Computers | Consoles | Mobile devices and cameras | Musical gear | Other
Raynic CR1009Ultra weather radio
Bought: Christmas 2025 as an (unexpected to me!) Christmas gift.
Specs:
- Bands: AM, FM, weather band, shortwave
- Power source: Internal battery through USB-C, solar panel, AAA batteries for backup, hand crank
- Additional toys: Flashlight, reading light, warning siren, USB-A port for charging other devices
How it came into my possession: I absentmindedly put this on an Amazon shopping list for myself because I'd always wanted a weather radio of my own (before this, I'd just listened to streams of them online from around the country). I sent this list to my mom with mostly books and records on it, and then unwrapped this at Christmas! It was a lovely surprise, and it's been a really nice radio. Easy operation, good battery life, good, loud speaker, good reception (obviously pending where you're trying to use it). So nice, in fact, that after seeing mine, my mom wanted one for herself, and I got her one for her birthday just before a big camping trip. She loved it—especially for the USB-A port that apparently charges your phone pretty fast to boot.
Condition/defects: None!
Sharp CD-BH950 stereo
Bought: Mid-2018 as a graduation gift. The aardwolf on top was a birthday present from Caby in 2023 during our first trip.
Specs:
- Formats: CD (five disc changer), MP3/WMA on data CDs, cassette, line-in, Bluetooth, FM radio
- Output power: 240W RMS
How it came into my possession: My mom got me this as a graduation gift, and honestly, it's been a damn good stereo. It sounds great, the tape deck is nice, I like to try out new albums with the CD changer (or listen to old favorites, as I did with OK Go's Oh No just yesterday as of writing this), and I like to run my PS2's digital out to it for extra quality, lag-free game sound. (My record player also shares line-in time with it—that's an Audio Technica LP60, nothing fancy, so no entry on these pages, but it's served me fine for casual listening and the occasional quick and dirty transfer.)
Condition/defects: There was a brief moment during the Rediscoverings where I was afraid it wasn't gonna give me my CDs back, but I've had no issues with it since. No idea where the remote went though.
Wacom Bamboo CTH-470 tablet
Bought: Unsure, but the tablet was released in late 2011. Could've been anywhere from then to 2013.
Specs:
- Pressure levels: 1024
- Touch resolution: 2540 LPI
- Active area size: 5.8"x3.6"
How it came into my possession: This was my little sister's old tablet. She's not quite the brightest bulb in the box, and when it didn't work with a new computer she got (because she didn't install the drivers...), she just bought a new tablet outright. I took this one for mine when I started experimenting with art in 2021.
Condition/defects: The surface is a little discolored, and the driver occasionally likes to corrupt itself and require a reinstall (which I dutifully install from CD-ROM, as you should). Still works beautifully though! Caby bought me a proper screen tablet for Christmas 2025 to replace it, but I've still got this one as a backup.
XP-Pen Artist 12 tablet
Bought: Late 2025, unwrapped by me Christmas 2025.
Specs:
- Pressure levels: 8192
- Touch resolution: 5080 LPI
- Screen resolution: 1920x1080
- Active area size: 10"x5.7"
How it came into my possession: I'd grown a little wistful about screen tablets after enjoying Caby's big Huion tablet during our trips, and despite my ever-present need to use things until they literally break, she got me a screen tablet of my own for Christmas 2025.
Condition/defects: None, really! I have an incredibly wonky setup with it that sometimes makes it tricky to get it to wake back up after the computer sleeps, but a quick plug cycle fixes it just fine. Nice and vibrant screen and very sensitive pen detection. It took a bunch of work to set it up, but I've been happy with it whenever I'm itching to doodle.
Computers | Consoles | Mobile devices and cameras | Musical gear | Other