Review: Commando Precision Pocket Screwdriver Set

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Last month I received a $50 Amazon gift card from my new mobile phone company, Visible. It was completely unexpected (and most welcome, I might add), likely due to a few network glitches we experienced shortly after launching their service.

When I receive a gift card out of the blue like this, I like to use it to buy something I’ve always wanted, but never could bring myself to pull the trigger to buy: items just a little too indulgent for me to justify snapping up with my hard-earned cash. Gourmet coffee, high-end earphones, travel bags/pouches, or radio accessories come to mind…you know, a proper splurge.

At home, I have a great set of precision screwdrivers, but they’re not really portable––at least, nothing I’d want to carry with me every day. So when I received this Amazon card, I knew exactly how I’d use it, because I’ve been searching for a quality set of precision screwdrivers that I could tuck away in my EDC pack.

Screwdrivers are an important part of my EDC (“everyday carry”) kit. In fact, I think I use screwdrivers almost as much as I do my pocket knife, nearly as much as a pen. Since I was a kid, the screwdriver was my light-saber––the means by which I could effectively crack into toys and pull out the insides. Harbinger of things to come?

Yep. If I had a disclaimer as a kid, it should have been this one…

Today, I reach for precision screwdrivers, among other things, to work on small electronics, open radio cases, as well as to snug up the screws in the hinges of my glasses.

And I freely admit it: on occasion, I still void warranties.

Over the years I’ve tried a number of pocket screwdrivers, but I’ve never found a quality set I could recommend. Almost all of them have multiple bits that fit inside the body and magnetically lock into head/handle of the screwdriver. The lock is never that strong, and quite often, I pull up the screwdriver only to find the bit still stuck in the screw: not useful. In addition, very few of these screwdrivers have a handle with the requisite grippiness––you know, for those times when you need a little extra controlled force.

Last year, I started searching for a higher-end solution, and discovered the Commando Precision Pocket Screwdriver Set. This set comes in a familiar pen-shaped form factor: tips attach to the head and are stored in the body. The price of this set floats around $33 US or so ($31.95 at time of posting).

Overall, reviews are very positive, with most owners stating that the screwdriver set “was worth the investment.”

The set comes with the following heat-treated alloy steel tips:

.040, .055, .080, .100 and .125 flat
#00, #0 & #1 phillips
Scribe/Awl & Punch

Better yet, the whole set is made in the US, the anodized aluminum body handle has a lifetime warranty, and each of the tips have a one year warranty.

The Amazon gift card gave me an excuse to pull the trigger and buy the set, so I did…Now, I only wish I had purchased it long ago.

I’m very pleased with the Commando. It’s very lightweight, yet durable. The finger grip texture on the body is superb. The best part, though, is that the tips/tools don’t rely on a magnetic lock to stay in position; rather, this mini set uses a chuck nut and grip much like a full-sized drill or screw driver––excellent design.

Once locked in properly, there’s no way a bit can slip or fall out in use. Just what I had in mind.

And, best of all? It easily fits in my Maxpedition Fatty EDC pouch which then tucks neatly away in my Tom Bihn Stowaway pack.

This kit goes with me everywhere, and even though I’ve only had the screwdriver set a month, I’ve used the little Commando multiple times, and feel I now have a pocket set that matches (or exceeds) the quality of my full-sized set. One that should last a lifetime.

I know this review is a little off-topic, but if you, too, like having precision screwdrivers handy to support your radios and other gear, I highly recommend this particular set.

Retailers:

Amazon.com ($31.95 shipped) affiliate link helps support the SWLing Post
Walmart ($38.76 shipped)

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End of WWV weather information

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Photo taken in 2014 of the sign above WWV’s primary 10 MHz transmitter.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:

As monitored here in NB on 15 MHz today (31 January), WWV ended the National Weather Service Atlantic and Pacific marine high-seas and storm warnings after 19:00 UTC. Before that time, announcements about the ending of the warnings were transmitted during minutes 4 and 7 after the hour with the Atlantic information in minutes 8 and 9 and the Pacific information in minute 10. So, the last storm warnings were during the 18:00 UTC hour. After 19:00 UTC, the announcements in minutes 4 and 7 were discontinued and the storm warnings in minutes 8, 9, and 10 were replaced with an announcement about the ending of the warnings. Presumably, there was a similar transition on WWVH.

Thanks for the report, Richard!

In terms of an overall update about WWV in the 2019 NIST budget, there has been no real news to report. It seems the funding level for the Laboratory Programs (where the radio stations reside) will be funded at the same level as it was in 2018. Of course, NIST can internally-allocate many of their funds as they wish. Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Cuff, who’s been keeping an eye on this budget process.

