capacity and tended to self-discharge quickly after a year or two of use.  However, they got you started.

I have always wondered about using NiMH batteries in radios intended only for alkaline batteries – mainly older ones.  There is a 20-percent reduction in voltage.  How does this affect the performance of the radio?  I suppose this can only be answered on a case-by-case basis.  As an example, I have used NiMH batteries in the Sony ICF-SW7600GR from the very beginning with no apparent degradation.  However, on the XHDATA D-219 and D-220, the difference is quite noticeable.  For some radios, the battery type is switchable, and one must be careful not to connect a power adapter to recharge alkaline batteries.

Earbuds

If you’re serious about radio, you have a good set of earbuds or headphones.  I would venture to say the supplied earbuds for each of my radios are still in the box in their original wrapping.  I don’t get along well with earbuds.  They are hard to install in what apparently are my constricted ear canals and are always falling out.  Several years ago I purchased a set of quality over-the-ear headphones.  Not the most convenient for travel perhaps, but great for reproducing sound and mitigating outside noise.  Grundig went so far as to include a set of over-the-ear headphones with the Satellit 800.

Antennas

Most new portables come with 20- to 25-ft long wire external antennas having 3.5-mm plugs for connection to the external antenna jack.  Sometimes a plastic ‘clothespin’ is attached to the remote end of the wire for mounting.  For convenience, some of these wires are contained in a tape-measure-style spool.  These antennas are quite useful for the non-tinker and traveler, as they provide a means to extend the range, particularly on shortwave.

The C. Crane wire terminal antenna adapter, included with the Skywave SSB 2, is a boon to anyone without a soldering iron or otherwise not inclined to use one.  Other manufacturers take note.  A #2 Phillips screwdriver, and knife to strip the wire insulation are all you need for extensive antenna experimentation.

Source:  C. Crane Skywave SSB 2 Instruction Manual, p. 30.

Sony packed not one, but two 3.5-mm external antenna plugs with each ICF-2010/2001D.  The concept was the same as the C. Crane wire terminal antenna adapter.  These had wire pigtails ending in screw terminals for an antenna and ground wire of your choice.

External antenna adapter (1 of 2) packed with the Sony ICF-2010 and -2001D

A caution here.  The RF amplifier for LW, MW, and SW on the 2010 is an unprotected FET (Q303), which is notorious for failing due to electrostatic discharge from an external antenna.  Early on, your author was twice bitten by this snake.  There may be other radios that suffer from this vulnerability.

Straps

The strap is arguably the least useful accessory included with any portable radio.  The Sony ICF-2010/2001D came with a very attractive blue over-the-shoulder web strap, which has become something of an “item” among collectors.  Mine have been bound up in their original wrapping and stored away for 40-plus years, and might yield the cost of a new portable radio should I ever decide to auction them on the Internet.  I have never used them on either of my 2010s simply because I can envision the priceless radio dangling pendulously at the end of the strap waiting to meet disaster through contact with an immovable door jam.

The same goes for smaller radios which almost always include an obligatory wrist strap.  Perhaps these should not be classified as accessories, as they are permanently attached to the radio.  I avoid using them for the same reason as sited for the 2010s.  Besides, they just get in the way.  These straps are usually anchored inside the case, but I can’t bear to cut them off; so, I have just lived with them.  In the few cases where I have opened the case, I have omitted reinstalling them.  Instead of having a strap, how about a collapsible “lunchbox” handle?  I can even envision one of these being developed into a dual-purpose handle/antenna.

Manuals

Don’t forget the manual.  We’ve gotten away from manuals.  People don’t use them, and they are a manufacturing expense.  Besides, you can find your answer on the Internet.

As a retired technical writer, however, I have a strong respect for a well-crafted technical manual.  Besides actually using them, I unconsciously evaluate them.  Unfortunately, most are written as an afterthought – an attempt to forestall customer enquiries.  “Read the manual.”  The problem is compounded by radios intended for a worldwide market, wherein the manuals are authored by writers who labor under the handicap of having English, French, Spanish, German, etc. as a second language.

