RadioShack Extreme-Range Radio Review (Part 3 Facebook Edition) By Computerhobbyist NY The RadioShack Review 5.0 09/14/2011 The Radio Shack 12-589 Extreme-Range AM/FM Weather Radio is a decent analog receiver of AM/FM and NOAA weather band radio stations. It’s suitable to listen to a late evening ballgame, and to stay up-to-date on the latest news, traffic, and weather reports before the morning commute. This units AM audio performance exceeds the quality of its FM counterpart. My local news, sports, talk, and weather programs exhibit fair sound quality. The quality of the announcers voice on the baseball game broadcast is satisfactory, but it is far from the best audio that I have heard when compared to other portable radios in this price class. I didnt notice any adjacent channel interference while tuning in strong signal stations on the AM band. AM DX reception is difficult to come by during the nighttime hours, but not impossible. This portable radios acoustic performance falls short on the FM band. The Extreme-Range 12-589 radio just does not offer enough amplifier output power to create an enjoyable listening experience for music on my favorite classic rock FM stations. The sound output is low on max volume on the majority of FM broadcasts. The FM station broadcasts lack bass, depth, detail, and balance for almost any type of music. However, I am able to receive all major market FM stations without static. The audio output on the receivable weather band station in my area is too muted for my taste. In my view, voice, vocals, instruments, and music reproduction seem lackluster on this portable. This units build quality and battery life are above average for this product category. The Radio Shack portable radio presents a high quality black/silver exterior finish. The radios small size makes it ideal for placement on the nightstand by the bed or the desk in your office. I find this unit light enough to easily transport to any room in my home. The strap-based carry handle with cushioned Velcro placement holder that is attached to this Extreme-Range radio is an unfortunate design choice. The strap handle detracts from the radios appearance, is disproportionately too lengthy for the items physical size, and the tucked in strap always seems to unravel out of the Velcro holder. I carry this radio by holding both sides of it, without use of the handle, to ensure reliable movement of the product. A traditional fold-down carry handle made from solid material would be a major ergonomic improvement on the next version of this product. However, the Radio Shack Extreme-Range Radio does offer an excellent portable audio feature set. This particular model features: AM/FM/NOAA Channel 1-7 Weather Band Reception , digital tuner, phase locked loop tuner, 25 AM/FM/WB presets, telescopic FM whip antenna, built-in ferrite bar AM Band antenna, AM/FM/WB Band Selector Switch, switchable Wide/Normal wideband AM rotary tuning control for increased fidelity to strong signal AM broadcasts or for increased reception on lower powered or out-of-market broadcasts, rear panel AM/FM screw type antenna terminals for enhanced reception performance through the use of aftermarket external AM/FM antennas, AM frequency range: 520-1710 kHz, FM frequency range: 88-108 MHz, WB frequency range: 162.4-162.55 MHz, AM channel tuning step: 10 KHz, FM channel tuning step: 200 KHz, WB channel tuning step: 25 KHz, built-in monaural speaker rated at 8 ohms, backlit LCD display, large tuning knob, manual tuning, auto scan tuning up/down controls, separate on/off power button, last station tuned power on memory, memory button, independent rotary bass, treble, volume controls, adjustable 10-90 minute sleep timer function, 3.5mm monaural headphone jack, 3.5mm line input jack for connection to an MP3 player, protective rubberized cover over the headphone jack and line input jack, 5 direct AM/FM/WB Preset station input keys, shift key, LCD backlight control, sleep timer controls, soft cushioned carry handle, water-resistant design, speaker grill with silver exterior finish, rear AC input with protective cover, 120W, 60Hz, 10w AC power rating, detachable power cord, two-tab release detachable battery compartment cover, DC battery terminals, optional 4 D cell battery operation, battery compartment, battery life indicator, 1 watt total system output power at 10%THD, quick start guide, and it comes with operating instructions. The large LCD displays the following information: station frequency, memory preset channel number, AM/FM band indicator, and MHz or kHz indicator. The LCD lights up for 5 seconds when the light button is pressed in battery power mode. Please note that the LCD backlight always remains lit when this unit is used in AC power mode. This unit is Intertek Listed. The product dimensions are as follows: Height: 6.81, Width: 10.7, Depth: 2.88, and Weight: 3.5 lbs. The Radio Shack Extreme-Range 12-589 AM/FM/WB Radio includes a 90-day parts and labor limited manufacturer warranty. Overall rating is 3.8/5 stars. The Radio Shack Extreme-Range 12-589 Portable Radio does not exhibit any issues with respect to its sensitivity and selectivity reception performance on any of its broadcast bands. This units built-in AM/FM antennas provide competent reception on all three digitally tuned bands. This radio is an acceptable choice for reception of AM Band talk radio programs and current weather forecasts, but I cant recommend it for critical FM music station listening. Good Luck.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 01:27:45 +0000
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