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Portable Shortwave Radios:
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The best of Portable Shortwave Radios by number of unique Reddit comments:
![Retro Portable Radio AM FM Shortwave Radio Transistor Battery Operated Vintage Radio with Bluetooth Speaker, 3-Way Power Sources, Enhanced Bass, AUX TF Card USB Disk MP3 Player[2022 Upgraded Version]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51rstaVnWRL._SL500_.jpg)
Top Reddit reviews mentioning Portable Shortwave Radios:
Just get you something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kaito-KA321-Pocket-size-Shortwave-Processing/dp/B008MPKAPK?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_2529707011
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I live on the gulf coast and have busted it out for storm/weather info. It works well and is cheap
> I would like to fix the system so the van Alternator charges the deep cycle battery.
> I would also like have a switch to turn on the stereo so I can run it on the RV system, or the Ignition system when the vehicle is running.
It would be simpler to get a small radio for the RV side. I love this little booger. Also gets shortwave (strong signals at least).
I tried with the At Bat app, but the significant lag was maddening. I went to PC Richards and picked up a portable Sony AM/FM tuner for $20, specifically to bring to solo Citi Field outings.
Edit: This one
It's also available at Amazon for 2 dollars cheaper, but I'd rather try to give some of my money to a local company. Plus, I was buying it the day of a game, and wanted it right then and there, rather than waiting for it to ship.
You can find other options as well, if you just search for portable radio, but I figured the Sony would have a better chance of holding up and performing, over the long term, than some no-name version that I saved $5 on
Just for listening? Or are you wanting to get your ham ticket and transmit. I highly recommend this tecsun pl-330 with SSB
That would be a small battery-powered AM/FM receiver then.
There's one of these on its way to me right now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012F0DGYE
If you need a two-way radio though, that's not the radio you want.
Oh man I remember hearing about that, that's just part of summer for me is listening on the radio sometimes. I have one of these in my garage for that very reason. I can't imagine having to listen to a TV play by play on the radio. If the MLB wants to drive subscriptions, get rid of the blackouts, give us listening options like radio and mic'd up feeds, etc and people will pay. They're doing their best to keep me an illegal streamer at this point.
Hey, welcome to the great hobby of radio. Before you know it you may have a shortwave radio beside your bed with a 50ft wire running into the tree outside your window. For this fate i suggest the tecsun pl-330 https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-Digital-Worldband-Single-Receiver/dp/B0921HN6QM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=tecsun+pl-330&qid=1619950975&sr=8-3.
That is a bit pricy for a handheld but comes with a feature called Single Side Band (SSB) which is used to tune in amateur radio operators all across the world. If you ever have questions feel free to ask
You don't need to buy multiple meters. That's silly. BUT, you'll need a real SWR meter. The built in ones are usually not great. Here's a link to a good unit that won't break the bank.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VXKINA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_KDVS6BV0TMVXNQBY2ATP
I'm going over your budget by 20%. You can make a better antenna with a 50-100' spool of wire and a 3.5mm mono plug but the following suggestions are 100% off the shelf.
Radio: Tecsun PL-310ET
Antenna: Sangean ANT-60
Gotcha. You could get an inexpensive shortwave receiver with SSB (Single Side Band) if you want to listen there. The Tecsun PL-330 is a great one for the price.
https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-Digital-PL330-Worldband-Receiver/dp/B0921HN6QM
I bought this 1 year ago for $399. Its gone up $100 since then. :( Its a great radio though.
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https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-Digital-PL330-Worldband-Receiver/dp/B0921HN6QM/
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Freebanders operate in the 25 MHz to 30 MHz frequency range. They use amplitude modulation or single sideband transmission modes. Something like this would work:
https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-Digital-PL330-Worldband-Receiver/dp/B0921HN6QM/
It's not cheap and there is a learning curve. Is it worth it to hear yokels and idiots holler at each other? Granted you would also gain the ability to hear a lot of other radio stuff that you've never heard before.
I've got a couple of these Sony AM/FM radios stored away with a set of lithium (non-rechargable) batteries taped to the back (but not inside the battery compartment in case they leak (but the lithium batteries supposedly do not leak).
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICFP26-Portable-AM-Radio/dp/B012F0DGYE
I really like my Eton Elite 750.
Eton Elite, The Classic AM/FM/LW/VHF/Shortwave Radio with Single Side Band https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BVSCY8G/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_FFNTWMKTDR1D8H4ARM87
Its got great reception and is a ton of fun to play with.
