(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best portable shortwave radios

I know people who love their Baofeng radios but if you have the budget a slightly higher end handheld is worth it. A Yaesu VX-3R is a great improvement. If you compare the bands they can receive/transmit on you will understand the difference between the two. I own a Yaesu VX-7RB which is an excellent, if pricy, HAM handheld transceiver.

To effectively use a HAM handheld and keep yourself within the law you're going to have to pretty much learn everything that would be required to get your HAM Technician license. It's a pretty easy test and there are practice tests available on QRZ.com. Getting a HAM license is also pretty cheap. I think it cost me $14.

Personally, I separate out my HAM radios from my shortwave/emergency ones. I have a Kaito Voyager KA500 which is ok as far as emergency radios go. I don't expect the crank on it to hold up to long term use. I also have two Grundig Mini GM400 which are in my BOB and GHB inside of pots which are also ok radios. I wouldn't want the GM400 to be the only radio I had but I could live with that if I had to. For home I have a Grundig Globe Traveler G3 which is an excellent all around radio.

You can get it shipped Prime from Amazon

Though I don't know if it's the latest of the UV-3R.

I own one, it's a pretty neat little HT. Though I'd go with DaProf's advice and get the UV-5R. Twice the power @ 4W and it has keypad entry. Programming the UV-3R isn't hard, it's just annoying. I'd spend the extra $15, find one of the dime a dozen Chinese sellers on eBay and snag one with free shipping. Mine shipped very quickly and I got a USB programming cable with it as well as a SMA -> BNC to hook it up to my J-Pole and came out to like $55 shipped.

Gift one!

Gift two would be anything!

C'mon...gimme.!

You guys rock though.

Edit: Oh wait, now you're saying dream bigger for the first gift. This tent then! I really need one, plus I don't have prime and without it it would take 2-4 weeks to ship even if I get the money to get it. It's dumb.

actually to make my question easier, can i just buy this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IID3OAY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2NYACAJP9I1IY

first off, can this radio device find and listen to both analog and digital scanner frequencies? and secondly, will this radio scanner i linked pick up san gabriel valley and los angeles county police radio talk? thank you very much

Ive got one of these

Small and not too expensive to be worried about it breaking but its surprisingly sturdy and has kept me entertained in music / news reports and even live sport events when out on the trail and snug in my tent when its lashing down with rain outside (good morale booster)

It depends - do you want a software defined receiver (SDR) that uses a computer to provide the display? If so, check this out for $250.

Or if would you prefer a conventional receiver, the superb Sangean ATS-909X sells for $220.

You could get yourself one of these to entertain you.

I have a hard enough time leaving the shower already, so I had to give mine to a friend.

I have that one too Kikkerland I have been happy with it. Reception is not awesome, but it will sit in the Texas sun and play all day.

bought a Grundig S450DLX Deluxe AM/FM/Shortwave Radio for about $45

picked it up with just the attached antenna
and the added bonus of being a SW radio.

I would skip the pairing with a blue tooth and buy a standalone AM/FM radio instead. Radios like this come to mind, depending on sound you need/ price.

[Radio 1] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FK0AEG0/ref=sxbs_sxwds-rbp3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2898770402&pd_rd_wg=JY2Jq&pf_rd_r=DDAS85NN2EA5HEXTQTNW&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00FK0AEG0&pd_rd_w=1QDtl&pf_rd_i=sony+am+fm+radio&pd_rd_r=ZMRGZZP3NDZRRKF9CBM0&ie=UTF8&qid=1491362907&sr=3)
[Radio 2] (https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICF-F10-Portable-Battery-Transistor/dp/B0081IKTN6/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491368308&sr=1-6&keywords=am+fm)
[Radio 3] (https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICFP26-Portable-Radio-Black/dp/B012F0DGYE/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491368308&sr=1-4&keywords=am+fm)
[Radio 3] (https://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-AM-FM-Pocket-Radio/dp/B005MUXNPM/ref=sr_1_21?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491368308&sr=1-21&keywords=am+fm)

I would go that route rather than having to haul a radio, a transmitter and Bluetooth speaker. Just my thoughts Though.

A windup radio is important (something like this).

Candles & Books.

China has what you need.

Baofeng UV-5R, $35 a pop.

Alternatively, the UV-3R is a cheaper and smaller radio with fewer buttons to diddle with.

In the US, these radios are FCC Part 90 certified, meaning they're legal for use on licensed commercial (business) frequencies. In Canada, they're similarly certified. I can't verify the validity of that doc so do more research before Industry Canada comes knocking on your door.

The radios you use are programmed by the supplier - each channel is a different frequency. The only ways of knowing the frequencies is to ask the supplier, test the channels using a scanner/frequency counter/spectrum analyzer, or most simply by looking up your business's radio license and frequency allocation information if possible.

Once you know the freqs, you have to program the radio. You can do that with the buttons, or with a computer using a program called CHIRP and a programming cable. Lotsa documentation exists if you want to take this on.

