Recently, a radio showed up at the RainyDayMagazine office. It wasn't a dock for the iPhone. It does not have WiFi. It was just an AM/FM radio. However, we liked its looks so we hooked it up and dialed into our favorite local station...WBUR. Coincidentally, the story on at the time was about how radio broadcasts were helping to win the hearts and minds of those in isolated regions of the world.
In those remote regions, news is only available via word-of-mouth or from travelers passing through. When a radio is made available to these remote regions, they connected the groups to the rest of the world. That NPR story gave us a renewed appreciation of the power of this little device.
The great looking unit we got is available directly from Brando. If you want the vintage charm, but also want a solid clock radio, then this unit will be perfect. It strikes a nice balance between those two competing requirements without compromising anything. The unit is sized to fit nicely on a desk or side table. On the left are two LCD displays. One gives the readings for the room's temperature and humidity, the other shows the date and time. The controls for the radio are simple to operate: AM/FM selector, volumn knob, band tuning dial. The frequency marking for the stations are approximate. It gets you close, but you have to listen for the one you want by turning the dial. Very old school cool.
The back of the radio has the usual controls for setting the time/date and the typical alarm clock functions (set, snooze, etc...). There is also a selector for whether the temperature should be in ºF or ºC. The clock and sensors are powered by a small button battery and are independent of the power used for the radio. The radio may be powered either by three AAA batteries or via an AC adapter (not included).
The one little gripe we have about the radio is that the case is not actually made of wood. Maybe it is underneath the plastic wood-grain veneer, but that is not the impression one would get from the listing on the Brando site or from the packaging.
We LOVE the look of this radio, but there are already plans in motion to upgrade the case and maybe even the knobs. Expect to see a RainyDayProject about it this Winter. [Permalink] - Brando Vintage Radio
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