Best AM/FM radio

[s/v Faith]

Ok,

  So, in addition to my flashlight fettish... and my preoccupation with oil lamps... oh yea, and the pocketknife thing... I really like a good radio.

  I have never gravited to the whole Ipod thing (too lazy to rip and store all that music).  I am (shock) a radio listener.

So, I have resisted the 'installed' stereo option (although there are lots of things to argue for it).  Have cycled through quite a few radios.

What do you like?

[s/v Faith]

Listening to one of these right now;



The Tivoli One has a really nice sound, but frankly the tuning is not great.  It is a PLL analog dial...

... for $150 you would think it would be VERY good... but not so much.  I did like it for the 12v input on the boat (it lived on the boat the first year).

[Captain Smollett]

What do you like?

I find the Kaito SSB receiver when connected to a pair of 12V  computer speakers to work pretty good, and does not require ANOTHER electronic gizmo aboard.

In port with plenty of juice available and internet connection, we use Internet "radio" a lot...some rock stations and of course dinners with jazz24.com.

[s/v Faith]

Used a Sony ICF-36 on the cruise... worked ok, but died a slow death after we had significant water ingress while anchored off of Little San Salvador..



Has now been replaced with the ICF-36 (no TV band)... still allergic to H20.

[s/v Faith]

The Kaito lives in it's waterproof case unless I am listening to the Wx.  Yes, I know I should just use it, but I like to keep the radio in the cockpit where it gets banged around...

... I like the external speakers idea.  Sounds like a great way to get the quality sound without the price.  :)

Might be a good option with my 'on watch' radio, my Sangean DT-400.  I like this one since it fits in a pocket and has good tuning, WX band, and has a small speaker for times when headphones get in the way.

[Captain Smollett]

... I like the external speakers idea.  Sounds like a great way to get the quality sound without the price.  :)

Yep, I guess speakers are cheaper to replace if they get wet than the radio itself.

In a related note...don't use headphones on watch underway!  One of the examples in the video Tim posted this morning had a boat causing problems for a container ship...the repeated 5 Short Blasts were not heard due to the skipper having ear plugs.

:o :o

[skylark]

Kaito KA1103 with SSB receiver included.

I am a ham but was never much of a talker, so the receive side of ham radio is really all I need.

AM/FM reception is very good although the small speaker does not have good bass, no surprise there.  Headphone sound is also very much on the treble side. 

[marujo_sortudo]

Lots of reviews for all kinds of radios here:

http://www.eham.net/reviews/