There are also situations where the printing is too small or the fanfolds too inconvenient.  My standard practice is to download an electronic copy of each manual, print it out in 8 ½” × 11” format, and put it in a comb or 3-ring binder.  This is easier on aging eyes, and more suitable for adding my own notes.

…and so forth

Besides the common accessories described above, some unique items have been included over the years.  For example, Tecsun has packaged very nice 20-inch by 30-inch charts with some models.  One side contains a world map showing amateur call areas.  The other side is an enlargement of the radio with each button or control function described.

Going back a few years, Sony included a slick publication called the Wave Handbook with some of their radios.  These had convenient station vs. time charts for world band radio.  The charts were like those published in frequency vs. time format in Passport to Worldband Radio.  The booklets were published in several editions over the years, but obviously, these were time sensitive and became outdated rather quickly.  Still, they could pique the interest of folks new to SWLing.

Packaging

Finally, there is the box the radio came in and any accompanying wrapping.  The packrat DNA in me usually demands that I keep all this.  It can speed up the sale or otherwise increase the value of the radio, if you ever decide to sell it.

Which radio accessories do you use?

Would you like an option to buy the radio without any accessories?

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Dan Reviews the Radel RT-860

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Van Hoy, who writes:

Because I [purchased a RT-470L last year], Radtel sent me news of their brand new RT-860. No need to mod the radio like a Quangsheng. It does LW/MW/SW with SSB/CW (rx only, of course) out of the box for less than $50! I just posted a short preliminary review of the RT-860 on YouTube:

Click here to view on YouTube.

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A Timeless Receiver: Going Old School with the Lowe HF-150

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dale (W4OP), who shares the following guest post:

Going Old School: The Lowe HF-150

by Dale (W4OP)

Lowe Electronics of Great Britain introduced their first shortwave receiver, designed by Jon Thorpe, in 1987: the model HF-125. The HF-125 was a 30 kHz to 30 MHz compact receiver with three filter bandwidths and AM/SSB/CW detection. As with all of the Lowe receivers, the HF-125 combined excellent build quality with no-nonsense operation. Options included a whip amplifier, keypad for direct frequency entry, and an AM synchronous detector. The diminutive receiver was an instant hit and was manufactured until 1989, when it was replaced by the HF-225. While slightly larger (9” x 10” x 4”), the HF-225 included the built-in whip amplifier, but AM sync was still an option. The HF-225 had a long run from 1989 to 1997. The front panels of the HF-125 and HF-225 were very similar and easy to operate.

There was also a “professional” version of the HF-225 called the HF-235. It was considerably longer than the HF-225 with rack handles, a front-facing speaker, keypad, and, I believe, a built-in 110/220 VAC power supply.

In 1991, Lowe, under the design of Thorpe, introduced the remarkable HF-150, the subject of this paper. Gone were the painted and bent metal enclosures, replaced by a beautiful anodized, extruded aluminum cabinet almost 1/8” thick. The HF-150 was also smaller (7.3” x 3” x 6.3”) and lighter. While the keypad was still an option, the HF-150 now contained built-in batteries and a built-in charger.* When the HF-150 came out, rechargeable batteries were NiCad, and typical capacity was 1000mAh. The HF-150 typically draws 250mA, so the NiCads in the HF-150 might give you 4 hours of run time. Today, we have NiMH batteries that have a higher energy density than NiCad cells, and I routinely see 2800mAh. That means around 10–11 hours of run time on a single charge.

In the HF-150, the whip preamp is built in, not an option. The whip and its preamp are equivalent to the short active antennas we often see in use today. This is a great feature and results in very good sensitivity from a very short antenna. A three-position slide switch on the rear panel allows for running from the active whip, a conventional antenna like a dipole, or a random wire. The slide switch also allows for introducing a -20dB attenuator to prevent overload. This was a condition often seen in Europe back in the day when there were so many high-power shortwave stations.

Also on the rear panel is a socket for the optional keypad, a socket for an external speaker, and a socket for a recorder output. The two battery boxes house a total of 8 AA batteries.

