Trail Radio?

[iliketacos]

What do you think about this radio for the trail? Also, any thoughts on radio reception? Much thanks.

Highgear TrailTune Carabiner Radio

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48017638&parent_category_rn=4500615&vcat=REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC

[iliketacos]

Only issue I can see is the battery life on this thing which is stated at 15-hours, but it uses AAA which is good for all my electronics.

[Toolshed]

$50 seem like an awful lot. What about the Sony Armband radio in the other thread for $32. I would also think SONY would have better gain/reception

[Sly]

I've never found AM to come in very good in a small radio. For a little more money you can get a 512 MB or 1 gig Zen Nano Plus w/FM and voice and FM recording.

[Footslogger]

The key thing with that radio is going to be reception. Looked into a lot of the $25 - $50 little AAA battery powered radios lately and the single biggest problem has been reception.

I carried a small FM only radio (Radio Shack) on the trail in 2003. I could generally get some signal with the exception of Maine.

Nowadays I carry a 1 GB Creative MP3 with a built in FM receiver. The combination of a selection of my favorite pre-recorded music and FM is all I need.

Can't comment on this specific radio. My suggestion would be to see if REI has a demo with the battery installed. Try and dial in some stations. If need be and you want to buy/possibly return the device is to make the purchase and take it into the woods for a trail run.

'Slogger

[Beachwalker]

What are you looking for, AM and FM while hiking, or a small tent radio for evenings? I use a Grundig Mini300PE, small, very efficient on 2 AA batteries, and has AM, FM, plus Shortwave. Nothing beats listening to the BBC or DW zipped up in the Virga at night! Oh, and it has stereo FM, so I can listen to it while hiking... I stick it in the side web pocket of my pack and plug in the earphones.

-- BW

[Jester2000]

I think you should carry a boombox. Your trail name would be "The Guy With the Boombox."

[mnof1000v]

I used a cheap radio I bought at a local dollar store. It cost me exactly $1.05 and I was always able to find a station with it. I never worried about breaking it, or losing it. It was lightweight, and easy to replace. Batteries were never a problem because I only used it at night. I did break it after a tough fall on some rocks in Maine, but like I said it was no big loss. I just pushed on the final couple weeks without.

You may wish to use an MP3 player or some other high tech gadget, but for your money and peace of mind, you may consider a simpler, cheaper alternative.:banana

[iliketacos]

I decided to pull the old boom box out of storage-I don't think the 10 D batteries are going to be a problem, but lugging the requisite 10' x 10' sheet of cardboard is going to be a hassle.

:banana

Or, I could go with an mp3 player with an fm built in, decisions decisions. Thanks all for your comments.

[Beachwalker]

I decided to pull the old boom box out of storage-I don't think the 10 D batteries are going to be a problem, but lugging the requisite 10' x 10' sheet of cardboard is going to be a hassle.


All the guys over on the Ultralight forum are all using Lithium D cell batteries in their Boom Boxes... supposedly they are much lighter than regular alkaline. Also, a few of the guys report pretty good results break dancing on silnylon, rather than the old skool cardboard.

-- BW

[wilderness bob]

What do you think about this radio for the trail? Also, any thoughts on radio reception? Much thanks.

iliketacos,

Carrying a radio, whatever you carry, on the trail is a great way to break up the "trail monotony". Reception is an issue because of the "line if sight" needed to receive AM/FM transmissions. Just remember that for the most part, large populated areas may have a radio station tower nearby. When you are on the same side of the mountain, tune in. I found my best reception was when I was static, (not moving) during breaks and just before falling asleep. Good luck and have fun. WB

[Blue Sky II]

A little pricy at fifty bucks for only having AM/FM reception. You'll get more bang for your buck if you go to Walmart for some of the Sony Walkman models at the same weight that have more features. In 2003 I bought a Sony Walkman SRF-M37V model that receives weather stations, TV, & AM/FM and ditched the standard headphones for earbuds. Cost was under $30.00. This is just one of many lower cost options. I generally leave my high end Sangean DT-300 at home. I've also used a little 2 oz. AM/FM radio, but like having access to the weather band.

Reception is spotty in the valleys and much improved up high.