Yup! Right on the mark. I want basic functionality and something I don’t feel inclined to put away and forget about when I’m not using. i like a visually non-cluttered desk area.

This Panasonic is the closest I found.

PANASONIC RF-562D AM FM SW Shortwave Transistor Radio - Retro Design (Battery operated) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CDC5QLK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xmigAbGVE05WV

I don’t like this because it doesn’t have AC.

Car batteries can last for years, so the car batteries don't bother me. After about 5-10 years it's going to be very difficult to find reliable car batteries, because even sitting on the shelves they can discharge on their own. Ditto with the shelf life of small batteries like AAA, AA, C, and D-size batteries, however those are likely to be scarfed up more quickly by scavengers due both to their utility in hand held objects and their relatively low weight. So my justification for the batteries is that they have rechargeable batteries or those wind-up flashlights such as this one.

The gas is a real issue, though. You can put stabilizer in gas so that it can last through the winter in equipment that you don't use then, but that's not a terribly common liquid. This plague broke out a few years ago, so gas isn't going to still be okay, if they can even find it.

You can spend as much or as little as you want, for the most part. These are just two examples of many.

http://smile.amazon.com/Baofeng-UV5R-136-174-400-480-Dual-Band/dp/B007H4VT7A?sa-no-redirect=1

http://smile.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-3R-136-174-400-470-Dual-Band/dp/B006J4G49C?sa-no-redirect=1

After doing a bit of research I landed on this one. I'm no enthusiast though.

Gotta go with a studebaker

http://www.amazon.com/Studebaker-SB7803-AM-Pocket-Radio/dp/B0053RVL9O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_23_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=515tVcRdm2L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR128%2C160_&refRID=1HEBWVWE7PQKHNJ3W0FC

http://www.amazon.com/Northpoint-190500-Retro-Transistor/dp/B009H40ZTQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_23_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51OwwuDeADL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0KB5ERENVN5AVJNSTBD6

Here's an example of what I'd consider to be a "real" component tuner from Yamaha.

There are probably a few other models from different manufacturers available - but AM/FM tuners are kind of a dying breed these days.

Edit: You might also consider a table radio; this one has a headphone output which (probably) will bypass the built-in speaker and send the audio to your amp.

Example of a similar portable TV

If only there was a device that could pick up radio signals, that is cheap and doesn't connect to any wifi networks...

A camp stove that runs on either propane or butane. $32.56

AM/FM/Shortwave Pocket radio $13.99

Digital Compass watch $33.49

This is the exact one in my garage right now

I can understand your apprehension at the name Sony when it comes to speakers. As a mobile and home audio enthusiast, I agree that you wariness is not unwarranted. You can choose to ignore them as a choice for a boombox, but the fact is, they still make some decent ones for around a hundred US. Check out some garage sales too.

Milwaukee makes one that's MP3 compatible: Here

I've got a Radio Shack 12-586 I got for $6 when they had all those store closings. I want to put a 10 turn trim-pot in it.

It's a shame RS can't change the stock ID number when they do a major overhaul of the product, there are other radios with the same number but built quite differently.

That's the whole thing.

For example, the Baofeng UV-3R is $32.92 (+free shipping) at amazon (http://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-3R-136-174-400-470-Dual-Band/dp/B006J4G49C)

>The BaoFeng UV-3R dual band radio with FM transceiver, Mini size. Latest version with 18 menu items, S-meter and dual display and dual band antenna. It is a micro miniature multiband FM transceiver with extensive receive frequency coverage, providing local-area 2-way amateur communications along with unmatched monitoring capability. Functions and Features: LCD Menu Operations, Dual Band/Dual Display, Wide/Narrow Bandwidth, FM Radio Built-in (87.0MHz-108.0MHz), Emergency Alarm, Low Battery Alert, PC Programming, VOX (Off/1-9 Level), 99 Channels (1 Emergency Channel), CTCSS/CDCSS, Battery Saver, Power Capacity Display (ON), Backlight ON/OFF/Key, FM Radio Channel Storage, High illumination Flashlight.


Another version, the 5R is less than $36 http://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-136-174-400-480-Dual-Band/dp/B007H4VT7A

You can probably get an old DX-440 at a yard sale cheap, or one of the more modern sangean versions. https://www.amazon.com/Sangean-ATS-909X-World-Band-Receiver/dp/B003XU76PQ

Then get onto a few websites so you have cheat sheets, a big spiral bound notebook to jot down favorite stations, and off to the races.

It's mostly lunatic fringe stuff, religious programming, various state sponsored news agencies, and lots of weird music. Plus all the ham chatter. You can hear about someones wifes bunions up in Idaho, how a coyote tried to eat their grandson Little Billy, and an assortment of weird stuff.

Learning to tune in SSB is kind of a trip, not sure if the new versions have manual controls still, or just a USB/LSB setting.

Beyond that, is the road to hell called Ham radio, which can vacuum up thousands of dollars while you learn to be a self taught radio engineer/tech. ;)