Also known as: Skywave SSB 2, CC Skywave SSB-2
Reader-supported. GopherTrunk is free, open-source software. Some
hardware links on this page go to Amazon with our Associates tag
(gophertrunk-20); if you buy through them we may earn a small
commission at no extra cost to you. Links to out-of-production gear may go to
eBay searches instead; we have no affiliate relationship with eBay and earn
nothing there. It never changes which gear we recommend, and
the software stays free either way. How GopherTrunk is funded →
The C.Crane CC Skywave SSB 2 is the most capable radio per cubic inch in this roster: a true pocket set with SSB, a scannable VHF air band, NOAA weather with alert, MW/FM/SW coverage, and about 70 hours on two AA cells — the class-leading battery economics of the segment.1 At around $169 it costs real money for a small radio, and it’s worth it for exactly one kind of buyer: the one who carries it.
Key takeaways The travel radio, full stop. SSB + scannable airband + NOAA weather alerts in a shirt pocket, ~70 h on 2×AA. The SSB 2 added an external SW antenna connection and fixed the original’s QC gripes. No LW, no sync, thin small-speaker audio — use earbuds. ~$169. License-free listening; the included wire antenna out a hotel window is the real performance feature. Where it ranks: best shortwave radios.
Overview
C.Crane designed the Skywave line around a question no one else was asking: what’s the most listening capability that fits in a shirt pocket and runs on batteries you can buy at a gas station? The SSB 2 is the mature answer. MW, FM, shortwave with SSB and fine tuning, all NOAA weather channels with alert, and a VHF air band you can actually scan. Nothing else this size does that list — the PL-330 is its size but has no air or weather band; the D-808 has air but no weather and is a size class up.2
The “2” matters. The original Skywave SSB drew QC and overload complaints; the SSB 2 largely addressed them — don’t hold the first version’s reputation against this one — and added an external shortwave antenna connection, with a wire antenna adapter in the box. That last addition is the philosophically correct one: on shortwave, $20 of wire out a window improves reception more than a $200 radio upgrade, and C.Crane ships the wire.
The honest costs: the tiny speaker is thin and struggles in a noisy room (earbuds transform it), there’s no longwave, no sync detector, and $169 is premium money for a pocket radio. The battery story is the rebuttal — ~70 hours from two AA cells, the world’s easiest batteries to resupply, which is why this radio shows up in so many go-bags. If what you actually want is a crank/solar emergency radio, that’s a different tool — see the Midland ER310 and our emergency roster — but as a weather-aware travel receiver the Skywave SSB 2 has no peer.
Listening is license-free everywhere in the US — no FCC anything, ever — shortwave, airband, and weather radio alike. And the 2026 shortwave bands deserve honest framing: the big Western broadcasters have mostly left, so what a traveler hears now is state broadcasters, US private stations, time signals, pirates, and ham SSB — which is exactly why the SSB button on this radio earns its place.
Bands, modes & features
- Coverage: MW, FM, SW, NOAA weather (all channels, with alert), scannable VHF air band. No LW.
- SSB: yes, with fine tuning. No sync detector.
- Memories: 400.
- Power: 2×AA, ~70 h — class-leading; ideal preparedness economics.
- Connections: external SW antenna connection (wire antenna adapter included).
- Size: true pocket/travel class — the smallest radio in our roster.
- No Bluetooth, no recording.
GopherTrunk alternative
Shortwave is HF AM/SSB — not GopherTrunk’s trunking/digital domain, and GopherTrunk does not decode it. The computer-side route into the same spectrum is an HF-capable SDR (best HF SDR) or a ~$30 RTL-SDR in direct-sampling mode, with a waterfall no portable can draw — GopherTrunk itself stays in its VHF/UHF scanner lane, same listen-first philosophy, free. But the Skywave’s whole argument is the opposite case: an SDR needs a computer and power, and this radio’s job is a hotel nightstand or a power outage, 70 hours deep into a pair of AAs.
Who it’s for
- Buy the Skywave SSB 2 if it will live in a carry-on or go-bag — the only pocket radio with SSB, airband, and weather alerts, on batteries you can buy anywhere. View on Amazon →
- Buy the XHDATA D-808 instead if it will mostly stay home — half the price, bigger speaker, SSB and airband (no weather), or the PL-330 for the cheapest SSB.
- Want crank/solar and SAME alerting instead? That’s the emergency-radio category — start with the Midland ER310. Full shortwave rankings: best shortwave radios.
Sources
-
C.Crane CC Skywave SSB 2 review — RadioJayAllen — feature set, the SSB 2’s external antenna addition and QC improvements over the original, and comparative standing in the travel class. ↩
-
CC Skywave SSB 2 review — The-Weather.com — pricing, NOAA weather/alert operation, and battery-life figures. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Is the CC Skywave SSB 2 worth $169?
If size and battery economics matter, yes — it’s the only radio in its pocket class with SSB, a scannable air band, and NOAA weather alerts, and it runs ~70 hours on two AA cells. If you don’t travel with it, a Tecsun PL-330 or XHDATA D-808 does the shortwave core for half the money.
What's the difference between the Skywave SSB and the Skywave SSB 2?
The SSB 2 added an external shortwave antenna connection (it ships with a wire antenna adapter) and largely addressed the QC and overload complaints reported on the original Skywave SSB — don’t hold the first version’s gripes against the 2.
Does the Skywave SSB 2 have NOAA weather alerts?
Yes — all NOAA weather channels plus an alert function, alongside MW/FM/SW and the scannable VHF air band. Note it’s a weather-alert travel radio, not a crank/solar emergency radio; for that class see our emergency-radio guide.
How long does the Skywave SSB 2 run on batteries?
Around 70 hours on two AA cells — class-leading, and the reason preparedness-minded buyers like it: AA batteries are the world’s easiest resupply.
Do I need a license to listen to shortwave, air band, or weather radio?
No — listening is license-free everywhere in the US, no FCC anything, ever. And on shortwave, the included wire antenna out a hotel window will do more for reception than any radio upgrade — a $20 wire beats a $200 radio swap.