Low Wattage radio

shortfatguy
shortfatguy Solar Expert Posts: 42
I need a am/fm/noaa radio for my camp that draws low wattage. My current boom box draws 30w.

What do folks have? Anything with style?

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    I guess it depends on how Loud you need it. C. Crane has some pretty low power radios, but they are pricey. http://www.ccrane.com/
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • Brock
    Brock Solar Expert Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    I have a Sangean (cc radio plus)
    http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/ccradio-plus/index.aspx
    in my office which is really nice. I run it on 4 NiMH D cells and it last 6 months easy with 2 days a week use and in NOAA mode. On alkaline you should get between 2 to 3 years on a set. You can power it from 120vac as well, but I prefer NiMH's

    I am sure there are less expensive options. I also have two GE Superadios. They sound great but don’t have a NOAA alert. Maybe get one of those and a dedicated NOAA little radio? I know some of the FRS radios now have NOAA alerts built in.
    3kw solar PV, 4 LiFePO4 100a, xw 6048, Honda eu2000i, iota DLS-54-13, Tesla 3, Leaf, Volt, 4 ton horizontal geothermal, grid tied - Green Bay, WI
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    i think mike hit that one on the head because nearly any other radio capable of receiving those things will draw less because they won't have the large audio amps x 2 being your boom box is stereo.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    If you need boom box, room filling sound, look into purchase of some of the old 70's speakers, Big Cabinet, non-sealed sound box (reflex), easily get room filling sound with 1 watt/+90db. Much more efficient than 80db/W sealed boxes, but larger.

    "Speakers range in efficiency or sensitivity from about 85dB (very inefficient) up to 105dB (very efficient). As a comparison, a speaker with 85 dB efficiency rating will take twice the amplifier power to reach to same volume as a speaker with 88 dB efficiency. Similarly, a speaker with a 88 dB efficiency rating will require ten times more power than a speaker with a 98 dB efficiency rating to play at the same level. "
    from http://stereos.about.com/od/stereoscience/a/amppower.htm

    High Efficiency Speaker Asylum Need speakers that can rock with just one watt? You found da place. http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/etv.mpl?forum=hug
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    so why didn't you tell him that going from 85db to 105db is a x100 differential? don't matter too much because it is still based on 1 watt of audio, but that would still generally indicate that smaller wattage levels will yield more volume to the ear for the 105db speaker over the other 85db speaker.
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    I use a Pioneer Car radio, with cd and Ipod adapter,with a Sirius radio adapter. It fills a 4 good speakers from an old boom boxes. The whole shebang burns under 1 amp @ 12vdc. With just the radio it burns ~.5 amps.
    The other advantage is that it has great long range reception. I used to use a Grundig Yb 400 which was a nice portable but it didn't fill the room.

    We live 100 miles from town and coupled with a directional antenna I get FM from almost 200 miles away. A fanfare vertical omni directional gets good reception for about 100 miles.

    I was told that car radios have much better capture than most other radios, and I have found that to be true.

    Tony
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    it may be a good idea to get a seperate noaa radio and only use it when you need to as you can't listen to it while listening to your favorite am/fm radio stations anyway on your present boom box. odds are, even if you could listen at the same time with the boom box, the loud music could drown it out. even with seperate radios this could be the case.
    the car radio is sometimes a good idea, but it is not a portable device. also, not many will be willing to go to the store with a dmm to measure the current draws on different radios and that's if there's a provision that you could do this without splicing into their wires.
  • Moe
    Moe Solar Expert Posts: 60 ✭✭
    Re: Low Wattage radio

    Midland WR-300 Weather Radio w/AM-FM, and Date and Alarm Clock

    Weather Alert overrides AM/FM
    Operates off 12VDC or 120VAC w/AA battery backup
    SAME codes and selectable alerts
    External antenna capable