Radio

Midland Weather Radio: Staying ahead of storm season

The month of September is National Preparedness month and right on cue Hurricane Dorian has decided to pummel the Atlantic Coast. This wakeup call from mother nature has grabbed people attention on the local and national news media. This series of events shows us in real time the value of preparedness and having the correct gear at the right time. What better time than now to cast a light on our latest piece of disaster preparedness gear, the Midland ER310 Weather Radio. This little bright red radio is easy to use and packed full of features that are relevant to any weather-related event that you might encounter anywhere in the United States.

Simple and Effective

In any emergency situation communications are usually the first thing to degrade to the point of being unreliable. In a storm-related event, communications about changing conditions could make the difference between placing yourself and your loved ones in harm’s way or on the path to safety. The Midland ER310 Weather Radio offers simplicity and reliability in a small highly portable package that you can leave on the counter at home or toss in your Go Bag if you have to leave your location in a hurry. It’s design minimizes moving parts and extra features and focuses on whats import and what works.

Never Run out of Power

The problem with power grids is that for the most part they susceptible to things like floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, ice storms or hurricanes. Because they are subject to these forces of nature they often time go offline for hours or days at a time during disasters. That makes operating and charging things like cell phones, radios and other electronic equipment almost impossible. The folks at Midland took notice of that and made the model ER-310 Weather Radio able to be powered by three different sources of power. Adding a built-in resiliency factor to anyone who has one in their possession. This unit can be powered off of six AA-sized batteries, one 2600 mAh lithium-ion battery, a hand crank dynamo or the top mounted solar panel.

Let’s take a look at exactly what exactly the team at Midland packed into this surprisingly small and lightweight weather radio and we will explain why I am so excited about this unit and why I can’t stop recommending it to my friends and family as soon as they ask about preparedness.

Specifications

Brand: Midland

Model: ER-310

Power Source:

AA Battery (six total)
Lithium Ion Rechargeable (one total)
Solar Panel
Hand crank

Dimensions:

Length: 9.61″
Height: 6.85″
Thickness: 2.95″
Weight: 1.46 lbs

Channels:

AM/FM
7 NOAA/National Weather Service automated weather alert channels

Other Features:

1400 lux LED light
SOS flashing beacon
Ultrasonic dog whistle
USB capable smart phone/tablet charger charging port
One year warranty
32 Hour run time when fully charged

MSRP: $69.99 at Midland.Com

Why You Should Own One

Why should you own a Midland ER-310 Weather Radio? because I’m betting that if you are reading this in the United States that if you stop and think about it you certainly face one or more natural hazards that could greatly impact your life. You might live near a seismic fault line or a floodplain and not even know it. Mother nature doesn’t usually give a ton of warning about when she is going to unleash her fury. If its weather-related usually the forecasters at the National Weather Service have been up all night tracking the rain, wind, ice or whatever storm or weather event you are facing and have the NWS automated forecast broadcasts up and running.

What that means is that all you have to do regardless of if you have electricity or not is reach over and push two buttons and you will have a real-time accurate report of the conditions. When I say accurate I mean down to the conditions of the prevailing winds, barometric pressure changes, temperatures and when the last update was done. It also gives you the most current forecasts for your local area out to 72 hours. All information that may seem mundane on a normal day, but become vital during storms if you don’t think so just ask someone who has lived through tornado season in North Texas or the Great Plains

The Midlands ER-310 can be found online for between $60-80 and in the grand scheme of things is a great value and makes a perfect accessory for your Go Bag, recreational vehicle or your car. The utilitarian nature of the radio allows the user the flexibility of not just listening to the radio or weather updates but lets them recharge other devices via the external USB plug located on the side of the unit. So when everyone is out of cell phone battery and the power if off for days you can plug your phone into the Midland ER-310 and place it in a sunny spot and very slowly recharge your battery.

Prepping Thoughts

We want to hear from our readers who are avid preppers, what do you think of the Midland ER-310? Are you currently running a weather radio or base station as part of your bug out set up or is it even something you have considered? Many times communications are overlooked in the world of preparedness, but with the Midland ER-310, it doesn’t have to be any longer. Small, portable, and several ways to supply power all at an affordable price point. What’s not to like?

Rad on Gear: When you go down but comms don’t (with BaoFeng Radios)

In this edition of Rad on Gear, we get a first hand look at what happens when you take your eye off the ball in combat sports. Rad’s giving a demonstration of how effective his BaoFeng radios are during a round of airsoft when he gets got mid-shot. Things don’t always go quite the way you planned when you start filming a gear reviews, but what we care about most is how effective the gear is.

We’ll let Rad show you these radios in action.

If you want to score your own BaoFeng radio, check out the deal we found below!

Mobile Communications with the Vertx EDC Satchel

As you know, the folks here at the Loadout Room are straight-up gear nuts; We always look for quality gear and Vertx produces some of the greatest bags. I personally have two already; the EDC Messenger and EDC Gamut, and the new addition the EDC Satchel. I have seen some other reviews on this product that were negative; they missed the opportunity to realize what capabilities this bag has. Let’s first state that it is not a backpack or a messenger bag, but a satchel; a small bag with a shoulder strap. That’s a very narrow definition, but it’s what Vertx designed and why I’ll explain the benefits and some uses. Second, is the EDC part of the satchel, as with all Vertx EDC bags they have built-in Velcro for attaching Vertx’s unique Tactigami as well as other types of “hook and loop” attachment products. Additionally, they have included multiple zippered pockets with their typical accessory, mesh pockets, etc.

