New Pocket Radio at Walmart

[kfbkfb]

Noticed a different brand of (AM/FM) pocket radio at Walmart:

Emerson Portable AM FM Radio, New - Walmart.com

Today Buy Emerson Portable AM FM Radio, New at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

Evidently, there's enough demand for a pocket radio for Walmart to spend the money to stock it in their stores.

Skimming the comments, it seems many people want a backup system for info when the power and/or Internet/cell network goes off.


Kirk Bayne

 

[CTListener]

Most power and internet outages are limited in area and don't get mentioned on local radio. In fact, a station with no news department (most music stations) wouldn't even have a tip line for listeners to call to report an outage.

I'd like to meet anyone who buys the $4 "protection plan" for that $13 radio as I have a longstanding curiosity about hominid species that refuse to evolve.

 

[ThePowerCow]

No buffering with that one

 

[Mikey Radio]

I'd like to meet anyone who buys the $4 "protection plan" for that $13 radio as I have a longstanding curiosity about hominid species that refuse to evolve.

Lol!!

 

[Mediafrog+]

Most power and internet outages are limited in area and don't get mentioned on local radio.

Whenever my power goes out I quickly get a “Power Alert” text on my cellphone advising that the electric distributor “is aware of an outage near (my address) affecting ### customers.” Those are followed by repair update reports, estimated repair times, then confirmation of restoration of service as well as the cause of the outage.

There are outage maps that I can access as well on my phone.

Most “backup radios” are going to be in cars.

 

[TheBigA]

Evidently, there's enough demand for a pocket radio for Walmart to spend the money to stock it in their stores.

Just because it's on their website doesn't mean it's in stock at all their stores. The site will tell you which of their local stores have it. If you buy it, they will ship it to their store for pickup. In my case, I would have to travel a bit to find it in stock.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Most power and internet outages are limited in area and don't get mentioned on local radio. In fact, a station with no news department (most music stations) wouldn't even have a tip line for listeners to call to report an outage.

*raises an eye brow and hand*

 

[kevtronics]

Those cheap little radios are all based on the same DSP chip. Even though it has an "analog" tuning dial, there's actually a digital processor constantly reading the value of the tuning potentiometer, and if it detects a change, it'll re-tune itself to the new frequency. Due to the refresh rate of this process, it creates an annoying choppiness as you tune across the dial.

 

[boombox4]

Most power and internet outages are limited in area and don't get mentioned on local radio. In fact, a station with no news department (most music stations) wouldn't even have a tip line for listeners to call to report an outage.

I'd like to meet anyone who buys the $4 "protection plan" for that $13 radio as I have a longstanding curiosity about hominid species that refuse to evolve.

A pocket radio has more uses than just emergencies like the ones you've mentioned. I use one when biking and listening to a football game because it's not really good safe practice to wear headphones if you're out where there is traffic.

You're spot on about extended warranties and protection plans, though. I still have a dead, $1200 easy chair in my living room that my late mother purchased and used until it died, stuck in recline. When the adjustment system died within 2 years of use (probably a bad controller -- good luck finding a new one, and the store and website don't even stock them), the $250 extended warranty was absolutely useless, as was the company and store that sold her the chair. They do not service their equipment. Even my cats don't like the chair.

Extended Warranty is another term for Rip Off.

 

[boombox4]

Those cheap little radios are all based on the same DSP chip. Even though it has an "analog" tuning dial, there's actually a digital processor constantly reading the value of the tuning potentiometer, and if it detects a change, it'll re-tune itself to the new frequency. Due to the refresh rate of this process, it creates an annoying choppiness as you tune across the dial.

They often work better than the old school transistor radios did, though. The DSP chips pull in the stations well on FM and AM -- at least on the pocket radios that I've used over the years since DSP's were used in them.

 

[boombox4]

Whenever my power goes out I quickly get a “Power Alert” text on my cellphone advising that the electric distributor “is aware of an outage near (my address) affecting ### customers.” Those are followed by repair update reports, estimated repair times, then confirmation of restoration of service as well as the cause of the outage.

There are outage maps that I can access as well on my phone.

Most “backup radios” are going to be in cars.

Great that your cell system is robust enough to work when there's an extended power outage.

If the cell site is in the affected region, and it doesn't have a backup (many of the smaller cell sites don't), you're more or less SOL until the power comes back on.

 

[itsTheRolyPoly]

Skimming the comments, it seems many people want a backup system for info when the power and/or Internet/cell network goes off.

That's what a Weather Radio is for.

 

[MVB13]

I have one for when the power goes out and also on the rare occasion I go to the drive in movies so I don't kill my car battery.

 

[davideduardo]

I'd like to meet anyone who buys the $4 "protection plan" for that $13 radio as I have a longstanding curiosity about hominid species that refuse to evolve.

I save in a separate account an amount each month for repairs and service. I do not buy extended warranties on anything. If something breaks, I call the best service provider, not the cheapest one that the warranty provider will call.

My little fund also calculates the EOL of each major thing I buy and makes a reserve for buying a replacement instead of repairing. The money is in a savings account that now earns about 4%, so it even makes me a couple of bucks a year. Versus buying dozens of warranties, I figure I save about 50% and get better quality and faster service as a bonus.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Last I was in a store they also had one cassette recorder. Are people lining up to have recorders in hand? Maybe to record their final will and testament when the little radio tells them the end is nigh?

We get it, there’s an odd obsession with the idea people are going to tune en masse to AM/FM radios in exceptionally rare disasters. But here in the 21st century and the USA, that is not happening.

 

[Bongwater]

My cell phone service was more reliable than my radio during my last outage.

 

[kwthom]

Different brand?

Emerson Radio?

Emerson Radio - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The company that held one-sixth of the U.S. radio market 80 years ago?

Yeah...only a name, rather than a company.

 

[fybush]

Different brand?

Emerson Radio?

Emerson Radio - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The company that held one-sixth of the U.S. radio market 80 years ago?

Yeah...only a name, rather than a company.

All those old names are just licensing rights now to various Chinese manufacturers, whether it's RCA or Westinghouse or Emerson or whatever.

Same with the "Harmon Kardon" stereo in my car.

 

[DXingRadio]

That's what a Weather Radio is for.

Likely for less one can by a cheap 2-way radio, Baofeng UV-5R is a popular model. Receives FM broadcast, NOAA and FM 2-way communications (fire, police, power company, etc). More savvy users can program FRS/MURS to talk to neighbors if telecommunications goes down. Not a bad deal for $25, just learn to use it ahead of time.

 

[Mediafrog+]

All those old names are just licensing rights now to various Chinese manufacturers, whether it's RCA or Westinghouse or Emerson or whatever.

Very true. Many “classic” brand names for companies that essentially no longer exist (or whose consumer electronics divisions have been closed) have been bought up by other entities, then licensed out, then sub-licensed out again, with design further outsourced, and actual manufacturing contracted amongst many different factories.

We’re at the point where the nameplate is meaningless.