This is the Roberts Radio model R9974. It is very near impossible to buy this in the US,because Roberts is a British company and the R9974 is only sold there and parts of Europe. I was able to get this model thanks to Ebay. I like portables and especially something unique but functional.
The R9974 uses four LR20/D batteries. A good idea. I have not had to replace the batteries in nine months. There is also a 230Vac in/6 Vdc out UK power adapter included,but that can be replaced with a 120V US adapter. I avoid radios that are only wired for 230V.
Another thing to consider is that MW or AM broadcast stations have a separation of 9 kHz in most parts of the world while it's 10 kHz in North America. This radio tunes in steps of 9 or 10 kHz. 522-1629 kHz in Europe,520-1710 kHz for the US. If a radio can only step 9kHz,I can't use it here.
The R9974 also has the 87.5-108 MHz band for FM,no tuning issues here,and covers the LW (Longwave) band 153kHz-279kHz. Mostly European broadcasters use that band,but late at night in California,I can receive Russian broadcasts from across the Pacific on 189 and 279 kHz.
Each band uses 5 presets,and the usual alarm/snooze functions. If this radio does look familiar,it's because another company,Sangean, makes a model like this with the Weather Band in place of the LW function for the US market.
It really performs well. Incidentally,Roberts has just made their famed Revival radios for sale in the US through the C.Crane company in Fortuna,California.
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