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Decent, small portable radio for off-grid hut?

wulbert

wulbert

pfm Member
I'm looking for a radio to leave in a small, off-grid hut. Probably use it to listen to Radio 3 and the odd foray into Radio 2, Radio Scotland for folk and country music. Budget around £50. Buying used.
I'd started looking at vintage Roberts radios and then read that Hacker radios are better built. Then I paused and wondered if old radios would just be nuisance; deteriorating components, loose bits, poor reception etc. Is Japanese better? I've no idea when the sweet-spot for small transistor radios was?

Hoping that some PFM ers could suggest a couple of radio models worth looking at? Here's my wish list:
- A proper, old-school tuning dial with sliding indicator
- A couple of pre-sets
- Battery powered. (Ideally, if it could run off 12V DC from a leisure battery, it would save buying batteries, but not a deal-breaker)
- Nice to look at and nice to use
- Reliable and with a decent grasp of signal
- Cheap, good VFM
- Fairly small, to fit on a window ledge and not take up too much space.
 
My wind-up (clockwork) radio works fine here. Have a hunt to see if any version is suitable.
 
Vinny said:
My wind-up (clockwork) radio works fine here. Have a hunt to see if any version is suitable.
Click to expand...
I had one for a while, the see-thru Trevor Bayliss solar/wind-up one, but I didn't like the bulbous body shape, the cone-shaped knobs that were hard to grip and the amount of effort needed to wind it up. Good fun though. Eventually the winding mech broke.
 
Mike1965 said:
If you get a signal on your phone why not get a Bluetooth speaker? Then you have access to internet radio, bbc sounds, paradise radio etc.
Click to expand...
I have both phone and bluetooth speaker in the hut and do use them. For some reason, I find listening to radio, on a radio, more relaxing. Don't know why...nostalgia probably.
 
I inherited a red vinyl Roberts R200 in 1968 or 69 and that's where a lifelong obsession of listening started. I get it.
 
You can put a rechargeable battery into a Pure radio. If you can find a way to recharge it occasionally
 
Think I would go for some sort of Sony, or a nice, vintage 1970s Grundig.

And maybe scroll through...

pinkfishmedia.net

A portable radio thread

In part to emphasise that whilst headphones are clearly the ‘big ticket’ item this room’s scope encompasses all portable audio, so here’s a thread about radios! Everyone likes a nice radio: Here’s mine, a mid-80s Roberts R25. Just a classic simple MW/LW/FM radio. Nothing fancy, but very...
pinkfishmedia.net pinkfishmedia.net
 
wulbert said:
I have both phone and bluetooth speaker in the hut and do use them. For some reason, I find listening to radio, on a radio, more relaxing. Don't know why...nostalgia probably.
Click to expand...

A lot of phones still have FM radio (my Samsung A10 does), search for FM radio in apps and connect to the speaker with an aux wire (this in essential as it's the aerial). I use it a lot on holiday when there's no data coverage with a Bose speaker.
 
wulbert said:
I'm looking for a radio to leave in a small, off-grid hut. Probably use it to listen to Radio 3 and the odd foray into Radio 2, Radio Scotland for folk and country music. Budget around £50. Buying used.
I'd started looking at vintage Roberts radios and then read that Hacker radios are better built. Then I paused and wondered if old radios would just be nuisance; deteriorating components, loose bits, poor reception etc. Is Japanese better? I've no idea when the sweet-spot for small transistor radios was?

Hoping that some PFM ers could suggest a couple of radio models worth looking at? Here's my wish list:
- A proper, old-school tuning dial with sliding indicator
- A couple of pre-sets
- Battery powered. (Ideally, if it could run off 12V DC from a leisure battery, it would save buying batteries, but not a deal-breaker)
- Nice to look at and nice to use
- Reliable and with a decent grasp of signal
- Cheap, good VFM
- Fairly small, to fit on a window ledge and not take up too much space.
Click to expand...

Pre-sets will be the limiting factor, which is good as eBay is full of old radios. Not that many analogue radios had pre-sets.

For modern-ish, there's things like this Sony (from a charity, but only a day left)

www.ebay.co.uk

Sony ICF 1000L 4 Bands Portable Radio FM/SW/MW/LW 4Band Radio | eBay

This Sony ICF 1000L portable radio is the perfect addition to any vintage sound and vision collection. With four bands (FM, SW, MW, and LW), you can access a wide range of radio stations. The sleek design of the Sony ICF product line is recognizable and sought after by collectors. This radio...
www.ebay.co.uk

If you want proper old school, you'd get a on old Roberts for that money

www.ebay.co.uk

ROBERTS RP26-B LW/MW/FM PORTABLE MAINS/BATTERY RADIO EXCELLENT | eBay

LW/MW/FM PORTABLE MAINS OR BATTERY RADIO. ROBERTS RP26-B. ANTENNA FULLY EXTENDS WITH NO KINKS OR CORROSION. ITS A STUNNING RADIO WITH REVOLUTIONARY PRESETS. ALL LEATHER TRIM excellent CONDITION.
www.ebay.co.uk

Any second hand radio will be a bit of a punt, but names like Roberts and Sony are a safe bet.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
notaclue said:
Pre-sets will be the limiting factor, which is good as eBay is full of old radios. Not that many analogue radios had pre-sets.

For modern-ish, there's things like this Sony (from a charity, but only a day left)

www.ebay.co.uk

Sony ICF 1000L 4 Bands Portable Radio FM/SW/MW/LW 4Band Radio | eBay

This Sony ICF 1000L portable radio is the perfect addition to any vintage sound and vision collection. With four bands (FM, SW, MW, and LW), you can access a wide range of radio stations. The sleek design of the Sony ICF product line is recognizable and sought after by collectors. This radio...
www.ebay.co.uk

If you want proper old school, you'd get a on old Roberts for that money

www.ebay.co.uk

ROBERTS RP26-B LW/MW/FM PORTABLE MAINS/BATTERY RADIO EXCELLENT | eBay

LW/MW/FM PORTABLE MAINS OR BATTERY RADIO. ROBERTS RP26-B. ANTENNA FULLY EXTENDS WITH NO KINKS OR CORROSION. ITS A STUNNING RADIO WITH REVOLUTIONARY PRESETS. ALL LEATHER TRIM excellent CONDITION.
www.ebay.co.uk

Any second hand radio will be a bit of a punt, but names like Roberts and Sony are a safe bet.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Actually thinking about it, presets are not really a requirement. I enjoy tuning the dial and since I only listen to two or three stations (BBC Radio 3, 2 and Scotland) it's no hassle to re-tune.

This is partly (mostly!) aesthetics and conceit. I have a mental picture of me, relaxing in my hut, whisky at elbow, staring at the trees with the soft music of an old wireless playing in the background. Just a daft dream.


spell vietnamese
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
What were those big old square batteries that radios used to use. Massive ever ready things.
 
wulbert said:
Thanks. Actually thinking about it, presets are not really a requirement. I enjoy tuning the dial and since I only listen to two or three stations (BBC Radio 3, 2 and Scotland) it's no hassle to re-tune.

This is partly (mostly!) aesthetics and conceit. I have a mental picture of me, relaxing in my hut, whisky at elbow, staring at the trees with the soft music of an old wireless playing in the background. Just a daft dream.
Click to expand...

That sounds more like a case of scrolling through https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/bn_16567887 to see what dusty old relic appeals and works. 😀 There's a forum for old radios, which may give you some good ideas to look out for https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33893

£50 isn't much so won't get you a mint classic.

Personally, I very greatly favour an internet radio with a remote these days. So much more choice and much easier to change station.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
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