Tag Archives: Etón

Emergency Preparedness Part 1: Choosing the right radios

Today is the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks here in the US; also, here in the US, September is National Preparedness Month.

Hurricane Katrina (photo source: NOAA)

These two facts, coming as they do on the heels of several recent natural disasters in the US (hurricane, flooding, fires, an earthquake) have meant that I’ve received several inquiries about what radios (and supplies) are best for emergency preparedness.

So, I’ve decided to offer a comprehensive guide to preparedness. It includes specific suggestions for radios and other supplies (food, medical, etc.) one should have in stock in case of an emergency.

This is a lot of information, so I have broken it down into two posts:

I’m no preparedness expert–and I’m certainly not a devotee of apocalyptic thinking–but in the rural area where I live, in a passive solar home, preparedness is an everyday fact. Power from the grid goes out here frequently, and when it snows, we can be stuck out here for a day or two at least. When weather or other problems occur, as they invariably do, we’re guided by the three emergen-Cs:  we simply stay calm, use common sense, and solve any problems creatively. We keep several days of food in stock, have on hand emergency lighting, a generator (which we regularly maintenance), and spare fuel for the generator; meanwhile, my ham radio station can run on a fully-charged battery bank for days. Our refrigerator and freezer are solar-powered with battery back-up as well. When the power goes out, we may notice it, but only just.

We also believe in helping the neighbors whenever we can.  Oh, and a sense of humor helps keeps things in perspective.

In the wake of natural or man-made disasters, radio is your friend


As this thought-provoking video points out, no matter where you live in the world, communication is one of the most important ways you can maintain control when the world around you is out of control.

What type of radio do you need? More than one type, in my view, if you can afford them. At a minimum, you should keep on hand the following:

  • One self-powered (hand-crank) radio with AM/FM and emergency flashlight. If you live in the US, this radio should also include the NOAA weather radio frequencies.
  • One capable digital portable shortwave radio with SSB (single-side band) mode.
  • Several sets of fully-charged rechargeable batteries to power the shortwave radio and other devices like flashlights
  • Solar or DC powered battery charger
  • Other non-radio supplies (see list at bottom of page)
I’ll start with recommendations of self-powered radios, then suggest a few portable digital radios and  self-powered shortwave radios. Finally, I’ll also include FEMA recommendations for supplies that should be kept on hand for emergencies, just in case.

Review of the  best self-powered emergency radios

Below, I’ve laid out what I consider to be the best self-powered radios on the market today. Note that many of these radios cannot receive on shortwave, but do receive AM/FM and NOAA frequencies (NOAA weather frequencies are only helpful in the USA, please remember). During natural disasters or in times of emergency, local AM and FM stations tend to be more information-relevant than international broadcasters on shortwave. Of course, I believe you should have a shortwave radio on hand as well, so I have also provided a list of self-powered shortwave radios.

The Eton FR160 self-powered AM/FM weather radio with USB charger

Self-powered AM/FM NOAA weather radios

The Eton FR160 ($30-40 US)

The Eton FR160 is a durable, portable hand-crank and solar powered AM/FM Weather Band radio. It’s quite easy to use and does a fine job tuning in local stations including NOAA weather radio (you can chose from a selection of all seven frequencies). The FR160 has another very useful feature–you can connect any USB-based charger into its built in USB port and use the radio’s hand crank to charge your cell phone or other portable USB device–very cool! Be aware that it takes a lot of cranking to charge a typical cell phone enough for a 5 minute phone call, but in an emergency, it’s worth the trouble. The built-in LED flashlight is also very bright and lasts a long time on 2 minutes of cranking. The solar panel is adequate for charging the radio or for playing it (in full sunlight).

Purchase the FR160 from:

  • Universal Radio
  • Eton Corp
  • National Geographic
  • NPR

The Eton Scorpion self-powered AM/FM Weather radio with built-in caribbeaner and bottle opener!

The Eton Scorpion ($50-60 US)

The Eton Scorpion is very similar to the FR160, but has the added features of an auxiliary line-in input, a larger solar panel, and is splash-proof. The Scorpion has an aluminum carabineer  to attach it to your belt or pack, a bottle opener, and is overall a very rugged device, so is ideal for camping, too.