The front panel could not be simpler or more elegant in its design. There are only 2 knobs—AF Gain and Main Tuning—and three momentary push buttons. The use of these three buttons is the magic in this receiver.

The leftmost push button controls 60 memories. The main tuning knob cycles through the memories at about 25 memories per knob revolution.

While in the memory mode, the center and right-hand push buttons allow for recalling the current memory or storing the current frequency, respectively.

The rightmost push button changes the tuning speed to 100 kHz/step and allows for very fast QSYing through the entire receiver range. The frequency display in fast mode shows only the MHz and 100 kHz positions.

Press Fast again, and the display reverts back to displaying the 1 kHz least significant digit. The normal tuning rate depends upon the mode. In SSB, the steps are 8 Hz (1.6 kHz/revolution). Normal AM and AM Narrow are 60 Hz (12 kHz per revolution). There are four AM sync modes:

  • Double sideband sync  8Hz steps  1.6KHz/rev    7KHz filter
  • HiFi AM sync   8Hz steps   1.6KHz/rev                 7KHz filter
  • AM Lower sideband sync 8Hz and .8KHz/rev       2.5KHz  filter
  • AM Upper sideband sync  8Hz and .8KHz/rev      2.5KHz filter

Normal AM uses a 7 kHz filter, and there is also a narrow AM using the 2.5 kHz filter.

Recovered audio is the best I have ever heard on any receiver. I don’t make that claim lightly. It is just so smooth and wonderful to listen to—even using the internal 3” speaker.

Distortion is under 1% in all modes.

The synchronous detectors lock and stay locked. If you tune fast in sync mode, the receiver reverts to regular AM mode at a faster tuning rate and then relocks in sync once tuning is suspended.

In any mode, variable-rate tuning is used. Fast tuning of the main tuning knob will result in a tuning speed of 8x the normal rate in SSB and 6x the normal rate in AM/AM Narrow.

AM sensitivity is 1 µV from 500 kHz to 30 MHz and 0.3 µV if the whip amp is enabled.

SSB sensitivity is better than 0.5 µV from 500 kHz to 30 MHz and under 0.2 µV with the whip amplifier enabled. I have verified these numbers in my lab.

Dynamic range (reciprocal mixing) and 3rd order intermod are also respectable.

The receiver is simply luxurious to use. I know that is not a technical term, but it describes the receiver very well. The previously described aluminum extruded cabinet can likely be driven over without damage. Encoder tuning combined with the heavy tuning knob is velvet smooth. Black button-head cap screws add to a professional look.

When the 8 batteries are fitted, the receiver weighs in at just over 3 pounds and stays put while tuning or pressing buttons.

Third parties are making the optional keypad, and they may be found on eBay or the Lowe IO group. The same goes for the PL-259-fitted telescoping whip.

Lowe also offered an SP-150 matching speaker and S-meter (audio-derived, I believe) and a very nice preselector (PR-150). Both bring premium prices today.

As the receiver was produced, the LCD did not have backlighting, making it difficult to use, say, bedside at night. As you can see from the first photo, I have backlit mine and those of a number of friends. It is not difficult, but also not for the faint of heart, as it involves delicately removing the silver film on the rear of the LCD display. The Lowe IO group describes a couple of methods for accomplishing backlighting.

There are no surface-mounted parts, and as the main board is uncrowded, repair is easy. There is a long service document that is so in-depth that you could build your own HF-150—assuming you could get the firmware into the microprocessor. I wish other pieces of gear I own were half this detailed.

Jon Thorpe designed one other receiver for Lowe, the HF-250. It is a thing of beauty, also with its 3D black anodized front panel. More filters and features and quite rare today. After designing the HF-250, Jon was hired by AOR, and the well-known AOR7030 was the result.

After Jon left, Lowe did not produce any other receivers I am aware of, but they did privately badge the Palstar R-30 under the Lowe HF-350 model.

I trust the numbers I have provided are reasonably accurate, and if not, Lowe documents will provide better information anyway.

