Decent, small portable radio for off-grid hut?

[notaclue]

Slightly off topic, but a Chinese company has recently released the ultimate paperback-sized shortwave radio, as it has internet radio too. As far as I know, the first such radio that has done this.

$250 and only for sale in the US at present. Shame there's isn't a mass market for this sort of thing now. And also a shame that we will never again get radios like this crafted to perfection by Sony. But maybe Tecsun or Sangean may do something similar.

 

[foxwelljsly]

Someone on eBay has a batch of old, unused, what looks likes B-stock analogue Roberts world radios for a very reasonable £20. I used to have the same model and was decent-ish for the money, as I recall. Though there's not enough to listen to on SW these days to make it worth buying for me.

Roberts Black R871 Shortwave 15 Band World Radio with Dual time Clock AM/FM BBC | eBay

If you do not wish to set the clock etc and just wish to listen to the radio. RADIO OR BUZZER ALARM. CALENDAR WITH AUTO LEAP YEAR SETTING. KEY LOCK SWITCH. Its straight forward once you know and explains it full on the first page of instructions.

www.ebay.co.uk

Brill. Ordered.

 

[wulbert]

I've got an old grundig you can have for nowt if you can collect from where I'm working in Fife.

That’s very kind of you Steve. I’m not sure I have the time for a trip through to Fife right now. Got a close family member in hospital, which always takes up a surprising amount of time.
PS: Sorry for slow response to you and others, I seem to have missed all my notifications, might’ve turned them off by mistake.

 

[stevec67]

That’s very kind of you Steve. I’m not sure I have the time for a trip through to Fife right now. Got a close family member in hospital, which always takes up a surprising amount of time.
PS: Sorry for slow response to you and others, I seem to have missed all my notifications, might’ve turned them off by mistake.

No problem, I've just realised that mine needs a mains supply anyway and you don't have that.

 

[wulbert]

Brill. Ordered.

Me too. It can go in the small, garden hut or even the big hut, if it passes muster.
Talking last night to the missus, who originally suggested getting a radio for the hut, I find I have been a little guilty of “mission creep”.
She meant “Get A Radio” and I’ve turned that into “let’s get a radio that will transport us back to 1970’s, evoking cosy Saturday evenings listening to the football scores by the fire-side, pie, beans and chips for dinner and the gentle crack of a tin of McEwans Export being opened….”
My, (now secret) search continues…

 

[foxwelljsly]

Someone on eBay has a batch of old, unused, what looks likes B-stock analogue Roberts world radios for a very reasonable £20. I used to have the same model and was decent-ish for the money, as I recall. Though there's not enough to listen to on SW these days to make it worth buying for me.

Roberts Black R871 Shortwave 15 Band World Radio with Dual time Clock AM/FM BBC | eBay

If you do not wish to set the clock etc and just wish to listen to the radio. RADIO OR BUZZER ALARM. CALENDAR WITH AUTO LEAP YEAR SETTING. KEY LOCK SWITCH. Its straight forward once you know and explains it full on the first page of instructions.

www.ebay.co.uk

If anyone wants a battery operated fm set that sounds great with amazing battery life, you won't do better than one of these at £23 posted.

Whilst at uni, I used listened to Mark and Lard on something very similar - with the headphone socket connected to an Inca tech claymore 2 and a pair of Ruark Sabres. Sounded pretty good. If mono.

 

[Eoin]

You’re obviously the same age as me.

 

[wulbert]

Slightly off topic, but a Chinese company has recently released the ultimate paperback-sized shortwave radio, as it has internet radio too. As far as I know, the first such radio that has done this.

$250 and only for sale in the US at present. Shame there's isn't a mass market for this sort of thing now. And also a shame that we will never again get radios like this crafted to perfection by Sony. But maybe Tecsun or Sangean may do something similar.

That looks an interesting device. I remember wondering, when I first discovered internet radio, why you couldn't buy something like this.

 

[notaclue]

I think we can mostly blame the smart phone for the demise of development and innovation in the radio world. A radio app on a smart phone is now the only portable radio you need.

Even internet radios aren't that popular these days. There was also supposed to be a digital/DAB version of shortwave, but I don't know if it will ever come to anything https://www.drm.org/

 

[wulbert]

Someone on eBay has a batch of old, unused, what looks likes B-stock analogue Roberts world radios for a very reasonable £20. I used to have the same model and was decent-ish for the money, as I recall. Though there's not enough to listen to on SW these days to make it worth buying for me.

Roberts Black R871 Shortwave 15 Band World Radio with Dual time Clock AM/FM BBC | eBay

If you do not wish to set the clock etc and just wish to listen to the radio. RADIO OR BUZZER ALARM. CALENDAR WITH AUTO LEAP YEAR SETTING. KEY LOCK SWITCH. Its straight forward once you know and explains it full on the first page of instructions.

www.ebay.co.uk

I bought one of them ( only £20!) and it arrived yesterday. It seems good enough for the hut listening, albeit a wee bit bass-shy (not surprising with the tiny speaker). Missus doesn't want a big, old portable, so the wee Roberts world radio may be a keeper.
It reminded me that I once had a Roberts world radio and sold it because I could not get on with the clock and fiddly buttons. This one has the same issue; it's alarm went off at 6am this morning and I had to get up out of bed to shut it up. A single, accidental touch of the alarm button ( a tiny nipple really) is enough to arm the alarm without one knowing until it goes off unexpectedly. This could run the battery down if it happened when you are away. I'm going to make a guard for the alarm button out of Sugru.

Tried it out at the hut today and reception on Radio 3 was good enough (better indoors for some reason) Happy days.