I just purchased a new shortwave radio. After I brought it home, hubby says "is it compliant?". I say "I dunno". Duh...never thought to ask.

So I write to Radio Shack.

Here's their response: This DX392 shortwave radio has a procedure for entering the current time of day. There is no procedure, however, for entering the date, or the year. As well, there is no memory location that maintains the date, and year information in this shortwave radio.

Thank you, Tandy Product Support Center

So....am I good to go? Will it still work? Anybody?

I am serious now...this radio cost me 3 bills. If it isn't gonna work post-y2k, I may just return it. Anyone know about this??

Somehow their answer seems kind of um, vague to me.

-- Bobbi (bobbia@slic.com), March 16, 1999

Answers

No memory location maintaining the year means it doesn't know when Y2K is. So I'd say that means compliant! If you're worried, take out the battery a little before the year rolls over, then put it back in afterwards.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), March 16, 1999.

Sounds OK to me. Just like a regular alarm clock doesn't care what date it is. If it was fancy, and did hold dates, then you'd need to worry about compliance, if you used that feature. But it isn't, so no problemo.

-- A (A@AisA.com), March 16, 1999.

Do not stand beside this one!! You might not survive the wind rushing from between her ears!! It's right there!! "No memory location for year"!!

Sheesh

got literacy??

-- functionally (illiter@t.e), March 16, 1999.

I agree with shimrod. It will work fine before, during and after 2000. No need to take the batteries out, reset it or anything like that.

Here's a few interesting frequencies shortwave listeners might like, all in MHz:

3.210, 3.215, 5.070, 12.160 (AM)

6.890, 5.085, 9.400 (SSB)

Ham radio frequencies: 14.300 (various wide-coverage nets) 7.255, 7.258, 7.252 (Northeast, Midwest and South mobile radio nets daytimes), 3.950 (Liberty Net, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Eastern time, and other evenings during the week - some of the folks there make Rush Limbaugh look like a flaming liberal, some are just plain nuts, but I've learned a lot from listening to some of the conversations).

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 16, 1999.

The real answer is there's no way to tell. That's why so many lawyers keep hedging. Any technical person would point out its highly unlikly that there's a problem. What is useful however is to learn how to reset the internal microprocessor. There's usually a small button you push with a sharp tool like a pencil.

It's far more likely that the micro will crash on its own than due to y2k problems. Anything can cause that, static, cosmic rays, weak batteries, etc.

The residual worry you feel is felt by all technicians faced with mission critical black boxes, and half baked tech manuals and vendor statements. Buy a backup if you really feel worried, besides, nobody goes into a gunfight with just one gun (if they can afford it that is)

-- hun chb ack (quasimodo@beltowwer.cum), March 16, 1999.

An anonymous somebody wrote:

>Do not stand beside this one!! You might not survive the wind >rushing from between her ears!! It's right there!! "No memory ?location for year"!!

Gee thanks for the kind words. Appreciate your concern. Really. Your nice post definitely helped. Glad you took the time from your busy schedule. And you even e-mailed me privately too! Wow! I am overwhelmed with feelings of awe and gratitude.....

-- Bobbi (bobbia@slic.com), March 16, 1999.

Functionally,

It looks like you didn't have your nap today...

-- spot (gray@cat.com), March 16, 1999.

Not you, bobbia. The civility-challenged one above.

-- spot (gray@cat.com), March 16, 1999.

. Radio

-- a (a@a.com), March 17, 1999.