My 25 year old Radio Shack multiband portable radio finally gave up the ghost. I dropped it while camping and now it sounds like one of those rock tumblers when you shake it.

Anyway, I still need my AM radio DXing fix while camping in the boondocks. And it's time I bought some radio technology from the 21st century. Who makes the best portable, rugged, and high quality AM radio these days? What can I expect to pay? Can anyone share their personal experience with their recommendation?

I'd look in thrift stores for a used one.

GE SuperRadio is my choice but there's probably more choices out there since I bought it 20 yeara ago...the 6 D batteries last forever...

GE Superadio is still the best bargain.

My current favorite for sensitivity and selectivity on both the AM and FM bands is the Eton/Grundig E-5/G-5. It has a wide/narrow selectivity switch, will tune AM in 1kHz increments with a KNOB! For example, I receive KGO using "narrow" and tune to 812 kHz... works great! Most of the time, I can hear the stronger Eugene FM stations (from Hillsboro) using just the whip antenna. It has SW to 30 mHz and LW down to 150kHz as well. Around $150 at Amazon/Universal Radio.

The Kaito 1103 offers about the same performance for much less money, has a cool analog-looking dial, but is more difficult to operate. Both are made by the same company, and share similar circuitry.

I would go with a Nakashuma. It has a genuine leatherette case, and a thing that has one end that goes in your ear, and the other end doesn't go anywhere because it's bent

That would be one of my favorite 12 gifts of Christmas!

But "it's the discontinued model."

I've had decent luck with the GE SuperRadio III too, but it's not as solidly built as previous versions.

But "it's the discontinued model."

And that may be the case with the GE SuperRadio as well... a few years ago it became the RCA RP7887, now it appears that this model has also been discontinued :

http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/spcialty/0547.html

Amazon still has them for about $50, however. Still good "bang for the buck". I paid about $35 for mine about 5 years ago... Free shipping too!

At the risk of redundancy, I'll throw in my vote for the GE SuperRadio III. It's a hands-down winner in the cost/performance category. I have two of 'em and would consider a third for wherever my Sirius isn't.

PS: here's a neat place for radio geeks. Lots of radio choices. They've been advertised on KGO for years and, if you're "on the list", they continue to mail-out the coolest catalogs...

http://www.ccrane.com/

Great post! I too love the GE Super Radio (II)...I just bought a CC Radio from the C Crane Company and it's my favorite right now. It has a graphite-rod for the AM antenna built in and also feature excellent short-wave reception too. If you use the GE Super Radio, order a Select Antenna from C. Crane...it brings in all the AM stations and gets the noise out too.

Eton E10 is up near the top ...

And for small size (in the pocket) and great reception on all bands, it's the Sony ICF-SW20.

The C.Crane Radio-Sw:

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/shortwave-radios/ccradio-sw.aspx

Looks a lot like the Redsun RP-2100, which got a good review here:

http://www.radiointel.com/review-redsunrp2100.htm

If it beats the E-5/G-5, and SRIII, this puppy is HOT!

Of course the CCRadio Plus is the best radio for DXing.
http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/ccradio-plus/index.aspx

CCRadio Plus vs. GE Superadio III
www.ccrane.com/library/ccradio-plus-vs-ge-superadio-iii.aspx