Retekess TR618 AM FM Radio Plug in Wall, Portable Shortwave Radios (Black)

The Retekess TR618 is a modern version of the best budget priced portables of days gone by. It features an EXCELLENT 3 band DSP tuner. The dial pointer is precise and accurate. Tuning is easy and selectively brought in significantly more stations than expected. The FM antenna is extra long and high quality too. The SD/TF mp3 player works great too. Only small gripe is no rewind or fast forward oddly. The speaker sounds extremely clean on all modes. Sound is bright with crispy treble and decent bass thanks to a foam suspended speaker cone. The power/volume knob has a high quality feel to it. The whole radio feels well made! I love that it runs off regular A/C power with a cord. It also uses 3 D batteries so you can take it with you. This is an impressive portable with superb sound!

I am not a portable radio connoisseur but as your an average joe just looking for a decent little radio, I think I made the right choice. Pros: • Good size radio, it's got a good thick width to it so it feels sturdy. • The dials work as intended, the volume control is sensitive but I don't see that as a bad thing. Very light touch is all you need. • USB / SD / Micro SD ports are a great added function for this radio. I've put Classical Music on a small usb (so it doesn't protrude from the side too much) and it works perfectly. Just switch the dial to 'usb' turn on the radio via the Volume dial and have fun. • The speaker sounds great as well, good sound quality in my opinion. • The actual stations area is easy to read and navigate with the Tuning dial on the side. • AM / FM come in great. I don't even have the antenna extended and I get great reception. I haven't used SW yet but I can imagine it works as intended depending on your location. • The handle is great as well, easy to carry around. The radio itself isn't overly heavy, just a good weighted sturdy feel while being easily portable. Cons: • I think the only con I could see is maybe the price, though I'm not really upset having gotten this for $37 as I've seen this radio go for much more elsewhere. All in all: This is a good portable radio, worth the money.

Excellent indoor reception on both the AM and FM bands. Very clear sound and no distortion. Easy to tune and does not fade. Lighweight and can be used via included wall plug or with 3 D cell batteries. Under 1 pound in weight without the batteries. The carry handle is sturdy. The SW function is worthless, but I am awaiting delivery of an external SW auxillary antenna to see if there is any improvement. I especially like the SD card function but be aware it will not work if capacity exceeds 16g. NOTE: The listing made no mention that this radio should not be used in a hot, humid environment but this limitation is stated clearly in the user manual. I note this because I purchased it to use on the veranda of my house on an island in Greece with the intent to also take it to the beach. Since my veranda is covered and I sit under a cabana at the beach, I am hoping this will not be a problem.

I have bought this radio for my husband, so I let him do the review on my behalf. George Nagy's review: General observations: 1. The size of the radio is 8.25 x 5.25x2.50 inches. 2. The radio has analog tuning on AM, FM and SW. 3. Three D batteries or the power cord supply the energy. 4. The long antenna is helpful in tuning FM and SW. 5. The digital readout works for the MP3 player only. Positive qualities: 1. The large speaker provides excellent sound (3W) 2. The stations can be tuned in by turning the tuning knob. Many stations come in except for SW. Reception on SW depends on the time of day and the location of the radio. 3. The operation is so easy that one hardly needs the instruction booklet. 4. The sound of the MP3 is excellent. I like the fact that the radio has input for TF, SD as well as for USB. This brings it from the old analog radio world to the digital world. 5. The compact size makes the radio ideal for travel or outdoor use although the three D batteries add some weight to it. 6. The radio is a godsend for older folks who are used to analogue tuning and simple design. Features not found: 1. The radio does not have a clock or sleep timer. 2. The MP3 screen shows the number of the song and time elapsed but not the name of the song or album. 3. The radio stations come in clear but show interference if the radio is next to a computer or other electronic device. Overall impression: I have a collection of more than 50 radios going back to the 1960's. I have chosen the TR618 for everyday use because of its convenient features and powerful sound. This radio takes the place of my 1980's giant boombox which used cassettes. One 32 GB SD card play as many songs as hundreds of my old cassettes or CD's. A big thank you to my wife for buying me this radio.

