I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's stuck in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB radios is that that they eat batteries like crazy - maybe some of the newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?

On Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:45:36 -0700 (PDT), Murmansk
wrote:

I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's stuck in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB radios is that that they eat batteries like crazy - maybe some of the newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?

I'm still using an old ATMT MP170 personal DAB radio with mp3 player.
It lasts about 5hrs on a single AA battery when using DAB and seems to
last forever when playing mp3s. Unfortunately it is no longer made so
your only chance of picking one up would be secondhand on eBay or
Gumtree or somesuch. Also, unfortunately it has no internal speaker
and is headphones/earphones only - though I suppose that could be an
advantage in a rehab home.

While searching for a second-hand ATMT MP170 just now I stumbled upon
this: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301524202381 It claims "up to" 8hrs life on
a pair of AAA cells but again requires headphones/earphones.

Is this any help?

Nick

On 27/03/2015 19:45, Murmansk wrote:
I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's stuck in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB radios is that that they eat batteries like crazy - maybe some of the newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?

Which? recommend the John Lewis Spectrum "own brand", I have the smaller
mono one which takes 4 AAs, the slightly larger stereo one takes C's, IIRC.

http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-...kpid=233736694

I'm very pleased with mine.

In message ,
Murmansk writes
I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's stuck
in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB
radios is that that they eat batteries like crazy - maybe some of the
newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?

I think they are all pretty poor re battery life compared to an FM radio
- it's the nature of the beast.

I've got a little Phillips which does ok on 4 AA NiMH cells - not sure
how long, but probably a couple of 'working days' going on how long it
lasts when diying.

Only thing I don't like is no preset buttons - you have to choose from
the menu
--
Chris French

On 27/03/2015 19:45, Murmansk wrote:
I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's stuck in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB radios is that that they eat batteries like crazy - maybe some of the newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?

I think you face a fundamental problem, which is that it takes a lot of
power to run the decoder chip. Can she really not have a mains powered
radio? The Roberts DAB radio that I have does have a remote control if
that would help.


--
Michael Chare

in 1380062 20150327 194536 Murmansk wrote:
I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's stuck in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB radios is that that they eat bat
teries like crazy - maybe some of the newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?

I use an old Android phone and the BBC iPlayer Radio app, but you need WiFi

On 27/03/2015 19:45, Murmansk wrote:
I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's stuck in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB radios is that that they eat batteries like crazy - maybe some of the newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?



I think you may not be able to find something that doesn't eat
batteries. Second/Third generation only appear to improved battery life
by x2/x4 so it's still less than a day on a set of AA type batteries.

Roberts do a radio that take rechargeable batteries with a charger
inbuilt into the radio. Battery life around 20 hours.

http://www.robertsradio.co.uk/assets...g_unologic.pdf

I have an earlier model on this type of design an it works well. Most of
the time I leave it plugged into the mains and thenn take it into the
garden etc. on battery use.

If you want better battery life a FM only (AM/LW may come with it) radio
is what you require. For this type of radio there really is some s***
on sale out in the market place. Avoid the Roberts offering of a
'traditional' type portable radio - it really is bad.

--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 28/03/2015 10:04, alan_m wrote:
On 27/03/2015 19:45, Murmansk wrote:
I need to find a basic DAB radio for an elderly lady I know who's
stuck in a rehab home.

It needs to be run on disposable batteries but my experience of DAB
radios is that that they eat batteries like crazy - maybe some of the
newer ones are better in this respect?

Can anyone recommend a suitable model?



I think you may not be able to find something that doesn't eat
batteries. Second/Third generation only appear to improved battery life
by x2/x4 so it's still less than a day on a set of AA type batteries.


Agree ! There will be a very limited choice of chip sets for DAB radio
manufacturers so unlikely to be any difference in battery life between
models.
It would seem that the market for DAB isnt big enough to encourage a
great deal of development in chip sets yet.
Rechargeables are the only cost effective option.