today we live in a "digital" world were everything is available through the internet or satellite radio or satellite tv .but id live to take a step back and look into multiband world radios .ive recently picked up a short wave radio ,it back in its hayday was a $500 radio before the internet it was the way to keep up in the news over seas or in the case of the person i bought the radio off of he bout it to keep up with the foot ball game (soccer game north America ) ive still yet to try it in short wave ,ive been useing it just for AM FM ,
Has any one used multiband radios ?what is a good radio to get ?tell me your stories with them ,this is a a new and interesting subject for me .after a post apocalyptic world most digital radio stations will be out of commission we may have to listen to news from across the world to find out whats happining.
UPDATE . if the grid gose down the only source of news we may get most likely will be from sort wave radios ether HAM or from around the world ,that is a reason im starter to get into radios .
Thank you
NDN
Hey NDN,
I have bought a Kaito 550 ( http://kaitousa.com/KA550.htm ) which has multi band, weather and AM/FM. It is solar chargeable, "crankable" and you can dump the power from solar or crank onto a small electronic device. It also has LED lights, so all in all, about as good as it get for a prepper radio combo at a very decent price. I keep it in my metal gun safe with a few AA batteries to get things started. I've bought a reel wire antenna (I can't remember the length but something like 13' comes to mind) that I can connect to this radio to increase the capabilities of the shortwave. At this time, I find the internet to be a more useful mean to get news, whether local or international, but if things go down locally, this radio would be most appreciated.
ok thank you ,its diffacult to buy anything ,i went throgh the" buy it now then find out it dosent work properly "phase :p there was a reson it wen on sale . its good to know some one else tryed it and work for them
Thank you
NDN
While I have a few shortwave radios, few channels are in English. To be of use I'd need to know about local area disasters and most of that is provided by basic AM/FM local stations. Still, shortwave is fun, especially at night when you seem to get more channels.
Why did I join Canadian Preppers Network?
Well I was going to join the UK Network but those bloody Brits don't know how to speak proper English! 😉
I sell a lot of the Baofeng UV-5R radios. It's a great portable radio. Also great for beginners in the HAM world
http://www.rapidsurvival.com/product/baofeng-uv-5r-8w-two-2-way-ham-radio/
██ Eric Pinkerton- Owner of Rapid Survival
██ 72 Hour Survival Kits
██ Emergency Preparedness Equipment
██ http://www.rapidsurvival.com
There are many economical radios out there. I would suggest getting an older tube type radio with shortwave (HF) capabilities. A simple long wire antenna strung around your yard or in your attic can be attached to the existing antenna via an alligator clip and improve reception greatly. Something with VHF capabilities as well would be a bonus. Lots of organizations use VHF frequencies which may be useful to listen to during a situation. Ultimately the best option (IMO) would be to get your ham license and get an all band all mode radio like an Icom 706 MKIIG. This would allow you to listen to a lot of stations near and far as well as speak with other people to exchange information. SSB, FM, + AM are all different modes used by different organizations so having those extra capabilities are important so you don't miss out on anything important. having a CB radio and FRS are also important as well due to the fact that most people with our interests have these just due to the fact that they don't have to get licensed in order to use them. PM me if you want; it's a wide topic and I don't want to see anyone waste their money on poor quality or unrealistic expectations from shady advertisements.
Seems that a lot of people believe the internet will never go away and their cell phones will always work. (sigh)
"It's better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret"
OH BTW: Just bought the Kaito 550 as mentioned above. For the money and features and size..a great radio. Have owned the Grundig S350 AM/FM/SW...Radio for years now,it' has incredible range.