One issue mentioned by the other reviewer was that you couldn’t carry a bullet-proof insert. That’s true if you’re trying to stuff a SAPI plate or a standard soft plate in this small bag, but that’s just “inside the box” thinking. There are many companies (e.g., BulletBlocker for one) that can make custom sized inserts for this bag and as with all the traditional EDC Vertx bags it has the designed feature to use it as an expedient shield; any objects that can resist bullets are good.

About the bag, as per Vertx’s site, the bag was inspired to carry SLR cameras with a discreet profile, while being able to store and quickly access your everyday carry equipment. The bag is built with the same ballistic nylon materials as the other EDC Bags; the two I own, have traveled the world twice. I really like the forward opening as it provides rapid access to contents; the other reviewer stated that his tools, knives, etc., didn’t hold correctly. In my opinion, that reviewer should either get new clips or put a small strip of Velcro that will keep the old worn clips in place and still allows swift deployment. The next cool feature is the actual strap, which is made from 1919 modular webbing, which allows the wearer to adjust and add MOLLE attachments, carabiners, etc.

courtesy of Vertx

As an Amateur Radio operator being able to take your communications gear mobile during a disaster or SHTF scenarios is an absolute necessity; especially in this era of continuing natural disasters. The Vertx satchel is perfect for carrying a field radio, portable battery, microphone, and field expedient antenna, etc.; I know all you commo freaks out there will love what this bag can offer. Just remember, don’t be narrow-minded about this bag, it has a ton of offerings.

Gear in the photo:

Yaesu FT-991A “Field Radio”
Kenwood TH-D7A
Diamond SRH320A Antenna
Patagonia Nanopuff Jacket
Oakley SI Ball cap

Check out the Vertx EDC Satchel video here:

6 Survival and Emergency Radios to Stay Informed During a Disaster

Courtesy of Real World Survivor

After seeing the fabric of society torn several times in disasters that cut electric power in communities, forcing families to make do somehow, I have learned a couple of things.

First, the most popular items that folks stock up on, food and water, were seldom unavailable and were the first to be resupplied. Second, even when you prepare for the worst, the most needed but hard-to-find commodity is accurate information on what is happening.

RELATED STORY: 10 Survival Myths Busted

A portable, variable-band radio that operates with multiple power sources will deliver vital local information, such as changes in weather, recovery and rescue efforts, and even contact with people outside the hot zone.

We looked at various models of survival and emergency radios to find out not only what is available, but also what features work best for survival mode.

One of the first reviewed was the new Kaito Voyager KA500 that is typical of most emergency and survival radios. The KA500 meets emergency preparedness purposes or outdoor challenges with multiple power sources including AC/DC (purchased separately), three AA batteries (also not included) and a built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery, which can be recharged from the AC adapter, or by a photovoltaic solar panel. The KA500 also has a dynamo hand crank, which recharges the built-in battery, plus the radio, flashlight and reading lamp, even with no battery installed.

Continue reading on Real World Survivor

Photo courtesy of Real World Survivor

High Ground Gear’s JTAC 3-Day Pack: Quick Look

High Ground Gear has created what appears to be a great solution for those needing to carry a radio into the field with their JTAC 3-Day Pack.

Colors available: Multicam/Ranger Green/Black/Coyote

Sizes available: Size refers to the belt: S/M 26-32 waist, L/XL 32-40 waist

Material: 500D, carbon fiber frame

Suspension system/carrying ability: Made specifically for the PRC-117 line of radios.

MSRP: $399.95 USD

Unique features: PRC117 internal harness, zippered routings on shoulder straps, top access panel to radio keypad, patent-pending quick-release waistbelt.

Application: Three-day assault pack meant for signallers.

Pros: Offers a stable platform for carrying larger-sized radios. The zippered routing is a neat feature, as wires can and will become a tangled mess no matter what you try on a regular pack. The carbon fiber frame offers lightweight stiffness to the back. The quick-ditch belt is an interesting feature in that you don’t have to reset your pack every time you drop it. You can quickly clip it right back to the belt. Not a game-changing feature, but still interesting.

Cons: While the carbon frame is listed as a pro, we figure it can also be considered a con. Carbon fiber isn’t the most reliable material when it comes to impacts and life expectancy as a whole. Plus it’s not cheap compared to a regular aluminum or plastic frame.

Bottom line: If you’ve ever carried a 117 (522 for us Canadians), you know that a regular pack will do the job but will leave much to be desired. Cable routing and placement of the radio itself into the bag are usually the big problems (at least from what I’ve experienced). In the Canadian Forces, we are issued possibly one of the worst small packs ever. The radio drops into a pouch, much like on the old ALICE packs, with a strap holding it in place. Problem is, it’s a pain to work with, be it changing batteries or simply changing frequencies.

ehmke5.14.12_00015-630x477 — Keypad port

The way HGG made the internal harness for the JTAC pack allows the user to remove the bottom cover of the radio and swap batteries without having to take the whole radio out of the bag. Also, the antenna and keypad ports mean a buddy can help you punch a frequency into the radio, swap antennas, etc., without taking your pack off—a big plus when on patrol.

What we like the most, as we said earlier, is the zippered shoulder strap that lets you run cables, hydration tubes, and whatnot through it, leaving no exposed cables that would hinder weapon handling.

ehmke5.14.12_00009-630x1113 — PRC117 harness

As stated in the cons, we have doubts about the carbon fiber frame when it comes to repeated impacts and the general beating it would undoubtedly see with infantry use.

All in all, we feel this has the potential to be a solid pack with lots of great features that could make life easier for signallers out there. If it is anything like the other HGG products, this one will not disappoint!

(All images courtesy of High Ground Gear)