Sony ICF38 Portable AM/FM Radio (Black)

I chose the Sony portable because I grew up on Sony products, and it seemed to me, if Sony does anything right, it's radios. The IFC38 did not disappoint. It's small, fits easily on our (tiny) kitchen shelf, the sound quality is adequate, and best of all, it pulls in all the stations we want, which other radios have failed to do. This radio is well worth its modest price.

This was the perfect gift for my 75 yr old father, who only wanted a simple radio. He said he looked everywhere but only found boom boxes and mp-3 players. Simple is best.

The Sony ICF38 portable is just the right size for use at the ranch. Daytime reception of favorite station 90 miles away is fine. I can
set it up and listen anywhere on the place. Quality is good and so
far I'm on the first set of AA batteries.

Digital is awesome but I love having a tough little old school radio. I have to move it around sometimes to receive the signal I want but I am very happy with this radio. I like having a built in power cord but I haven't used it yet. The battery life has been so good I haven't had to fool around with the cord yet. I bought one for my Dad and I would definitely buy it again.

I wanted a basic AM-FM Radio with analog tuning to take traveling with me. As different countries have different channel spacing digital tuning would not always be suitable and I prefer analog tuning anyway. Initial comparison testing prior to my travels indicated that, for the price, the Sony ICF38 has quite good signal sensitivity and selectivity for a basic radio in this price class. One area I was going to with this radio is in a strong " RF " enviornment where several nearby broadcast stations can easily overload the front end of cheap radios making them nearly useless. This Sony ICF38 proved itself when used in this strong signal area without front end overload which also allowed listening to weaker out of town stations on both AM and FM.

Basic and decent quality radios like this are not always easily found in retail stores, especially the nationally known chains where shelf space is at a premimium. I am happy I was able to find this radio available on line. It is a fantastic, basic ( easy to use ) portable radio reminiscent of portable radios we had years ago long before the digital tuning age. Battery consumption is conservative. The sound quality is pleasing for a radio in this price range and size. I find it rather attractive in visual appearance and very practical including the detent in the carry handle to position it up or down without it flopping around if the radio is moved. The tuning indicator calibration is fairly accurate as well if you know the frequency of the station you want to listen to it will not be difficult to tune in.

I like the Sony ICF38. It is a good one to keep on hand for loss of power emergencies. I am seriously considering ordering a second one.