I must admit that I find it interesting WWV, WWVH and WWVB all continued to operate as normal during the Federal Government Shutdown.

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The curious history of the Foxhall Transmission Station

Representative from Nuku, PNG asks NBC to reintroduce shortwave

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(Source: PNG Post Courier via Michael Bird)

Member for Nuku Joseph Sungi has called in the National Broadcasting Corporation to reintroduce the short wave band to reach the rural people.

Mr Sungi in a series of questions to Minister for Communication and Information Technology Sam Basil said in the late 1980s, the NBC at the time through the provincial radio stations was using the shortwave band.

He said Radio Sandaun in West Sepik could reach districts like Nuku and parts of Telefomin but that was not the case anymore.

“Does the minister and the department have any plans to make sure that same service under short wave band can be replaced by a new one or improvement can be made so that provincial radio stations can be revived and broadcasted straight so that remote parts of PNG can use to get news and update on what is happening around the country?” Mr Sungi said.

Mr Basil, who is also responsible for Energy, said a lot of people in the rural areas were asking the same question because they could no longer have access to NBC radio.

[…]“I have had discussions with the managing director of NBC and I told them that we want that service to return. We are now moving the system at NBC from analogue to digital so I asked them how we can fit in the short wave system when we do the migration.

“They came up with a few ideas. For some places like Bougainville shortwave is available.

“But I asked them how can we asked the shops to start selling shortwave 1 and 2 transistor radios that receive this wireless signal, a lot of shops are not selling, In places like Bougainville we want to import some radios to distribute so that they carry out the awareness.”

“We are now talking about bringing back these services and improvement.

“We will start in Port Moresby first and roll out to provinces, We are trying our very best to bring the service back because most of our people are in rural areas, A lot of our radio stations now invest into FM band which signals of often blocked by barriers like mountains that is why we want to bring back the shortwave band,” Mr Basil said.

Click here to read the full article at the Post Courier.

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Radio Deal: Limited number of refurbished Sangean PR-D4W units on Amazon

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jeff McMahon, who notes that there are a limited number of Sangean PR-D4W units on Amazon.com.

Click here to view on Amazon.

If you’re seriously considering this radio, check out Gary’s overview on the Herculodge blog.

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Frequency coordination news and IRDR updates

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Hughes, who shares this article by WRMI’s Jeff White in Radio World magazine. Besides covering updates in the A19 broadcast season, and Radio Exterior de España’s increased broadcasts, Jeff notes frequencies and updates for the International Radio for Disaster Relief initiative.

For more information about the IRDR, check out the information below taken from this page on the HFCC website:

International Radio for Disaster Relief (IRDR)
Humanitarian Aspects of HFCC Activities

From its infancy since 1920s shortwave radio has been associated with its potential of being a communication tool in emergencies. This use of shortwave radio is still very much present among amateur radio enthusiasts for example, who discovered its long distance properties early in the twentieth century. Amateur radio provides a means of communication on shortwaves and other frequencies “when all else fails”. This role of amateur radio is well recognised, valued and appreciated both by the public and by the world institutions managing and regulating the use of the radio spectrum.

In contrast the huge technical potential of international shortwave broadcasting that operates transmitter facilities tens, or hundred times, more powerful than those of amateur radio, remains almost unused in emergencies. At the moment when local and even regional communication and information networks are needed most, they are destroyed or overloaded and the population suffers from an information blackout. Shortwave radio is capable of remaining the only source of information.

Although the life-saving role of radio broadcasting is widely recognised by the public, and confirmed by surveys conducted after the recent disasters – and even acknowledged by world leaders – no concrete projects have been ever designed and no regulatory framework has been developed.

That is why the HFCC – International Broadcasting Delivery in co-operation with the Arab States and Asia-Pacific broadcasting unions are working on an International Radio for Disaster Relief (IRDR) project that is based on the system of online co-ordination of frequencies managed by the HFCC in accordance with International Radio Regulations.

Guidelines for the use of IRDR frequencies

The HFCC is aware of the humanitarian aspects of international broadcasting. It pointed out in 2012 – as the UNESCO partner for the preparation of the World Radio Day – that terrestrial shortwave radio in particular is still considered as a powerful communication and information tool during emergency situations. Read more >>

Receivers are inexpensive and require no access fees. Shortwave radio is important for people living in remote and isolated regions of the world. It reaches across the digital divide to the most disadvantaged and marginalised societies. This is also in keeping with the Declaration and Action Plan of the World Summit on the Information Society.

The annual edition of the World Disasters Report of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued in October 2013 stressed again that with only 6 percent of people in low-income countries using the internet in 2011 the digital divide is still stark, and access to low cost media technology is really the key.

