Cato wrote:

O.K., so you're setting up emegency evacuation packs for your
family, and space and weight are serious considerations, what with
food, clothing tent sleeping bags etc. If you thought that you might
have to abandon your vehicle and use bikes or go on foot, what radio
would you consider? If you were to pack a A.M./F.M./ Shortwave
receiver, which one would it be, and why? Would you pack a wind-up
antenna, or a small active loop?
Would it be a wind-up, multiple power source radio? Or would you
pack a small digital radio with extra batteries, or rechargeables with
a seperate solar charger? What would your decision be, and your
arguments in defense of your decision?

I would (and kept in my sealed room, the Israeli version of a fallout
shelter) a Grundig FR-200. It's not much better than any other cheap
radio and worse than many, but it receives AM, FM, and shortwave, has
a loud speaker so everyone can hear, runs off of windup, a wall wart
and AA batteries. Uses a cordless phone battery which can be easily
found and replaced and has a light.

The only problem is that it needs to wound up every few months to
keep the rechargable battery working, and to make sure it still holds
a charge.

When I carried a gas mask, I carried with it a small pocket radio with
a speaker that used two AAA batteries. Better than nothing and if you
only listen for a few minutes at a time, will last for days.

I suggest that you go for two levels. One is an abandon all you have and
run and the other is take the car and get the heck out of there.
For the take the care, I suggest a decent laptop with a bunch of DVDs
or DVD ROMs with movies for the kids and if you want a real communications
monitoring station a Ten-Tec RX-320. The are not much more expensive than
a decent portable, and give you a lot more.

Geoff.



--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 Fax ONLY: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/