Radios

All I can say is thank goodness for the Internet. I thought I might be the only person on the planet who owned well over a hundred radios, packed two or three for a weekend getaway and drove people crazy during strong tropospheric conditions. I've rated friend's homes by how good the reception was in their yard. I've plugged in zip codes on radio-locator.com to map out signal reception ranges for a trip. Now I can read about people who've dedicated entire rooms to their radio collection. There are people who buy two or three radios of the same model (ok, guilty as charged).

Since I enjoy surfing these sites almost as much as I like playing with my own radios, I thought I'd list a few in my "active" collection. (I deem a radio active if it is kept ready with fresh batteries.) Since I haven't digressed as far as photographing my own radios, (I save that for my other children), I'll use images gleaned from the Internet, giving proper credit to those individuals. If you're a legitimate owner of one (or more) of these images and do not tolerate unauthorized use of any kind, just drop me the customary "cease and desist" order and I'll remove them. For everyone else, thanks in advance.

I had read about the Grundig Yacht Boy 400PE being heralded as the radio of portable radios. Sensitivity, selectivity and that renowned warm Grundig sound. I bought one at Radio Shack and brought it home. I wasn't impressed. Performance wasn't on par with the $150 price tag. Plus, at around the size of a large paperback, it was bigger than I was used to carrying around (ok, I have lugged around the Superadio II and various boom boxes, but that was before the kids needed the back seat.) I returned it to Radio Shack and, unable to leave without something, grabbed the DX-399 at a close-out price of $60. This one blew me away! All the bells and whistles of the Grundig and great sound on AM and FM. I saw the Sangean equivalent, ATS-606, on Ebay for $50 and recently purchased one as well! (See quote on www.radiointel.com about owning two of the same radios.) FM reception is as good as any portable radio I've encountered. AM is above average and SW is excellent. There's no SSB, but I have limited interest in Ham and CW broadcasts.

Among the extra features I really like; the ATS system allows you to hold down the buttons for the AM or FM band, and the presets are automatically filled with the strongest signals. The alarm clock is called the "Humane System" and it is. Instead of some grating electronic beeping and/or buzzer, it starts softly and then continues to get louder and louder until you wake up. I wake rather quickly, so I can shut it off before it wakes up the entire household.

So did I finally find radio nirvana? Was this the radio companion that would be the only one in my travel bag? I certainly thought so at the time, but fellow radio fanatics know the answer to that....

I decided that $60 on Ebay was worth plunking down on the Grundig Yacht Boy 400PE. I'm glad I did. Unlike the original unit, this radio is extremely sensitive on the AM and FM bands, excellent SW reception and much warmer audio than I recall with the unit I returned. Living in an area (Long Island) best described as having the worst ground wave conductivity within the North American continent, the YB-400PE pulls in MW (AM) signals that I had only received previously on those glorious Delco AM car radios of yesteryear.

The YB 400PE, Sangean ATS-909 and Sony ICF-7600GR are considered the top portables among the short-wave cognoscenti and have been debated ad nauseam on www.eham.net and Radio Intel. All three have their strengths and weaknesses, but for FM reception and audio quality of the built-in speaker; the Yacht Boy outshines the other two. Since FM is my preferred DX band (followed by AM and SW), the YB 400PE was my choice of the three. Plus, it's a sharp looking radio. It has recently been "re-named" the Grundig G4000A by parent company Etón, but there are always a few for sale on Ebay. Universal Radio sells them reconditioned and I've seen close-out prices as low as $100 on certain web sites. I recently acquired another YB 400PE from Ebay (if this continues, I guess I'll enroll in some sort of self-help program) and the AM is not as sensitive. So much for quality control.

Note: Radio Shack is making a "radio" comeback. New products by Eton and the Radio Shack nameplate are good to see, but it depends on the store. Also try SonyStyle.com or Universal Radio. If you know what you're looking for and are E-Bay savvy, you can probably find what you want in mint condition. Always check on any accessories are/aren't included and the cost of shipping to your home. Don't hesitate to email the seller if any information seems to be unavailable.

