Retekess V117 Portable Radios AM FM, Shortwave Radio with Clear Dial, Transistor Radio with Best Reception for Seniors (Black)

This is a great little portable radio. Great for camping, working in the yard, house, garage or office. The construction is solid from top to bottom. Yes, the case is plastic, but durable and meant to last just like an old school Walkman, I'm not scared that I'll drop it from a few feet and it will break right away.At low volume you can keep this on your desk at work and not disturb coworkers. At full volume you can (annoy your coworkers or) be across the yard or large room and still hear it just fine. Don't expect much bass - because that is not what this unit was designed for. This unit has one speaker, but it performs well.The tuning dial is exactly what you would expect from an analog station dial, it even has a slightest of give to it when you go one way or the other, and it allows a more precise fix on that hard to find signal. I have purchased several portable, antenna-less, digital signal radios, and if the signal is hard to lock onto they just give up and skip it. This radio lets me decide while I adjust the antenna.The headphone jack is well anchored, unlike some of the other portable radios and MP3 players I've purchased online. The sound is also good through headphones. Again, don't expect huge bass through headphones. This isn't designed for that, just enjoy your music.Antenna reception is awesome - THE ANTENNA IS OVER 18 INCHES LONG!Pros:1. Well made, easy to use, pocket size, great reception, large antenna, reliable. The battery door is even hinged and attached to the unit so you won't lose it.2. No useless battery draining features like an LED flashlight, poor quality Bluetooth connection, or hard to use buttons or confusing interface.Cons:0. NONE so far and I don't think I'll find any. I wish more consumer electronics were built this well.

The Retekess V117 is quite a surprising little radio. I bought it to use as a bedside radio as I need music to help me sleep. I wanted something decent that would give good battery life. Digital displays are nice and convenient, but they drain the batteries faster. I expect good runtimes between battery changes because when this radio is turned off, it is completely off.It receives all of the FM stations that I would expect. AM is surprisingly sensitive and selective, pulling in signals from hundreds of miles away and separating stations that are 10 kHz apart.SW on this is sort of odd in that the range is 8 - 18 mHz. Too bad it is not 5 - 15 or 6 - 16 as it would be more practical. But I knew this going in. It's really a non-issue though as I have other receivers that cover full shortwave, some with single sideband.Sound quality is very good. This radio can fill a room with sound. The sound, sensitivity and selectivity are worth noting because this is a small radio that will fit in a coat pocket easily.

After living with this radio for a month or two, I'm rewriting my original review. This Retekess V117 is about the same size as my Sangean SR-35 and trusty Sony ICF-S10MK2 (now discontinued). It's about as sensitive as the Sangean and picks up more stations than the Sony. It also includes shortwave, though I have dedicated SW radios (including a C.Crane Skywave) I would use before this one.Here's what I like about the Retekess:-The side-mounted tuning dial is far better than Sony and Sangean's submerged wheel.-The sound is pretty powerful for such a small set. It's a little brighter than the Sangean, which is better for some kinds of music than others. It's excellent for talk, however. I'm a huge fan of the Sangean, but this Retekess is a worthy rival.-The antenna is long and relatively sturdy.-It stands up nicely, partly due to the horizontal form factor (unlike the Sony and Sangean, which are taller than they are wide). There's also a little kickstand in the back, so it can lay back at an angle.What I don't like:-The sound through headphones or earbuds is terrible. You do get sound in both ears, unlike the Sony, although it's not FM stereo, so far as I can tell. The Sangean isn't that great through headphones, either, but it's better than this. If you're going to do a lot of headphone listening, I'd go for the C.Crane Pocket - it's three times the price but sounds fantastic.To sum up, the Retekess V117 is worth $20. I have a soft spot for the Sangean SR-35, which costs about the same, but if the Retekess appeals, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

This is one heck of a radio, for its shirt-pocket size. The FM selectivity and sensitivity are really good, as well as the general feel and quality of the radio. Before I ordered it, I read dozens of reviews, and almost all of them were very positive. I've only had it for a couple hours, and I haven't really tried the AM and SW bands. But I bought it mostly for the couple of FM stations that I like. I am pretty much in a fringe area for most broadcasting stations, but I can orient the swivel antenna to provide "next door" level reception. Despite the amazing sound quality for such a small radio, the only negative comment I have is that the effective volume level could be a bit higher at the top end. The sound really does fill up a small room, but additional advancing of the control doesn't result in a big perceptible change. This doesn't affect my overall rating, which is a solid "5", even before I check reception on AM and SW. I am an old "analog" guy and I really like this radio. 50 years ago, a radio of this quality would have cost over $30, even without adjusting for today's dollars.

This is a nice, compact little analog radio but does not tune or hold stations as well as digital tuner. It's fidelity is not as good as other Retekess, e.g. TR 603, which gives you a lot more bang for only -+ $6 more. But I think the brand is better than most others.