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July 8, 2022 7:34 pm  #1


Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

This comes up after Friday's Rogers outage, in which people were forced to go to the old tech for information on their Rogers interruption. As noted in another thread, Arlene Bynon on 640 was acting astounded at how so many were tuning in "the old fashioned way." 

I have more battery-operated radios than I can count - and some of them still work! I also have one - but only one - non-cordless phone that I keep around somewhere for when the power or the cell lines go out for whatever reason. That way, I can always get through to somebody - providing they're not solely depending on cell phones themselves!

Does anyone else have either of these? A wind-up emergency radio also comes in very handy when the power is out and the batteries are few. I also have one of those, which I inherited from my late father. It also has a flashlight on it. I don't think he ever used it, but it's a nice thing to have.

 

July 8, 2022 7:42 pm  #2


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I have a GE portable radio that runs on AC/DC, and has a digital display (but not digitally synthesized tuning).  It has AM, FM and shortwave bands.  It boasts better than average AM bandwidth (sounds like 6 KHz response to my ears), but also has a narrow switch to receive weaker adjacent AM signals.

The portable was made for GE by Matsushita,   It has a powerful speaker, separate bass and treble controls and I think out paces the GE superadio.  Here's a link to info on it.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/general-electric-2990-am-fm-shortwave-426404015

EDIT:  Also I have this Panasonic clock radio from the mid-70s.  Nice sounding and a nice bright display.   Here a video on YouTube.  As you can see, I'm too lazy to snap my own pictures :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbQKVNSar0
 

Last edited by Jody Thornton (July 8, 2022 7:48 pm)


Cheers,
Jody Thornton
 
 

July 8, 2022 7:43 pm  #3


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I have twelve battery powerd radios at home. Two of them can be recharged by hand cranking.

Last edited by turkeytop (July 8, 2022 7:53 pm)


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

July 8, 2022 8:18 pm  #4


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I have a small portable radio I bought in 2015, specifically to be able to listen to Jays games on AM. I had no cable at the time.

 

July 8, 2022 8:30 pm  #5


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I have a winder but it's a pain to keep winding so I just keep batteries handy. (it runs both ways)


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

July 8, 2022 8:43 pm  #6


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Radiowiz wrote:

I have a winder but it's a pain to keep winding so I just keep batteries handy. (it runs both ways)

Yes. We geeks are never without a drawer full of batteries.
 


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

July 8, 2022 8:55 pm  #7


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I do; a cheap AM/FM portable, an iPod with a great FM tuner (no AM) and a Desktop FM/HD/Bluetooth (no AM)

 

July 8, 2022 9:14 pm  #8


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Yup! Two that I regularly use, and two 'backups'.

 

July 8, 2022 9:31 pm  #9


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I have two Sony AM/FM radio's with CD/cassette that run on batteries or hydro, and a crank radio with AM/FM and shortwave.  One of the Sony's is in the kitchen and I get decent AM and FM reception off air. 

 

July 8, 2022 9:59 pm  #10


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Wow even after winnowing some stuff for Environment Day, we have battery powered radios everywhere in the house and outdoors  3 solar powered am/fms (with cranks); 2 Sony AM/FM pocket radios (found them at US radio shack just before the bankruptcy); 1 realistic pocket radio; 2 Insignia HD/FM’s; 2 Radio shack waterproof shower radios (one used outside); sangean am/fm; sangean FM & Wifi Internet radio.
2 more very small insignia HD pocket radios (rechargeable) that only play into headphones…..and 2 1980’s vintage very small sony am/fm’s that only play into headphones (no speakers); a couple of am/fm walkman casette portables.  1 or 2 more Canadian radio shack realistic am/fm shortware radios - which weren’t very well designed.  The Sangean AM/FM has the best AM reception of the lot.

 

July 9, 2022 12:11 am  #11


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

My Motorola smart phone works as an FM radio using the plugin ear phone as an antenna.   My home internet was affected but I use Freedom Mobile for my smart phone so I was able to tether the connection to my PC.   The speed was fine until about 10 AM while out on my run, the streaming of TuneIn, Google Podcasts and so on gradually grew slower as more and more Rogers customers with Freedom cell / data like me started tethering and by 11 AM, the speed was slower than the old dial up days.     Using the FM radio app really helped to keep updated while I was out.    It's too bad the app isn't AM radio ready, just for FM, but I also use it to receive the announcing commentary at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park when I'm there for races as they broadcast locally at 90.7 at the track.

