Here we have another $20 radio (I’ve also found it occasionally for less) that offers not only FM or AM/FM reception but also SW and MP3 playback via an SD card. That seems to be a lot of features for $20…we’ll take the D-328 on a test drive to see what you can for your $20.

Read the XHDATA D-328 Review:  

Jay Allen  

The WFR-39 is the latest WiFi Portable Internet Radio from Sangean and would appear to be an update to their well-known WFR-28 portable. It is much smaller than the WFR-28…about half the size, yet offers improved audio with an advanced technology speaker – sometimes the sound coming from this smallish box is amazing. The WFR-39 offers battery portability along with all the features of an up-to-date WiFi Internet streaming device.

Read the Sangean WFR-39 Review:

Jay Allen

The tiny V112 is another interesting model from Retekess who has offered many models of widely varying quality over the past few years. The V112 is a no-frills, truly tiny earbud-style radio (we used to call them Walkmen) offering AM and FM stereo in a very small, inexpensive package. What can you get in a $20 radio? Read the Retekess V112 Review: 

Jay Allen

The Retekess PR15 is not a new model but is worth checking out as it packs a lot into its tiny size. Measuring a mere 3 ½” x2” x 5/8” it is a true pocket size radio but despite its tiny size it is surprisingly usable, featuring not only standard AM and FM but also NOAA Weather band. I got mine from eBay for $17.99 with free shipping. How good can a sub-$20 be?

Read The Retekess PR15 Review:

Jay Allen

When C. Crane first introduced the compact Skywave and Skywave SSB radios I was frankly amazed at what they had accomplished and I described the original SSB model as the “Swiss Army Knife of Portable Radios”. The Skywaves are unique in their band coverage and as far as I know are the only travel-sized radios to cover all the bands they do. For a bit of history, you can read the original reviews here:

C. Crane Skywave: 

C. Crane Skywave SSB: 

Most of this information still applies to the still available original Skywave and the upgraded Skywave SSB 2. The SSB 2 arrives nicely packaged with a handy protective travel pouch, a reel-up SW antenna, a set of CC Earbuds, and a clever Antenna Adapter Plug which allows bare wires to be connected. The Skywave SSB 2 is currently selling (at the end of 2022) for $169.99.2

So, what is new with the SSB 2?

Read the C. Crane Skywave SSB 2 Review:

Jay Allen   

I recently received a beautiful NordMende GlobeTraveler II radio and I was excited about it because I had briefly checked one out many years ago and was impressed. Fast forward 15 years and another friend sent one to me because he wasn’t using it and thought I would like it. Well…I do! The GlobeTraveler II is the US import version of the TN6000 which looks very similar but has FM limited to 104 rather than 108 MHz.

I’m not sure exactly how many years this model was sold but I found it in the 1968 Radio Shack catalog and the 1969 Allied catalog selling for $179.95 which translates to $4,990 in 2022. Being typical of other German radios of the era such as the large Grundigs it is a very large, heavy chassis with an incredibly complex design, housed in a leatherette-covered wooden cabinet. Many technicians have quipped that if there was a more complex way to do something that’s how these old German radios were designed and they can sometimes be a real challenge to service due their complexity and difficult access. We’ll take a close look inside, work out a few problems then see how well it performs.

Read the NordMende GlobeTraveler II Review:

Jay Allen    

And A comparison with the previous ICF-P26

The Sony ICF-P27 is a very basic small AM/FM portable radio which is well suited for non-critical use where size and weight are of prime concern. It replaces the similar-looking ICF-P26 which may still available at increasing prices as a discontinued model…the ICF-P27 is currently selling for $23.88 at Amazon and the other usual retailers.

The Sony ‘P27 appears virtually identical to the outgoing ‘P26 but is a total internal redesign using a DSP chip whereas the P26 was all analog. We’ll put them side by side to see how they compare.

Read the Sony ICF-P27 Review:

Jay Allen   

As most of you know the long-awaited Eton Satellit was finally released to less-than-glowing reviews. Problems included a high noise floor, muting while tuning and problems with the PBT Passband Tuning among others. Fred and Barbara at Universal have told me that there are remaining issues with the radio’s performance after this initial update but that Eton is aware of the complaints and is “working to address as many as possible”.

