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I like: - Size - Construction - Sensitivity I do not like: - Dial - Knob for volume and tuningWith a month of using the power key is failing to turn on.
:-) It also feels a tad better in the hand/pocket & has an overall, simple-but-pleasing design to it. worth the extra bucks. Both have nice speaker sound; both have solid-feeling basic controls (AM/FM switch, ON/VOLUME/OFF wheel, STATION TUNING wheel); both use a power-sipping 100 mA of max current & a good set of AA batteries will last for quite a long while; both will likely not break with moderate use.For sheer aesthetics, though, we give the edge to the Panasonic. Both seem quite durable in the months that we've owned as well as operated them. We purchased both Panasonic RF-P50 Pocket Radio as well as the Sony ICF-S10MK2 Pocket Radio. Either one you choose will put a smile on your faces for a long while. Though lithium batteries require responsible disposing of after they are discharged, in a survival application they are worth considering & would last a very long time (they are also lighter too). nice.For survival uses we'd recommend using 2 lithium batteries (such as Energizer photo cells), as they literally get slightly stronger in extreme cold weather that would drain alkaline & other common cells.
again, worth the extra investment of money.We are so pleased with both radios that it is difficult to choose one over the other, but as already noted: the design of the Panasonic seems a bit more refined. A minor annoyance is the fact that both radios have mono capability so far as an earphone is concerned, one ear only. For a mere 10 dollar bill each one cannot go far wrong with either one, truthfully. For on-the-job/camping we use Sanyo eneloop NiMH hybrid batteries (they hold their charge much better & will not self-discharge fast like most NiMH cells will). Though we live in the "boonies" of NW Nebraska, both radios will pick up a surprising number of radio stations, especially using FM. Both have a rather nifty red LED light that illuminates whenever an AM or FM station is tuned in. It's a matter of personal tastes, actually. a good deal at twice the price in our opinion.
I was especially impressed by the fact that the little red tuning signal light below the speaker (indicating how well you've hit a station) works for the AM band as well as the FM. Naturally, this kind of very basic model can be distinguished by what it doesn't have -- NOAA bands, crank dynamo charger and the ability to accept stereo earphones among the missing. It's much lighter and thinner than the brittle-shelled transistor radios of that era, and it tunes well. But this unit isn't some clone from the 1960s. America may never have developed the mythical "five-cent cigar," but in the Panasonic model RF-P50 pocket AM/FM radio, we have a darn nice little ten-buck radio. I barely needed it for close-to-home stations, anyway. I found AM clear and easily negotiable, too, especially using the red signal light mentioned above. Since this is not an all-digital unit, we are mercifully spared the "birdies" that sometimes trouble FM digital reception.
But really, what do you expect for this kind of money. Selectivity on FM seems very good, with the usual allowances for "ghosts" that allow extra-strong stations to come in at two or three different places. Nothing fancy, just an on-off wheel incorporating volume, another thumbwheel for tuning, a switch to go from AM to FM, and an earphone jack. The unit will accept a mono earphone, which you must supply yourself. The sound was something of a revelation to me -- it must help that the speaker is practically the width of the radio itself. Reception is stronger and clearer than I had expected. Also, please note that the collapsible FM antenna swings out from the side of the unit, not up-and-down.
The transistor radio is of supereior quality. I had a nice radio which was also a pocket radio that didn't sound any where near as good this one. It sounds like a a tunebox that plugs into a wall soket at a price of no less than double the price of the radio I purchased. It is durable and it is obvious I will be listening to it for some time.
Bought this radio to have around in case of emergency, but I like it so much that I use it most everyday. One of my current favorite activities is listening to my Phillies games on the Panasonic in the yard,hanging in my hammock, or grilling up some steaks. Sound quality isn't too bad for a small transistor unit, but the thing I really love about it is the reception. I live about 50 miles from the radio station I like to listen to and my Bose Wave can't pick up the signal.My $10.00 Panasonic does though.Plus it reminds me of when I was a kid riding my bike, transistor radio hanging from the handlebar, with songs like Take It Easy, Smoke On The Water, and Stairway To Heaven blasting from the AM band. I really love this radio.Was shipped from a co. called Beach Audio and I got it in 2 days.BEST $10.00 I EVER SPENT.
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