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Roberts Radio Gemini RD-59 Black DAB/FM RDS Digital Radio

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: Roberts Radio


This RD-59 radio is excellent for lightweight/portable DAB reception due to it's diminutive dimensions and economical power consumption.

*** Note Amazon have it appearing twice - it features separately as 'Roberts RD59 Black Digital Radio'...

However, considering this is meant to be a portable radio I have 3 (admittedly fairly minor) gripes :

1. It could have done with being supplied with a protective carry-case (especially as the finish of the case is quite shiny !).

2. A small pull-out stand at the back so it can be seated at an angle securely would have been handy (when sat on any uneven surface it has a tendency to fall over very easily).

3. Most importantly, there is ... Read More:

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Philips AJ260/05 - Weather Clock Radio

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: Philips

November 25, 2007


The radio controlled clock is good and the radio has a nice sound quality for the size of the case. Weather forecast is of dubious use: temperature is OK (and works with the remote sensor) but notice that the measurement of humidity is only internal. So the device reports that it is likely to rain after you have had a bath or boiled some pasta nearby, despite cloudless skies! I didn't find it accurate at all.

This would be bearable, but what made the device unusable for me is that every 15 minutes it updates the assessment of weather and shines a very bright LED for 15 seconds to let you know (blue for rain, yellow for sun). This goes on all the way through the night and I couldn't find any way to stop it.
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Logitech OEM Internet 1500 Wireless Laser Desktop

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: Logitech

September 27, 2007
On first look this bundle is pretty neat. The PC picked up the keyboard and mouse straight away without hassle, and both the keyboard and mouse are responsive and nice to use.

Sadly, I have found a couple of issues with the keyboard specifically:

(1) The key combination of CTRL+SHIFT+CURSOR does not respond in some instances. As a software developer I use this key combination a lot to hightlight whole words to the left and right of the caret. Anyone who develops or does a lot of word processing may find this VERY irritating. In my experience it usually works for three of the cursor arrow directions, but not the fourth, and usually the left arrow is affected (i.e. you can't CTRL+SHIFT+CURSOR-LEFT) but sometimes it's ... Read More:

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Roberts RD-21 'Gemini 21' DAB/FM RDS Digital Stereo Radio with Extra Long Battery Life - From Rocket Radio

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: ROBERTS


I was after a DAB radio with long battery life, with punchy sound and easy to use. Roberts claim a wopping 150 hours using six D size alkaline batteries. "Which" report found 81 hours when they tested it. So it probably lies somewhere between the two figures, depending on sound volume, and quality of batteries used. This is streets ahead of any other DAB radio presently on the market.

The first DAB radio I bought several years ago was the first edition of the Pure Elan, bought for the same reason as the Roberts ie battery life. At the time, other radios gave 5-10 Hours battery life, whereas Pure claimed 30 Hours with the Elan using 6 of the smaller C type batteries. I found using Duracell + batteries this was correct, however the sound ... Read More:

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Sony - CDX-GT220 Car radio CD/MP3

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: Sony


I was after a DAB radio with long battery life, with punchy sound and easy to use. Roberts claim a wopping 150 hours using six D size alkaline batteries. "Which" report found 81 hours when they tested it. So it probably lies somewhere between the two figures, depending on sound volume, and quality of batteries used. This is streets ahead of any other DAB radio presently on the market.

The first DAB radio I bought several years ago was the first edition of the Pure Elan, bought for the same reason as the Roberts ie battery life. At the time, other radios gave 5-10 Hours battery life, whereas Pure claimed 30 Hours with the Elan using 6 of the smaller C type batteries. I found using Duracell + batteries this was correct, however the sound ... Read More:

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Roberts RD 49 White Radio

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: Roberts


This radio requires 6, not 4, AA batteries. I power it by mains and feed the output into an amplifier.

On FM there is a high-pitched whine if the amplifier gain is turned up too high. On DAB there is a low-frequency clicking sound. I can remove most of these extraneous noises by turning down the external amplifier's gain and using the radio's own volume control to give what are still adequate volume levels.

Five presets is really too few, especially on DAB.

The quality of the DAB broadcasts is inferior to that of the FM broadcasts, as the high frequencies are noticeably attenuated. However, this probably isn't the radio's fault. DAB is broadcast at too low a bit rate for music; it's significantly lower than ... Read More:

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Freeplay Ranger Radio

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: Freeplay


I've had a Freeplay Ranger for several years. My initial reactions to it were "it's quite heavy for a portable" and "it's a bit difficult to wind up". However, I've really come to appreciate its rugged construction and the freedom that comes from not having to use batteries.

Yes, the tuning and volume knobs are recessed, but I find that I _can_ adjust them one-handed. Winding the radio can be a bit of a challenge sometimes (hence the four star rating), but there is a knack to it that can be mastered. If you want a wind-up radio and you don't have reasonably strong wrists this one probably isn't for you ... except that it also has facilities for charging the batteries both from the mains and from the built-in solar cell.

Mains use ... Read More:

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Shower Tap Radio

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: dot2shop


I've had a Freeplay Ranger for several years. My initial reactions to it were "it's quite heavy for a portable" and "it's a bit difficult to wind up". However, I've really come to appreciate its rugged construction and the freedom that comes from not having to use batteries.

Yes, the tuning and volume knobs are recessed, but I find that I _can_ adjust them one-handed. Winding the radio can be a bit of a challenge sometimes (hence the four star rating), but there is a knack to it that can be mastered. If you want a wind-up radio and you don't have reasonably strong wrists this one probably isn't for you ... except that it also has facilities for charging the batteries both from the mains and from the built-in solar cell.

Mains use ... Read More:

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iLuv i552 - Portable iPod Speaker System With AM/FM Radio - Black

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: iLuv

November 01, 2006
I had expected that the speakers would have, maybe a max. of 20 -30 watts, but all I got was a measley 3 in each speaker! Really dissapoing! Line in and variety of docks work well though.

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Roberts R9924 Radio

Childrens Toy Shop > Electronics > Radios and DAB
from: Roberts


Having recently purchased a Roberts Gemini 15 DAB Radio, and been very pleased with the unit, I was only ever going to buy a Roberts. I did a bit of research on portable radios and saw this beauty. The Roberts R9924.

The unit is truly fantastic - I know it's only a radio, but compared with other units I have tested in the past, there's just no comparison in terms of quality.

The radio is well built and sturdy. It is mainly a grey colour - but it does look good! 3 bands to choose from - and reception was great on all of them - but obviously FM has slightly better sound. The sound from the single speaker is fantastic. The aireal is quite big, this is probably why the reception is so good, but it's still pocket usable. Highly recommended!