*Note: Users must be very careful not to run the HF-150 from its AC supply while the receiver is fitted with alkaline batteries. The result will be corrosion of the two battery boxes.

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XHDATA D-808 Radio

XHDATA D-808: Another User’s Review (and discount codes)

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By Robert Gulley

I admit to being hesitant to review this radio when XHDATA contacted me, as our own armchair portable radio guru, Jock, had written an excellent review of the radio back in June of this year, and because the radio has been out for some time (6 or 7 years, I believe). After a time, I decided my take on the radio, like any other, would be just another facet in considering its place in the radio world at large, or possibly on your radio shelf, and hence this review.

Lightweight and a Sturdy Antenna

As Jock mentioned in relation to other lightweight DX machines, this radio is indeed light, yet sturdy, and very easily portable. Unlike many small radios, care has been taken to make the antenna solid and tall. This means it can pull in a lot of signals safely (unless, like me, you are comparing it side-by-side with three other radios and find yourself having antenna sword fights as you move radios around, but I digress. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to any of the radios!). When sitting on a table, the built-in stand is stable, and allows pressing buttons solidly with one hand – the radio does not slide around or threaten to be knocked over in the process. That might seem like a minor thing, but many stands are less than reliable in this regard.

Operating the Radio

While I would prefer a slightly larger offset to the buttons from the surface of the radio, this did not cause much of an issue whether hand-held or on its stand. There were a few times when I thought I had pressed a button sufficiently but no response, but a second, harder press worked, so I just needed to take that into account when tuning in frequencies using the keypad, or when changing modes, etc.

The radio has a number of functions, clearly labeled, including operations performed when the radio is off, labeled in orange. Other orange labels indicate secondary or sub functions when the radio is on, such as the “Meter” function which, when in SW mode, cycles through the shortwave bands.

A small but useful feature I really appreciate related to this is the meter identification displayed along with the frequency as you cycle through the shortwave bands. For some reason I have a hard time remembering which set of frequencies is represented by which SW meter band. Perhaps with this radio I can finally get them firmly entrenched into my old brain!

Fine Tune Dial

The Fine Tune dial works especially well with a broad range of adjustment depending on the mode.

Another operating feature that I found very useful is the Fine Tuning dial on the side of the radio. This works as one would expect in Shortwave and SSB mode, allowing for slight adjustments to bring in a voice or CW signal in the amateur bands, but also allows one to off-tune from the standard receive frequency when a signal is being interfered with or picking up static etc.

This is nothing particularly new, but what is impressive to me is that it works for MW signals as well. Being able to go from 700 kHz to 701 or 702 kHz, for example, sometimes allows for a more intelligible signal, particularly at night when there can be multiple stations coming in on the same frequency.

On more than one occasion this was useful, especially since this means one does not have to change the tuning rate to make an adjustment. Your main tuning stays at the 9 or 10k you have set, and when you move the main tuning dial, it jumps to the next proper frequency. In this example, 701kHz becomes 800kHz with the next turn of the main tuning dial or up arrow,

Listening

The audio is good for its size due to the large speaker, and the multitude of filter options in the radio for every mode (except FM) allow you to tailor the audio to what you prefer, or what will allow you to mostly, or totally, eliminate interference from strong nearby stations. For those who like to listen to amateur radio bands, the filter capability is even more useful, particularly since it goes down to 500 Hz, great for listening to Morse code!

The number of filters is amazing given the price point of this radio, and it begs the question, if XHDATA can do this, why can’t other companies do this too? This is a big selling point for the radio in my book.

As I mentioned earlier, I compared three other radios to the D-808, a Sony 7600GR, a Sangean 909X2, and a C.Crane Skywave. The results were both predictable and surprising. Predictable in that the Sangean with the larger speaker had better audio, the Sony with SSB sync that actually works (unlike many models that try and fail!) was a bit clearer most of the time on SSB, and the Skywave was weaker in strength due partly, at least, to the smaller antenna, and lesser audio due to the smaller speaker.

