Temporary AM/FM radio setup

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Any of you ST riders using an AM/FM radio in your tank bag?

It is getting late in the summer, and I am not willing to take my motorcycle off the road for an installation project until winter. I am taking a week round trip ride in October and would love to have an AM/FM radio to kill the road time. Mostly I listen to talk radio or news instead of music. I have some helmet speakers with the phono plug. I was thinking about getting a small radio that would fit into my tank bag. Maybe I would pick out a radio that has the extendable antenna for better reception and just let it stick out of the bag towards the windshield when listening. The batteries would last a long time with only the helmet speakers plugged up. I don't do the radio via data thing from my iphone. I need an alternative and the wealth of experience and information here leads me to at least ask.
 
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STGuy

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No I don't. I do have the SENA20S that has a FM radio in it, I have not used it though. I use Google Play and download hours of music over my home WiFi so I do not use data. I also use the Mark Levin App or Rush Limbaugh app to be able to listen to live or past shows. Good luck and have fun on your trip.
 

T_C

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I fyou have a smart phone, you can also ust the USB OTG cable to add a thumbdrive. Load one drive with each type of music you like. Swap them out and play o nthe go. I have an old RCA Lyra player, it used SD cards, but same result. Load up a few SD cards with different tunes, ran off of a single AA battery.
 
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I can respond to the OP question regarding an AM/FM radio setup. I've carried a shirt-pocket AM/FM radio with earbuds in my jacket pocket a few times in the past, and it worked OK. I don't know if you'll be likely to find one of those with an extendable antenna these days, as I think the cord to the earbuds or helmet speakers doubles as an antenna in virtually all such radios anymore. Your idea of carrying it in your tank bag sounds better than my habit of using a jacket pocket, but you would still have the inconvenience of having to stop on the side of the road or (preferably) in a parking lot if you desire or need to change stations or adjust the volume level. If your helmet is relatively quiet the latter should not be a problem. You may need to start with the volume level a bit higher than you prefer while at a stop light, but if it isn't high enough to mask out traffic sounds, etc. it shouldn't be a problem. One consideration to keep in mind if you want to use the the helmet speakers is to try to find out if their impedance is compatible with your radio. In any case, I think it's a reasonable alternative if you don't feel inclined to take a high-tech approach as others suggest. Just IMHO.
 
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I can respond to the OP question regarding an AM/FM radio setup. I've carried a shirt-pocket AM/FM radio with earbuds in my jacket pocket a few times in the past, and it worked OK. I don't know if you'll be likely to find one of those with an extendable antenna these days, as I think the cord to the earbuds or helmet speakers doubles as an antenna in virtually all such radios anymore. Your idea of carrying it in your tank bag sounds better than my habit of using a jacket pocket, but you would still have the inconvenience of having to stop on the side of the road or (preferably) in a parking lot if you desire or need to change stations or adjust the volume level. If your helmet is relatively quiet the latter should not be a problem. You may need to start with the volume level a bit higher than you prefer while at a stop light, but if it isn't high enough to mask out traffic sounds, etc. it shouldn't be a problem. One consideration to keep in mind if you want to use the the helmet speakers is to try to find out if their impedance is compatible with your radio. In any case, I think it's a reasonable alternative if you don't feel inclined to take a high-tech approach as others suggest. Just IMHO.

Thanks for the reply. By October I may very well be able to use my jacket pocket. These 90+ degree days lately have me peeling everything off to minimize the heat. I was looking at little portable radios to buy online that had a combination of extendable antenna, earphone jack, and digital tuning. That way I can just tell it to seek until I find something I want to hear. I was thinking the tank bag would be easier to see the buttons etc. Once I get used to it, the seek button will be intuitive and not require one to look down to push seek etc. On the road you run from one station to the next and just find something that pleases you to hear. I had not thought about the speaker leads being the antenna. I know that exists, but had not thought about it for this purpose. My thought was that mre antenna usually means better reception range. I will figure something out and hopefully run trials on it before my trip. Hopefully Virginia will be nice the first couple of weeks in October. :)
 

Blrfl

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One of the best small radios out there is the Sony SRF-M37W, which has been made in a few forms over the last decade or two. It tunes AM, FM and weather and has presets. Runs on a single AAA.

