Dear Herculodge,
I travel almost half the year and I'm looking for a good small portable. What do you recommend?
Reader,
Funny you should ask me of all people. After owning or sampling all of the new Kaito, Degen, Eton, Grundig models, I've come to dislike nearly ALL small portables. Navigating and pressing the tiny buttons give me a sense of learning Braille and ultimately afflicts me with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The tin speaker sound is about as warm and comforting as nails scratching a chalk board.
The only digital portable I own and enjoy, sadly, is now discontinued and that is the Grundig G4000. I notice it's even hard to find used or refurbished on the Internet.
So for a new radio, I'd say you should look to eBay for a new Tivoli Songbook and get one for a little under $100. Otherwise, sometimes Amazon sells them for under $130. The Songbook is flat shaped, so you can lie it flat in your suitcase. Its speaker sound is warm and full. It's attractive. Its AM and FM is above average though don't expect it to deliver the same FM reception as a Redsun 2100 or its C.Crane CSW clone.
You can spend between $100-$150 one of the aforementioned Kaito or Eton or Grundig models and as far as I'm concerned they are depressing to be around for a long period of time. I look at them as "emergency" radios, hard on the ears for more than five minutes.
Get yourself the Tivoli Songbook.
hi georgis...well one have to picture the ccrane,is good for the table...and of course one keeps one's head,but how one should really carry it out
?it is unbearable,the point is,that takes a lot of space,i do not know what kind of radio you wanted,but the sony icf 7600g on the other hand is clear has good ssb and a good situation when you compare it with the rest of your carring things,that is why i wanted to have it.
Posted by: georgioskoroneos | March 10, 2009 at 04:18 PM
How about a good used Sony dual-conversion analog like the 7601 or SW-15? Or the Magnavox D1875, which is single conversion but probably has a better speaker.
Posted by: John | March 10, 2009 at 04:23 PM
georgis ...the sony icf 7600g first of all exhibits high quality of work manship it is quieter on receiving and beats up all the likes ccrane ,grundigs kaitos to pieces
Posted by: georgioskoroneos | March 10, 2009 at 04:36 PM
georgis...well the sony 7601 normaly you could take it for granted,but this radio on am really blast...with the magnavox i really do not know what is floating around,i just heard for the fist time, to my amazement that existed.
Posted by: georgioskoroneos | March 10, 2009 at 04:57 PM
My portable of choice, and I have been really impressed with it, is the Grundig mini 300. About $30.
Posted by: Bill W | March 11, 2009 at 01:43 PM
The CCrane aka Redsun RP300 is a great radio for $50, just has a annoying problem: you are unable to listen it at lower volume...volume is graduated by steps and in the lower step you hear nothing, next step set the radio at a disturbing level for quiet listening. Cheers
Posted by: Pablo | March 13, 2009 at 01:17 PM
That would drive me crazy.
Posted by: Jeffrey McMahon | March 13, 2009 at 01:29 PM