Weather Radios

[JugLover]

Hey everyone, who out there brings a hand held weather radio with them on back packing trips? Any input on which radios work well and which ones don't? I'm looking into trying to find a small weather radio for back country hiking and climbing trips. Thanks.

[BruteForce]

I always carry a radio. My favorite is the Midland brand. Long range, 50 channels, encryption, NOAA weather alerts, weather-proof (*Not submersible, however).

http://www.rei.com/product/790323/midland-gxt1000vp4-2-way-radios-2-pack



http://www.rei.com/pix/common/pixel.gif

[DOSS]

I personally like the Garmin Rino, GPS, GMRS, FRS, weather band, weather resistant.. solves having to carry a GPS and a radio as it is all in one :)

[BruteForce]

I personally like the Garmin Rino, GPS, GMRS, FRS, weather band, weather resistant.. solves having to carry a GPS and a radio as it is all in one :)

To each their own. I prefer to not lose navigation and radio at the same time if I drop or break a device.. but I'm OCD like that! :lol8:

[DOSS]

To each their own. I prefer to not lose navigation and radio at the same time if I drop or break a device.. but I'm OCD like that! :lol8:

I have my phone with GPS on it as backup (the phone is my primary backcountry camera so its not an extra item really...).. as well as a paper map..

[BruteForce]

I don't rely on my phone. Too many times, I've had no service, so my backup has been a compass + map.

[DOSS]

I don't rely on my phone. Too many times, I've had no service, so my backup has been a compass + map.
dont need service for the gps in my phone to work :) .. i still carry a compass and paper map

[DesertDuke]

I take a Marine band VHF on board and hand held radio when camping on the shores of lake Mead and it does give good weather updates, but way to heavy to be included in my backpacking equipment and I can't believe it would get any reception at say..... Ship Island lake or halfway down Spring Canyon in Cap Reef.

[phocionxiv]

I got an amateur radio license last year, along with a cheapish radio that gets all the weather channels, AM/FM radio, public safety frequencies, and allows me to transmit up to about 100 miles. It was easy to get the license, and the radio's a great asset anywhere I go.

[DesertDuke]

I got an amateur radio license last year, along with a cheapish radio that gets all the weather channels, AM/FM radio, public safety frequencies, and allows me to transmit up to about 100 miles. It was easy to get the license, and the radio's a great asset anywhere I go.

Are you talking a 2 meter? I know they have repeaters all over the place but those seem to be disappearing with the advent of the cell phone. I have always wondered if it would be best to get one of those for emergency signalling or to sign up for a "Spot".

[phocionxiv]

Are you talking a 2 meter? I know they have repeaters all over the place but those seem to be disappearing with the advent of the cell phone. I have always wondered if it would be best to get one of those for emergency signalling or to sign up for a "Spot".

There are tons of 2 meter and 70cm repeaters all over the place with a lot of them tied together through the internet now. A lot also have an autopatch that allows you to tap into the phone system when there's no cell service available.

As far as I can tell, there are as many repeaters now as there has ever been. There's a waiting list for available repeater frequencies.

Strictly for emergencies, Spot may be better, but for the other aspects of HAM it has definitely been worth it to me. It's $14-$15 to get licensed and just requires a passing score on a 35-question test.

[kendall]

Thread is very old. I don't want to create a new one.
Husband and I live in an area where Tornadoes are a thing. I would love to have an alert radio that turns on and starts giving out information. Willing to spend a $100 or less to get weather radio. Would like it to be wall and battery powered at the least. Obviously reliability is important.

[Nathanielmiller]

Thread is very old. I don't want to create a new one.
Husband and I live in an area where Tornadoes are a thing. I would love to have an alert radio that turns on and starts giving out information. Willing to spend a $100 or less to get weather radio. Would like it to be wall and battery powered at the least. Obviously reliability is important.
When it comes to Weather, you will get a lot more enjoyment from a quality radio than a cheap one. When I had a cheap weather radio, I find myself turning it off a lot, because of all the extraneous noise and the cheap squelch controls. If you want better performance or it’s an investment you’re serious about utilizing and can expand the budget a bit you can do better. Decent radios start around $70 and go up from there but most are $70-120. In this site you can find a lot of reviews of the best weather radios and some other helpful information as well. Ref: https://www.whollyoutdoor.com/