Well, Duh!

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by ChiefRider

Very nice. I like that you use it every day. I have a Panasonic RF-2600 that I use every day, and have for many years. I'm getting nostalgic these days, however, and have "rediscovered" vintage radios. When I was a kid, my dad had a Zenith T-O 1000, and a Zenith Royal 50. These were new at the time, and my brothers and I would use them every chance we could. I think I'll have to find a nice T-O and put it back into service, and give the Panasonic a rest!

Chief

A good set of alkaline batteries should last months or even years (!) in a Zenith T-O, since these sets had extremely low current drain. I have a T/O 1000 I got on ebay two years ago or so that is only on its second set of batteries. I'd probably still be using the first set if a short in the AC adapter jack hadn't drained the life out of them (and caused them to get so hot I thought the battery box would melt or, Heaven forbid, start a fire).

I also have a Zenith R-70 AM/FM nine-transistor portable, another ebay score a while ago, that likewise is still on its second set of batteries and still sounding great. The R-70 is from 1980, with the circuitry mostly on a PCB rather than a steel chassis and socketed transistors, but the set still has that great Zenith sound--even with its 4" speaker. They don't make them like that anymore. IMHO, any old Zenith radio from '50s to '70s vintage will run rings around the small, cheap one-chip gutless-wonder portables found in discount houses today.