[Beachwalker]

Psssst... AM is not line of sight.
FM isn't technically line of sight either. They are both just "modes" of transmission. Line of sight restrictions are a function of wavelegnth, not mode. General commercial broadcast AM, being at a much higher wavelegnth, 540-1600kc, is not restricted by mountains, hills, etc. Commercial broadcast FM is up at 88-108Mhz, and is (basically) line of sight based upon the shorter wavelegnth, not the FM transmission mode. At shorter wavelegnths, the waves don't reflect off hills, and around bends, they just get absorbed by them. You can transmit on FM down at the AM wavelegnths, however there'd be nobody listening to you... and the signal would not be line of sight.

There it is, more than you wanted to know... I think I just confused myself :confused: ... but just know that your AM radio will work in the hills.

-- BW

[Spork]

I bought a Highgear MP3 player w/ FM a few years back and have personally been very unhappy with it. The problem is the design. The control buttons are positioned around the perimeter and are very sensitive to any contact, so the unit is constantly turning off/on, changing songs/sations, etc whenever it gets jostled . (obviously a problem in a backpack). I've tried clipping it to every conceivable place, and have even wrapped it in a sock and put it in a mesh pocket, all to no avail. I don't know if the FM radio your'e looking at has the same problems, but if you're interested in music on the go, I'd consider looking elsewhere. On the other hand the unit works OK as long as it remains ABSOLUTELY still and doesn't touch ANYTHING!!!:D

[Toolshed]

And also know that at sunset, The FCC allows the larger 50,000 watt AM stations to increase their signal, while many other smaller stations at the same AM wavelength end their broadcasting at night, you can then hear AM signals from stations as far as 1,000 miles away as the signals bounce off the ionosphere.

This helped me in the 70's when I was homesick for a few weeks in the army in Ft Stewart, GA. I could get Buffalo and Canadian AM stations at night. I still thnk it is pretty cool.

[GlazeDog]

I like the waterproof aspect, rubberized coating, and carabiner. It is missing weatherband stations, which I find handy. Also, no clock/alarm. It would be great if it was all-in-one, rather than needing an additional piece of gear for those functions. I could live w/o the weatherband, but no clock--I don't understand their thinking.

GlazeDog

[Froggy]

The Sony Walkman SRF-M37V is decent. AM, FM, TV audio and the weather channels.

Runs for over 30 hours on a single AAA battery.

Target sells these for under $30.

But replace the headset with something smaller and lighter.

[iliketacos]

Thanks all for your responses, I'm gonna check out the Sony Walkman SRF-M37V per Froggy's suggestion.

Beachwalker, thanks for the laugh-I was giving some serious thought to hiking the whole trail in my old red and black Air Jordans and a pair of parachute pants.

[Fiddleback]

And also know that at sunset, The FCC allows the larger 50,000 watt AM stations to increase their signal, while many other smaller stations at the same AM wavelength end their broadcasting at night, you can then hear AM signals from stations as far as 1,000 miles away as the signals bounce off the ionosphere.

This helped me in the 70's when I was homesick for a few weeks in the army in Ft Stewart, GA. I could get Buffalo and Canadian AM stations at night. I still thnk it is pretty cool.

Youse AT guys have a little better chance of reception, especially along the Mid Atlantic, with the closer and higher number of stations.

Toolshed is right about extended reception range at nighttime. My personal best was on the next-to-last island in the Aleutian Chain when I was able to listen to a favorite station from home in San Antonio. To say the weather report from the River Walk made me homesick is an understatement...:(

FB

[Mantiss]

You could also always go with a rechargeable radio/flashlight combo. Kill two birds with one stone, and, just wind it up when the batteries start to go down. It will also pick up weather, a little heavy for the gram conscious, but a still pretty cool.
mantiss

http://www.safetycentral.com/freywiupamem.html for an example.

[freefall]

Thanks all for your responses, I'm gonna check out the Sony Walkman SRF-M37V per Froggy's suggestion.



This is the radio I carried last year and it worked great most of the time. The TV band does kill the battery quicker than the others bands but still decent life.

[Skidsteer]

I think you should carry a boombox. Your trail name would be "The Guy With the Boombox."


I decided to pull the old boom box out of storage-I don't think the 10 D batteries are going to be a problem, but lugging the requisite 10' x 10' sheet of cardboard is going to be a hassle.

Be careful, iliketacos. (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=221603&highlight=underground+nathan#post221603) :D