 

July 9, 2022 12:02 pm  #12


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

You bet! I have a Tivoli Audio iPal from 2003, a Sony multi-band/cassette player from 1993, a small Eton AM/FM/MW and a hand crank AM/FM. Yes, I like my radios!

 

July 9, 2022 12:49 pm  #13


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

 : )) .. 

 

July 9, 2022 1:26 pm  #14


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Still have one at home that I use every day, although it's plugged into the power bar with an AC adapter.  I listen to NT1010 and GNR640 on their HD FM stations.

Also had one during the Big Eastern Blackout of August 13, 2003.  For some strange reason, I had a radio/cassette walkman-type device at work.   Slapped two AAA batteries on it, and took it with me when the building had to be evacuated.  At least I got some info as I had to wait on the street while every one was wondering what was happening and trying to determine if or when we will be going back to the office, or go home.

Ended up going home and listed to the radio, when stations came back up while I walked from York/Wellington in Toronto up to Yonge & Shepherd for my ride.

Yesterday (July 8th) was also the anniversary that a GO Train was stuck in water back in 2013 and people needed to be evacuated with an inflatable dinghy.  I was on that train too. 

 

 

July 9, 2022 1:58 pm  #15


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Two plug in clock radios, a plug in boom box, all three with AM & FM and a cell phone with an FM receiver - headphones work as the antenna.

 

July 9, 2022 2:00 pm  #16


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I have five battery-operated radios and four flashlights.  During power outages, and there have been many in Ottawa the past few years, I lend the flashlights to neighbours.
I gave away two battery radios to a woman who was collecting for patients in hospitals during the height of the pandemic.  What a great campaign idea that was!!

 

July 9, 2022 2:08 pm  #17


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Yep, got two or three... one is a little 2001-vintage RCA/Thomson cassette deck with digital AM/FM tuning; another is a Venturer CD player circa 2002, also with a digital tuner; and in the attic is my late father's 1960s-vintage table radio that does AM, FM and I believe shortwave as well... runs on a set of D's, and can plug into a standard AC outlet.

Oh, and a little '90s-vintage Emerson AM/FM/SW, that my late mom gave dad on their silver anniversary in 1996.

 

July 9, 2022 5:31 pm  #18


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

One battery and one hand-crank.

Yesterday however,  while the Stingray music channels were unavailable on my Nextbox,  I was still able to get the usual AM &FM radio channels including 680; along with about 15-20 TV channels including the CTV and CBC news stations.

Last edited by Media Observer (July 9, 2022 5:33 pm)

 

July 10, 2022 7:55 pm  #19


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I have two hand crank Grundig AM/FM/SW radios. One is dark blue, the other lemon yellow.

 

July 10, 2022 9:20 pm  #20


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

mace wrote:

I have two hand crank Grundig AM/FM/SW radios. One is dark blue, the other lemon yellow.

Is that the FR 200? I have the grey one. For their modest price, they're a pretty decent radio.


 


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

July 10, 2022 9:21 pm  #21


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

That's the one my dad had, but his was in white. 

     Thread Starter
 

July 10, 2022 9:29 pm  #22


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Those wind-up Grundigs sold like hotcakes after the 2003 power outage.

 

July 10, 2022 9:37 pm  #23


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Chrisphen wrote:

Those wind-up Grundigs sold like hotcakes after the 2003 power outage.

I had just bought mine a few weeks before that. But I'm a geek. I always keep plenty of batteries around.
 


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

July 10, 2022 10:00 pm  #24


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

I got this Eton AM/FM/WX windup at Home Depot when I was in Florida last winter. $39.95. A good quality radio.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

July 11, 2022 1:19 am  #25


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

Jody Thornton wrote:

 Also I have this Panasonic clock radio from the mid-70s.  Nice sounding and a nice bright display.   Here a video on YouTube.  As you can see, I'm too lazy to snap my own pictures :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbQKVNSar0
 

Jody, we have a great-sounding Panasonic AM FM clock radio that still impresses us. Bought it new in the
early 90s:


 

 

July 11, 2022 7:06 am  #26


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

turkeytop wrote:

mace wrote:

I have two hand crank Grundig AM/FM/SW radios. One is dark blue, the other lemon yellow.

Is that the FR 200? I have the grey one. For their modest price, they're a pretty decent radio.


 

Yup. That's the one. It is a great little radio for the price. I have also seen a red version.

 

July 11, 2022 8:51 am  #27


Re: Do You Still Have A Battery Operated Radio At Home?

mace wrote:

Yup. That's the one. It is a great little radio for the price. I have also seen a red version.

The band switch and volume pot tend to deteriorate with use.