What was unpredictable was when the D-808 pulled in stations better than the Sangean or Sony – not often, but some times. Similarly, the D-808 would sometimes hear two MW broadcast stations when the other three would only hear one. All three were used at times with a Tecsun AM loop antenna to boost MW signals, as well as with their bare ferrite antennas. Most of the time the MW signals were pretty even, but sometimes the D-808 won out.

While I have yet to own the perfect radio, and I have owned a lot of radios, this radio does what it promises, and does it well. As I note below, there are pros and cons and quirks to every radio, and what may be a quirk or a con to me may not be to others.

 

PROs, CONs, and Quirks

PROs

  1. Excellent sensitivity on FM (good telescopic antenna) and AM (internal ferrite antenna excellent given the size of the radio)
  2. Includes the AIR band, SSB with USB and LSB, and LW
  3. 6 filters for SW, 7 for MW/LW, and 6 for Air (WOW!)
  4. Fine Tuning Dial works in all modes to help reception
  5. Tuning Dial can be adjusted for Fast or Slow tuning steps, and can be set to STOP to lock in a station so that if the dial is accidently nudged, the station will not get changed.
  6. Direct Keypad entry of frequencies
  7. Feature rich for an (almost) ultralight radio
  8. External antenna jack
  9. Long-lasting battery
  10. Reset Button to go back to square one if needed

CONs

  1. While I do not mind soft muting, this radio does make a “chuffing” sound in certain modes when tuning manually (but not when finding stations with ATS). That’s not a deal-breaker for me, but it will be to some, I know. This is likely due to the AGC “attacking” the audio as it returns from the soft muting.
  2. Minor Nit: While the battery life is good with the rechargeable battery included, I always prefer AA-sized batteries for their almost universal availability.
  3. Memory access is limited, not by the number of memories, but by an easy way to tune through them. Memory Pages should link seamlessly for scanning purposes, but this is not an uncommon CON with many other radios.

Quirks

  1. Setting the Sleep Timer to “On” actually turns it off. Really.
  2. Sometimes if the Clock adjustment is set to Auto, an FM radio station that broadcasts RDS time and date info might reset the time to something different, such as when hearing a station from a different time zone. I prefer to set the clock manually to my local time (or more likely, to UTC time) just to keep it consistent, and that option is available for this radio.
  3. I have noticed when another radio is near, when changing the frequency manually, in addition to the chuffing noise of the D-808, the other radio will make a popping sound with each change. This is not likely to be an issue in normal operation, but if comparing two radios, or listening to two different radios at the same time, you will likely hear it.
  4. The alarm time set shows on the main display when the radio is turned off, regardless of whether the alarm is set to go off or not. This was very confusing to me at first, as I expected the display to go off when the alarm was not set to go off.

Wrap-up

This is a neat little radio that, as they say, punches above its weight class. It can fit in a jacket pocket easily, it’s lightweight, it has features which not many other portables have, or have as fully, and the audio is quite good for its size.

This is indeed an armchair receiver, but with the addition of a MW loop antenna, or a longwire plugged in for shortwave/amateur or LW/MW bands, there are many more opportunities for bagging distant stations.

There are enough features to make it quite usable for travelling, but not so many bells and whistles that operation becomes cumbersome. And with keypad entry for when you want immediate gratification, there’s no long minutes or hours of tuning manually to get to the frequencies you want.

I believe the radio comes in at a good price point, ticks most boxes a user would want for a radio in this class, and has a track record of good reliability after a number of years on the market.

________________________________________________________________________________________

As with the D-220 promotion specifically for SWLing readers, below are links and codes to save a bit of green (or is that plastic now?!).

XHDATA D-808 Homepage

Discount Information (from XHDATA)

Regarding the pricing details for the XHDATA D808 radio, the original price of the D808 is $108. Currently, it’s part of Amazon’s Black Friday promotion, offering a 20% discount.

Additionally, we’d like to provide you with a stackable 5% discount code, making the final price approximately $5 lower than the special Black Friday price.

(ed. Note: includes free delivery in the states when purchased through Amazon U.S.)