Here is a must-have for any radio collector; the Sony ICF-S10MK2. For just 10 dollars on SonyStyle.com, you get a pocket radio that brings back the quality of the early transistor portable. Reception is great on AM and FM. Even the DX guys at Radiointel.com love this one. AM reception is well above average, but the dial stops at 1610 AM. FM is also above average, but will overload if there's a local stick down the block. I've bought a total of eight so far, but aside from two - gave them to friends! To avoid shipping costs, buy directly from one of the various Sony Style retail stores.

I have to add this warning. A few of the recent ones I purchased seem to have a tinnier sound, compared to the original unit I purchased in 2003. And after a couple of years of service, this radio shows every bit of its $10 worth. The volume control has dead spots and it's just not holding up to constant use. But at this price, you can buy replacements!

I went a number of years just toting around a Sony ICF-310. It was given to me from the prize closet of WMJC on the last day I was there. (One of the many parting gifts from a great experience in my career.) I wasn't much into "radio" as I was just wanting something to listen to music when I traveled. And I was traveling a lot, so the tiny size worked well. What I like most about this radio is its powerful sound. Not quite as smooth as the S10MK2 above, but it will more than fill a room with music. FM sensitivity is above average, although as most radios this size; it is susceptible to overload from local stations. This unit is not as sensitive on AM. With a $14 price tag, it has held up far better than the S10MK2. Even though it's traveling days are over, the ICF-310 remains a sentimental favorite that I still keep ready with fresh batteries for use around the house.

I've read that radio collectors are basically trying to find the radio of their childhood. While that's probably true to some extent, I've been looking for the radio I always yearned for when I was a kid. I grew up in an area where local AM service was limited and daytime only. Regional signals were spotty and even though I was some 70 miles from New York City, Long Island has poor ground wave conductivity. You definitely need a good receiver to get those clear channels "clearly." Nighttime listening was very inconsistent. When I discovered FM in 1967, I knew that was the future - for me at least. I bought my first Zenith AM/FM table top and was in heaven. However, most FM signals in the sixties and seventies on eastern Long Island came from Connecticut. My favorite station was WDRC-FM at 102.9 with a transmitter location about 45 miles away. Most FM pocket radios back then were not sensitive and the ones that were did not fit within my young budget. Many nights I'd spend camping out in the neighborhood listening not to the "Big D," but whatever I could get. 102.9 is still my first test reception with any new radio, and with local signals recently added at 102.5 and 103.3, selectivity is now equally as important as sensitivity.

So what portable radio would have fulfilled my adolescent desires back then? Well, I'm going to try and be realistic. Would one of the new digital wunderkinds have been cool to show off? Absolutely, but I most certainly couldn't afford all the batteries needed to keep these units going beyond 24 hours. Without a doubt, the perfect choice (and great beach / yard) radio is the SONY ICF-24. Well above average sensitivity, slightly above-average selectivity on FM and superb AM reception plus solid audio from a decent speaker. Four AA batteries with an in-cabinet AC plug and you're ready to go. This unit is still available with the newer model offering TV audio as well. It can suffer from overload in a few instances, but yes, it pulls in WDRC-FM.

Now that's my opinion as an adult looking back. If I were 12 and had my pick, I know I'd go for the GE Superadio II. Back then, the bigger the better; especially when it came to that enormous speaker peering out from behind the grill and I would have had no problem hauling that baby around the woods and back-yard camp sites. Actually, this radio had a place on the back seat in the car (covered by a jacket of course) for a few years after I bought it. A one of a kind radio that was a classic when it was new. The SR III just doesn't cut it.

The GE Superadio II, better than I and III. Click here for info

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The Sangean DT-200V

This was another "must-have." All the reviews raved about its small size, sound and reception. While it's not a bad little unit, it compares unfavorably to a similar version I purchased from RadioShack.

Although Radio Shack did carry Sangean radios under the RS or "Optimus" label, the 12-802 is not the same radio. Here is what the two units do have in common. They're both very small pocket / clip-on units that primarily use headphones for sound, but also feature a tiny speaker. Both are digital with FM stereo through the headphones.

Side by side, the DT-200V sounds slightly better in the headphones than the 12-802. I'm disappointed my unit is louder on the right channel, but I'll assume that's an anomaly.

