Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 4, 2023
On September 4th, 2006 Australian wildlife conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin, who achieved worldwide fame as the exuberant and risk-taking host of The Crocodile Hunter (1992–2006) television series and related documentaries, was killed by a venomous bull stingray. — I noticed several new listings of interest, over at SurvivalRealty.com. For example: Epic Remote Off-grid […]
Solar Radios May Be Older Than You Think
Back in the late 1800s, Mark Twain reportedly sent a cable from England to the United States. It read: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” He had been contacted by an American journalist inquiring as to his rumored health problems or possible death.
Well, Twain’s now-famous quote can also be said about radio. Yes, it’s one of the oldest ways many of us learned about local, national, and international news. But radio has stood the test of time very well and is still relevant today.
Did you know that 90% of adults still tune into the airways every week? Why? Because radio remains the quickest and most reliable way to gain important information. Especially during a crisis.
And it’s not just learning about critical information. It’s being able to act on it immediately. Radio has helped many people survive a crisis that otherwise might have done them in.
Today, some radios can be charged with the free power of the sun. I want to tell you about the evolution of solar-powered radios and why it’s crucial for everyone to own at least one.
Launched in the Fifties
Most people think solar-powered radios are a relatively new thing. Actually, the first commercially available solar-powered radio hit the market 67 years ago.
Two years after the invention of the first solar energy battery, the Admiral Corporation of Chicago, Illinois produced transistor radios in a variety of colors in 1956. Each included an optional “Sun Power Pak.”
Engineer Harry Thanos is credited with the invention. His radio operated from seven series-wired silicon solar energy cells he acquired from National Fabricated Products.
Both General Electric and Radio-Electronics tried to beat Thanos and Admiral Corporation to the punch earlier that year. But neither of their solar-powered transistor radios was ever put into production.
Power pack was extra
Then on April 14, 1956, Admiral Corporation announced its Model 7L series of 6-transistor portable radios that included an optional 32-silicon cell power pack.
Eugene B. Germany, president of Lone Star Steel Company, was the first buyer of this groundbreaking solar-power radio.
The price was $59.95 for the radio alone and an additional $185 for the optional power pack.
For $40 more, buyers could acquire a custom leather carrying case with a zippered backside pocket for storing the “Sun Pak.”
Innovation reduces price
Many Americans were excited about this new invention. But sales suffered due to the high cost of the power pack. It was priced at more than $2,000 in today’s dollars.
It wasn’t until the next year that engineers figured out how to build solar cells into the handles of radios.
Hoffman Radio, a division of Hoffman Electronics Corporation, used that strategy to build a “SOLARADIO” they sold for $150 plus $9 for four 1.5-volt AA rechargeable batteries.
This radio was available in five different cabinet colors. Other than the handle containing the solar cells, it was identical to Hoffman’s non-solar “Home and Travel Transistor Radio.”
Hoffman Radio dominates market
As with every new product that catches on, more companies jumped into the fray. Many of their radios were earphone-only versions.
Among the companies were the Acopian Technical Company, game and toy manufacturer E.E. Fairchild, International Rectifier, and Science Electronics.
By making improvements on its original model, Hoffman Radio dominated the solar radio market. These next-generation radios were not designed to recharge internal batteries. They all operated either from internal batteries or solar power.
Zenith offered its Royal 555 and Royal 56 solar radios in the mid-1960s, competing with Hoffman and companies based in Japan and Australia.
Following a general lull in the solar radio market through the 1980s, interest perked up again in the 1990s. Since then, a number of companies have produced solar-powered radios.
Radios work when phones don’t
There’s a very good reason why nearly every preparedness list includes an emergency radio. Today, solar-powered radios are particularly beneficial to those in the outdoors and those who occasionally lose power indoors.
Regardless of whether it’s an approaching hurricane, snowstorm, derecho, or a sudden tornado outbreak, we need to be aware of what’s headed our way. There are many true-life stories about people who took cover just in time, thanks to the warnings they received on their radios.
During some emergencies, such as the recreational vehicle bombing in Nashville, Tennessee, in late 2020, communications went down. Many were unable to use their cellphones.
This is one of the things that makes battery-powered and solar-powered radios so important. You can still get important information through a radio you sometimes can’t get through your phone.
What should an emergency radio include?
When it comes to selecting an emergency radio, make sure it’s a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio. Those radios provide timely information about weather threats in your area. Including evacuation routes.
You also want a radio with a powerful battery inside. And other ways to charge it. Including plugging it into an outlet, exposing the radio’s solar panel to the sun, and cranking it up by hand.
You may find yourself in a position where you need to charge your cellphone. Or a tablet, e-reader, camera, flashlight, cooling fan, or other item. Select an emergency radio that can do all that.
There’s no guarantee you’ll have daylight when a weather emergency interrupts your life. You may also need to light your path. So, make sure your radio includes a bright flashlight.
Other important features
Other features you want in an emergency radio are just as practical. For example, you don’t want one that’s heavy. Make sure it’s easily portable.
You also want a radio that’s compact yet durable. One that can take a few dings without getting damaged. And what about some extras the average person might not think about?
Choose an emergency radio that includes a sturdy metal clip so you can attach it to a backpack or belt loop. Select one that has a charging indicator so you always know how much juice it has. Pick one with an earphone jack so you can listen discreetly.
