Accessory Review:
C. Crane CCRadio-2
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com

I have a confession to make: I’m a late-night AM Radio talk show junkie – always have been, even as a child. It started with AM 1100 WWWE Cleveland and jock talk with Pete Franklin. That station is now News Radio WTAM, and it still powers its way across Lake Erie and into my hometown of London, Ontario, Canada (sitting halfway between Detroit, MI and Toronto, Ont.).

My insatiable appetite for AM Radio is a major reason why I entered the field of broadcast journalism, and later freelance writing. As a kid, I wish I had been armed with the new C.Crane CCRadio-2 – the newest addition to my ever-growing shack. In fact, as soon as I began to decipher the functions of this pretty AM-FM radio with Weather Band and 2-Meter Ham, it found a permanent spot on my night stand. Coast To Coast AM with George Noory never sounded better.

My shack includes a handful of C.Crane gear, including the CCRadio SW which offers outstanding DX listening and superb voice clarity. Make room for the CCRadio-2, picking up where the CCRadio SW and the legendary CCRadio leave off.

If you’re like me, the first things you look for in a quality AM-FM radio are signal power and voice clarity. The C.Crane CCRadio-2 boasts both in spades. Add the Weather Band and 2-Meter Ham functions, and you have one heck of a radio, perfect for any room in the house.

Weighing in at just less than 4 lbs without four “D” batteries, and measuring 11 in. W x 6.5 in H x 4 in. D at its base, the CCRadio-2 is available in both black mica and titanium models. The design aesthetics are gorgeous, making this radio perfect for the home office, living room or anywhere else you wish to listen to crystal clear radio transmissions.

The first test I put to the CCRadio-2 was late-night DX on the AM side. WRVA 1140 in Richmond, VA, WJR 760 Detroit, MI. and WCBS 880 New York, NY all came in crystal clear on this early-August evening. C.Crane really has something in their patented Twin-Coil Ferrite AM antenna. A quick flip to the FM side and one of my favorite local stations, 92.7 FM BX-93 in London, Ont. revealed some of the sweetest sounding FM stereo I’ve ever heard from a portable radio. The 5-inch speaker made the vocals of Country Music artist Taylor Swift sound even sweeter than usual, thanks to audio which is optimized for voice clarity. In fact, when you select a station, the CCRadio-2 evaluates the signal for several seconds and then locks in for the highest signal possible.

I have another confession: I am a Ham hopeful (note to self: get my Ham ticket). I do, however, enjoy listening to the local Amateur Radio gang conversing on 2-Meter hotspots including 145.45 MHz and 147.18 MHz. In the past, my night stand included a scanner specifically programmed with 2-Meter Ham frequencies. No more, thanks to the CCRadio-2.

C.Crane has pre-programmed five 2-Meter frequencies into the five memories of the CCRadio-2. Note: you can program any five frequencies from any of the bands covered by the CCRadio-2. When scanning the 144-148 MHz band, simply press the Up or Down tuning button on the front panel of the CCRadio-2 and hold it momentarily. You can also start scanning by pressing and releasing the main tuning knob on the radio’s right side panel. To adjust the squelch on this radio, press and hold the main tuning knob for one second until the display changes, then turn the tuning knob slowly clockwise until the squelch maxes to silence.

Finding any frequency from any band of the CCRadio-2 can be done three ways: manually with rotary tuning; manually by pressing the Tuning Up or Down button; or by scanning with those buttons.

The Weather Band inclusion with the CCRadio-2 is a simple yet cool addition – I like to listen to the local weather forecast before catching some Zs and during my first cup of morning java. Just as you should do when listening to Ham with this radio, fully extend the telescopic whip antenna before getting the latest weather forecast. You can connect an external AM antenna, too, to the back of the radio.

To listen to weather transmissions, just select WX from the top panel Band button and your local forecast is at your fingertips. The CCRadio-2 also has a Weather Alert System. You can choose a Weather Alert mode: flashing light only (no alarm); alert with NOAA Audio; or alert with flashing light and siren. You can also turn off the weather alert if desired.

The CCRadio-2 includes alarm, plus sleep timer feature with selectable times of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes – a favorite feature of mine. Back panel Audio and Recording jacks are included, too – C.Crane thinks of everything. This allows you to record your favorite radio shows for personal listening pleasure. A front panel Timer button will activate your radio each day, if required, so you won’t miss your favorite program.

C.Crane has removed the TV band from this radio, obviously because digital TV is now king. But with all of the features with this radio, will you really miss listening to reruns of Jerry Seinfeld?

The display panel of the CCRadio-2 deserves recognition: it’s fully functional and visibly appealing, thanks in part to a brighter, clearer LCD display with a full backlight and three levels of adjustable brightness, plus an Off setting. I like the bar graph, too, which indicates signal strength. This radio powers with AC or four “D” batteries. When the batteries are installed (and offering timer, clock and memory settings if the power cord is removed for more than three minutes), you can still power the radio via AC, which will automatically disconnect the batteries.

Priced at $159.95, the CCRadio-2 is, in my books, the best radio in its category, and a terrific addition to the C.Crane family of audio. Learn more about this radio at www.ccrane.com.

CCRadio-2 Specifications
$159.95
Dimensions: 11” W x 6.5” H x 4” D (at base)
Weight: 3.8 lbs without batteries
FM Band: 87.5-108 MHz Stereo
AM Band: 520-1710 kHz
Ham (VHF): 144-148 MHz
Weather Band: 7 channels, 162.4, 162.425, 162.45, 162.475, 162.5, 162.525, 162.55 MHz
Rotary Tuning Knob Resolution: AM 1kHz, FM 50 kHz, Ham (VHF) 5 kHz, WX 1 channel
Power Source: AC 120 Volts 60Hz, Batteries 4 “D” size
Power Consumption: AC Power 8 Watts, Battery 40-50 mA DC
Audio: 10% THD at outpower @ 1.8 Watt AC typical, @ 0.9 Watt battery
Speaker: 5”, 4 Ohm, 6 Watts
Antenna: FM, Ham (VHF) and Weather Band, telescopic whip. AM Band, built-in ferrite bar 7/16” dia x 8” long (200 mm); external AM antenna directly wired through filter network into RF front end
Aux In Jack: 300-1000mV RMS (line level) input from external audio source (do not overload).
Line Out Jack: 300-1000mV RMS (line output)
Timer Activation Switch: Low impedance, transistor driven switch, used for operation of external recording devices