# Do you still own a portable AM radio? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382 "2014-08-12T17:55:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/21 "2014-08-13T01:48:23Z")
I have one of [these](http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Walkman-Radio-Model-srf-m78/dp/B00408L6G0/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1407894333&sr=1-14&keywords=sony+sports+walkman). I was actually surprised when I started researching HD capable radios. I want to replace the radio in my bathroom with something that gets the secondary digital channels, but I haven’t found one that also gets AM radio. As for the iPod comment before - I never worked on Apple products, but in my decade or so of designing phones, we looked at a handful of ICs for FM receive, and even FM transmit, but never entertained anything that did AM receive. Presumably too worried about interference, since AM radio is effectively controlled noise. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/22 "2014-08-13T02:01:23Z")
I have an old beat-up Sangean ATS 909(AM/FM/SW) that I use as a bedside radio/alarm clock. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/23 "2014-08-13T04:11:16Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I was actually surprised when I started researching HD capable radios. I want to replace the radio in my bathroom with something that gets the secondary digital channels, but I haven’t found one that also gets AM radio. sangean HDR-1 is one. i have no experience with it. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/24 "2014-08-13T17:50:28Z")
In my “box 'o useful junk” I’ve got an FM/AM/Cassette Walkman. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/25 "2014-08-13T18:20:31Z")
I’ve got a Sports Walkman around the house some place. I’m somewhat dubious that I could find it in a bug-out emergency, but could probably track it down over the course of an extended power failure, just in case I wanted to know if the world had ended. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/26 "2014-08-13T18:35:17Z")
The only portable radio I have is primarily shortwave (and I never take it out of my house, mainly because it’s hooked up to a longwire antenna), but it also has AM and FM. Why do I still have a shortwave radio? Mainly for WWV, so I can set my watch accurately (and yes, I suppose I could always buy a watch that sets itself to the WWVB signal). Occasionally I’ll try to listen to an Australian sporting event (AFL or NRL) live, but the signal is hit and miss. (I listen to BBC World Service as well, but (a) I can also get this on Sirius/XM as well as online, and (b) mainly because of this, the BBC decided to save money by shutting down most of the signals aimed at North America.) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/27 "2014-08-13T18:45:23Z")
I still have a Walkman that was purchased new about 20 years ago and a couple of digital shortwaves purchased off eBay. Reception on the shortwaves sucks, though; I think all the steel in this complex is interfering with the signal. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/28 "2014-08-13T18:45:27Z")
I have a wind-up weather/emergency radio and I’m pretty sure it picks up AM. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382/29 "2014-08-13T19:38:57Z")
I have an overpriced walkman sized Radioshack hunk of junk that I use when I want to listen to baseball games. Apparently, listening on the radio for free is kosher, but listening on the internet costs $80/year. 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-own-a-portable-am-radio/695382.md?page=1)