PRUNUS J-166 Portable Radio AM FM, Battery Operated Radio with Tuning Light, Back Clip, Excellent Reception, AM FM Radios Portable, Transistor Radios

I've been aware that I need an emergency radio on hand, but have been overwhelmed by the options. This one looked like a minimum viable solution (which is my key criterion for prep stuff). Knowing that a cheap radio might could be so poorly made that it isn't useful, I took a chance and bought one to evaluate.I'm glad I did. I've been testing it now for several days. This little radio was so all-around good that I decided to write a detailed review. This is voluntary, unpaid and unprompted.Summary-I'm convinced so far that this is an excellent emergency radio, better than most of the labelled 'emergency' radios. Here's why I say this:1. Generally, it looks and feels like a well built, simple, functional radio- a pleasant surprise. The case in particular is well fitted and finished. The tuning display and other controls are well placed, feel good and operate properly.2. This runs on two AA batteries- not rare and expensive 9V. Run time is well in excess of 100 hours- I am four days into 'round the clock testing. Solar/crank/lithium rechargeables might suit long-term off-grid use, but add weight, size and cost. One set of AAs should last for months of careful use.3. Not waterproof, but neither are most cell phones. But it fits in a sandwich zip lock- even when it's working. BTW it also fits in a 40 oz peanut butter jar, with room for a candle, lighter, space blanket and small flashlight.4. Usable wrist strap for hanging, securing on a pack, etc. You need this.5. Sensitivity and selectivity are fine. AM stations are getting rare around here, but it pulls the six local stations. FM sensitivity is comparable to my car's radio- it grabs about 20 stations with the antenna folded, and does a good job of separating adjacent stations. The telescoping antenna helps with weak stations, but these antennas are all fragile and probably should be kept stowed. A tuning LED is nice touch.6. Sound quality is surprisingly good. I have been listening to classical music in my garage- and it is fully audible, and pleasant to listen to. It can get buzzy if you turn the volume way up, so don't do that. It's playing right now in the garage, and its loud enough to hear through the door in the kitchen.7. Small size, like a cell phone but thicker- about 25mm. Pocket clip is thoughtful and looks useful, but its plastic and might be fragile.8. Excellent price. Buy two or three, and get radios for sharing, barter etc- for less money than a fancy do-all.9. No aircraft, shortwave or ham bands. These aren't often needed. Ham equipment is a good idea, but 2-way com radios have different requirements, and should be evaluated separately.My bottom line is that I'm buying a couple more of these for the prep stack.

I bought this pocket radio with minimal expectations - I wanted it for local talk & sports stations, no DX or high fidelity sound required.The speaker sound quality is surprisingly good - no bass of course, but clear and clean otherwise. The audio over headphones is also good.It's about as simple and functional as it gets - tuner and volume wheels, AM/FM/OFF slide switch, and audio jack. A tuning light comes on to indicate station lock, and the turning works well. It's a little more finicky on AM than FM but once locked in it's fine. The extendable antenna seems sturdy but is not really needed for the local stations. I have not done any extensive testing with weaker stations.Build quality is acceptable, though I wouldn't want to drop it. It's very lightweight. I appreciate that the battery cover is "captured" so that it would be harder to lose than one that completely pops off.I'm very satisfied with it. I rate it at five stars because given the cost, and what it provides, I couldn't ask for more.

Radio works just fine.

I needed a simple, transistor radio with AM and adjustable antenna to help track down some RFI (radio interference) for a Ham Radio Base Station. This simple, inexpensive radio fit the ticket perfectly. It has been helping me identify the various items around my home that are producing RF interference so that I can attempt to mitigate the noise produced.Hint: Damn near every electronic device these days create interference!

FM is excellent, clear and plenty of stations. AM is virtually nonexistent. I could not get any stations beyond a couple of miles.UPDATE;Prunus read the above review and sent a replacement. Very happy with the replacement, as I will keep it for an emergency/backup radio. The AM band is much improved. I will give the defective unit to a child as a first radio.

Impressive little radio! Of course, sound quality from the built-in speaker is nothing amazing, but it's actually better than I was expecting. Plus, you can just connect headphones or an aux speaker and it'll sound much better. What seems to be nice is with headphones or a speaker plugged in, you don't need to use the antenna. Although using the antenna will get even better reception. The use of AA batteries is a bit of a negative, of course you can always buy rechargeable batteries and that shouldn't be a problem. All in all, I highly recommend this little portable radio! Especially for us older folks who still prefer listening to the radio. Also, it has an AM setting. Doesn't work the best unless you're outside but it's appreciated non the less. 5/5.

It's a simple, no frills, AM/FM radio....but that's the true joy in using it! It's brings back good memories of simpler days. Reception is good, speaker is clear but gets little distorted at full volume, which is quite loud. Case appears sturdy, has lanyard and belt clip. Headphone jack works, and I like that it uses a slide switch to turn on, instead of the volume wheel. I bought a second one to throw in my fishing boat.

Best Pocket Radio I’ve Ever Owned! Able to tune in a channel and maintain it, really good sound quality/ speaker, rotating 360’ antenna and a clip! Great features. It’s kicked butt over the last two Sony’s I have own! I’ve used it for a while, time will tell. So far, it’s definitely been worth it the cash!