Some people have decided to delay their purchase in the hopes that Eton may indeed improve the radio again and I have decided to wait a bit. Others will still want to get the new radio as soon as possible and let’s hope the revisions will please them.

I will keep you posted.

Jay

I have been using C. Crane’s FM transmitters since the original model was introduced many years ago. Their new FM Transmitter 3 is an upgrade over their previous Transmitter 2 which in turn was a substantial improvement over the original FM Transmitter. Once again, C. Crane has taken a singularly-excellent product and made it even better. Most of my career was as a professional broadcaster but I’ve also been a home hobby broadcaster since I was 13 years old and I still love the ability to program my own radio station with exactly the stuff I want to hear.

We’ll check out the new C.Crane FM Transmitter 3 and discuss way tot enhane yhour enjoyment of it.

Read The C. Crane FM Transmitter 3 Review:  

Jay Allen

The Zenith Royal 500N-G/Royal 555G were introduced in 1965 and were available in White or Charcoal. They were the last of the famed Royal 500 line, one of the most iconic lines of its day. They were later rebadged as the Royal 41 and Royal 56 to freshen their names but they used the same circuits and were therefore identical in everything but their model numbers. This renaming is something Zenith did with some of their other models in the mid to later 60’s when new product introductions were expected each year.

The 500N and 555G were identical radios with the only differences being the Suncharger on the Royal 555…the 500N ran on regular AA cells. The Suncharger feature was a first for Zenith and makes the 555 an interesting model but how does it compare with the earlier Royal 500’s?

Read the Zenith Royal 500/555 Suncharger Article:   

Jay Allen

The Radio Shack/Realistic DX-390 is a rebadged Sangean ATS-818 and was available between 1992-1993. The 1992 Radio Shack catalog lists the radio at $239.95 while the 1993 catalog showed a “New Low Price” of $219.95. This is the successor to the well-received DX-440/ATS-803A. My sample carries the Realistic name as shown in the catalogs but I have also seen the Radio Shack name on this model which is curious. Interestingly the Sangean version seems to have been available at a lower price but various sources quote it as having been between $175 – $220 so I’m not sure of the exact amount. They were also sold under other names such as Roberts R827 and Siemens RK 665. Radio Shack also marketed a version with a built-in cassette deck as the DX-392 as did Sangean as the ATS-818 CS albeit with a smaller speaker to make room for the cassette mechanism.

The DX-390 was one of the first serious multiband portables I owned back in the day. Now, years later I decided to try one out again to see how it compares with the many receivers I’ve owned since.

Read The DX-390/ATS-818 Review:  

Jay Allen   

This is another in a continuing series of retrospectives remembering some of my favorite vintage analog radios.

Between 1955 and 1964 Zenith marketed the highly acclaimed Royal 500 series of radios. The 500’s packed a powerful punch and helped Zenith earn their reputation as a leader in technological development and overall quality. But the Royal 500 series commanded premium prices and as competition from low-priced Japanese imports heated up Zenith had to offer lower priced models to remain competitive. And offer them they did with several models selling for less than the 500’s.

This time we’ll look at the Royal 400. There were several others of this same size and general design, including the Royal 250, 265, 275, 280, 285 and 300 and they were generally good performers. However, the Royal 400 is interesting because of all Zenith’s lower priced radios it is in some ways the closest in overall performance to the 500H.

Read The Zenith Royal 400 Article:

Jay Allen   

This is another entry in my look back at some of my favorite analog portable radios of the past. If you scroll down the Home Page you will see several of these radios which I’ve recently reviewed and more are planned. In this article we’ll take a look at two, perhaps lesser-known models from Zenith – the Royal 450 and Royal 475.

These are 7 transistor horizontal designs with vernier tuning. Both measure approximately 6 ½” x 4 ¼” x 2”. The Royal 450 has an untuned RF stage with a two-gang air variable tuning condenser while the Royal 475 has a tuned RF stage and a three-gang air variable, and each runs on 6 AA batteries. The Royal 450 retailed for $59.95 (equivalent to almost $600 in 2022!) and was available from 1958 – 1960 in Ebony, White and Orange. The Royal 475 was introduced as an upgrade for 1961 -1962. It retailed for $49.95 ($475 in 2022) and was available in Ebony or Beige.

