Radios

Radios

Radios here run from pocket sets to turntables, and the first choice is the waveband. A DAB radio carries the digital stations and usually holds FM as well, which is the safer buy for a kitchen or a bedside where you want RTE, Today FM and the digital only stations in one box. An FM and AM set is simpler, cheaper and, importantly, works on batteries for far longer, which is why a plain analogue portable is still the one to keep in a drawer for an outage. Retro and vintage styled radios are the bulk of what people come looking for, in wood effect and painted finishes, and most now pair a classic cabinet with Bluetooth so a phone can play through it. Beyond radio, the range takes in radio CD players, CD and cassette recorders for anyone still playing tapes, and turntables and record players with Bluetooth and USB for transferring vinyl. Power source is worth thinking about separately from sound. A mains only set is fine on a worktop and useless in a power cut. A rechargeable or battery portable keeps working, and an emergency radio with a hand crank, a solar panel and a built in torch keeps working when the batteries are gone too, which is the reason to own one at all. Check the speaker output if the radio is for a workshop or a garden rather than a bedside, and check whether presets are stored through a power loss.

Roberts covers the Revival and Rambler DAB and FM ranges plus the Sports 995 digital portable, with Philips on portable FM and AM sets including the hand crank and solar emergency radio with torch. Panasonic supplies the RF 2400 analogue portable, Lloytron and Steepletone the vintage and three band portables, Nedis a crank and solar emergency set, and Crosley, Lenco, Muse and Roadstar the turntables, record players and CD and cassette machines. For the batteries a portable set takes see Batteries, and for the wider outage range see Power Cut & Emergency Essentials.