Finally, you want an emergency radio that’s priced right. If for no other reason than so you can buy several of them. For your home and vehicle, and even as gifts for loved ones.
Solar-powered radios have been around longer than most people think. And a few of the latest ones have all the bells and whistles you need. Don’t leave this crucial item out of your preparedness plans.
Benchmade 140 Nimravus: Unleashing Precision
Interested in the Benchmade 140 Nimravus Survival Knife? Want to know more about it before you buy? Check out our review below. Survival Knife Review: Benchmade 140 Nimravus Fixed Blade Knife In previous articles, we discussed choosing a fixed-blade survival knife. Check them out in the links below: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 A […]
Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 5, 2022
On September 5, 1774, fed up with the meddling of the crown and being mostly independent-minded, our nation’s founding fathers met together in the First Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, laying the foundation of what would become the world’s greatest nation. — There are several new listings over at our SurvivalRealty.com spinoff site. These include: Majestic […]
Largest California Wildfire This Year Destroys Homes, Devastates Families
It has become a way of life for people living in northern California. Every summer, wildfires engulf huge tracts of forestland, destroy homes and sometimes end lives.
As of this writing, the McKinney Fire has spread to more than 60,000 acres in and around the Klamath National Forest near the California-Oregon border. The fire has claimed at least four lives and 185 structures including homes.
It’s the largest wildfire in the Golden State this year so far, and there were fears it would grow even larger and more deadly. Especially due to rising temperatures and decreasing humidity levels.
Many families barely escaped with their lives, outrunning the flames. But when they returned, their homes were gone. So far, more than 2,000 people have been forced to evacuate the area.
The Losses Keep Mounting
One 32-year-old Klamath River resident evacuated her home with two children just in time after grabbing a few personal belongings. “I could hear the crackling, and I could hear trees falling and I could hear the fire,” she said. “The ash and embers (were) going in my eyes.
“Devastating. There’s no word that I can use to describe it except for devastating. I lost pretty much everything I owned.”
Another couple in the town lost much of their ranch, including barns and animals. The ranch had been in the family since 1954.
A 28-year-old man who had lost his mother in a fire when he was age 6 got out of his home before the fire destroyed it. “It’s just that same emptiness that I felt as a kid, really,” he said. “It doesn’t feel real.”
The mother of another family said of her home, “There’s nothing left. It’s completely burned down to the dirt. It’s just completely gone. It’s hard to convey to somebody what it’s like to know that you have nothing.” Her husband added, “We don’t even have an address anymore.”
Governor Declares State of Emergency
While firefighters welcome any rain they can get, thunderstorms sometimes make the situation even worse. That’s because lightning strikes are capable of sparking new fires and fueling existing ones. And sometimes the rain evaporates before it hits the ground, so it’s no help.
A U.S. Forest Service spokesperson said, “The fuel beds are so dry, and they can just erupt from that lightning. These thunder cells come with gusty, erratic winds that can blow fire in every direction.”
Just two days after starting in a largely unpopulated area of Siskiyou County, the McKinney Fire grew in size to 80 square miles. With the blaze reaching homes and threatening crucial infrastructure, California Governor Gavin Newsome declared a state of emergency.
Cellphone service was out in some areas, so automated calls were made to landlines urging evacuation. A 110-mile section of a trail from the Etna Summit to the Mt. Ashland Campground in southern Oregon was closed.
Red Flag Warnings in 7 States
Across the border in Oregon, two firefighters who were camping saw the orange skies and knew it was time to leave the area. They also knew they’d be coming back if deployed to fight the fire.
One of them was Oregon state representative Dacia Grayber and the other was her husband.
She tweeted, “In 22+ years of fire I’ve never experienced anything like this fire behavior at night. It felt absolutely surreal and not just a little apocalyptic.”
More than 2 million people were under red flag warnings, and not just in California and Oregon. The warnings extended to eastern Washington, Montana, eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska.
Drought, Rough Terrain Add to Challenge
The combination of historic drought conditions and rough terrain made fighting the McKinney Fire a big challenge.
Fire officials say the dry brush, grass and timber fed the fire and allowed flames to run uphill.
Tom Stokesberry is with the U.S. Forest Service. Here’s what he told CNN affiliate KTVL. “Klamath National Forest is a big and beautiful forest, but it also has some steep and rugged terrain.
“And with that, coupled with the high temperatures, low humidity, they all come into play and make it a very extreme fire danger right now.”
Fires Create Own Weather System
Technically, a wildfire is not a weather condition like rain, snow, wind, etc.
But when wildfires become large and intense enough, they can generate their own weather in the form of pyrocumulus clouds. The clouds form when heat from the fire forces air to rise.
Also called flammagenitus clouds, they’re similar to firestorms, which can create and sustain their own wind system. These clouds are often gray to brown in color due to ash and smoke.
They can trigger a thunderstorm, and the lightning can make a fire worse or start an additional fire. And even when there is no lightning, increased winds from the clouds can make battling fires even more difficult.
If you live in an area prone to wildfires, I hope you’ll take every precaution possible to avoid getting caught unaware. Including making sure you have advance warning to evacuate and much-needed supplies if you hunker down.
Why People Loves Outdoor Climbing?
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