I bought several Amazon Echos a few years ago. That's how I listen to radio. But it's been a while since I bought a radio-only device. I still have an FM-Discman, but no batteries. I replaced my home entertainment system 14 years ago to get Dolby surround sound. and it included an FM receiver, so that may be the last time. But I mainly bought it to improve the audio for video. I never use the FM. I have HD in my SUV.
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When Was the Last Time You Bought A Radio?
- Thread starter Mike Sheridan
- Start date
I bought a new clock radio just a few months back, and a portable radio about two years ago. I suspect that puts me in a very small group, because I don't get the sense that radios are exactly hot products anymore.
That said, I wonder how long before someone comes up with the brilliant idea of including an FM tuner in one of those bluetooth speakers that now sell in mass quantity? While I don't think that many people are interested in buying radios anymore, I suspect that there might be a little more interest in buying devices that include a radio as an added feature.
That said, I wonder how long before someone comes up with the brilliant idea of including an FM tuner in one of those bluetooth speakers that now sell in mass quantity? While I don't think that many people are interested in buying radios anymore, I suspect that there might be a little more interest in buying devices that include a radio as an added feature.
The companies that make those speakers all own music streaming companies that make money when users of those speakers stream on their platforms (which are the default platforms.) This is why Amazon, Apple, and Google are trillion dollar companies. Imagine what would have happened if a radio company made a smart speaker. The last company that thought of including an FM tuner in a device was Microsoft with their ill-fated Zune over 15 years ago.
Most Bluetooth speakers do include FM tuners as they are a feature of the chip and only requires a wire such as a USB cable as an antenna. Many devices such as CD Players/Boomboxes/Stereo Systems have FM only because it doesn't require the ferrite bar or loop antenna that AM needs.
Last radio I bought was the Hanrongda I got from AliExpress in 2021, which is the orange radio in my profile picture. I use it everyday to hear FM, AM, and shortwave.
Last Thursday. Replica small boombox with bluetooth
I needed a new clock radio a few weeks ago because the old one quit working. I don't know how old the old one is but I know this. One which is newer which I used for Paul Harvey's "Rest of the Story" at 3:00 could not automatically change for Daylight Savings Time because the dates for that were changed after I bought it. And it required a college degree to change the time. I can't use that one to wake up because it will run for 20 minutes regardless of what you do. The snooze button just delays the inevitable.
The new clock radio requires a doctorate to figure out. I never got it to do anything but beep. It also won't pick up any stations in its current location, though when I was setting it, I could at least pick up FM. I did not figure out how to make the radio come on at the time it was set for. But the old clock radio started working again.
I also bought a regular radio, on I saw advertised on this site, to listen to "Wait! Wait!" on NPR in the kitchen. That was several years ago. The old radio was 40 years old and had problems.
The new clock radio requires a doctorate to figure out. I never got it to do anything but beep. It also won't pick up any stations in its current location, though when I was setting it, I could at least pick up FM. I did not figure out how to make the radio come on at the time it was set for. But the old clock radio started working again.
I also bought a regular radio, on I saw advertised on this site, to listen to "Wait! Wait!" on NPR in the kitchen. That was several years ago. The old radio was 40 years old and had problems.
Easily Amused
Banned
A couple of years back, Canadian Tire was running a special on an FM clock radio with built in white noise generator. About 5 or 6 'sounds of nature' with a sleep function, on sale for $10, a massive markdown from the original price. After a few nights of listening to some really bad frogs, rain, and thunder, I still think I got 'zoomed', even only spending the $10. 🤨
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Once my father retired in the 1980s, he traipsed around to garage sales, trying and buying a number of fairly vintage bakelite and tube AM and FM radios. I think he thought he was saving on heating the house, because of the heat those old sets would put out. 😁
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Once my father retired in the 1980s, he traipsed around to garage sales, trying and buying a number of fairly vintage bakelite and tube AM and FM radios. I think he thought he was saving on heating the house, because of the heat those old sets would put out. 😁
Use this app instead. It’s in the App Store on iphone too and I’ve used it, just pick the team and the station you want to listen to (home or away). I use it to listen to Bob Uecker call Brewers games:
Pro Baseball Radio - Apps on Google Play
Free baseball radio app with teams, stats, scores, standings live streams âš¾ï¸
2 years ago when i bought a Sangean CL-100 Weather Radio/AM/FM with RDS for the AM/FM radio itself. that was the last time i bought a radio and this was to get a upgrade on a weather radio compare to the old Midland WR-120. before that, i bought a Insignia NS-HDRAD2 FM/HD Radio in 2020 and a Sony CFD-S70 boombox in 2019 before that.
I purchased a Sony Walkman last year
The last time I bought a new radio was I think sometime last year, when I got a Sangean PR-D4W (a friend liked mine so much, I actually bought another one for him about a month later).
The last time I bought any radio? About a month ago, I bought a spare Sony SRF-A100 to tinker with, and maybe fix, and a month or two before that, a second Realistic TM-152.
I've been tempted to buy an HD radio because I'd read that some older ones can actually receive AM Stereo (AKA Motorola C-QUAM), but I have yet to find one I want to afford, and for the price, the overall quality of most of the few on the market (particularly those that are known to receive and decode C-QUAM) is surprisingly mediocre for such ostensibly high-end products.
c
The last time I bought any radio? About a month ago, I bought a spare Sony SRF-A100 to tinker with, and maybe fix, and a month or two before that, a second Realistic TM-152.
I've been tempted to buy an HD radio because I'd read that some older ones can actually receive AM Stereo (AKA Motorola C-QUAM), but I have yet to find one I want to afford, and for the price, the overall quality of most of the few on the market (particularly those that are known to receive and decode C-QUAM) is surprisingly mediocre for such ostensibly high-end products.
c
There is an AM stereo oldies station where I live and I have had the experience in my car of hearing some of the music from one speaker and other music from the other, just like with FM.
Any HD radio can receive AM stereo broadcasts---the station just has to a) be broadcasting in stereo and b) have an HD channel. The problem is that there are very few of either (AM stereo stations and AM HD stations) out there.
I will say, though, that it sounds stunning. 15 or so years ago, when KOY-AM in Phoenix was still doing standards, its HD channel in stereo sounded amazing.
I bet it didn’t cut out in “Stormy Weather”! 😂
Lucky you!
The only AM broadcasting in stereo within receiving distance is KVON 1440 out of Napa, but the format – Spanish CHR – doesn't appeal to me.
Well, in this case, I mean analog Stereo via Motorola's C-QUAM system, but I guess HD counts too (regardless of medium, stereo is stereo).
The only AM HD station is a religious talker on 770 from somewhere. I'm pretty sure they're mono, though.
c
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