My gear post below shows that after about 10 years my DT Sangean 400W needs replacing. I liked the unit, but may want something different this time as it did fine for NOAA but even with antenna wasn't good at getting any news/radio stations (primarily in the Crane-Crooked area of the BWCA).

Wants: Small, compact, battery powered, reception

CCrane handheld?

Others???

Baofeng UV 5R. Covers all the bases. Can access every weather band, can do the work of typical two way radios, and has ham capabilities

ockycamper: "Baofeng UV 5R. Covers all the bases. Can access every weather band, can do the work of typical two way radios, and has ham capabilities"

Heard these recommended before. They are a bit intimidating :). Play radio stations, too?

"Heard these recommended before. They are a bit intimidating :). Play radio stations, too?"

They can be intimidating, for sure. I made a laminated card for each of mine with the FRS, GMRS, emergency, and weather frequencies printed on it. That makes it simple enough for anyone in our crew to operate. They are a fantastic value. And yes, they will pull any local FM station as well.

You can also get additional antennas specially tuned to the band you are using to dramatically increase the range. We bring Baofengs every year. One stays at each base camp, the others to out with groups that are fishing or exploring. If we need to reach each other it is easy to do. We have found we can keep them on full time and the battery will last up to 3 days (we use the high capacity batteries). We bring charging bricks to keep them charged while up there.

This is my go to radio, I love it! When reception is weak, putting the end of the antenna in my mouth actually helps. I know this isn’t ideal. The other thing I’ve considered but haven’t tried is to make the antenna longer, maybe throw it up in the tree with the bear barrel.

This is my go to radio, I love it! When reception is weak, putting the end of the antenna in my mouth actually helps. I know this isn’t ideal. The other thing I’ve considered but haven’t tried is to make the antenna longer, maybe throw it up in the tree with the bear barrel.

I used this one on this year’s trip. Great reception, battery life, cheap and compact. Menard’s Midland Compact

Looks like I should research these Baofeng/Pofung units.

You can get a Baofeng on Amazon for $18. Gives you all the weather, FM radio stations, plus all the other bands. We bought a multi pac of them and pass them out one to a canoe when in the BWCA

Which one???

BAOFENG Radio 5RM 10W Ham Radio Long Range Handheld (Upgrade of UV-5R) AR-5RM

Baofeng UV-5R 8W Ham Radio Handheld Long Range UV5R Two Way Radio with Double Battery Extra Programming Cable Speaker Mic Rechargeable Walkie Talkies (Black-8W 1Pack Full Kits)

Baofeng UV-5R Ham Radio Long Range UV5R Dual Band Handheld Two Way Radio Walkie Talkies with 1800mAh Li-ion Battery and Earpiece for Hunting Survival Gear,2 Pack

we have the UV 5R radios with the programming cables and chargers

Do these Baofeng "search" for AM/FM stations like a traditional radio or do you have to know the actual numbers to dial them in?

Just to be clear, some of the models mentioned above have the label “walkie talkie” (what a great old phrase), but they are all operating in the ham radio frequencies, so to broadcast requires a ham license, right?

Some of the Walkie Talkie frequencies (FRS) are license free. GMRS, requires a license. I just use the channels that are FRS, to be on the safe side. More info here:

https://rockytalkie.com/blogs/rocky-talkie-blog/how-to-get-a-gmrs-license?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACpDPQQ6s9X7vGpYYYEhIiL_xcd2x&gclid=CjwKCAjwydSzBhBOEiwAj0XN4NQHvYOEIvXgyKpFfmX7vIOeiVsCdANq2nrk99yYVS0T7asgLL9TlBoCfTUQAvD_BwE