10 Radios to Have on Hand for an Emergency

One of the best ways to get information during a disaster, aside from the plethora of social media platforms, is via radio.  While most people listen to curated media--like Spotify or Pandora--having basic radio capabilities can be invaluable during a disaster.  Here are several types of radios you should have on hand:

1. HAM radio is a good option both for disasters and entertainment.  While only licensed users can operate HAM radios (except during an emergency), these are great for receiving and providing information during a disaster.
2. NOAA weather radio.  If you live in an area prone to weather emergencies, a NOAA weather radio can provide a variety of information from emergency alarms to continuous weather information broadcasts.
3. AM/FM transistor radio.  These radios usually operate via batteries or plugged into an outlet and provide all of the AM and FM stations for news, music, and entertainment.  I keep a small radio of this type in my bug out bag for emergency use during a disaster.
4. RTL-SDR.  This is software-defined radio which is popular with hobbyists and provides a range of radio services via a special dongle (which can be ordered from Amazon) connected to your computer.
5. Satellite radio.  This type of radio is most commonly found in vehicles (like Sirius XM radio) and provides radio stations from all over the country.  If you are driving around the country, especially in typically "dead" areas that receive no other type of radio signal, this is a good option.
6. Radio apps.  There are numerous radio apps you can download to your cell phone to use during an emergency in order to listen to local, national, and international radio stations.  I believe only the NextRadio app allows you to listen to the radio on your phone without cell or wifi service.
7. An emergency radio.  Emergency radios usually provide AM/FM and sometimes shortwave stations on a radio that can be powered in multiple ways (batteries, plugged in, hand crank, and solar).  This is a great option to have on hand during an emergency due to the multiple power source options.
8. MP3 radio.  For people who don't want to drain their cell phone battery while listening to music, small MP3 radios (example here) allow you to download your favorite music to the device as well as listen to FM radio all on a tiny usb-chargable device.
9. Police scanner.  Police scanner radios (either desktop, handheld, or via scanner radio apps) allow civilians to listen in to police, EMS, fire, utility, air, marine, and other radio traffic (note this won't work if you local police radio has been encrypted).
10. Car radio.  The radio in your vehicle can be a viable option if you have no other way to access news and information via radio in your home during a disaster (just be sure to start your car OUTSIDE of your closed garage to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning).

For other examples of useful radios, check here.

All About Radio

Although radio is more than 100 years old and your basic AM/FM radio has lost its luster due to so many other options (satellite radio, streaming services,etc), using radio--both AM/FM as well as HAM radio--is still something everyone should do.

• AM/FM radio is free and can be accessed by the tiniest radios, car radio, multi-service radio (radios that include NOAA and short wave), through your computer, and even through your TV.
• Here is a general overview of how radio works.
• Anyone who lives in an area where weather disasters are common (tornadoes, hurricanes) should have a NOAA weather radio that includes an alarm that will sound if there is a weather emergency in your area.
• Among the radios in my gear: tiny battery-operated AM/FM radio, a Sansa MP3 player with FM radio, a hand-crank radio, HAM radio, and a NOAA radio (not so useful where I live now but quite useful when I lived in Atlanta).
• HAM radio may be the only means of communication when the grid goes down.  Check out YouTube for lots of good videos on all aspects of HAM radio and get info on licensure here; also, a great way to practice your HAM radio skills is to volunteer with ARES/RACES which helps out with emergency communications during a disaster.
• For those who aren't licensed, there are a variety of personal radio services that they can use.
• Years ago most cell phones had AM and FM radio in them; these days the radio part may be locked or non existent.  Here is info on how to unlock FM on your cell phone if that is available on your phone and here is info on using NextRadio even if your cell phone doesn't have a signal.
• You can listen to various emergency radio services via apps on your cell phone/tablet/computer.  Apps such as Broadcastify and Scanner Radio allows you to listen to unencrypted emergency services radio traffic, you can listen to live Air Traffic Control radio here, and there are numerous apps for both subscription streaming radio as well as free apps that pull in radio stations from all over the world.
• Radio Reference is a great site for radio information.
• Here is a quick read on how radio has been used for propaganda throughout the past decades.
• Pirate Radio is another interesting topic; I think pirate radios hit their peak in the late 60s and early 70s.
• Shortwave radios have their own fans and for those with a conspiracy bent, the topic of numbers stations always peaks people's interest.
• Radio World is a good site for the latest news and information on all things radio-related.
• The agency that oversees radio use and services in the US is the Federal Communications Commission.
• The wiki on radio in the US can be found here.

Tldr; have a variety of radios on hand, know how to use them, and make them a part of your emergency preparedness gear.