--Mark
 
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Many of today's stations are also available in a streaming format. If your favorite is, then that's the way to go because you won't have to worry about distance to the station... of course, cell phone coverage is not available in some places so that might be an issue.
 
OP
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I don't do the radio via data thing from my iphone
Many of today's stations are also available in a streaming format. If your favorite is, then that's the way to go because you won't have to worry about distance to the station... of course, cell phone coverage is not available in some places so that might be an issue.
5 days worth of data on my cell phone plan will not work.
 
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John OoSTerhuis

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BTDT many years ago. The big problem is on an ST you very quickly ride beyond the radio stations' range.

Then I learned of XM radio and became an early adopter. Lots and lots of channels, including news and talk. And you can listen to the same channel COAST TO COAST! I was sold!

My 2 cents.

Haven't looked at the portable XM radios in ages (Elton John shilled for one model) and can't recommend one, but some aren't so expensive. Google or eBay: SAMSUNG NEXUS 25 SATELLITE PORTABLE RADIO XM2GO YP-X5X MP3 AUDIO PLAYER
You may be able to get a test/sample subscription reasonably.

John
 
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T_C

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BTDT And you can listen to the same channel COAST TO COAST! I was sold!

My 2 cents.

Haven't looked at the portable XM radios in ages (Elton John shilled for one model) and can't recommend one, but some aren't so expensive. Google or eBay: SAMSUNG NEXUS 25 SATELLITE PORTABLE RADIO XM2GO YP-X5X MP3 AUDIO PLAYER
You may be able to get a test/sample subscription reasonably.

John
I have AM receiversthat I csn listen coast to coast, they sound a lot like the XM. Sirrus was marginally better, but since the merge I bet that is disappearing as the 12.5k streams are brought together.

Some people can't tell the difference between tone and balance, my father is a perfect example. Too many years driving dump trucks at the tiff mines.

But if you still have your hearing, get a portable music player, encode your favorites at a higher quslity, listen to enjoy.
 
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5 days worth of data on my cell phone plan will not work.
I see how that could be an issue. I often listen to Pandora while working so when I selected a new data plan, I got the 25 GB option. That's a lot, but I'm also sharing that with my daughter. As it turns out, with that much data, I can still listen to Pandora 8 hours a day/5 days a week and still not use up my monthly data.

I only mention it because Pandora (for example) actually uses less data than I would have thought so how much data you need might be something to double-check.
 
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5 days worth of data on my cell phone plan will not work.
Not sure who your carrier is but t mobile doesn't charge your data for streaming music. I use it daily for my commute.
No matter, if you haven't updated your plan for some time you might want to check with your carrier and see what kind of deal they can give you.
As mentioned, coverage in some areas would be the issue, but I would think those areas would be an issue with AM/FM coverage also.
 
OP
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Then I learned of XM radio and became an early adopter. Lots and lots of channels, including news and talk. And you can listen to the same channel COAST TO COAST! I was sold!
I am a subscriber to XM/Sirius as well. Unfortunately my truck radio is built in and not transferable to my bike. I am resisting the impulse to have two subscriptions. I just want a simple AM/FM radio with good reception. This winter I will install a more permanent setup on the bike. This thread was just to come up with a short term solution for a little week long trip.
 

John OoSTerhuis

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OK. BTDT years ago, pre XM. I searched and finally found an AM/FM cassette player with a radio "scan" button. Recommended to reduce distractions while underway, outrunning stations. FWIW

John
 
OP
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The Kaito and Seagan have a seek function.
Good suggestions John. Based on my reading, that Seagan is what I just bought today on Amazon. I have a month to get used to it and memorize the seek button. I am hopeful it will work fine with my helmet speakers. I should be able to sit it in my tank bag or my jacket pocket. A few extra batteries should make it last for the week trip.
 
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