lightweight radio

[Frosty]

I'm thinking about adding a lightweight am/fm radio to my pack. Anyone have a favorite they recommend?

[neo]

i bought a cheap one for 10 bucks at walgreens,have not weighed it yet
small,has alarm clock,ear phones neo

[screwysquirrel]

Go with one of the old sony walkmans. Super light and picks up a lot of stations mostly anywhere. I always bring mine.

[Jaybird]

Radio Shack has a few "pocket-size" radios with ear buds...etc.,etc.,etc...


also C. Crane Company: http://www.ccrane.com/pocket-radios.aspx

has a good selection of "pocket-size" radios.



good luck with yer hike!

[baseballswthrt]

I found an AM/FM radio at the base exchange at Lackland Airforce Base that weighs 1.8 ounces including batteries and earbuds for $2.97. It works great! I like to listen to it at night before I go to sleep and hiked and listened to it one day when it was icy to keep my mind off of being cold!

Anita

[dgodwin7]

I started in June in ME with a little cheap radio walkman with digital tuning. Worked fine until I broke the earphone on one side. A little duct tape and it was mostly back to normal. The Mahoosic Notch in the rain finally killed it though. I replaced it in NH with a digital tuning Sony Walkman that I got at WallyWorld. I'd seen several NOBOS hiking with those and figured I'd give it a shot. Worked great - even picked up TV, AM, and Weather Stations. I really liked having the weather stations option. The radio was more $$ then I would have liked to pay but it lasted until I got off the trail and still works fine today. Just remember, what ever kind you end up with: keep it in a plastic bag! Rain loves radios.

CaptSaltyStache
ME-NY 04

[SGT Rock]

I found an AM/FM radio at the base exchange at Lackland Airforce Base that weighs 1.8 ounces including batteries and earbuds for $2.97. It works great! I like to listen to it at night before I go to sleep and hiked and listened to it one day when it was icy to keep my mind off of being cold!

Anita

I would like to find that for jogging. What does it look like and where did you find it at the AAFEES exchange?

[Pooja Blue]

Jaybird beat me to it, but I bought a small Sangean radio at the C. Crane Company web site before I left. It's equivalent to this one. 2.6 oz isn't bad. I cannot tell you how many times that radio was accidentally dropped or kicked. Once it fell into a stream (although I picked it up almost immediately). It survived my thruhike intact and still works fine.

[Pooja Blue]

I recommend analog over digital tuning, too.

[Frosty]

I recommend analog over digital tuning, too.

Just out of curiousity, why

[Pooja Blue]

It's easier to "fine-tune" the tuning with an analog, which you often need to do because reception in the mountains isn't always good.

[SalParadise]

I made a post similar to this question not too long ago, and no doubt I wasn't the first one, so you may also want to do a thread search and you'll find a ton of answers.
C.Crane has been recommended to me, the Radio Shack cheap ones apparently work great, and AIWA has also been recommended.

[SGT Rock]

I was hoping to find something that weighs less than 2.0 ounces and uses a single AAA.

[Kerosene]

I was hoping to find something that weighs less than 2.0 ounces and uses a single AAA.

...with AM, FM, and analog tuning. An auto shut-off after xxx minutes would be ideal for someone who tries to go to sleep with it (not me) or if it gets turned on by mistake (that would be me).

[SGT Rock]

I have seen some MP3 players listed on the web that meet these requirements, but I ain't ready to lay out $120.

[saimyoji]

I am getting into amatuer radio, ShortWave, SingleSideBand, etc. I find that I get better reception for these frequencies at night, in the mountains (for various geophysical reasons). I also get stations from all over the world (Europe, Asia, Australia) its fun to share with other hikers at night.

I use a Sony ICF-7600DS. Its kinda heavy for a thru I guess, uses 6 AA (four for the radio, 2 for the computer: computer not required for radio function).

As for AM reception: unless you get a radio with external antenae and rig an antenae (using the frame of your pack, tent poles, hiking poles (if metal)) you won't get very good reception in the back country. Stations will "come and go," reception will be poor, though you'll get stations from farther away.

I agree, go analog, or if you choose a slightly heavier more high-tech model, digital with fine-tuning.

Hope I was of some help.

[Footslogger]

I'm thinking about adding a lightweight am/fm radio to my pack. Anyone have a favorite they recommend?

==============================
Radio Shack has already been mentioned but in particular, they have a small blue "weather-proof" model that clips right onto your sternum strap. That's not the intended application but it works. Carried one all the way to Katahdin in 2003. Battery compartment (2 - AA size) is gasket sealed. I used the Eveready Lithiums and only needed 1 set for the entire thru-hike. Comes with the ear bud phones but they kept falling out so I hit a WalMart along the trail and got a pair that fit over the ear. Worked like a charm. Great for a tune now and then, the news or an occasional sporting event.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[SGT Rock]

http://www.usbdiscount.com/melodisd6000.html

I've been looking and this seems the best I can come up with. .71 ounces means with the single AAA it should meet my weight. I just can't see spending the money.

[Footslogger]

I was hoping to find something that weighs less than 2.0 ounces and uses a single AAA.

============================
Rock ...they have one that meets your requirments at Radio Shack ( I have 2 of them) but it's not weatherproof. One broke on the trail in 2003 and I sent it home. Replaced it with a weatherproof one from Radio Shack along the trail. When I got home I found that the problem was a broken solder connection. Whipped out the old soldering iron and now it's as good as new. Has a nice clip on the back for attaching to a sternum strap or inside your tent at night. I always found that hanging it near the top of my tent gave me decent reception.

By the way ...if mempory serves me correctly I paid $12 for it.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[SGT Rock]

You have a picture so I know what to look for?