Interesting radio I found.

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I was at a local Salvation Army store and found this radio. QuantumFX Model: R-18US. AM/FM/SW1-SW7 RADIO WITH USB/SD BUILT-IN

The USB flash drive and SD card ports play MP3 music.

Everything works except the telescoping antenna is broken off (that's easy to fix, as soon as I find one).

But I'm a little confused. In the battery compartment it says to use UM1

1.5v. The PDF file (above) says rechargable batteries. And there is a plug for a wall wart listed at 6V on the radio.

In the PDF file it also says D cells.

I dont do much with rechargable batteries. Are these UM1 the D cell equivalant rechargables? Just curious, I only intend to run it from the built in AC cord.

This radio was made in 2012 (sticker inside battery compartment).

This is the first portable radio I have ever seen that has a USB and SD card for MP3 music, and with 7 shortwave bands plus AM and FM it does a lot. Well worth the $5 I paid.

One other thing, there is a sticker on it that says it has 1000 watts P.M.P.O HQ sound system.

YEA RIGHT..... 1000W from a 5" mono speaker powered by 4 D cells. Talk about bullshit advertising....

Has anyone ever heard of a P.M.P.O power rating?

Either way, for mono, it has decent sound, which may output 5 watts maximum....

I bet this was a fairly costly radio when it was new....

Back to looking for a schematic for it. I dont really need one, I just like to have them for everything I own. So far no luck finding one.

Reply to
oldschool
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PMPO, which stands for Peak Music Power Output or Peak momentary performance output, is a much more dubious figure of merit, of interest more to advertising copy-writers than to consumers.

It was thought up for those who are impressed by big numbers when buying audio gear. (Been around for years, google not working for you ??)

Reply to
Rheilly Phoull

Note: The rechargeable batteries are only 1.2volts vs 1.5 for an alkaline I would advise against

Reply to
philo

You should have spent your money on a PS/2 mouse. It's no longer sold on Amazon and the reviews say it's crap. It's also 4-5 years old. And at an original price of probably under $15 you can guess where it was made.

What I don't understand, is considering how much you complain about Chinese made anything being "absolute shit"is that you keep buying it. Then wasting our time with it.

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

That's right, I remember that now. Rechargable batteries are always 1.2 volts rather than 1.5 in alkaline or carbon zinc types.

Reply to
oldschool

The price is right but...jeez, it's got a face only a mother could love. The enclosure design and front panel would've looked outdated in 1988.

Reply to
bitrex

Looks like throw-away Chinese junk. I see the sales sheet says built in condenser mic... any evidence of a recording function?

Also sports CFD lighting. What the hell is CFD?

Do the controls feel as shitty as I imagine they must?

Does it - or does it not -- have a built in rechargeable battery? If it really weighs 5 lbs it just might.

My guess is it's worth the $1 you paid for it. Oh wait...

Don't waste another dime on an antenna. Use that "easy to hold" strap to launch it into the nearest dumpster.

Reply to
Terry Schwartz

A few things:

a) UM-1 is the Pacific Rim designation for a D-cell. Whether one-time or re chargeable. It relates to the physical size of the battery. Not to worry ab out 1.2 vs. 1.5 or 1.56 V. The circuitry will handle it. Unless there is a switch inside the battery compartment (as with many Grundig & some Siemens radios), ignore the distinction.

b) P.M.P.O is a measure of what happens when you short-circuit the entire b attery capacity added to whatever charge is in whichever capacitors directl y into the speaker, for about one millisecond. It is an impressive, but ent irely meaningless number.

c) Essentially, this is an analog radio-in-a-chip, and for all that will pi ck up strong SW stations, and do otherwise OK on AM & FM. But it will not s tand up to any comparison with a purpose-built SW radio of the same size an d band-spread. Kinda-sorta like comparing a Mini to a Yugo. About the same size, four wheels, steering wheel, doors, seats, after which the resemblanc e stops.

I believe these retailed originally around $20 for about a week, then rapid ly were 'remaindered' for prices all over the map. I have a very small Chin ese 9-band radio

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._SL1500_.jpg That I snagged at Kutztown for $1. The two D (!) cells inside were worth mo re than the radio. It plays OK, but the 7-band radio I snagged a day later for $10
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blew it a way. Today, it resides on the bench primarily to pick up LO Signals when I am troubleshooting.

Not a bad find if you are into that kind of stuff - and it should last for years. But, it is Chinese.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
pfjw

More like comparing a Mini to a Trabant.

Except for the review that said it lasted a month.

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

As with much Chinese Junque, what comes down the line varies much as do app les from a tree. If it has made it this far, it is one of the very few that was worm-free.

Writing for myself, I would rather have the Trabant. That they had two-cyli nder, two-stroke engines and very basic transmissions, and fiber-board bodi es is, perhaps, why they actually did last for years, and years. With the Yugo, it was a fast race between rust, transmission failure, engine bearing s....

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
pfjw

pples from a tree. If it has made it this far, it is one of the very few th at was worm-free.

linder, two-stroke engines and very basic transmissions, and fiber-board bo dies is, perhaps, why they actually did last for years, and years. With th e Yugo, it was a fast race between rust, transmission failure, engine beari ngs....

I wish I'd stockpiled Trabbies when they were going for 20 notes each.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Peak momentary power out. I think, but not sure I have heard it as peak music power. Somekind of advertising bull. I have seen lots of computer speakers rated for 100 watts or more and inside the box is a 2 watt or less speaker.

It is sort of like a radar pulse where for a microsecond you pulse out thousands of watts, but the average on the tube is about 5 watts.

Think of it as a capacitor discharging. It will dump almost the whole load in a microsecond. Same as some newer batteries like in the emergency car starters that fit in a glove compartment. They will dump out a few hundred amps for about 3 seconds to get the car engine to rotate once or twice to get you started.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

I've had a few of these Chinese radios -- one was even labeled Grundig, and it had the little dynamo crank that charged anemic ni-cads.

None have been worth using as a radio, they are un-listenable. The Grundig had a built in flashlight, and in the days before LED flashlights, I actual ly made use of that radio once in an emergency to shed light on a tire-chan ging operation. But not the radio.

I find the audio so bad, so flat, that after mere moments I need to turn it off.

Now when I see them at swaps or estate sales, I don't even give them a 2nd look.

Last weekend I did fine a rather handsome early Sony transistor (turned out to be a rather rare bird), and a Realtone space capsule radio. Neither of these would have great audio either, but both have historical and visual ap peal.

Reply to
Terry Schwartz

*laughs* Yes, there's "crap" and then there's "Utter crap."
--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

Come on Terry, you're a pro!! CFD is Compact Fluorescent Diode...

You're welcome.

Reply to
John-Del

So, what are you saying, Jeff? :-)

Reply to
Terry Schwartz

That might have potential. I'll need to think about that!

Reply to
Terry Schwartz

There's stuff others would consider crap that you or I would enjoying because it has some intrinsic value to us.

Then there's stuff that is nothing more than utter crap. Like 90% of what you see in a thrift store.

That that crap is on sale for $1 doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that that stuff ever sold in the first place. At retail.

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

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