I am looking at purchasing a AM/FM/Weather radio to bring on Quetico trips. Anybody have much luck with a model that would get descent reception up in Quetico. I was thinking that one might get a AM/FM station out of Ely or Kenora or Atikokan. Not sure where NOAA comes out of up north.

I have always relied on reading the clouds and  barometer changes to predict inclement weather. It works fairly well. Of course, this method of predicting bad weather  didn't help me and my brothers at all when we took a direct  hit by the big July 4th 1999 windstorm while fishing on Kawnipi. A weather alert would have been nice.

I would like to be able to tune in to a FM or AM station in the morning and at night while at a campsite to get an idea of what kind of weather can be expected.

I have seen some handcrank radios and battery radios that may work.

I have read info about using 10 feet copper wire that attaches to radio antenna via alligator clips and hung on trees or tarp guide lines  to get better reception. I will give it a try if I can find a radio that will work in Quetico.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

I take a small one, and usually turn it on once or twice a day. The radio works better than the forecasts, however. :'(

One set of fresh batteries easily lasts for the trip.

I do what old_salt does.  Depending upon where you are in Quetico (and the quality of your radio), you can pick up the FM CBC station in Atikokan or the NPR rebroadcaster in Ely (I believe the Ely station has increased its power recently). WTIP (a community owned and operated station) in Grand Marais also has a transmitter at Gunflint Lake.  As for the quality of the forecasts, well....

Not sure about the NOAA weather alerts for the July 4th 1999 storm as I was out on the water.  However, I do know that storm cell was traveling VERY fast for a storm.   (You need to Login or Register
You would have had to pull out your radio at sometime around 10:30 to have a warning.  Frankly, I'll take a good scan of the horizon any day.  On that day, I did have a good 45 minute warning that something wicked was coming.  Just didn't know HOW wicked!

I don't like bringing the weather radio. 

Here's why:
1.  the squawk ruins the ambience of the camp.  That kind of noise is one (of many) reason why I like escaping to canoe country.
2. the forecasts are extremely hard to relate to a specific location.
3. I hate the thought of changing plans because there "might" be weather coming. 
4.  if you're even a little observant, you can see it coming or know to expect it.
5. In sum, unnecessary noise and distraction.

Just my humble opinion.

prouboy

I have brought a weather radio every year but I am changing my ways and not bringing it this year. The reasoning is most of what Prouboy had to say about them. Last summer we were base camping on Louisa and decided to sit an extra two days because of the storm warnings we received. We should have moved, but the rest of the group heard the forcast and wanted to stay put. Those storms took two days to get to us and made us make a mad dash from Louisa down to Burke after having no sleep during a massive thunderstorm to make it out of the park on time. If I had gone with the judgement I made on just looking at the clouds we would have been just fine and started our return to PP that day, but with more time to fish and relax.

Some people feel safer with a weather radio. If thats you, bring it. Some see them as an inconvienence, weight, and noise pollution. If thats you, don't bring one.



The plus side is that the NOAA forcasts usually get a laugh due to the computer generated voice they use.

I'm more than willing to sell the radio we used if you are interested. Its reception was pretty good where we were.

I agree with prouboy.
Part of the "fun" to me is planning/dealing with the uncertainties you encounter.

I put weather radios in the same category as I do sat phones/Spot messengers.
If they make you feel more comfortable or put loved one at more at ease, then by all means bring one along.

Just don't let the convenience of having a opening to the outside world overshadow your common sense or what nature is telling you ;)

Since I mainly solo, my only real concern is wind.  For those who've used these radios, how accurate are they with wind predictions?

Drewfus, Solotripper, Prouboy...you all make sense regarding  your thoughts about not bringing a weather radio. Heck, I have survived not bringing one for 33 years when paddling Quetico.

Each year I keep trying to make my portage loads lighter and here I am considering purchasing what I consider a luxury tech item that is really not necessary.

Last year my fishing buddy in the bow brought along a GPS handheld unit. Prior to the trip he went into Google Earth and found all of the portages we were going to be taking and all the campsites we had chosen for our trip and he downloaded all of these into his GPS unit. Well, I have always been a map/compass guy and have never had a problem finding my way around Quetico. But,  I have to say, having my bud point to where there was a portage opening using his GPS was nice. 

I guess to each his own!

Phoenix wrote on Jan 27^th, 2012 at 11:21pm:

I do what old_salt does.  Depending upon where you are in Quetico (and the quality of your radio), you can pick up the FM CBC station in Atikokan or the NPR rebroadcaster in Ely (I believe the Ely station has increased its power recently). WTIP (a community owned and operated station) in Grand Marais also has a transmitter at Gunflint Lake.  As for the quality of the forecasts, well....

I do & have done the same thing for years.  I carry a small Eton radio.  Its tuner is far too touchy & generally I have to string up some wire off of its antenna to get a decent signal.  I'm generally in Quetico vs the BWCA and even there I tend to travel the north & central sections for the most part.  Typically, I can depend on picking up the Atikokan and/or the Ft. Frances CBC stations.  You can catch their full weather report in the mornings & evenings anywhere between five minutes & ten minutes past the hour... if you're lucky.

Of course, it seems like about 80% of the time their full weather report consists of the following maddening words: "Sun & cloud today."

That profound statement just about covers all the possibilites, now, doesn't it?

Every once in awhile you learn something a little more useful about the day's weather but surprisingly seldom.

While waiting on the weather report, however, I HAVE learned to enjoy some of their "colorful" feature stories & news that used to play on their "Great Northwest" program (now re-named to something; the "naming contest" was actually going on while I was in the park).   Anyway, one of my favorite CBC human interest stories involved Max Baer Jr. (ie. Jethro Bodine of Beverly Hillbillies fame) and his efforts to build the new "Clampett Museum" (complete with "see-ment" pond and everything).

At least now most of the programs on CBC are in English.  I remember when they used to run programming in French and then in Ojibwe during certain hours of the day.

I used to carry a Radio Shack radio that got better reception than my small Eton.  It was four times as heavy, however...  making me even more irritable when the "Sun & cloud today" forecast came on.  Somehow "lighter" makes the useless forecast just a little more bearable.

Sun & cloud today, folks.

Jimbo   8-)

pine_knot wrote on Jan 31^st, 2012 at 4:47pm:

Since I mainly solo, my only real concern is wind.  For those who've used these radios, how accurate are they with wind predictions?

Here is a simple test. Set radio on boulder. If it blows off, it's too windy...

Well said, OS!  I think I'll just bring a little wire, tape it to a small stone, and put the stone on a boulder....and then tell my son to check how windy it is.... ;D  ;D  ;D

(I've never imbedded image links before, so I sure hope this works!)

For what it's worth, here are the contour maps (approximate coverage areas) of the three radio stations I listen to when in Quetico in order to try and get (rarely inaccurate, but often useless - here I definitely agree with Jimbo) weather reports...

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I use a small Sangean MS103 radio with a telescoping antenna which is not too bad as long as it is positioned properly.