pocket radio plus headset - recommendation?

D

Damo

Registered User
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I'm keen to get a good pocket radio with headset/ earphones for use while commuting. I'm only interested in listening to the radio not CD's or downloads.

Any good recommendations please?
 
If you only want FM, then Argos have a Samsung 1 GB MP3 player/radio for €55 at them moment. I bought one last week and it's good value. Can also be used as a portable storage device (if you are not bothered with music files),has a voice recorder, and it charges from a USB port.
 
I bought a SONY SRFM37 POCKET RADIO in Dixons about 18 months ago. Works fine and I'm happy with it. I was quite surprised at how small the selection that was available as radio only

Takes 1 small battery and I normally carry a spare one in my wallet. It's the very small AAA ones. There are 6 preset buttons, which means that you can easily flick from one station to another (Newstalk - RTE 1 - Today FM - boring old f**t). You can also lock a station which means that if the radio is in your pocket it doesn't keep changing station.

Peats now have it for E61. I think I paid dearer for it at the time but I'm not sure how much.

http://www.peats.ie/




Murt
 
Damo said:
I'm keen to get a good pocket radio with headset/ earphones for use while commuting. I'm only interested in listening to the radio not CD's or downloads.

Any good recommendations please?
Click to expand...

Some methods of transport interfere with the radio reception... when I take the train or DART my radio reception goes haywire. Make sure you don't get one of these!
 
I have a nice small little Sony one which works fine on the DART (and everywhere else - only frequent loss in signal is entering the tunnel at Kent Station, Cork), don't have it at hand so can't give the model number but is about 16 months old so probably a bit outdated now.

Went with as basic a model as I could. Manual tuning wheel, no presets etc. as I was more interested in a good battery life (though, from experience, the tuning lock mentioned above by Murt would be a huge benefit as the station can get lost with the wheel being hit in a pocket) than too many options.
 
The Samsung model I mentioned above has a digital tuner, at least 6 slots for storing stations, and a hold button to prevent accidentally pushing buttons. I am unsure of the battery life, I think it's around 8 hours. I rarely have problems with reception on the train, unless we are under a tunnel or bridge.
 
The battery in my Sony lasts at least 2-3 months and I use it for an hour a day. I change it so infrequently that I don't take much notice of how long I get out of a battery. As far as I know it's CD players, tapes and MP3 players that eat batteries. Radios on their own do not consume much power.

Prior to buying the present walkman I had another Sony. The reason I actually changed it was because but you had to tune the stations in manually with a wheelie yoke. It wasn't too bad if you were sitting on a train but it's a pain in the butt if you are out walking or even standing on the train. With the new one you just tip a button and you are properly tuned into the new station. Very useful if you don't want to listen to ads.

No problem with the reception from either radios on the train.


Murt.
 
I also have the SONY SRFM37 POCKET RADIO.
It has LW which gives an alternative setting should there be reception problems with MW or FM.
 
I bought a Roberts pocket radio to also get LW, best radio I've owned.

If you just want FM don't forget that a lot of mobile phones include a radio, you may only need to purchase a headset for a few quid.
 
bankrupt, do you mind my asking which Roberts radio?
I have had one or two and have found them power-hungry..
 
pansyflower said:
bankrupt, do you mind my asking which Roberts radio?
I have had one or two and have found them power-hungry..
Click to expand...

It's like this one: [broken link removed] without the speaker though. They don't seem to sell it any more, I bought it through one of the Irish Times' offers. Can't say I've noticed it being particularly hard on batteries.
 
Thanks, bankrupt.
To OP, some mobiles have integral radios, which would cut down on the stuff being carried around.
 
I'm using a Philips one mode AE6775, at this stage its about 6 years old and still working fine. Saw the model in dixons within the past 3 months for around Eu25...
Unlike a lot of the newer versions out there this one does let you preset 6 channels, and reception is fine for commuting.
 
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