Best portable radio (1 Viewer)

Bobby22

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Dec 15, 2013
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Can anyone recommend a decent portable radio that doesn't need EHU. We have a DAB that we use off grid but, as it is also a clock, the batteries don't last more than a few days.

I don't like to use the vehicle radio as i don't want to flatten the starter battery.

Wind up/ rechargeable ones are availabe on ebay but how good are they?
 

Doctor Dave

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May 18, 2015
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7 years followed by a break of 11 years and then 4+ years but given up now
I have a Roberts Radio R2927 which I find excellent. It will run on mains or battery but very economical on battery. About £30 on Ebay.

Dave
 
May 8, 2016
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Boatie for 20 years
Agreed. Roberts make great radios.

A vehicle radio shouldn't take up that much from your starter battery though

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Bobby22

Bobby22

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Dec 15, 2013
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We use the vehicle battery for a few hours after arriving on pitch but don't want to chance it over a longer stay.

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Jul 21, 2011
193
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Up’t North West
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coach built
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1999
Roberts DAB. Mine can run either on none recharge or recharge batteries 6x AA or mains via an adapter. The beauty of mine is the adapter is 240vac to 12vDC. That means I charge my 6x AA rechargeable off my habitation batteries via a cigarette lighter socket.
Have a look at the Roberts Stream 107 to see if it's got a 12vDC charge socket inlet.
Colin
 
May 8, 2016
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Understood. As we are generally touring (travelling at least a few hours daily) then our vehicle battery is pretty much fully loaded all the time,. If we were staying on a site for a couple of days, then I still tend to give the engine a run for 45 minutes or so (if it doesn't disturb anyone) so that the missus can use the hairdryer (via invertor) and put back a bit of charge for the radio.

We use a Roberts radio (not sure what modal) but great sound,

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Aug 27, 2014
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I've fitted a DAB radio in the cab, but the power supply is wired to the leisure battery, so I can use it on site without fear of flattening the van battery.

The better Roberts DAB radios are great - some run off 9v, some 12v, even on the same model, so be careful what you pick. No need to mess about with inverters, just get a 12v one and rig up a cigarette lighter power cable. Easy enough to fit a cigarette lighter power socket in your hab area linked to the leisure battery, if there isn't one already there.

I initially did this - in fact, I still have the radio and don't really need it any more, so if its of interest ( with its power cable ) let me know. Don't ask me which model it was! I can check when back in the UK next week. It was one of their better stereo radios, they also do some cheap mono ones which really don't sound good - I bought one of those initially but sent it back.
 

scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
2,076
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Suffolk Coastal District, UK
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Timberland
Is there anything worth listening to these days ..:(

since the demise of the BBC Light Program, Radio Luxembourg and the Pirate stations.. .. can't find anything worth tuning into.. even Radio 2 has gone to the dogs.. :confused:

all you hear is DJs wittering on and on and on.. incoherent mumblings from school age kids.. .. ..zzzzzzzzzzzz

do I sound old .. :ROFLMAO:

I tend not to bother now.. we listen to music from my phone played though a sound bar..
 
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Bobby22

Bobby22

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Dec 15, 2013
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Are you sure ? Our cab radio is powered by the leisure battery.
Brian i never ever thought about it, i always assumed because it was part of the original chassis it was wired to the engine battery.

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hilldweller

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Dec 5, 2008
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Brian i never ever thought about it, i always assumed because it was part of the original chassis it was wired to the engine battery.

I only found out when I installed a BM1 on the leisure battery and could not figure out why a current was flowing, then I realised it was the radio. As far as I know that's how it came out of Burstner's. It makes a lot of sense.
 
Oct 17, 2013
697
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Plymouth
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Is there anything worth listening to these days ..:(

all you hear is DJs wittering on and on and on.. incoherent mumblings from school age kids.. .. ..zzzzzzzzzzzz


I quite agree, we often tune into Gold, our type of music, no annoying DJ and not too many adverts

I tend not to bother now.. we listen to music from my phone played though a sound bar..
 
Aug 27, 2014
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Brian i never ever thought about it, i always assumed because it was part of the original chassis it was wired to the engine battery.
I don't know how many converters bother to make the change - mine hadn't - I had to make the change for it to be powered by the leisure battery myself. I seem to remember that as it was wired originally the (crap!) Fiat radio only worked when the ignition was on.

I changed the door speakers and added tweeters in the empty grilles on top of the dash - made a huge difference to the sound quality, even though I only bought relatively cheap Kenwood speakers and a Sony DAB head unit.

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