House Radio

[teejk]

Who listens to terrestrial radio anymore? You must love commercials because that's all they play. Do you keep it next to your Telegraph transmitter?

The Internet with something like Pandora radio is the way to go. . Also, most satellite boxes have the Pandora app or some other on them.

Use it anywhere from phone, in car, garage, house.

Bluetooth or wireless speakers all over and no commercials!

Why do people put up with commercials?

Metered internet (Hughes) where 15gb/mo is sometimes not enough especially when Microsoft pushes a big patch outside the "bonus" time with no advance notification (typical for us with Win10).

 

[reb]

We have a C Crane radio. Before we got it, I was considering getting a 12 supply and a car radio for reliable AM reception. The C Crane radio does the job.

Why do people put up with commercials?

We listen to the local AM station for the local news and a couple of other programs. There is an FM station fairly close with good music and minimal advertising. Otherwise, we listen to satellite radio (on our satellite TV connection) or CDs.

 

[DrRod]

Actually, I like terrestrial radio. When I'm at my cabin it provides a link to the outside world. And there are programs that aren't available on XM [which I admit I love]. But I get one AM station at the cabin and one FM at my house [high on a hill near Baltimore] which is frustrating.

So at both locations I just use my computer as a radio. Almost everything on radio can be accessed as a "play live." I plug in speakers at my desk or use a remote speaker system to broadcast around my house.

I use Recoton speakers via a transponder. These have been out of production for years but are constantly available on eBay for very little money. They work great and I have them in the house, garage, cabin, shed, et al -- wherever I spend a good bit of time. Changed my life.

 

[Opti-Mist]

I have a GE Superradio
RadioIntel.com - General Electric Superadios: Evolution Of A Classic
and a Selct-A-Tenna (tunable)
Select-A-Tenna 541 Select-A-Tenna 541-M AM Antennas
that I bought close to 20 years ago and between them they can pull in a ton of AM and FM stations just as good today as when I bought them.

 

[lakngulf]

I am enjoying the discussion and the ideas. Maybe we get this thing figured out. I think I need to clarify my listening environment, which will affect alternatives. I listen inside the house a bit, and some of the antennae and internet options would work there.

But my primary listening spots are Garden and Greenhouse/Work Shed. Internet is not an option there, but perhaps separate antenna for each place is. Currently have an old bad weather station (radio, flashlight, etc combo unit) in each place. I can get some stations but the signal varies, and is dial tuned instead of electronic, so keeping the station tuned in is a problem.

 

[k0ua]

I have a GE Superradio
RadioIntel.com - General Electric Superadios: Evolution Of A Classic
and a Selct-A-Tenna (tunable)
Select-A-Tenna 541 Select-A-Tenna 541-M AM Antennas
that I bought close to 20 years ago and between them they can pull in a ton of AM and FM stations just as good today as when I bought them.

These are the key things that set these radios apart from simple junk radios.

First, What's So "Super" About The Superadios?

The GE Superadios are classics of simple yet excellent design in a portable AM/FM radio. Generally retailing at or below $60 over their long production runs between approximately 1979 to 2008 they were far and away the best performing radios one could obtain anywhere near that price level, both in terms of AM RF performance and sound quality. FM performance is good but not stellar as the AM is. All three SR models contain an unusually large (7 ¾") ferrite rod AM antenna, tuned RF stages on both AM and FM, 4 AM IF stages and 3 on FM plus a ceramic filter. They feature full rich audio and incredibly long battery life on a set of 6 D cells, or they can be powered by their built in AC power supply.

These are portable with built in antenna's but still head and shoulders above the normal junky tabletop or portable radio.. It is all about having some engineering inside. And you have to pay for that.

 

[DFB]

I am enjoying the discussion and the ideas. Maybe we get this thing figured out. I think I need to clarify my listening environment, which will affect alternatives. I listen inside the house a bit, and some of the antennae and internet options would work there.

But my primary listening spots are Garden and Greenhouse/Work Shed. Internet is not an option there, but perhaps separate antenna for each place is. Currently have an old bad weather station (radio, flashlight, etc combo unit) in each place. I can get some stations but the signal varies, and is dial tuned instead of electronic, so keeping the station tuned in is a problem.

Anyone have a good alternative? What type radio do construction workers use on site? Those seem to work very well.

Here's my choice then, Most times I'm outside..in the field, greenhouse, orchard, garden or in the middle of a construction maintenance project often with poor to none AC options

I have been using a Milwaukee 2590 radio all the time. IMO its the best bang for the buck and quite worthy of the investment. Solid built, I can believe that drop test video

Is top quality, sounds great and runs for hours on the smallest rechargable 1.5 ah battery. No screwing around with throw away batteries. The best part is its not as big an entire tool box like most all the 18v ones. I have had it on the job now for along time. Its digital tuning I don't often experience any station drift. Has an aux position power in too so I coupled it up with a cheap BT receiver (I bought a combo unit which can also transmit but not off that radio no power out headphone jack). Plus I got the Milwaukee BT speaker and cheapo BT Mp3 player with FM and SD slot at Christmas this year to add more portable music choices to the job. I have loaded up a bunch of my CD music for the coming season.

I use in the house and garage all the time right now. :cool2:

I had a Rock Box for a while...that's radio built in a portable tool box. Takes six AA batteries. Was ok plus it was a tool storage box but nowhere as rugged as the Milwaukee. I still have it. whenever you would touch the volume dial it the sound would crackle, real annoying. and pretty much always been like that too. Has a really big extendable antenna (nothing like that little Milwaukee flex one) and just about broke that off a few times too.




We had a thread a while back on some Jobsite radios and portable rechargeable BT speakers options . :thumbsup:

I have an old GE radio in the garage still that I inherited long ago. Has to be all of 30 years old or even more...has the TV band too!

 

[Soundguy]

I work around music so much, I usually have radios turned off when possible