The HFCC is a strong advocate for incorporating terrestrial broadcasting permanently on the disaster risk reduction agendas of the ITU and other UN agencies and institutions. It submitted two documents for the ITU-R Working Party 6A November 2013 meeting:

HFCC – The Importance of Terrestrial radio in International Broadcasting
HFCC – The International Radio for Disaster Relief Project

Both documents are annexes in Section 8 of the ITU-R Study Group 6 Report BT.2266 “Broadcasting for public warning, disaster mitigation and relief”. The report can be downloaded via this link.

A workshop was held during the November 2013 meeting addressing these issues. The web site of the Emergency Broadcasting Workshop can be accessed here. The web site also contains copies of all the presentations that were made at the workshop, and a Video interview with Christoph Dosch, Chairman of ITU-R Study Group 6 (Broadcasting service)

The HFCC has applied for membership in the CDAC (Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities) Network in keeping with the conclusion of the debate on emergency communication during the Bratislava B13 Conference. Read more >>

The HFCC is staying in touch with the Information and Communication Sector of the UNESCO agency on the preparation of the World Radio Days that are celebrated each year on February 13th.

Humanitarian aspects of terrestrial broadcasting were also on the agenda of the Global Kuala Lumpur conference in January 2014. Read Opening Remarks.

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Updates from Radio Bulgaria

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares the following:

I’m sending you two interesting articles from the renewed website of Radio Bulgaria:

The Bulgarian National Radio has changed its home four times (01/25/19):

Many attempts have been made to tell the story of the Bulgarian National Radio but usually, in an effort to present a concise version, we fail to mention some curious details that would sparkle the interest of anyone keen on the history of this country. Over the course of its existence, the Bulgarian National Radio has resisted many changes that transformed Bulgaria over the past eight decades.

What is considered to be the official start of radio broadcasting in Bulgaria? It happened in the remote 1929 and consisted in the construction of a 60-watt radio transmitter by a group of engineers. The desire of the enthusiastic members of the radio amateurs club called Rodno Radio (Native Radio) to create a radio program was supported by the state authorities, which allowed them to use a small building on the corner of the central Sofia streets Moskovska and Benkovski.

Soon, however, it became clear that the available equipment was insufficient to reach a larger audience, and a team of local engineers took up the challenging task to build a more powerful transmitter. Another problem arose as the people working on the radio programs increased and the building soon turned out to be too small to accommodate all. Therefore, with the permission of the state, the amateurs moved and occupied an entire floor of a building on 19 Moskovska Street. After radio broadcasting was made a state monopoly with the decree of Tsar Boris III in 1935, the Bulgarian radio began developing at a rapid pace. In addition to the Bulgarian language broadcasts, the year 1936 saw the start of overseas emissions – first in Esperanto, and several months later, also in French, German, English and Italian, the foreign service department of the radio known today as Radio Bulgaria. […]

Read the full story at Radio Bulgaria.

BNR marks its 84 the birthday and 90 years since first radio broadcast in Bulgaria (01/25/19):

Radio Bulgaria reaches users in more than 150 countries through its internet pages in Bulgarian and nine foreign languages, which is an excellent achievement, Boyko Stankushev who works as analysts at the Programme Department of the Bulgarian National Radio pointed out.

Highest number of people using Radio Bulgaria’s web sites is registered in Germany. The users in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hessen are most active. In the United Kingdom highest number of users is registered in London, followed by Manchester-apparently the people living in these two British cities show specific interest in the information published on the web sites of Radio Bulgaria’s foreign language sections. When it comes to Bulgaria’s neighboring countries Turkey is the undisputed leader in terms of the number of visitors in Radio Bulgaria’s site. I would underline that many people in this country visit the Bulgarian pages of the Bulgarian National Radio, including the Bulgarian web page of Radio Bulgaria. Istanbul is the leader in this ranking, followed by Ankara, Bursa and Izmir. Radio Bulgaria has users in some smaller Turkish towns such as Mu?la and Tekirda?. I believe that the Bulgarians studying at the local universities are regular users of Radio Bulgaria’s content and read both in Bulgarian and Turkish.

In 2018 the interest in Radio Bulgaria’s content by US users increased. The number of visits in publications in English was very high, followed by visits in Radio Bulgaria’s Greek and Spanish page from North and Latin America. In the USA the highest number of visits was registered in Illinois, which is not surprising, because of the huge Bulgarian community living in Chicago. In California huge internet activity was registered in areas with large technological parks and highly-educated people, i.e. we are talking in this case about a very high-quality audience.[…]

Click here to continue reading this full article at Radio Bulgaria.

Thank you, David!

Your message prompted me to find a recording I made of the final Radio Bulgaria broadcast on shortwave which, coincidentally, happened seven years ago today!