AV Adviser

Wi-fi everywhere you go becoming easier and cheaper

Cleveland - Internet radio won't kill traditional terrestrial radio until you can stream it in your car without incurring heavy data usage through 3 and 4g.  If your work commute takes an hour, round trip,  and you stream internet radio from  the smart phone while it's plugged into the car stereo you'll easily max out your monthly data usage.  At that point your provider either starts charging you more or turns your streaming pipe down to a trickle. 

There's two ways we'll get wi-fi everywhere.  Either through some massive network available to all, which seems unlikely in the US where AT&T and Verizon will fight tooth and nail to prevent it.  The other way is for each person to acquire some sort of personal hot spot or tethered device.

Yesterday's New York Times delves into the possibilities, pointing out that it's getting easier and cheaper to do it, Keeping Wi-Fi Always Within Range. 

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Paying homage to the transistor radio

Since I was about eight years old a radio has been like an appendage to me.  It quickly became a part of me.  Inseparable.  Whether I was holding it while rocking the swing set, tucked under the covers of my bed at night, or up to no good in the woods in my teens.  The radio was always with me and serving as a soundtrack to my life. Of course, radio was good back then, but that's another story. 

My first radio was a Motorola.  I can't recall the model number or it's exact look but it was similar to this.

Encased in an off-white Bakelite it's gold grill shined as I moved the AM dial with my thumb to tune in local Cleveland stations like WHK, WKYC and later WIXY along with Detroit/Windsor's CKLW.  There was no FM band because there was little happening there in those days. 

My next radio, and a very popular one at that, was Panasonic's ball radio.  Mine was blue but they came in other colors as well.  They seemed to exemplify the time perfectly. 

Then came FM radio, and though I first turned to the top 40 of WGCL I was soon lured away by more mature and mysterious sounds heard on WNCR and, when they changed formats, WMMS.  The station that would guide me through my teens. 

I needed a radio that would match the better sound of FM and found perfection in Panasonic's RF-888.

It's big speaker could blast out the music, years before the boombox would become the cranker of choice.  Besides, the accompanying shoulder strap made it easy to walk with, freeing up both hands.  What a sight I must have been walking down the neighborhood streets announcing my presence with loud rock and roll.  A friend of mine bought the same radio.  We'd turn the treble up on one and bass on the other for what we called stereo. 

This Panasonic RF-888 just sold on ebay last night for $82.05.  And it's missing the shoulder strap.  Lately I've been watching the auctions of transistor radios, half tempted to start a collection.  They bring such joy to me.  Even if the content leaves something to be desired these days. 

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal