backcountry radio (am/fm)

[The hermit]

Can anyone recommend a radio that works out there? I don't want to miss the giants games or my fall trip

[giantbrookie]

Wow, I never thought of that. This brings back memories of my childhood when I'd head up with my dad from the West Bay back in the 70's. I have fond memories of listening to Giants games on the radio as we drove out on Friday evenings, but then I remember being bummed when the signal would cut out somewhere east of Groveland on 120. In those days I recall being rather annoyed that the Dodgers' station was so strong I could pick up their games in the Bay Area and about as far up 120 as the Giants. I will be interested to hear if things have changed (in terms of being able to get reception in the middle of nowhere), but I'm guessing that things have gotten worse, just as cell phone coverage in the backcountry declined compared to the analog era. One thing that has changed was that back in the day when my dad and I would drive up to the Sierra, the Giants were never in contention.

[freestone]

No worries, the Giant's season will essentially be over soon.

[longri]

I can get KNBR in Yosemite Valley but only at night. Fresno also has a 50kW station (KFIG) that broadcasts the Giants. Maybe that would be your best bet with AM radio, at least for night games. You could probably do something fancier with a satellite dish or maybe have a friend pipe it to you via shortwave. You can't be the first guy who has wanted to listen to their team lose while on a backpacking trip.

[The hermit]

I listened to them win some playoff games in 2010 on a north south lake loop. And in 2012 near mammoth. Dont be jealous dodger fans

[copeg]

Not a brand recommendation per se, but I used to carry a very lightweight and cheap am/fm radio with an expandable antenna (sorry, don't know brand). I always found reception to be much better at night (specifically with KNBR, and recall on many occasions listening to Giants games before bed). I would also occasionally make use of my metal windscreen, which surprisingly did a pretty fair job at amplifying the signal (your mileage may vary).

[caddis]

No worries, the Giant's season will essentially be over soon.

ouch

[maverick]

Freestone wrote:
No worries, the Giant's season will essentially be over soon.

Will see about that.

[JWreno]

I used to carry a very small am/fm/shortwave portable backpacking. I would use a wire antenna on a small reel to get shortwave. am/fm was very spotty in most of my backpacking locations. I liked the shortwave to follow a little bit of the world news. Eventually shortwave transmissions to the US were discontinued by most countries and they now stream via the Internet. Shortwave in the US is mostly just religious broadcasters nowadays.

I now just bring music or podcasts on my phone and don't worry about the world events until I get off the trail. I have to admit to being a college football addict and don't do very many trips in the fall because of it. It's a bit of a shame since the cooler, bug free weather and color changes make it the perfect season to backpack.

[sparky]

I dont have anything of worth to add....but trying to tune in and find weird or cool am radio stations is something I have always enjoyed doing. There is something special about being in really remote places in the middle of the night (not just the sierra but all over the country) and finding some trippy radio stations. A signal of normality locking in on your isolated location and streaming the strangeness of the modern world. I have many memories of curling up with my wind up radio in the bed of my old truck in my travelin' days, or lugging around a heavy am/fm radio in my kitchen sink backpackin' days.

Sorry I dont have a station to offer you, just enjoyed a bunch of memories I havent remembered in awhile.