Sensitivity and Selectivity: Both radios are sensitive on AM and FM. I've read on-line about personal tests that compared the DT-200V AM reception with more expensive units. Mine is average as is the 12-802. However, selectivity on the 12-802 FM band is phenomenal. I can listen to 105.9 from 42 miles away without any interference from a class B on 106.1 twelve miles away. Not even my Yacht Boy 400 handles this situation as well.

Speaker: Not only does the Radio Shack 12-802 have a slightly larger speaker in a smaller package than the Sangean, it has a switch called "e-bass" that gives the radio a fuller sound. Neither radio will fill a room, but bedside the 12-802 puts out better audio through the speaker than any small pocket radio.

The 12-802 comes with clock and alarm, the DT-200V does not. The DT-200V has TV audio, the 12-802 does not. I'd rather have an alarm than TV audio. The DT-200V shuts off after 60 minutes whether you want it to or not, the 12-802 has an optional sleep timer that can be set as high as 90 minutes. The 12-802 will stand vertically, the DT-200V has a rounded bottom.

The only downside of the 12-802, and it's probably the biggest reason I tried the DT-200V, is that it takes AAA batteries rather than AA. Any experience with triple A's and digital gear means lots of batteries, but when used with the Lithium AAA's, it lasts a very reasonable amount of time. My problem is I tend to roam the dial a lot and all those digital maneuvers require energy. Out of all the radios on this page, I get the most emails asking about the 12-802. Despite a short run on the Radio Shack shelves, its reputation is reverberating with collectors.

I recently purchased the YB-550PE. As the Grundig nameplate fades into American parent Etón, this is one of the last in the Yacht Boy series that Grundig has featured over the years. I continue a love-hate relationship with this radio; it does some things very well and others it fails. FM and Shortwave are superb, AM is average. Depending on where the radio is, it can either sound great or somewhat fatiguing. And the interference from aircraft on the FM band is atrocious. But it looks cool and makes a great portable. If you don't want to shell out the 150 for the G4000 and don't reside too close to an airport, I would say this is a good choice. Universal Radio is the least expensive on the web. I wrote a detailed review on Eham here. Despite the negatives, I still play with this one frequently.

My friend recently showed up with a Sony ICF-M410V and after 10 minutes in my hands, I had to have one.  So I bought two.  Excellent reception on FM and AM and a speaker that rivals (occasionally bests) that of the YB-400PE with one caveat; the amp isn't as robust.  At normal listening levels, this radio really shines, but take it outdoors or a noisy environment and you'll hit the threshold of distortion very quickly.  FM is better than AM in this area. 

The unit features the TV (VHF) and weather bands making this the preferred radio when I stay in Manhattan. If you're not a traditionalist in radio design, you'll enjoy this radio's "purse-styled" contours. No handle or strap, but light enough to carry around in one hand.  Not a dial scanner's dream, there are only 5 presets per band with a funky twist knob to go up and down the dial.  It's functional at best. Unlike myself, most people aren't station hopping every three minutes.  Priced under $40 new, the Sony Outlet Stores have reconditioned models for less.

So what radio is numero uno? I've come to the conclusion that there is no perfect radio. Much like a photographer packing a camera and various lenses for a specific session, certain radios are better for individual instances. Need a hardy radio for the beach? The ICF-24 gets packed among the blanket and towels. Want to catch the NY Mets play-by-play from 660 in NYC? YB-400PE brings it in clearly at a 3 on the signal meter. A quick bike ride? Slip the Grundig Mini World 100PE into your pocket. (Tanya refers to this little portable as my flask. My friend Jim insists it serves more as a pacemaker.) At this point, I've collected enough radios to insure that I'll always have the right one for every occasion. Maybe.

If the above info isn't enough and you want a few more specifics, here you go. If you know me and 'thought' I might be addicted to these things, don't go here.  It will only confirm your worst fears.

Some radio pictures courtesy of Joe Lynn. His radio collection here
12-802 picture courtesy of Sarah Lowrey's amazing collection on transistor.org
Additional photo credits, tescun.com, sonystyle.com, sony.com.pa, and universal-radio.com

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