If you just want AM/FM reception, here's the one I have:
Sony ICFP26:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICFP26-Portable-AM-Radio/dp/B012F0DGYE/
Seems pretty solidly built, has pretty good reception (better than my car stereo), rated to run around 100 hours on a set of AA batteries.
Just grab one of these meters and a 3ft or whatever length patch cable. You connect the meter to your antenna wire and then the patch cable between the CB and meter. They sell this exact same meter at every major truck stop but it's $5-10 more expensive. Detailed instructions also come with it and there's plenty of YouTube videos.
As for physically adjusting the antenna, you just shorten it/lengthen it at the tip. All the Wilson antennas have a little set screw at the base to make it even easier by pulling the metal whip out or pushing it in and then tightening the screw. Sometimes you need to clip some metal off of the tip of the antenna. It's fairly easy and can be done in a few minutes if everything goes right.
People don't have radios anymore? Really?
I have lots of radios, one handy in every room I use frequently. This is a recent acquisition.
> Retekess V115 Digital AM FM Radio Portable, Rechargeable Radio Digital Tuner, 9 Band Shortwave Radios, Support Micro SD Card and AUX Recording
$19.
I mostly use it to listen to NPR, but I also use it to listen to audiobooks when I'm stationary (e.g. washing dishes) and don't want to bother with earbuds.
(I have no affiliation with the product.)
It's kind of expensive (wait for sale or used if possible) but I received a skywave ssb a few years ago and it makes a great general purpose + emergency radio.
Does all of the weather bands, as well as things like aircraft and shortwave in case of a non-weather emergency.
Really nice unit if anyone is looking for one.
Believe it or not, this is the actual product video on Amazon's product page for the Eton Elite shortwave receiver.
The actor/model/whatever is wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the logo for Nieri Creative, whose website is, if anything, even cringier than their Eton spot.
That little radio will do everything except make your dinner
For listening and gathering information, a Ccrane skywave is pretty nice but a little costly. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HXKR479/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_AS3M0QJDJ7XKBY7M33YP
But for reaching out, it really depends on how far you gotta get your signal to go. GMRS can be a good option for short range and the one license can cover everyone in your household. You can also see if there are GMRS repeaters in your area to extend your range. Midland seems to be the frontrunner in this space. A ham technician license would be the next step up for range and ability to find repeaters in your area (many repeaters have battery backup and will run in an electrical grid failure). I really like my Icom ID-51A for the GPS feature, it stores a list of repeaters and will scan the nearby ones based on your location. If you go this route you would want the id-51a plus, id-51a anniversary or the id-51a plus 2. All of them are discontinued after the akm factory fire in Japan but they can be found on eBay, don't spend more than $350-400 though, they can be had cheaper if you're patient. If you travel far for work like I do, you'll almost need a ham general license and a bulkier radio / antenna / battery setup to reach your destination. That's a deep rabbit hole and you would need to decide for yourself if it's worth the weight on your back.
For more research you can YouTube search: Ham Radio Crash Course, Ham Radio 2.0, K6ARK Portable Radio, K8MRD Radio Stuff, thesmokinape All have very good content.
Hope this helps you out 73
I have a hand held radio Sony ICFP26 Portable AM/FM Radio,Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012F0DGYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_qcm-Fb6QGKQFC
I listen and mute the tv... There’s a delay but it’s fun to know when a big play is about to unfold right before my very eyes
Is an SSB Shortwave going to give me emergency services? I like this radio and am thinking of getting it
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJ51NVA
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for listening you might want to go with a Tecsun PL-880 SW radio.... has airband too.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJ51NVA?tag=camelproducts-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&language=en_US
This is not a ham radio question, but here is an AM/FM with presets.
I’m also new but from what I’ve just read in this sub, this Tecsun PL310ET(I think, lol) is a good performer and only $48 on Amazon (depending on what your definition of cheap is, lol)
I just got a Tecsun PL-880, which was around $150, so I can vouch for the brand anyhow.
You can go even cheaper with an analog tuner, but I’ve found that having a digital tuner makes a world of difference so you know exactly which frequency you are tuning into.
What are you trying to survive? Is this some sort of BOB? Or just your camping gear? What is your area? Will this gear work for an entire year's worth of possible weather?
You need signals intelligence for modern day survival - at least get a small am/fm/shortwave radio receiver, if not also something that can transmit, preferably one that can receive both SSB and air traffic... Something like this