Review on Sangean FB-100 Fatbox Rugged Industrial AM/FM Radio by Chad Judex

I prefer this Sangean U3 radio because of its size, weight and price. The U3 is larger, weighs about 12 pounds (I don't want to carry that extra 5 pounds up the stairs if I don't have to), and costs about $30 more (at the time of writing this article). Everything about this radio is perfect except for the antennas. I will explain. You'll see many reviews complaining about sound distortion above about 75% of maximum volume. It's not like this. This is the second of these radios that I have. I immediately returned the first one as my favorite and one of the hottest (ie most powerful) AM intercoms crackled at a low volume. I didn't like the speaker. It sounded bloated. My spare TB-100 sounded exactly the same. Doubtful I had 2 manufacturing defects in a row so I spent some time playing with the radio. I have the radio tuned to a hot FM station that I know is on 5x5. I didn't hear any crackling or cracking. On battery power, however, I experienced distortion from 50% to 75% of maximum volume. When I plugged the radio into the mains, I was able to crank the volume up to 100% without distortion. So with a 5 watt speaker it's something like C battery power. Probably Sangean should have designed it to run on D batteries or a big 6 volt battery (but then the radio would be heavier ). What people also perceive as a bad speaker or an inappropriate speaker and amplifier combination is the fact that the antennas in this radio are too small, resulting in sub-optimal reception. The FM outdoor antenna is ALMOST 6 inches?! Ridiculous! The antenna is flexible and covered with rubber, and the width of the device is about 12 inches. So there's no reason why Sangean can't also fit a flexible 12" antenna in the box! My cheap Sony pocket radio had a 17" (telescopic) antenna. It should have come with a 12" VHF antenna - period. The internal ferrite AM antenna is only 3 inches. Three inches?! Serious?! Come on Sanzhan! In general, when assembling a radio, try to fit the longest ferrite antenna in the radio, that fits in the case. Have you heard of the legendary GE Superradio III? It is famous for its amazing AM reception. The ferrite antenna inside is nearly 8 inches long! When it comes to antennas, size matters. Sangean should have installed a longer ferrite. In my opinion as long as possible. Please note that I'm a former professional radio DJ, former CB'er and a general radio amateur, so I'm quite critical and picky about my radio equipment. Even with a 3-inch ferrite core, this radio received daytime AM stations indoors under 150-watt halogen lights at a distance of 141 miles (AM reception is usually better at night on all AM radio stations). about 7 pounds and is made of very thick, durable plastic. With this you can cut off the antlers of the moose while you continue to listen to your favorite song. The display is large and easy to read and backlit for a few seconds. You can adjust the tuning steps to conform to US or European levels (instructions included with radio). Some have complained about the sound. I personally like the tone. I tested it in many genres. Conversational, Jazz, Contemporary Christian, Alternative Rock, Bluegrass, 80's Pop, Country. Sounds good for everyone. It's not too hard for talk. The sound is full and rich, but clear. I tested my iTunes library with the Aux input. The iPhone's music settings allowed me to select all the equalizer presets and control the audio. In general, I have found that acoustic and jazz are the two settings that work well with most things. The factory setting on this box is a bit noticeable in the lower midrange, so using an EQ that pushes those frequencies down a bit will sound better. I recommend this radio and I'm mostly happy with it, I'm disappointed with the Sangean antennas that come with it. You could do better. I may decide to hack it after the warranty runs out and stick a longer ferrite antenna in it. Any enlargement helps. Если бы человек был трудолюбив и умел обращаться с инструментами, можно достать штыревую антенну (от автомобиля или старого радиоприемника CB), обрезать ее до разумной длины, прикрепить к резьбовому штыревому концу, подходящему для антенного порта, and let it be enough for the FM antenna for that. Young! I think a 2 or 3 foot whip on it will pull FM very well! I whine about antennas and reception but many customers seem happy with that so don't mind the radio not working. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Small antennas aside, this is a good reliable outdoor radio. Take it! I would think! I whine about antennas and reception but many customers seem happy with that so don't mind the radio not working. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it! I would think! I whine about antennas and reception but many customers seem happy with that so don't mind the radio not working. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it! So they are not so bad that the radio does not work. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it! I would think! I whine about antennas and reception but many customers seem happy with that so don't mind the radio not working. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it! So they are not so bad that the radio does not work. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it! I would think! I whine about antennas and reception but many customers seem happy with that so don't mind the radio not working. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it! So they are not so bad that the radio does not work. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it! So they are not so bad that the radio does not work. It works well. I'm just very picky about my radios. Apart from the small antennas, a good and reliable radio for outdoor use. Take it!