Good Transistor Style Radio

Looking for a Transistor style Radio I want stereo FM to listen with headphones, but I want really good AM reception for camping and kayaking in fringe areas $50 or less any suggestions. I was looking at reviews on line and I found this one Where do people like this guy come from imagine a Fish report from him 

Sangean SR-35 AM/FM Pocket Radio Review

 5.0
Posted by: Computerhobbyist
from NY

on 02/25/2012
What's great about it: Outstanding Sound Reproduction, Excellent AM/FM Reception, Lightweight, and Attractive Design

What's not so great: detachable nylon carry strap



Musical variety on Laguna Beach, a handy audio companion while jogging through Central Park, a private listening session at the local coffee shop in San Francisco, a convenient backpack item for the camping trip in the Adirondacks, a weather forecast for the fishing trip on Lake Charles, a practical business travel accessory, an important information resource during a power outage event, and it's a great choice for listening to tonight's ballgame. Contemporary music, classical music, country music, classic soul, bluegrass, classic rock, hard rock, southern rock, soft rock, rock anthems, rock opera, rhythm & blues, heavy metal, love songs, disco, jazz, opera, reggae, electronica, dance, trance, hip-hop, and punk rock all in one diminutive handheld unit. It's also an exemplary product for up-to-the-minute news, sports scores, traffic reports, talk shows, auto repair, pet care, public affairs programs, business information, stock market updates, and the latest meteorological conditions. The Sangean SR-35 AM/FM pocket radio is an outstanding choice for all of these occasions or listening choices and many more as well. This pocket radio is beautiful looking, well-made, and provides first class portable audio. This unit sports a polished black exterior casing and classic analog tuning for exceptional portable audio enjoyment. AM reception and sound quality are just about the best that I can hope for from any pocket audio product. AM talk radio programs sound magnificent. Announcer voices are distinct, clear, exhibit pleasant tone, and demonstrate perfect pitch. AM band reception is effortless across the entire frequency spectrum. I have yet to hear any form of static or noise distortion emanating from this high quality audio product. Whether its news, Hollywood gossip, live sports events, politics, or marine weather, this Sangean SR-35 analog radio delivers a spectacular experience for any music and intellectual interests that I might have. I don't need to readjust the Sangean pocket radio's position frequently to get satisfactory reception for my favorite talk radio stations on the AM band. Low power and high power broadcast transmissions can be received with precision, and without annoying interference from adjacent broadcast frequencies. This pocket radio excels at AM DX reception. It is possible to receive many out-of-market medium wave broadcasts under appropriate seasonal conditions and after sunset. FM sound performance is the best of its kind for this pocket radio product category. The built-in monaural speaker offers superb bass response, excellent vocals, and well-defined midrange tonal frequencies on the FM band. Classical and orchestral music reproduction is crisp, with accurate acoustic representation of the violin, flute, cello, horn section, and harp. The Sangean pocket radio's speaker projects sound boldly through any room that it is placed in my home. This product easily produces high-performance audio from its 2.25-inch monaural speaker. The pocket radio’s audio output seems like it's coming from a radio that is twice its physical dimensions. I do extend the telescopic whip antenna to achieve better reception for weak signal FM band broadcasts. The Sangean AM/FM pocket radio sports an analog tuner with thumbwheel-style tuning and volume controls. The rotary tuning and volume controls provide pinpoint accuracy for their respective functions. The LED tuning indicator is a great feature because it also functions as a signal strength indicator for any particular radio broadcast. For example, if the front panel green LED begins to dim, flicker, or it goes out entirely, the station that is currently tuned may experience static, noise, or hiss. As a result, that particular station(s) is either low-powered, out-of-market, or the station has reduced the power of its broadcast transmission during the nighttime hours. In any of these instances, the LED tuning indicator proves itself to be a helpful guide to the listener for choosing high quality radio station broadcasts and obtaining accurate reception results on either broadcast band. Headphone audio performance offers the same transparent audio quality as this product’s extraordinary monaural speaker. The 3.5mm (1/8”) monaural headphone jack is compatible with any pair of stereo headphones or dual monaural earphones. The headphone jack outputs sound to both headphone speaker drivers without the requirement for a monaural-to-stereo headphone plug adapter. Please note that the Sangean SR-35 AM/FM pocket radio features an unacceptable ergonomic design flaw. This unit's carry strap is detachable and does not come attached out of the packaging. The carry strap is cumbersome to install into the radio. I prefer a pocket radio's nylon carry strap to be permanently affixed to the left side panel of the radio. Fortunately, this item has a great quality feel to it in my hand, and