Portable AM radio?
Oct 15, 2003 at 3:56 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 6

Kelvie1234

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I know.. there's a similar thread.. but...

I'm looking for a portable AM radio....

requirements:

-very small :p

-doesn't have to sound very good

-good reception (!)

-okay battery life (not too big a concern)


I just need it to listen to the hockey games when I'm out and about.
 
Oct 15, 2003 at 5:24 PM Post #4 of 6
I don't know if a portable shortwave radio that operates on 2 AA batteries for $10 would interest you.
These are probably what the US drops from planes in countries of conflict.
You can get them at countycomm.com
also good for emergencies.
 
Oct 17, 2003 at 7:16 PM Post #5 of 6
I'm very fond of my Sangean DT200V. It fits easily in my hand or will clip to a pocket. (It's about 4.5"x2.75"x1".) It takes two AA batteries. I've never timed how long a set lasts, but it's long enough that I don't consider battery life to be an issue. (I generally use rechargeables in it.)

The electronics in this radio are excellent. AM/MW reception is hampered somewhat by the fact that the antenna has to fit inside the small case. When inductively coupled to a larger external antenna it performs comparably to radios many times its size. Outdoors the internal antenna does an adequate job and I'm sure it outperforms most other radios of its size.

The DT200V is a bit pricey for a little portable radio, but if you want the best reception you can get in a package that size then the price is worth it.
 
Oct 17, 2003 at 10:42 PM Post #6 of 6
Another good one is Grundig's Mini World 100 PE. Very small, excellent reception and goes forever on two AA batteries.

It's multi-band (FM, AM and SW) and it retails for $30. I'd guess that you can get it cheaper on eBay.

And this radio is very robust! About a week ago, I accidentally dropped it into my pool while it was on. Well, the batteries sort of imploded but I rinsed it to eliminate the clorine and then let it dry for a few days. Popped in a set of new batteries and damn if the thing doesn't work just as well as it ever did. I was impressed.
 

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