Let’s check out the Zenith Royal 450 and Royal 475:

Jay Allen

The RF-738 is a medium size AM/FM design featuring a 2 ½ x 4″ speaker, a Hi-Lo Tone Switch and a dial light. It runs on 4 AA cells and has a built-in 120 volt AC power supply. It is heavy and solid in the tradition of the best old radios and it sports a large ferrite rod antenna of approximately 7” so the potential is there for great AM sensitivity.

The Panasonic RF-738 is a cool-looking AM/FM all-analog portable radio manufactured around 1965. It was recommended to me by a reader who is fond of this model and thought I should check one out and I thought it would be interesting to see what a mid-line AM/FM radio from Panasonic’s heyday might be like. This is part of my continuing look at several vintage all-analog portable radios.

Let’s take a look at the Panasonic RF-738.

Jay Allen  

…plus a look at two AM Stereo Radios and some Wideband AM Mono Radios

and a comparison with other models offering Wide Bandwidth AM options.

Recently a reader graciously sent me two radios for evaluation – the much sought-after Sony SRF-A1 AM Stereo Walkman and the Aiwa FR-C30U. Manufactured around 1983 the Sony was one of several Stereo AM receivers available as AM Stereo was being promoted. The sender was particularly interested in my feelings about these with regards to their wideband sound quality and some reports which once circulated claiming that AM Stereo “sounded better” than FM.

Having worked at two AM Stereo stations I had several recollections of our experiences with AM Stereo in its heyday, and I still had my Realistic TM-152 AM Stereo Tuner, so it seemed like a good opportunity to take a look back at AM Stereo and to look at the state of AM broadcasting today in terms of audio quality.

There are no AM Stereo stations receivable at my location but I do have an excellent mono AM transmitter and the unique Cuthbert C-Quam Stereo AM transmitter which allowed me to do some interesting tests and comparisons. Does AM Stereo sound better than FM?

Read The Rise and Fall of AM Stereo:

Jay Allen    

…and a look at clone radios in general…

For many years I had been curious to check out Radio Shack’s Realistic 12-665 radio because it so closely resembles one of my favorite portables, the Sony TFM-7250W.

The whole topic of radio clones is an interesting one and has been around for decades.

The Realistic 12-665 initially sold for $39.95 and later $44.95. It caught my attention at the time because I owned the Sony version which retailed for $69.95, and it looked so similar I wondered if it was really the same radio or a cheapened copy. Let’s find out!

Read The Realistic 12-665 Review:

Jay Allen      

The new Sangean WFR-32 Internet Table Radio is the latest offering from Sangean, a company with a long, proud tradition of top-quality products. Externally it resembles their RCR-40 Stereo Table radio, but internally it is a completely different design with an almost entirely different feature set, and in fact it does not even contain an AM or FM tuner at all. It is a dedicated Internet/WiFi device and in that realm, it offers a wealth of capabilities for those who want easy access to everything other than regular AM and FM stations. It’s list of features is long and we’ll check them out on our Sangean WFR-32 Test Drive.

Jay Allen   

The XHDATA D-901 is an interesting device for several reasons. I got mine for $29.98 at Amazon:  

The D-901 is a DSP-tuned analog-style portable. It covers AM from 520 – 1730 KHz, FM from 64 –  108 MHz and SW from 4750 – 22,999 KHz. It features an analog-style tuning knob and dial scales, MPs playback via Tiff card or USB stick, Bluetooth playback, Aux audio input, SW/FM antenna input, headphone jack, a flashlight with a simple slide switch for easy access and an unusually comfortable soft carrying handle. It also has a digital readout showing playback modes such as BT or Track number and it can run on a built-in USB (Type C port) rechargeable 18650 Li-ion battery or 2 conventional D cells.

Can a $30 radio with all of these capabilities live up to your expectations? Let’s take alook and find out.

Read the XHDATA D-901 Review:     

Jay Allen