As usual, I am not the owner of the featured image on this page.

I had downloaded it though, I am not sure if I remember which website I downloaded it from.

On an unrelated note, between the previous post and this post, I had moved from the Houma-Thibodaux area of Louisiana to the suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Also, I am anticipating some foul weather later this evening which is forecast to go on into the morning hours tomorrow.

I know I had EDCed a Midland HH50B as my travel and commuting weather radio for years and I had tried several others aside from that model. I feel the need to be prepared and be prepared for whatever weather can occur is no exception.

Earlier this year, I had made up my mind to purchase a new weather radio, sepcifically for travel and commuting. During this month, I purchased a Kaito KA123, which not only gets Weather but also AM and FM.

And that device is what this piece will be a review thereof.

I picked up the package carrying that radio this past Easter Sunday or April 9th.

And I bought some rechargeable batteries for it this past Monday or April 10th and had been using it ever since.

I am thoroughly impressed by the audio quality and ability to pull in the signals I need and want to receive.

I also appreciate the mostly durable design which can so far withstand being carried in my backpack.

I guess it is neat to have a built-in digital clock, although I could take or leave that feature.

There is a standby mode, but lacking specific area message encoding, which means it will activate for all alerts sent out by a weather broadcast transmitter, including those alerts that do not apply to one’s location or situation.

There is a Mini USB port to charge NiMH batteries but neither the batteries nor the charging cable is included.

One feature that could be somewhat useful would be an LED flashlight, which is bright enough in a pinch but doesn’t measure up to a tactical flashlight by any means.

My chief and only real complaint about this radio is the fact that it does not automatically scan for a weather broadcast but instead must be manually set. This means that while this radio would be ideal for local travel where one knows which weather broadcast frequency to tune to, it would not be so ideal for cross-country travel.

FM reception is phenomenal and AM reception is better than I thought it would be. It would be better for listening to the news and talk shows and music would probably leave something to be desired.

The FM and Weather antenna works decently in both the extended and collapsed positions where I am located, however, if I would be in a less populated area, I would probably need to extend that antenna more often.

For travel within a city and the greater area of that city, this radio would be perfect.

I like the fact that it can be charged with a Mini USB cable, which adds to the convenience of charging even on the fly.

While the sun is shining brightly as it sets to the west of me, I know some rough weather is coming so I have it with me as I sit in a local cafe` typing this piece. I also have a tried and true Midland WR-120EZ on standby at my wife’s residence.

Earlier today, I looked at the Weather Surveillance RADAR and the cluster of storms headed my way looked like a miniature hurricane, eye included.

This is the calm before the storm, but I pray everything will be all right.

All in all, here is what the company website had to say about this product:

“You’ll never want to go skiing, backpacking, hiking or camping again without the Pocket Digital AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio – especially when you discover its many valuable features. With just 3 AAA batteries, you can connect with National Weather Radio forecasts and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) for up to date announcements on storms, tornadoes and other hazardous weather or public alerts coming your way.”

This is a durn good radio, for most travel situations and even to keep around the house for safe rooms.

This, therefore, concludes my review of the Kaito KA-123.

I give it 4.95 out of 5 stars.

I hope that you, the reader, have been informed, enlightened, and maybe even entertained.

May God richly bless you!

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