Purchase the Scorpion from:

  • Universal Radio
  • Eton Corp

Other self-powered AM/FM/NOAA weather radios worth considering

Eton Corporation also produces the Axis and Rover–I have never used these, but assume they would be worth considering. Eton is certainly the king of self-powered radio technologies and produces many of their radios branded with the Red Cross. They’re sturdy and effective.  I know of no self-powered weather band radios as reliable as those produced by Eton.

The Grundig G3 or Sony ICF-SW7600GR (in background) are both reliable and have excellent SSB reception.

Shortwave radios

I strongly recommend you have a capable, full-fledged digital shortwave radio tucked away for emergencies. If you already own one, just make sure you always have fresh batteries for it standing by.

What radio, specifically, am I talking about?  Basically any radio I have listed on our main reviews page that has SSB capabilities. With SSB, you can tune to the ham radio bands and listen to information which amateur radio operators (both locally, and across the globe) are sharing. If you’re riding out a hurricane (or living in the aftermath of one, such as Hurricane Katrina) SATERN or the Hurricane Watch Net could provide invaluable, immediate and practical information for your situation. You will need SSB to hear them. I actually wrote a tutorial on listening to hurricane watch nets here.

Here are a selection of radios I would recommend:

Self-powered shortwave radios

While these radios lack SSB and the advanced functionality of the modern digital portable, they can operate with the turn of the crank.  This is great, just in case you forget to have a set of fresh batteries among your supplies. All of the radios below have excellent reception characteristics for an analog radio. Why did I only choose analog radios?  Mainly because I have yet to find a self-powered digital shortwave radio that has the sensitivity of the analog ones, or the battery longevity. Digital radios look cool and are great for casual use, but I wouldn’t rely on one in an emergency. Stick with these analog units instead:

Still on the market as the Tecsun Green 88, this little self-powered radio packs a big punch.

Tecsun Green 88/Grundig FR200 ($25-35 US)

My all-time favorite self-powered shortwave radio is the Grundig FR200 or Tecsun Green 88. This radio used to be widely available as the Grundig FR200, but Grundig has since stopped producing it. The radio can, however, still be purchased by Tecsun Corporation from vendors in Honk Kong on eBay (link provided below).

What do I love about the Tecsun Green 88? It is:

  • durable
  • covers the shortwave spectrum down to 3.2 MHz
  • sensitive, even just using the built-in telescopic antenna
  • has fine-tuning control
  • runs for 40 minutes (with fresh NiMH battery pack) off of 2 minutes of hand-cranking

 

Other notable self-powered shortwave radios

I’m also very fond of several other self-powered shortwave radios, but none of them quite match up to the Tecsun Green 88 (Grundig FR200). I’ve listed a few below that are certainly worth considering.

Click here to read Emergency Preparedness Part 2: All the basics for emergencies.

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Looking for Summer Shortwave Specials?

Since I review shortwave radios for SWLing.com, I’m always looking for great deals on popular portables.  This summer, I’ve noticed several exceptional values and thought I’d share them with you. Note that many of these deals are for the North American market, but if these models are available in your part of the world, you’ll probably find bargains where you live, too.

Grundig G4000A Special

Universal Radio has a limited time offer on the Grundig G4000A.  They’re selling this capable little radio for $99.99 and including a free Eton FR350 self-powered shortwave radio (a $59.95 value) and a Grundig AN200 indoor antenna ($29.95).

Wow.  What a deal–possibly the best I’ve ever seen on a new shortwave portable.  For those of you who don’t yet know, the Grundig G4000A is a classic little portable. It has very decent audio fidelity, good shortwave sensitivity, excellent SW coverage (1711 to 30000 kHz) and is a capable performer on FM and AM bands. It can also tune in SSB (Single Side Band) signals.

I am also quite familiar with the FR350, as it is one of the few self-powered radios (along with the FR200) that passed all of our rigorous tests for use with the classroom SW radio distribution project, Ears To Our World. (Kudos to Universal, by the way, as they are a big supporter of ETOW).

I have not used the Grundig AN200 AM broadcast antenna yet, but I have used similar antennas and must admit that they do improve AM reception. Great thing is, you don’t even need to hook this antenna up to your radio; just place it next to the radio and you’re ready for MW (AM broadcast band) DX.

Universal lists that this unique deal is available until the (updated) 30th of June 2010, or while supplies last.

Click here to download PDF mailer of Grundig/Universal promotion.

Prices have been falling recently on the G5 as Grundig makes way for their new G3 Voyager.

