Radio

[doitright]

Is there a good radio out there that will pic up well? I have got several over the years and they just do not receive very good. Would love to have weather, short wave, AM and FM. Have a crank weather radio and it has poor reception.
doitright

[High Desert]

I've got a C. Crane SW, it has everything you're looking for except weather. AM, FM, Shortwave. Has excellent reception. Also very good battery life, it will even keep rechargable batteries charged when it's on 110. Not cheap, but it does deliver.

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/shortwave-radios/ccradio-sw.aspx

[eamarquardt]

Sangean seems to have an excellent reputation and they have lots of models that will do what you seem to want.

Shop online for the model that best suits your needs for the best price.

http://www.sangean.com/products/products.asp?um=3

Cheers,

Gus

[Greg M]

I've always been partial to Grundig myself. Nice radios with great front ends.

-Greg

[Shadow Catcher]

I have gone with a conventional auto stereo with weather band and a Sirius satellite receiver hard wired in. One thing to remember is that your antenna is an important component in any reception battle.

[Woodbutcher]

Yea the Crane radios are great. Not cheap but they really work well. My wife had one at work. It was the only radio that could pull in a signal inside the building. It worked so well we bought the MIL one, as she live out in the country.

[doitright]

Thanks for the information I ordered a CCrain today.
doitright

[Woodbutcher]

You won't be sorry!

[Engineer Guy]

Over >40 years, I've collected everything from a Vacuum Tube Hallicrafters in my 'youthful' Ham Radio days to Travel Sonys to a Desktop Panasonic to 2 crank Weather Radios. For some reason, I'd 'forgotten' about Crane until the memory jog above. See some Reviews here to feel even better about your purchase. The Review dovetails with the high Sensitivity comment above about Crane:

Shortwave Radio Reviews

Besides the NOAA Weather Broadcasts on ~162 mHz you're interested in, they often re-broadcast those Stations on local low power FM. It's on ~100 mHz where I am now; ~107 mHz in Glenwood Springs CO.

I've used the free 'Tell Me' Voice Portal on my Mobile for years to get Weather info anywhere: 1.800.555.TELL [8355]. Really accurate Voice Rec from a high-powered Server unless you're on Speakerphone, or in a really noisy environment.

Tell Me

NOAA Weather Station Frequencies

NOAA Robo Voices

I've gone to Rechargeable Batteries bought on the cheap at 'Big Lots'. Charged spares ensure emergency backup for Radios more sensitive/useful than crank Radios.

If you tinker, USB protocol is +5 VDC. 'Old' USB was 0.5 Amps. 'New' USB is up to 1.0 Amp. There's +12 VDC Cig Lighter -> USB output Plugs at Wally World and elsewhere. The USB wiring protocol is readily online. It's likely the +6 VDC Radio will run from +5 VDC USB if you adapt a USB Cable to the Crane's DC Input. I've done this USB-based mod. It's handy in the TT for cutting down on all sorts of Cables and 'stuff'. There's USB Lights out there, and one hilarious moving 'Hula Girl' amongst all sorts of USB Accessories...

In the event of an Emergency, the Cig Lighter -> USB adaptation means you've got serious TT or TV Battery capacity to power your new Radio for long periods intermittently.

USB Accessories

USB Wiring Diagrams