Here are the exclusive discount codes:

  • Gray  D808: 05dealforSWL
  • Black D808: 06dealforSWL
  • Effective time: From 2024-11-27 08:00 PST To 2024-12-3 23:59 PST (Pacific Standard Time)

Product links:

I tested the above links and codes, and as of this writing both were working properly at Amazon U.S.

73, Robert K4PKM

 

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Post-Helene Update and the Importance of Radio After a Natural Disaster

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No matter where you live in the world, everyone should have a battery-powered or self-powered (hand-crank) portable radio in their home.

Recently, the pace of articles here on the SWLing Post has slowed down. That’s because I live in Swannanoa, North Carolina—a town that was particularly hard-hit by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene, which brought unprecedented rainfall and caused widespread destruction.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been chronicling my experiences on my ham radio blog, QRPer.com. I’ve also been sharing regular audio updates with supporters on Patreon.

In short, our rural mountain community was completely cut off for several days. Our bridge washed out, and a critical section of road crumbled daily.

At one point, two families had to be helicopter-evacuated for medical reasons, and less than a week after the storm, the Sheriff’s department came door-to-door recommending evacuation.

Our amazing community pulled together: we cleared our road of hundreds of downed trees and made sure everyone had food, water, and supplies. We took care of each other.

Now, things have improved dramatically. After two and a half weeks without power, we’ve been reconnected to the grid. The Kentucky Department of Transportation repaired our road, making it accessible to regular vehicles again. On Tuesday, an arborist crew finally made it up the mountain to remove fallen trees from houses.

Although things are starting to feel more normal at home, the impact on Swannanoa, Asheville, and surrounding areas has been profound. Entire neighborhoods are gone, numerous businesses have closed, and several grocery stores were severely damaged.

The Communications Void

The National Guard helped us for a full day at our home. Thank you 5th Battalion 113 Field Artillery!

It’s often said that modern communications infrastructure fails us after a disaster.

I can confirm, first hand, that this is true.

The mobile phone network went offline during the storm, leaving us without service for days. Even now, three weeks after the storm, mobile phone service remains unreliable. Calls drop every few minutes.

Mobile data services at home are still down at time of posting (October 18, 2024). Internet services like cable, fiber, and DSL are mostly still out across the county. Only those with satellite internet have a connection—I’m fortunate to be one of them. Our cell tower still only supports basic voice calls and text messaging, without data or media attachments.

Radio to the Rescue

As many of you know, I’m not just a radio listener, but also a licensed amateur radio operator, and both of these hobbies became essential post-Helene.

As highlighted in an article by WIRED, amateur radio proved to be our lifeline for communication when everything else failed.

Using the local repeater (N2GE on Mount Mitchell), I was able to pass wellness checks, coordinate helicopter evacuations, and arrange supply drops for our community. I handed out a few handy talkies to unlicensed neighbors so we could stay in touch.

My wife and daughter, who are also hams, helped tremendously. While I was out with a chainsaw, clearing driveways, they acted as net control operators on our community’s simplex frequency (147.555 MHz), passing critical messages.

For that first week especially, amateur radio truly was our community’s connection to the outside world.

AM/FM Radio: A Lifesaver

Fortunately, our local TV station remained online after the storm, but few people could access it. Many people rely on cable or internet to watch TV, and in areas like ours, the digital transition over a decade ago left many without the ability to pick up over-the-air signals.

In contrast, FM and AM radio became the most reliable sources of information. Here in Buncombe County, public information and news were broadcast on 99.9 MHz (FM) and 570 kHz (AM). Both stations stayed online throughout the disaster, and the information they provided reached a vast audience. Check out this feature from CBS Evening News:

In Henderson County, the local AM station WTZQ stepped up as well. They did incredible work serving their communities post-Helene, as highlighted in a report by Queen City News:

Information Lifeline

As a presenter in the above story pointed out, everyone should have a battery-powered (or self-powered) AM/FM/Weather radio in their home.

After a disaster, you’ll rely on that radio for essential updates like where to find clean water, how to apply for FEMA assistance, what businesses are open, and when services will be restored.

