Thread: Transistor radio?

OK so I'm thinking it'd be handy to have a little radio to listen to the weather etc when I bugger off for a hikoi.. Have asked around at various shops but usually get blank stares when asking salespeople about coverage etc.. Don't want to lay down cash on something that will be of no use to me....any advice??

I have a cheap panasonic. Runs on 2 x AA batts. I take a long length od thin insulated wire as an aerial. Works mint. Never not been able to get the rugby.

there are wind up ones on aliexpress, no need for batteries at all. a few minutes winding and hours of listening to talkback radio...............theres bugger all left on AM

Got a wind up torch, AM/FM radio, USB charger and includes some sort of 'never fail' battery, off TM a few months ago.
Check it out every now and again to make sure it still works.
$50 off the top of my head.

Got an $18.00 cheapy years ago and has never failed. 2aa batteries last over a year. A bit of thin wire as an aerial hooked onto the fm aerial works well or wrapped around the radio for AM. Its funny how everyone laughs at it but everyone wants to listen to it.

Originally Posted by Driverman

Got an $18.00 cheapy years ago and has never failed. 2aa batteries last over a year. A bit of thin wire as an aerial hooked onto the fm aerial works well or wrapped around the radio for AM. Its funny how everyone laughs at it but everyone wants to listen to it.

Driverman you have it exact with how you hook up the aerial wire to the telescopic antenna for FM vs looping it around the radio body for AM. AM is of course not connected to the FM telescopic antenna and requires the loop around trick. FM and SW (shortwave) use the telescopic aerial.

IMHO the best radio is the smallest and lightest radio. Get one with headphone socket and one with AM at least (that rules out the one in your cellphone which usually receives only FM). Make it one that takes the same batteries as your torch. Not that a radio uses much batteries - EXCEPT if it is a PLL synthesized receiver, which will usually also have a digital frequency display, instead of a knob and a moving needle. PLL receivers also have a "search" and "station memory" function. The ones with the moving needle on the scale and knob for finding stations / for the volume use least battery power. New and modern ain't always the best.

Earphones help, as does the extra wire antenna, but listening at dusk is what gives the best signal.

FM - great hi-fi stereo signal but short range, and get a few km from the transmitter and it starts getting crackly. If you really go bush, no FM signal. Keep the telescopic aerial vertical as that fits with how the transmitter transmits it and it is in sync.

AM - Generally best for the bush, but don't check it in the middle of the day and give up because no good signal. The AM band gives great signals especially around dusk - something to do with the ionosphere bouncing the signal to you best at that time. The AM signal is picked up by a ferrite magnetic rod inside the receiver, and it gets a best signal side-on to the rod, and nearly zero signal end-on to the rod. Most strong stations this does not matter, but if you are listening for a faint signal and there is noise in the background you can sometimes point the end of the rod at the noise source to cut it out.

SW - Shortwave is great for listening to very distant stations, same times of day and overnight. Note that SW is connected to the telescopic aerial so hook up your long wire to that. That said, the basic telescopic aerial alone can give a decent signal the right time of day (or rather night).

LW - Long Wave. No use in NZ, AFAIK.

Originally Posted by Cordite

Driverman you have it exact with how you hook up the aerial wire to the telescopic antenna for FM vs looping it around the radio body for AM. AM is of course not connected to the FM telescopic antenna and requires the loop around trick. FM and SW (shortwave) use the telescopic aerial.

IMHO the best radio is the smallest and lightest radio. Get one with headphone socket and one with AM at least (that rules out the one in your cellphone which usually receives only FM). Make it one that takes the same batteries as your torch. Not that a radio uses much batteries - EXCEPT if it is a PLL synthesized receiver, which will usually also have a digital frequency display, instead of a knob and a moving needle. PLL receivers also have a "search" and "station memory" function. The ones with the moving needle on the scale and knob for finding stations / for the volume use least battery power. New and modern ain't always the best.

Earphones help, as does the extra wire antenna, but listening at dusk is what gives the best signal.

FM - great hi-fi stereo signal but short range, and get a few km from the transmitter and it starts getting crackly. If you really go bush, no FM signal. Keep the telescopic aerial vertical as that fits with how the transmitter transmits it and it is in sync.

AM - Generally best for the bush, but don't check it in the middle of the day and give up because no good signal. The AM band gives great signals especially around dusk - something to do with the ionosphere bouncing the signal to you best at that time. The AM signal is picked up by a ferrite magnetic rod inside the receiver, and it gets a best signal side-on to the rod, and nearly zero signal end-on to the rod. Most strong stations this does not matter, but if you are listening for a faint signal and there is noise in the background you can sometimes point the end of the rod at the noise source to cut it out.

SW - Shortwave is great for listening to very distant stations, same times of day and overnight. Note that SW is connected to the telescopic aerial so hook up your long wire to that. That said, the basic telescopic aerial alone can give a decent signal the right time of day (or rather night).

LW - Long Wave. No use in NZ, AFAIK.

Awesome advice, thanks for that!