I don't use a weather radio but a hand held marine radio that has a weather band. It gives me the Noaa weather from the nearest station. So far, I've had no trouble at all getting the weather band. However, the performance as a marine radio is questionable so it's primary use is for weather. Now I have a regular installed marine radio in the boat anyway so there's not quite as much a need for it as a marine radio except sometimes kayaking.

I've been looking around the internet some more and I'd say the choices are pretty pathetic. Maybe I would after all go with Oregon Scientific again. But I wouldn't leave the store without making sure it was one of the (rare?) samples that worked, and I'd copy the instructions so that I always had them at hand. At least working samples, in my experience, pull in the stations well.

I remain convinced that S.A.M.E. technology is very useful for a home weather radio, just about useless for a travel radio unless you are staying in the same place for long enough to (1) justify the re-programming and (2) make you lose interest in the weather in surrounding counties.

Three years ago I purchased a very small Sangean radio that has AM FM and Weatherband. It's not strictly a weather radio - since it doesn't come on automatically when there is a weather alert, but it's a great camping radio. It is digital and has great reception. It is very small - about the size of the new small Ipod but much lighter. It has simple controls and great sound thru headphones (I bought a pair of Sony earbuds) and it has a small built-in speaker so it is perfect in a tent. It takes 2 AAA cells and lasts a long time on a set of batteries, although I use rechargeables in mine. You can keep it in your shirt pocket and you hardly know it's there.

The model I bought is a Sangean DT-300VW. The style may have changed, but I think that you can still get basically the same radio. You might want to have a look at CCrane.com for this radio. They may also have some weather radios there as well. You might be able to find a better price if you shop the web - I paid $56 for it 3 years ago. No, it's not cheap for a little radio, but it is the best small radio I have ever owned.

Mike ////\/\\/\////

Here is a link that might be useful: Sangean DT-300VW at CCrane

Best thing to do when looking for a weather radio is not look for a weather radio.

The best place to look for a radio that will also give you the weather is to look at CB's. If it will be used for camping or traveling radios such as the Cobra's HH 38 WX ST packs more punch than anything out their in their price range.

I am not endorsing the web site below for I have never dealt with them. They were just the first one that came up when I did a search for the Cobra HH 38. I do not personally use a weather radio when camping. I use my head. Stick it out. If it gets wet. It's raining. If it gets hot. The sun is out. etc etc.
I do however have a Cobra 29 WX NW ST which has 7 weather channels in my truck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cobra's HH 38 WX ST

Some great ideas, thanks!

This reminded me that I had a Midland 75-810 40 Channel CB Radio with Weather Bands sitting in a drawer. It seems to be working well, and it is not much bigger than my weather radio. I'm thinking about a trip to Alaska this summer. There's minimal cell-phone coverage there. I wonder whether the CB might be handy if I run into any problems?

Hey Brian - sent you an e-mail about a weather radio source. Let me know what you think.

Thanks again,

Dale

Grundig is a top radio manufacturer, and until recently when they licensed their name to some chinese junk wind-up radio, offer hobby-level quality. Regency and Motorola also offer good value, not cheap junk. Any handheld scanner will pick up the weather channel on 162.4 Mhz. Look for Popular Communications Magazine in your bookstore for a quick education on what to buy.

tplife,
Thanks. I'll look into Regency and Motorola next time I need one. Your comment about Grundig meshes with some recent comments I've read about their weather radios, I guess they can't be counted on anymore.
Brian

Well, Brian, have come back to the premise that simple is best. As I said, once upon-a-time had a weather band radio (with no other radio bands included) that worked flawlessly for a long time and was carried in the popup camper for use campside where-ever. Although you had to manually tune the scanner to find just where on the band the weather broadcast could be heard, at least, it would work. One day on a long road trip drove off leaving that radio on a picnic table and then realizing what I had done many, many miles on down the road! Looked everywhere to find a replacement for that simple, inexpensive weather radio and just could not find one - (think it came from K-Mart). Anyway, ended up replacing it with Oregon Scientific model which had all kinds of whistles and bells and almost required an engineering degree to operate - and at best could only get it to work part-time! Well, you know all about that story.

Had to go down to Charleston yesterday and stopped off at one of those K-Mart super stores and found a cheap replacement that I'm pleased with. It's a Jensen model MR-550 - has three bands - AM/FM and weather. Battery operated (two AA, not included), can also work with an optional AC adaptor (have to send off for - $9.95 + 3.00 S&H) and a feature that sold me on the little radio ... it also has internal re-chargeable nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. To charge these batteries there is a "dynamo" manual charge hand crank - you crank this thing and a little red light comes on saying that it is charging and after about 60 seconds of cranking another amber light comes on saying that it's charged. The instruction sheet says this will give you about 20 minutes of radio playing time but in trying it out I can get an honest 15 minutes of strong radio, and then it rapidly dies out. What I like about this feature is should you be out in the middle of nowhere and find yourself battery-less, you can crank this thing up and listen to what's going on, even if it's only for 15 minutes at a crack.

Bottom line is I'm well please with the solid construction and performance of this good sounding little radio - (dimensions are 6" high, 3 1/4" wide and 2 1/4" front to back) - AND, well pleased at the price ... $14.99 (with tax $15.74)!

Dale