My Adventure at the Electronics Stores: I Am Officially "Old"

General General Discussion
1

So, I’m working on turning my garage from a place to park the wife’s car, into a place to park the wife’s car/man-cave. I started stuffing all my cool-guy commando gear out there, and putting together a firearm workbench.

Whilst through this process, and doing my first task on my bench (routine cleaning/inspection), I thought, “It sure would be nice to have a little radio out here”.

So, over the past week or so, I’ve been on a quest to drum up a simple AM/FM radio.

Wal*Mart - Nothin’
Best Buy - Nothin’
HH Greg - Nothin’
Brandsmart - Nothin’
Target - Nothin’
Big Lots - Nothin’
Frye’s - Nothin’

Sure, I can order one off the internet, but that’s absurd. I can order an 8-track player off the internet too. I’m stubborn, I’m not old, damnit! I won’t order something that should be a dime-a-dozen off the internet.

Apparently, as I’ve now discovered, simple AM/FM radios are a thing of the past.

Since I don’t own an I-Pod, I’m, as it is painfully evident, no longer a viable consumer.

The girl at Best Buy, quite literally, laughed at me when she asked if I needed help finding something. She proceeded to inform me that their Ghetto-Blaster 9000™ boomboxes have AM/FM radios, and their I-Pod docking stations have them as well.

WTF!?

I don’t want a clock.

I don’t want an I-Pod “docking station”.

I don’t want a CD player.

I don’t want an automatic, self-luminous, nuclear-powered, high-definition, satellite, Wi-Fi enabled, subscription-service, 2160p resolution, multi-phased broadband .mp4 reverse flux-polarity indicator, with a triple sinewave generator…I just want an AM/FM radio.

AM? Check!
FM? Check!

Sold.

Pitiful. I could probably buy some Coby branded one, or Haier, or Sansui, or some other brand I’ve never heard of. Does Panasonic, Sony, Magnavox, anybody reputable make radios anymore?!?!?!?!?

It doesn’t help that consumer electronics bore the living shit out of me…bore me to tears. It was literally the first time I’ve stepped foot in a Best Buy in about three years.

It’s now painfully obvious that I’ve been living in a cave.

Sorry for the rant; I turn 30 in 9 months…:eek:

2

Dewalt makes a plain AM/FM radio as of last year so I will guess and say they still make one.

I am only a couple of months older than you and we are supposed to be young :confused: But yea feel your pain my 2 1/2 year old daughter can probably navigate through my wifes I-touch faster than I can.:frowning:

3

While the DeWalt is 100% pure awesome, it’s way out of the budget.

I was thinking no more than $25. And that’s what rolls my goat as well; Target has one at the store…for $72!!!

I may have to start garage sale shopping on the weekends…

4

target should have one per their website, but check lowes/home depot…

5

Radio is dying. I have been trying to convince my boss of this for a while now. iPods and satellite have pretty much replaced it.

6

Roger that might could try a CVS it seams that I remember they at one time carried am/fm radios. $72 bucks :rolleyes: either you pay out the a$$ or settle for something cheap:rolleyes: Hard to find a middle ground now days.

7

How about a solar/wind up powered radio? The following from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Solar-Radio-Dynamo-Power/dp/B0007UVS0O

Actually, they are all over the place. I used to use one in my man cave, but power always seemed to die when I was particularly busy. But, if you keep on top of the potential power supply, it should work.

ETA: On nice days, just put it out in the sun.

8

Check yard sales dude. People sell all kinds of stuff.

9

I didn’t realise the DeWalt had a built-in charger…:D. That makes the price more friendly.

I realised this upon my shopping/searching.

My issue is that I don’t want .mp3s and Satellite; I want to listen to some talk radio while I’m brushing chambers.

I’ve never owned an .mp3 player, and I’m sure as hell not going to pay a subscription fee to listen to the radio.

I listen to two types of music, Country and Western. I dabble in talk radio from time-to-time. I’ve never shopped from the i-Tunes store.

I pretty much feel like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jum7DsNZqO0

“Back when a radio was a radio”

10

Despite not wanting an iPod, I think it might fit the bill. I use my iPhone over wifi at work to catch radio and I get better sound than FM, streaming on the PC, and AM.

Otherwise, you might be stuck to portable or survival type radios, as the ones I see when I sift through the internet seem to be crap.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158ICCDK50/Sony-ICF-CDK50.html?tp=208

ignore the ipod cabability
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_718IC600/iLive-IC600.html?tp=208

very cool features:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/614438-REG/Acoustic_Research_ARIR_200_Infinite_Radio_.html

Here is a list from B&H
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=5033&N=4289366929&Ns=p_PRICE_2|0

11

What boggles my mind is that some of the AM/FM radios are so pricey, I might as well get a shortwave receiver.

:confused:

A buddy on Facebook just suggested checking…Radio Shack…:rolleyes:

It’s worth a shot, I’m ashamed I didn’t think of that.

12

Thrift stores, yard sales, Craigslist or flea markets are your best bet. Otherwise, pull up your boot straps, and settle for an alarm clock radio for $10 from your favorite retailer.

I know, it sucks. Sometimes I think the Amish have the right idea.

13

Had one of these on my toolbox in the garage… took a beating, I left it with the guys when I was done with college…

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2293201

It was never one of these though:

14

Radio Shack still around:confused: :o Yea they should have it.
But if they didn’t it would make a good rant how a company named radio shack doesn’t have a plain old radio:D:D:p

15

Try a Goodwill or Salvation Army store. They typically have “old” radios available for pennies. Pawn shops are also a great source for out of date electronics. That’s where I go to get all of my stolen shit back…:wink:

16

This!!! I may swing by the GW this afternoon!

On a side-note, my sister lives in a ritzy area of Saint Louis. The GW there is, I shit you not, “The GW Boutique”. :rolleyes:

17

You think Goodwill Boutique is bad, I live in Kalifornia where we have such things as Jacques a la Carton’ (Jack in the Box)…

18

Lord Almighty…

:rolleyes:

19

I go to a very ritzy resale store called Bluebird here. If you go once in a while you’ll find true gold. I bought two Burberry suits and two Brooks Brothers suits that still had the original tags on them for twenty dollars each…sure I had to have them taken in, but it was well worth it.

Check with your local CVS/Walgreens/Whatever…they often have small basic radios.

20

Suck it up, junior. I turn 32 tomorrow. Home Depot should have one like the DeWalt made by Ryobi for around $20.