I really like the look and sound of this radio. The reason I bought it was to be able to play a thumb drive of mp3 music and old radio programs downloaded from free sites on the net like Old Time Radio internet archive and play them while preparing lunch and dinner. I also liked the fact that the unit has an a/c power cord so I don't have to worry about charging or replacing batteries. I am very pleased with the sound and easy controls. However, my unit would not play my USB thumb drive. Since this ability was the prime - if not the only -- reason I purchased the unit, I planned to return it. But before returing ir (because I liked it so much), I contacted Retekess support. They immediately responded with a list of suggestions, one of which was not to use a thumb drive larger than 16 Gigs. Well....THAT was my issue since the drive I initially used was 64 Gigs. I copied mp3 files on to another smaller drive with a capacity of less than 16 Gigs and now the radio plays the USB MP3 files JUST PERFECTLY. And there are hours of play on that smaller flash stick. I recommend highly.

The AM and FM is good. But I checked the SW bands first and found it to be very sensitive with just the whip antenna. I first tuned to 10 mhz for GMT which came in good then 15 mhz for GMT time and came in good also then checked the shortwave bands and at evening 9.5-10mhz several stations came in loud and clear. 7.5 mhz several stations also as well as 6mhz. Surprisingly many stations are able to receive with this radio only using the whip antenna. Because it is only one scale for all the bands you have to tune very slowly so you don't miss the station. Once on the station or GMT the station is rock solid and no drift. I also heard 20 meter ham band loud and clear but could not decode the SSB of course. This only plays MPS but is good not great and speaker is loud but not the greatest sound for fidelity. The display has no backlight so have to use another light to tune at night. They should have put a tuning light in for the display even if it would increase the cost by $1. The tuning needle is not that stable but ok for this price.

This radio has a very nice sound and plays extremely loud if you turn up the volume. FM stations are very, very clear, the AM stations, not so much, and short wave is non-exsistant where we live (rural area). I tested the usb with mp3's on it, and it plays beautifully. Too bad the controls are so cheaply made. Compare it to our radio controls in the U.S...no comparison...U.S. wins hands down. The selection knobs should be bigger, and the text for selections could be more outstanding/larger. Also, the selection knobs as they are now, makes it difficult to know what you selected as there is no "click" when you're at a selection, if that makes any sense. There are 2 of these knobs, one goes left or right for radio or usb selection, which is easy enough. The other knob goes left, middle, or right for FM, AM, or SW. If the seller improved the controls, this radio would be worth the $50, right now, no. Despite this, I decided to keep it since I bought it for my mother. She is happy with it, and just wanted a small radio. The size and weight are perfect for her, and she keeps the radio on her nightstand. Takes 3 D batteries or plug in to electical outlet. Either way, the radio plays well. Tuning the radio is easy for mom since it's just turning the knob and listening for stations. The size of the radio station numbers are large enough to read, but it's not necessary to read it because the volume can be really loud, and just listening for stations works well for her because she is hard of hearing. I'd buy one for myself, but not until they make improvements with the controls, or lower the price. My mother is not as picky as I am.

This radio blew me away. Really! I'm getting channels in the day time as far away as 200 miles. Stations I can't get at night on my other radios. As far as short wave ? Tonight will tell the tale but I'm pretty sure I won't be dissapointed. Forget my bad spelling but don't underestimate this little radio. I watched and listened to reviews both negative and positive for months before buying this set. At 48.00 it's a bit pricy but I think it will prove to be worth it. It runs odd a.c. cord included plus D batteries not included. That's one thing that drew me in. Most SW radios seem to be rechargeable and THATS nice but if you have no power and it goes down your stuck. With this you can put in New batteries if needed. Or as I do just plug it in and enjoy. I highly reccomend this radio to anyone. It has features like sb card and mp3 which I'll never use but they are nice to have. This is my second retekess brand radio and it's like the first. Top shelf quality at a middle shelf price. If your on the fence I'd say give it a try. Reception is subjective as to where your located and I'm in a poor area for radio. Right now it's 1:50 pm. I'm listening to Oklahoma City on am and I'm in eastern Kentucky! As for shortwave. I've tried for a few night and it's not verry good. It could be conditions or maybe my location but I'd have to say if your looking for primary shortwave set this is not the one. Other than that it's fine