With all the severe weather and power outages lately, I found that I needed a weather radio to keep me informed of weather emergencies. A couple of years ago I bought a RadioShack 12-250 Weather Radio for my mother, and it has been a real champ. I wanted a portable one for myself, and at work we just received the Jensen MR-550 AM/FM Weather Radio. At only $19.99, it looked like a good deal.

The unit can be powered by two AA batteries, a 3-volt AC adapter (sold separately) or by the built-in hand-cranked dynamo. That seemed like the way to go, since I don’t always keep my batteries fresh in devices like this. I got it home and popped in a couple of Duracells, and it fired right up. It uses an old-fashioned analog tuner, which I dislike, but it was easy for me to tune in my local NOAA Weather Radio transmitter. It also picked up the local FM public radio station with no problem, either.

Running the radio with the dynamo is easy. Flip out the crank on the front of the radio and spin it for 60 seconds. Slide the switch on the right side from “Dry Cell Batt” to “Rechargeable Batt/Dynamo” and you’re running on human power. The manual says that the radio will play 20 minutes with just a minute of cranking. I got a fantastic 45 minutes of listening at a moderate volume before it started to slowly fade to silence. It seemed that the radio was just a tiny bit lower in volume than when running on batteries, but the difference is barely unnoticeable. It also seemed a little more sensitive to proper positioning in order to clearly receive a broadcast.

While charging the radio with the crank, a red LED on the face lights to show that the you are indeed charging the internal power supply (I’m not sure if it is some kind of battery or a capacitor) and as you reach full charge, a yellow LED labeled “Full” begins to flicker and finally stays lit. However, when you stop cranking, the yellow LED goes out. It would be nice if the LED stayed lit to let you know when you need to start cranking again. That may be a design decision, since the LED would put a small drain on the internal power supply, reducing run time.

Since this is a basic weather radio, it doesn’t automatically turn itself on when it receives a weather alert, like the RadioShack and other NOAA SAME-enabled radios do. But for the price, that’s acceptable. Just keep the radio tuned to your local weather radio transmitter, and turn it on.

The only concern I have is that the radio may not have sufficient sensitivity in areas with only fringe coverage from a NOAA transmitter. Until last year, the nearest transmitter was in Pelham, about 50 miles away. It was almost impossible in Tifton to clearly receive the station, and that made it difficult to get localized warnings under the NOAA SAME system with the RadioShack (or any other) radio. When NOAA added a new transmitter in next-door Turner County, that problem was resolved. The Jensen MR-550 picks up the Turner County transmitter just fine, and NOAA is currently adding new transmitters nationwide to address the lack of coverage in rural areas.

The MR-550 is easily portable, and includes a wrist strap. It is fairly chunky but fits easily into your hand. The band selector switch and the AC adapter jack are on the left, and the power-source switch and earphone jack are on the right. When I first tried using the dynamo, it wouldn’t work until I found and flipped the power selector switch. I’m not always that observant when first using a new gadget, and this switch wasn’t mentioned on the instruction sheet. In fact it was mislabeled as a second #4 on the instruction diagram, and was missing from the diagram legend altogether. It seems that the switch would be more easily found if it were next to the band selector. The jacks and switches are placed symmetrically on opposite sides of the radio, however, so it seems that somebody was thoughtful about the design.

I’m very pleased with the value and function of the Jensen MR-550. The manufacturer includes an order form so you can purchase accessories like over-the-head earphones, a standard and a universal AC adapter, replacement earbuds and wrist strap. With its battery, AC and long-lasting dynamo power options, decent sound and reception, and excellent price, this radio would be a great addition to your emergency preparedness kit.

Note: This is just my quick test of and experiences with this product. Your mileage my vary.

Almost every year for the past 10 or 15 years, my friends in Atlanta and I have gone to Pensacola Beach for Memorial Day weekend festivities, ringing in the summer. Next year, we will have no place to go. The Pensacola News-Journal reports that there isn’t a whole lot left after the passage of Hurricane Ivan.

Our beloved Alvin’s Island appears to be mostly intact, but the siding is missing in spots. This past Memorial Day we stayed in a condo right on the beach on Ft Pickens road. The road is now under sand, and according to the article, the only thing that tells you a road is there are the tops of the trolly-stop signs. I have no accurate info, but I suspect the condos are gone, or at least heavily damaged.

I’m just sick about all this. I can’t imaging how the residents of Pensacola feel. My family in Gulf Shores, Mobile, and Pensacola still have no electricity, and haven’t all been able to get to their homes. My Aunt Sarah in Monroeville still hasn’t been heard from, nor my Uncle Dean, nor anyone else in Monroe County Alabama.

With the heartbreaking loss, I wonder if the UFO house on the way to Pensacola Beach is still there.

NOAA 5-day track for Hurricane Ivan

Here we go again. Well, Yolanda says the weekend should be nice. Then Ivan will be here next week.

I’m really over this. I can’t imagine how Floridians feel.