I have no use for the detachable carry strap. The Sangean SR-35 pocket radio's sensitivity and selectivity AM/FM reception performance is off the charts when compared to most other pocket radios on the market. This portable audio product can be reliably powered for a lengthy period of time on one pair of AA cell alkaline batteries. The portable radio can’t be operated on household AC power. The Sangean SR-35 AM/FM Pocket Radio offers excellent battery life performance for your advanced portable audio mobile power needs. There is no definitive answer as to the actual length of time that the batteries will last. Battery life longevity will also vary by battery manufacturer and battery chemistry. Of course, the longer the duration the portable radio is powered on and as the volume level increases during a playback session, battery life will be shortened accordingly. Proceed with caution. Personally, I recommend Duracell Coppertop, Duracell Ultra Advanced, Duracell Ultra Power, Energizer Max alkaline batteries, Energizer Advanced Lithium, or Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA cell batteries for maximum audio performance and battery life of this high quality Sangean SR-35 pocket radio. Stay away from cheap no name label alkaline or carbon zinc batteries. In my experience, these unknown brand batteries are of inferior quality, last a very short time span, and have a tendency to leak inside the product packaging, and/or battery compartment. Make sure to never mix old and new batteries, different battery types, and different battery brands. Remove the single-use alkaline batteries from the battery compartment if the radio is not going to be used for an extended period of time to avoid damage from battery leakage issues. The lithium battery type features a leak-resistant construction and may be more suitable for long term storage inside the battery compartment in extreme temperatures when compared to a standard alkaline battery. The batteries should be replaced with new ones when the Sangean radio consistently outputs subpar sound or no sound at all. The Sangean SR-35 portable radio is compatible with the following AA 1.5V battery types: carbon zinc batteries, alkaline batteries, lithium batteries, and NiMH rechargeable batteries (1.2 V). When purchasing batteries for this unit, it is a good idea to check the date on the package. A fresh set of alkaline batteries should have a best if used by date of at least 6 or 7 years ahead of the date of purchase. In the case of lithium batteries, the package date may be up to 15 years ahead of the current date of purchase. Battery life is determined by many factors and that is why individual results vary. Such factors include the type of music being played, the volume level being used, and ambient room or outdoor temperature. Battery performance will be decreased if this unit is powered by alkaline batteries in extremely cold or hot temperatures. You should always have a spare set of batteries nearby in case audio performance deteriorates in the middle of your favorite song. Please note that a lithium AA battery is approximately 33% lighter in weight when compared to a standard alkaline AA battery. As a result, the total system weight of this product will be affected by the type of batteries inserted in the battery compartment. The Sangean SR-35 AM/FM pocket radio offers an extensive portable audio feature set. Those features include: AM/FM broadcast reception, analog tuner, tuning capacitor, AM Band frequency range: 520-1710 kHz, FM Band frequency range: 87.5-108 MHz, white tuning marker, AM/FM dial scale, thumbwheel-style rotary tuning control, rotary power/volume control, audible click power on/off function, AM/FM band selector switch, faint red LED power on indicator, bright green LED tuning indicator, built-in ferrite bar AM antenna, telescopic FM whip antenna, 2.25-inch (57 mm) 8 ohms impedance rated monaural speaker, speaker cabinet, black detachable nylon carry strap, 3.5mm (1/8”) monaural earphone jack, internal monaural headphone amplifier, hinged battery compartment cover, DC positive and negative battery terminals, battery compartment, 2 AA battery operation, lightweight design, polished black exterior, two rear panel case screws, 1 battery compartment case screw, rear panel system air vent, total system output power: 120mW at 8 ohms, headphone amplifier output power: 5mW, operating instructions, and this product comes with a warranty card. The product dimensions are as follows: Width: 2.76 inches, Height: 4.84 inches, Depth: 1.22 inches, (70 x 123 x 31mm w/h/d) and Weight: 5.9 ounces (167 g). The Sangean SR-35 pocket radio includes a 90-day parts and labor limited manufacturer warranty. The Sangean SR-35 pocket radio is an ideal solution for any pocket radio enthusiast. Lastly, the Sangean SR-35 portable radio definitely provides a vibrant, fulfilling, and lush musical experience on the FM band, and superb voice quality on my favorite AM band talk radio programs. Good Luck. Enjoy.

Mike, I have one of these:  http://www.amazon.com/CC-SWPocket-Shortwave-Pocket-Radio/dp/B0012R8O1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362062706&sr=8-1&keywords=CC+SW+Pocket+AM%2FFM%2FSW+Radio 

It works really well, with great reception and the best AM speaker i've ever heard.  This one is small enouugh to fit in my shirt pocket, and has a handy stand built in.  Only complaint I have is the on/off button is in a spot that it gets bumped and turns on while i'm driving.