Emergency radio receivers

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arnieh
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:53 pm
Location: Kent

Emergency radio receivers

Post by arnieh »

Can any one help please, I am in the process of looking around for a good quality radio receiver for emergency use can any one recommend which type to buy, also AM or FM etc.
metatron

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by metatron »

arnieh wrote:Can any one help please, I am in the process of looking around for a good quality radio receiver for emergency use can any one recommend which type to buy, also AM or FM etc.
I own a Eton G3 but their expensive and unless you want to hear hams using SSB not really needed. TECSUN has a nice range of fairly priced, feature rich radios. The Tecsun PL606 can be had for as low as £26 on Ebay and is a nice AM/FM/SW radio which is very sensitive, plus it will take an external antenna. With external antennas its just a 3.5mm mono jack and a very long piece of wire will give you great reception around the world. All those windup radio/ emergency radios are over priced junk.
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icrcc
Posts: 486
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:29 am
Location: Northern Ontario

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by icrcc »

I have to agree with Metatron the Eton G3 is a great radio. If you spend the money to purchase one you will not regret it. However I don't agree with the assessment for all crank radios. I have an Eton AM/FM with weather channels. This little puppy was not expensive and it has the bonus of an emergency LED light plus I can charge my cell phone with it.
It may never happen. Best to be prepared just in case.

http://canampreppers.net/forum/index.php
metatron

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by metatron »

icrcc wrote:I have to agree with Metatron the Eton G3 is a great radio. If you spend the money to purchase one you will not regret it. However I don't agree with the assessment for all crank radios. I have an Eton AM/FM with weather channels. This little puppy was not expensive and it has the bonus of an emergency LED light plus I can charge my cell phone with it.
My main issue with the crank/solar radios is the poor quality and tolerances their built too. They are designed primarily for the US market as they have the greatest need for them, due to hurricanes and such and are sold through places like Wallmart and Radio Shack to be bought by the general public, so they are build as cheaply as they can, with poor plastics and the ones I've opened up are fairly poorly designed internally with fairly poor audio. Any price other than under £5 would be too high for me.

Higher end Etons/Grundig and all TECSUN are built for DXing and those people are ultra anal when it comes to radios.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DXing for people that are not sure what it is.
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rik_uk3
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Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2012 1:49 pm
Location: South Wales UK

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by rik_uk3 »

Another vote for Tecsun who make some quality gear for not a lot of coin. AM/FM and Shortwave. Lot of English speaking stations broadcast on shortwave. The Eton rigs are also good but cost a bit more.
Richard
South Wales UK
Retired, spending the children's inheritance.
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arnieh
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:53 pm
Location: Kent

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by arnieh »

Thanks to all once again your comments gave me food for thought there is a very big band of choice and I did not want to waste cash.
Lucky Jim

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by Lucky Jim »

arnieh wrote:..I am in the process of looking around for a good quality radio receiver for emergency use can any one recommend which type to buy, also AM or FM etc.
What, you mean an ordinary radio or a two-way walky-talky?
These are my 'ordinaries':
This one only gets AM/FM-
Image


But this one gets AM/FM/SW1/SW2-
Image
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arnieh
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:53 pm
Location: Kent

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by arnieh »

I am looking for an ordinary radio receiver.
metatron

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by metatron »

arnieh wrote:I am looking for an ordinary radio receiver.
If you just want AM/FM for music just by anything cheap from Sony.
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arnieh
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:53 pm
Location: Kent

Re: Emergency radio receivers

Post by arnieh »

I'm currently looking at the Tecsun and Eton ranges as I want a receiver to cover the emergency channels
to gain updates in the event of a problem.