Prices have been falling recently on the G5 as Grundig makes way for their new G3 Voyager.

The Grundig G5/Eton E5

The G5 has been a choice radio amongst SWLers who want portable performance, and, along with many other reviewers, I have given this radio high marks.

There are some good deals out there on the G5 as Eton makes way for the much anticipated G3 Voyager (see previous post). Keep in mind that the G5 used to sell for $160. Below, I have listed some authorized retailers that carry the G5, and their prices as of the date of this posting:

The Sony ICF-SW7600GR is a great choice for the beginner and experienced shortwave listener. Its portable, yet has the features and selectivity of a larger radio.

The Sony ICF-SW7600GR is a great choice for the beginner and experienced shortwave listener. It's portable, yet has the features and selectivity of a larger radio.

The Sony ICF SW7600GR

Many believe that Sony is slowly pulling out of the shortwave radio market. That may be, but they have made some highly sought after radios over the years. The ICF-SW7600GR is no exception (see my mini review here). What sets this radio apart from the competition (at least until the G3 hits the market) is synchronous selectable sideband, a feature which is effective at reducing fading distortion and adjacent-channel interference.

I’ve noticed that prices on the ICF-SW7600GR are starting to fall and supplies are dwindling at retailers. Here are a few that still carry this fine portable:

C. Crane “Orphans”

C. Crane offers two radios that I’m quite fond of–the CCRadio-SW tabletop/portable and the ultra-portable CCRadio-SWP. I reviewed both of these on SWLing.com.

Like many manufacturers, C. Crane sells products that they refurbish and clean, and then guarantee them. They refer to these units as Orphans. Having purchased from C. Crane in the past, I can say that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy an orphan radio from them. It can save you anywhere from $5 to $20 on one of their radios.

Pricing and availability vary, so check out their Orphan page before purchasing new.

Two more Grundig Specials from Universal Radio

Get a free Grundig FR350 with the new Sattelit 750 at Universal Radio.

UPDATED 20 July 2009:

Universal is now offering a free Grundig AN200 antenna with the purchase of the much awaited Grundig G3 Globe Traveler ($149.99) and a free Grundig FR350 self-powered shortwave radio with the purchase of the new Satellit 750 ($299.99).   I believe these offers are exclusive to Universal Radio.

Click here to download PDF mailer of Grundig/Universal promotion.

Did I Miss Anything?

Please let me know if you discover another exceptional value on shortwave portables by leaving a comment. Also, subscibe to our RSS feed and I will post updates as they become available.

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The Grundig Globe Traveler G3–now shipping

Grundig G3 Voyager

Grundig G3 - Now shipping

Universal Radio has announced, on their product page, that the Grundig G3 is now shipping. I’ve already ordered one to review.

Pricing is $149.95–a price point similar to the Grundig G5 (which no longer appears in Grundig’s product line). Through Universal, you actually get a Grundig AN200 indoor antenna as a bonus–currently the best deal I could find amongst retailers. See our previous post regarding the Grundig G3 for additional information, and check out Universal’s product page. We will post new info on the G3 as it becomes available.

UPDATE: Universal is now offering a free Grundig AN200 antenna with the G3 purchase ($149.99).

UPDATE: Click here to see our initial G3 review.

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The Grundig G3 Voyager–a new portable with synchronous detection

Grundig G3 Voyager

Grundig G3 Voyager

Universal Radio has just posted a product page for a new Grundig portable–the Grundig G3 Voyager. Feature wise, it looks like a marriage of the G6 and G5 in that it has full LW/MW/AM/FM coverage, plus the G6’s aircraft band. Physically, the G3 resembles the G5.

What could make the G3 Voyager a highly competitive portable, though, is the fact that it will offer Synchronous Detection. This feature reduces fading and adjacent station interference on shortwave frequencies. The other notable portable with this feature is the trusty Sony ICF-7600GR.

Note that the G3 has not not hit retailer shelves yet, nor does it have FCC approval. Subscribe to our RSS feed, or check back here often as we will announce when the G3 becomes available.

UPDATE 01/10/09 – Etón has now released a product spec sheet (below) and has the G3 listed on their website (link below).

UPDATE: The Grundig G5 no longer appears on the etón website. Perhaps the G3 is replacing it?

Links:

Please comment on this post or contact me if you have more information about the G3. I will add info as it becomes available.

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