Even three weeks after the storm, much of the Asheville area is still without water, so radios remain vital for getting updates.

Here at SWLing Post HQ, I shared my extra portable radios with neighbors who needed them. I used my CC Skywave SSB 2 in the kitchen window to tune into local news on 99.9 MHz and 570 kHz. I also relied on my XHDATA D-109 and CC Radio 3—they became our constant companions for information.

Many of you here on the SWLing Post are already radio enthusiasts, so no doubt I’m preaching to the choir. But let this serve as a reminder to stock up on alkaline batteries and check your radios regularily to make sure they’re fully functional. Keep spares on hand so you can lend them to neighbors if needed—they’ll never forget your generosity.

And don’t assume your area is safe from natural disasters. Western North Carolina was considered one of the safest regions in the country for weather, yet we were hit by one of the most devastating storms in state history.

Stay prepared. Don’t become complacent.

Thank You!

Over the past few weeks, many of you have reached out with kind words and support, and I can’t thank you enough!

As of this morning, I have 310 messages in my inbox.

I’ve been too busy to reply to emails and comments—though I’ve read each one—but I truly appreciate your patience as I try to catch up. My days have been consumed by helping neighbors and getting our own life back in order. It’s been exhausting but incredibly rewarding, and we still have months of work ahead of us.

Thank you also to the contributors who have kept the SWLing Post running during my absence, and a special shout-out to my friend Vince (VE6LK), who has taken on a huge role in keeping QRPer.com updated.

Again, I’ve been posting updates on QRPer.com and sharing more informal audio updates on Patreon.

Thank you so much for your support and understanding—and, again, keep those radios ready. You never know when they’ll become your primary source of information!

Best & 73,
Thomas (K4SWL)

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1976 Japanese TV commercial for the National Cougar 2200

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1976 Japanese TV commercial for the National Cougar 2200 (aka Panasonic RF-2200 aka National Panasonic DR-22)

by 13dka

(The commercial starts at the 1:00 mark. It’s part of longer video with Japanese commercials from that year, there is a whole collection on YouTube if you like those!)

Doing some research on other old technical gems from Japan I stumbled upon this 1976 National/Panasonic TV commercial running on the domestic TV networks back then. While watching, I smiled and thought “only in Japan…” …it would’ve been perfectly normal to advertise something like a shortwave receiver in this fun (and funny) way. Anyway, I think RF/DR/Cougar 2200 owners and collectors (also the resident one on this blog , the blog owner) may want to have this link in their bookmarks!

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Aaron Explores: Why a Dedicated Radio Enhances the Live Baseball Experience

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Aaron Kuhn, who shares the following guest post:

Live Baseball on the Radio: Radio Selection Considerations

The authors own Sangean Portable + AirPod Pros + a Bluetooth Transmitter rubber banded to the radio back, Coca Cola Park – Allentown, PA

In recent years, I’ve enjoyed attending minor league baseball games in my region. One of my favorite aspects of live baseball is bringing a radio to listen to play-by-play commentary. Experiencing the game in person while hearing the commentary in my ear offers the best of both worlds.

Over the years, I’ve brought various portable and ultra-portable radios to games, and I’ve realized that certain criteria make for a good “Live Baseball Radio.” Whether it’s form factor, size, or features, a live sporting event presents specific considerations and trade-offs for the radio you choose to bring.

“I’ll just stream the game on my phone”

While there are many options for internet streaming on a smartphone, like the free game audio feeds from MiLB.com, streaming game audio on a smartphone is not ideal for live baseball due to one major issue: latency.

Ideally, you want the action you see to match as closely as possible with the play-by-play you hear. With internet streaming, you’re subject to internet latency and buffering, leading to audio delays that you cannot fix. This makes streaming better for listening to games from afar, but not for live baseball.

Selecting the Ideal Radio

Picking a radio to bring to a game involves considerations that become obvious only after you’ve tried it a few times. Hopefully you can learn from my past mistakes and be more informed.

AM, FM, or AM/FM?

