PURE ONE
Price £50
Weight 0.8kg
Tel 01923 277 488
Web www.pure.com
The Pure One comes with all the features you would expect from a leading producer. It has 39 stations programmed, listed alphabetically by name, and a scrolling text display, which lists the artist and track title. There is also the clever textScan feature, which enables you to pause the scrolling text if wanted to jot down a web address or competition number. The screen displays the signal strength of each station, the date and the time, which are set automatically. Other features include a kitchen timer and alarm function, and Intellitext, which offers on-demand sport and news headlines. There is an energy-saving option, which will power the set for up to 35 hours, six standard batteries, and a jack for stereo headphones. The overall package is lightweight, attractive and user-friendly, it comes in three colour options and boasts a two-year warranty.
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MIKOMI NE-3107
Price £25
Weight 0.98kg
Tel 0870 600 1010
Web www.argos.co.uk
The cheapest choice in the test, the Mikomi still managed to offer all the necessary features while the stainless steel gives it a stylish finish. Once powered up, it instantly locates 18 preset channels, and using the menu to find more is easy enough. The date and time are automatically set, although there isn’t an alarm option. It is mains-powered only reducing its portability. The model has a 12-month warranty and if you are after a budget option this is a good choice.
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WHARFDALE NE -3120
Price £40
Weight 1.92kg
Tel 0870 600 1010
Web www.argos.co.uk
The Wharfdale stood out in the test for two reasons: its appearance and its weight. Designed to look like an old-fashioned model, the wood-effect finish is attractive. Unfortunately it weighs almost two kilos. Aside from this, it does have many useful features, such as ten preset stations with scrolling text, date and time display with alarm, signal-strength display and headphone socket. The model has a 12- month warranty and can run on either battery and mains. Still, its weight may make it a better choice for keeping at home rather than taking touring.
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ROBERTS GEMINI 49
Price £60
Weight 0.6kg
Tel 01709 571 722
Web www.robertsradio.co.uk
Although the priciest of the bunch, this was also one of the most impressive models we tested. From leading manufacturer Roberts, the Gemini 49 is light and slim enough to count as a portable radio, and ideal for use in and around the van. Switch it on and it will find far more than the manufacturer’s estimate of ten stations, including many popular choices that the others on test failed to pick up right away. Along with the usual list of features – such as signal-strength display, automatic date and time, scrolling text and auto tune – it has the impressive extra of a built-in battery charger, which will save you a fortune on new batteries.
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PHILLIPS AE5000/05
Price £40
Weight 1kg
Tel 0870 0130 791
Web www.philips.co.uk
Don’t be fooled by the retro look of this Philips model; it has many features you would expect to find in the most modern units. It offers ten stations preset and, with the use of the scan button, it can locate many more. The porthole display window allows you to view your station of choice by name, as well as offering useful scrolling text, signal-strength data and the date and time. Disappointingly, it lacks other features you would expect for this price, such as an alarm. It also has a fixed handle that sits at a 90° angle to the top, which may make it a pain when packing your van for the road.
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INTEMPO TRS-01
Price £40
Weight 0.4kg
Tel 0161 828 5241
Web www.intempodigital.com
When it comes to being lightweight, the TRS wins hands down, at only 400g. This slim, compact set comes in red, blue, violet, black and silver, so it will certainly brighten up the van; our choice was claret red. The TRS automatically scans and tunes 24 stations with the option of saving your top 20. The menu is easy to use and the scan/search dial lets you quickly locate missing stations. As with most of the radios on test, it has automatic date and clock display and scrolling text, which in this instance also lists the name of the artist playing. Impressive.
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SONY XDR-550
Price £50
Weight 0.4kg
Tel 0870 240 6354
Web www.sony.co.uk
It's small, lightweight and a Sony, and we had high hopes as a result. This compact black radio runs off mains and batteries – in fact, it needs only four AA batteries, which further reduces the weight. It comes to life instantly with all ten preset stations clearly displayed in the large viewing window. So where does it go wrong? You may find it difficult to locate and set up other features, such as the clock. This had us reaching for an instruction manual for the first time during our test.
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