Amazon Selling the Sangean LB-100 Worksite Radio for $61

Tony has apprised us of this great price on a Sangean LB-100 worksite radio, fully digital with 5 presets for AM and FM. 

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Comments

[Dave P.]

Does anyone own this version : http://www.amazon.com/Sangean-TB-100-Toughbox-Digital-Rechargeable/dp/B008CNX518/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1357492656&sr=1-1&keywords=sangean+tb-100 . I've been 'casually' looking for a good backyard radio, something with better than average AM, good sounding speaker(s), and an aux input (for those nights when the ball games end early.) This one seems like a winner, and the rechargeable feature is a plus, but with only a couple reviews, I'd like a little more info. If anybody can provide a little more on this one, it would be appreciated.

[herculodge]

Dave, it will probably meet your needs unless you're trying to get fringe AM stations. Its ferrite is most likely the same small one used for the LB-100.

[Keith Beesley]

Huge lot of boomboxes and assorted vintage electronics bidding on Ebay:

http://tinyurl.com/b3rs88u

Local pick-up near Sacramento. Might be worth a look if you are a collector or re-seller and live nearby.

[Gary]

Jeff - I'd say the LB-100 is only good for strong local AM stations. Anything else is likely to sound weak and hissy. The two I tried had about the lowest AM sensitivity of any radio this size that I've ever used. Even my tiny DT-200VX and DT-400W pocket radios are more sensitive, and the much smaller PR-D7 is far more sensitive. I don't consider this to be one of Sangean's better efforts. If the TB-100 doesn't have improved AM reception, then I'd stay away from it if decent AM sensitivity is a priority.

[Dave P.]

OK, thanks guys. I guess this isn't the one for me. Due to my location here in Upstate NY, AM performance is definitely important. I've also been considering the CCradio EP and the Sangean PR-D5. Both have the line-in I'm looking for, and also fine AM performance. However, the more reviews I read, the more my hesitation grows. The EP seems to have some QC issues, and the PR-D5 has quite a few lackluster reviews concerning the speakers/sound quality. I've also read that the sound of the PR-D5 deteriorates over time. My budget is modest, so maybe it's wishful thinking to find something with the features I'm looking for, built to last, for around $75 or so. Oh well, the hunt continues.....

[Gary]

Dave - The PR-D5 doesn't have line in. I'm one of those who thinks its sound is bloated and muffled on AM. I guess most people disagree, given the high Amazon rating, but I can't listen to AM news or talk on my PR-D5 for more than five or ten minutes before I reach for another radio.

I also have a CCR-EP, but it took three units to get a good one. Of course, the two Amazon units were "old stock," so they are probably not representative of the current units. The third unit is a pre-tested unit from C. Crane. It sounds far better than the PR-D5; in fact, it sounds better on AM news and talk than any of my other radios. It's a little touchy to tune and sometimes has some funny "shuffling" noises when tuning, apparently due to the use of varactor tuning rather than a tuning capacitor (the SuperRadio III uses varactor tuning as well). It has a little drift on FM, at least on weaker stations. It's not perfect, but if you can get a good one, it's a decent performing and sounding radio for the money.

[Gary]

Dave - Correction: The PR-D5 does have line in. My mistake.

[Keith Beesley]

Dave--I have no experience with the CC-EP, but here's my take on the PR-D5: yes, AM audio is a bit muffled/muddy, but it's a trade-off. AM sensitivity and selectivity are excellent. FM sounds great and FM sensitivity and selectivity are also excellent. Of course, FM reception reverts to mono on weaker/more distant signals; sometimes you have to play with the whip antenna (direction and shortening/lengthening) to get weak stations.

I think the PR-D5 is the best AM/FM portable for the price currently available. I guess you'd have to try one to determine if the AM sound is bothersome to you. I haven't tried mine as an Ipod speaker yet; I usually listen to mp3s through earbuds. I've had it about a year and no problems yet.

[Ed]

Dave, you might consider a classic boom box...can be had for under 75 dollars on eBay, you don't need one with a cassette player that works, just get one that has Line Inputs, as many do. I recommend Panasonic, JVC or Hitachi boom boxes. Great radios, stereo sound, makes the PR-D5 sound wimpy!

[Dave P.]

Ed, thanks for the advice. I actually have a vintage Panasonic, RX-5050. I've had it for ever, and aside from the cassette, it still performs extremely well. AM sensitivity/selectivity is truly phenomenal. I'm not sure why, the internal ferrite rod is fairly small, but this baby can really pull 'em in. I even opened it up a few years ago and added some LED dial lights, and used it as my 'out back' unit one summer. However, while I do consider it to be a more than capable DX'er, the fact that it takes eight(!!!) D batteries, and weighs a ton when they are loaded in, it's since been relegated to the workshop. It still gets used often, but I'm definitely looking for something a bit more 'portable'. The good thing is, here in NY, I've got a few months to figure it out before the back yard becomes habitable again LOL. Thanks again.