The Kchibo KK-9803 portable shortwave radio
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kim Elliott, who shared a link to this tweet by USAID and notes:
“I don’t know if USAID is doing them any favors by giving them a Kchibo KK-9803 …”
.@USAIDOTI provides radios 2 communities displaced by Boko Haram in #Nigeria so they can access credible information pic.twitter.com/JR6MKikEfl
— Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (@USAID_CPS) June 10, 2016
I agree with Kim. Even though, of course, I’m committed to the idea that radios bring access to information in parts of the world that need it the most, USAID obviously did no research prior to purchasing the Kchibo KK-9803 for humanitarian use.
No doubt, the Kchibo KK-9803 is one of the poorest performing radios I’ve ever reviewed (click here to read the full review). Though I fully support the concept of what USAID is doing, almost any other receiver would have been a better choice.
At ETOW, we work on a very modest budget–indeed a micro budget by USAID standards–but we would rather invest in better equipment, even if it means sending a smaller quantity to the field. Since so many resources are used just to deliver equipment to remote areas, one hates to waste those resources on equipment that may not perform the intended task or suffer from poor longevity.
My hope is that someone at USAID will read this and, at least, consult us prior to future distributions. An efficient analog portable (even the TECSUN R-911, for example) would be a much better choice.