AN74 / PREPARE FOR TOMORROW
Emergency radio: make a settings card you can use without the Internet
A radio stored in a cupboard is not automatically ready to provide information. You need to switch it on, find a station and understand its power supply without looking up an online manual. Try this organisational check on an ordinary day, starting with equipment you already own.
Official advice and its limits
The UK’s Prepare guidance recommends recording the frequencies of radio stations used for news. Germany’s BBK advises keeping a battery or wind-up radio for official information during prolonged power cuts. France’s emergency-kit guidance includes a battery radio and spare batteries. The official sources below support preparing this alternative, not a promise of reception at every address.
Four practical checks
- Identify the exact model and its instructions. Locate power, volume and station-selection controls.
- Check the independent power option specified by the manufacturer. Where the instructions permit, unplugging only the radio’s mains lead can check that it operates on this supply. Do not switch off household electricity.
- Select a broadcast reception mode supported by the radio, rather than an Internet stream. Record the station you actually hear and the displayed mode.
- Switch the radio off and on normally. Use your card to find the station again. If the setting is lost, write down the manual steps.
A card to keep with the set
| Field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Model and storage location | ______ |
| Reception mode and station heard | ______ |
| Displayed frequency where relevant, or digital service name | ______ |
| Power source and battery type/count from the instructions | ______ |
| Steps to find the station | ______ |
| Place, date and difficulty encountered | ______ |
Copy what the display or dial actually shows. A frequency used in another region is not a verified local setting. Choose a safe, accessible listening position; do not seek reception in a hazardous place. A few minutes of listening cannot establish battery runtime. Follow the model’s instructions for batteries, charging and storage.
Fictional example: a preset is not enough
An imaginary household writes only “button 2” on its card. After restarting the radio, the preset no longer finds the programme. They add the station name, reception mode and tuning steps. Another household member then tries the instructions without assistance. This is an editorial scenario, not an AN74 test or a fault attributed to any brand.
If no station can be received, record “not confirmed at this location” and consult the manual or broadcaster’s reception support. Switching on successfully does not prove reception. Hearing a programme today does not guarantee that its transmitter will remain available during an incident.
Keep the record with your household emergency kit. It complements offline contact details and your phone-alert checks; no single channel replaces the others. You can begin this inventory without buying a particular radio.
Scope: no local frequency list or guaranteed emergency coverage is supplied here. Follow instructions from the authorities where you live. Sources checked on 18 September 2026; no physical AN74 testing.