I’m working in the garage and my kid said the Cubs are on in 10 minutes. I didn’t want to stop what I was doing so I grab the NOAA radio off my nightstand and bring it into the garage.

The game starts, I turn up the volume a bit, and the radio sounds like it’s under water. Theres no way I was going to listen to the game on that distorted speaker. I don’t think I’ve ever had that radio outside of the bedroom so I’ve never had it up loud enough to hear how crappy it sounds. It’s a Kaito Voyager and it’s done everything I’ve ever asked it to but now I know that’s not enough.

So what do you recommend? I know C. Crane radios have a reputation for sounding good and having good reception. I like having the radio on the nightstand and having NOAA bands. Do you like C. Crane or something else?

I miss radio shack. Good luck. My brother got my dad a C. Crane. Decent or better radio but will not help if a poor signal.

Does it have an external speaker/headphone jack?
A powered speaker might be a cheap fix...

I have an older AM/FM/CD baby boombox in my shop. Picked it up for $5 at a garage sale. Works fine plugged in, but the battery compartment once held Duracell's so...

Id rather buy a radio that has a better speaker.

I’ve had a C Crane on the nightstand for years. It does have great reception and sound quality, although I’ve never used it outside where there was much background noise. After several years the preset station buttons on the top stopped working, and from the reviews I’m not the only one with that issue. It’s not much of a problem for me, as I almost always leave it on the same station. But it is disappointing in a $200 radio.

If you want to try something less expensive you might want to try the Sangean radios, some available on Amazon. It’s a pretty decent company, and in fact C Crane used to sell some of their radios.

Bought this 5 years ago to use in my shop, still works great:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003...dt_b_product_details

I have a Panasonic RF 2400 I’ve used for my basement workbench. It’s not Hi Fi but sounds good to me. About $30 these days.

GE Superadio...

I use an older Bose wavetec that I brought home when we closed out mom's house. You can check out the local flea markets/pawn shops/facebook marketplace for a used, higher end radio.

I like the Panasonic RF-2400.

I have a pair of Panasonic RF 2400D.

About $30 and they work fine if you have decent reception in your area.

None of these have the NOAA channels. I’m looking to replace the radio I have with something that has a better speaker. I’d still like to keep it relatively small and on the nightstand.

Amazon has about 20 pages of NOAA radios. I browsed 2 pages and this is the one I'd buy. The RCA Super radio is a dandy but no NOAA. I've got one that's 25 years old and still good as new. Also have a D cell Sangean that's been good for 20 years plus but no noaa.

https://www.amazon.com/Jazmm-S...d=8siXIUMmFcXoy&th=1

This one looks good too, a lot like the Super radio

https://www.amazon.com/PRUNUS-...d_i=B085VY1QZR&psc=1

quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
None of these have the NOAA channels. I’m looking to replace the radio I have with something that has a better speaker. I’d still like to keep it relatively small and on the nightstand.

The CCrane radio has the NOAA bands. Look at the dimensions, as they have a somewhat larger unit and a smaller portable. The larger unit has a larger speaker and will sound better at louder volumes.

Several years ago my Dad was wanting a radio that was not hi-tech so he could listen to the Cubs games in his home office.
I looked for a great condition, old tube radio.
I found one on Ebay that was perfect.
It has great sound and an easy tuning dial, plus it looks great.

Honestly I’d recommend you use a smartphone app like TuneIn Radio or NOAA Weather Radio with a Bluetooth speaker. I have a Bose which can be pricey (was a Christmas present) but you can get really decent ones for $50 or less now.

Sangean is a good brand. This is the one I bought back in 2012:

Sangean NOAA radio

BTW Sangean is a Taiwan-based company with a factory in mainland China.