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Ok, 20 years ago, my then wife's sister gave her a used GE radio that worked on 9v of C-cell batteries only the batteries had corroded in the case. Ok, I opened it and soldered an old lamp cord to terminals and connected it to a worn out 12v car battery that no longer held enough charge for starting a car (showed around 10 volt). Lived in UP and didnt have electric at time.
Well turns out this radio not only liked the old car battery (went months of daily use on such without charging) but was very sensitive to distant stations plus got weather and tv. It will even tolerate a fresh 12volt car battery out of car albeit with bit more static since it wasnt designed for 12volt. When I moved here could plug it in and just connect to battery during power outages.
It unfortunately anymore is hard to tune although if you are very patient it will still work. I have been looking around for a replacement. It seems to be very unusual in using 9volt. Most use 4.5 or 6 volt setup. Also most cheap radios dont have anywhere near the sensitivity it had. I have kind of resigned myself to having to spend upto $50 for replacement unless I get lucky. I just find cheap boom box crap at thrift stores. These were made to play tapes and cds loudly, not pull in distant stations.
Any suggestions. Would like to have weather band. TV was nice to get emergency weather also. Sometimes more upto date than weather radio. I really hate giving up ability to run it directly off old car battery forever (saved a fortune in buying alkalines) but if I have to I have to. Dont need tape or cd player.
I did find mention of a $49 Sony ICF-S79V shower radio now discontinued (but still available) because apparently people now not only need a radio in shower, but a cd player also (people are weird). One review at amazon was by a lady in boonies who said it may be sold as a shower radio but she bought it because it got good reception in her very rural area. No ac and its 3 C cells so 4.5 volt. Said good battery life.
Also ran across a Sony ICF-M350V that seems also to be discontinued that got good reviews. Think it uses 4 AA batteries so 6V system. Also suppose to be good battery life.
Well turns out this radio not only liked the old car battery (went months of daily use on such without charging) but was very sensitive to distant stations plus got weather and tv. It will even tolerate a fresh 12volt car battery out of car albeit with bit more static since it wasnt designed for 12volt. When I moved here could plug it in and just connect to battery during power outages.
It unfortunately anymore is hard to tune although if you are very patient it will still work. I have been looking around for a replacement. It seems to be very unusual in using 9volt. Most use 4.5 or 6 volt setup. Also most cheap radios dont have anywhere near the sensitivity it had. I have kind of resigned myself to having to spend upto $50 for replacement unless I get lucky. I just find cheap boom box crap at thrift stores. These were made to play tapes and cds loudly, not pull in distant stations.
Any suggestions. Would like to have weather band. TV was nice to get emergency weather also. Sometimes more upto date than weather radio. I really hate giving up ability to run it directly off old car battery forever (saved a fortune in buying alkalines) but if I have to I have to. Dont need tape or cd player.
I did find mention of a $49 Sony ICF-S79V shower radio now discontinued (but still available) because apparently people now not only need a radio in shower, but a cd player also (people are weird). One review at amazon was by a lady in boonies who said it may be sold as a shower radio but she bought it because it got good reception in her very rural area. No ac and its 3 C cells so 4.5 volt. Said good battery life.
Also ran across a Sony ICF-M350V that seems also to be discontinued that got good reviews. Think it uses 4 AA batteries so 6V system. Also suppose to be good battery life.