There are no fixed rules about the frequency’s baseball teams use for broadcasting. Some teams are on AM radio, some on FM, and some simulcast on both. Some teams don’t broadcast on free-to-air radio at all, opting for streaming-only solutions. Choosing a radio that receives both AM and FM is your best bet to ensure you can use it at different stadiums.

Many ultra-portable “pocket” radios support only FM, which might leave you without audio if your local team is on AM. Conversely, vintage pocket transistor radios might leave you stuck with AM-only signal receiving capability, missing the FM signal.

Amazon Product Listing Photo for “ZHIWHIS” Ultra-Portable

Vintage RCA Transistor Radio, Photo by Joe Haupt – https://www.flickr.com/photos/51764518@N02/49435844673/

HD Radio

The Author’s recent ill-fated radio choice for a live game

While HD Radio seems like a great idea for live baseball, the HD signal suffers from similar issues as streaming a game: latency

I recently picked up an ultra-portable FM HD Radio for a great deal secondhand, only to take it to the ballpark and realize the HD Signal was delayed by nearly 20 seconds. Worse yet – the radio offered no way to turn off the HD signal and revert to analog! The radio was unusable for watching the game as play-by-play in my ear was nearly four pitches behind what I was seeing live.

If you choose a radio with HD Radio features for the ballpark, check the broadcast delay on the HD signal before the game, and ensure you can turn off the HD Radio features if necessary.

Radio Size and Antenna Considerations

Any radio can be portable if you try hard enough, but space is often limited at live sporting events. Stadium seating varies at some ballparks, you can spread out a blanket on a hillside, sit at a picnic table, or even watch the game from a pool (better check that IPX rating!). However, you’ll likely be using your radio while seated in your ticketed seat. Some stadiums offer spacious, modern seating, while older stadiums may have small, cramped seating.

Antennas on radios are another consideration. In cramped stadium seating, you may not have the luxury to fully extend the antenna for the best signal without poking the person in front of you or next to you. You might want to consider a radio without an external antenna, such as one like the Retekess V112, which uses the headphone cable as the antenna. You may also need to stand up and sit down repeatedly to let people through the aisle rows to their own seats, which is where going “antenna-less” can be useful.

Retekess Product Image for V112 Model

While a headphone-wire antenna setup may be a perceived undesirable feature for dedicated radio hobbyists, pocketability and ease of use in a crowd can be beneficial at a crowded game. Many stadiums are moving towards bag restrictions or not allowing bags at all, making the proposition of transporting even a modest-sized portable radio to a game a chore. A pocket-sized radio you can stick on a lanyard, wear into the park, or stick in a pocket may be the difference between being annoyed all game carrying around a radio, or just enjoying it.

On the flip side, if you plan on pairing your radio with a Bluetooth transmitter to use Bluetooth earbuds or headphones, you may want to select a radio with an antenna. The short cable run on many Bluetooth transmitters may not provide adequate reception for units that use connected headphones as the antenna.

Speaker or No Speaker

If you’re not using the radio for tailgating, consider whether you need a speaker on the radio. Many pocket radios omit a speaker to reduce weight and cost. If you need to unplug your headphones during the game, it might be better to avoid a speaker that could blast game audio accidentally and disrupt your neighbors. Ditching the speaker is also likely to save weight and battery life.

Cost Considerations and Final Thoughts

Choosing the right radio for live baseball involves considering factors like frequency options, latency issues, size, portability, and whether you need a speaker.

Everyone’s finances and purchasing abilities differ, but there are many adequate radio options available for under $20 USD that check a lot of these boxes, making it possible to have a dedicated radio for live sports without spending a lot of money. As radio hobbyists, we sometimes want the best for our listening experiences, but taking an expensive radio to a live sporting event can be risky due to cramped quarters, constant movement, and the potential for spills or accidents.

In my opinion, it’s better to enjoy the game with a “lesser radio” than to spend the entire game worry about damaging an expensive radio. After all, cleaning mustard out of your expensive radio’s speaker grill is not fun post-game entertainment. Focus on enjoying the day and the live sporting experience while enhancing it with the wonder of live ballpark radio – no matter what you bring along.

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