Sony ICF S10

Advantages Good battery life, compact, looks good
Disadvantages None

...The Sony ICF-S10 radio is yours for under a tenner and is quite simply an excellent buy!! Argos sell it for £9.99 as far as I know, although I bought mine from a local independent retailer for the same price. The radio takes two AA size batteries, neatly positioned in the back of the unit. I've had the current batteries for over a year. Its compactness is obvious but it really is small enough to fit into most jacket pockets. The radio measures approx 11.5cm by 7cm by 3cm. The contrast of silver and black colours makes it look modern and the frequency display is clear and concise, using gold and silver lettering against a black background. This is an FM/AM 2-band radio covering the FM frequencies from 88 to 108 and AM 5.3 to 16. The tuning dial is rotary and located on the side. Its large enough to be able to fine tune quite... Read review

Advantages Relaible, durable radio with great reception and a good size
Disadvantages Not DAB

...About 4 years ago before going on a camping trip to Norfolk, I made the decision to spend £10 on a "decent" portable radio. I had not any previous luck with a couple of wind up radios that simply didnt charge or were not a good enough quality in reception. I purchased the Sony icf-s10mrk2 from a Woolworths store for £9.99 and have simply not looked back. It a tough, durable portable FM/AM radio that takes two AA batteries. The power consumption is excellent as i seem to have to change the batteries very rarely indeed. I use the radio on all camping trips and on my boat and i have never had any complaints. The reception is very good indeed with an ariel that retracts and folds neatly away...but most importantly , after years of rough and tumble use the ariel is still there!. The radio comes in silver casing that does not scratch... Read review

Advantages Great value for money. Super sound clarity. Pocket size convenience.
Disadvantages Original packaging.

...such as this, the… Argos ‘Extra’ Catalogue. Having consulted the directory at the back, I found what I was looking for on page 857 (correct at date of this review). I was extremely surprised to find, that well within my budget was a Sony 2 band portable radio, at just £9.49! This Sony ICF S10 radio immediately appealed to the eye, being of chic appearance, and with the height being 12cm, width 7cm, and depth just 3cm, its compact dimensions were equally attractive. Other details given, were that, it had an FM/MW analogue tuner, telescopic antenna, and required just 2 x AA batteries. I was smitten, and nothing else in this catalogue compared in compliance with my criteria. I made a dash to Argos, followed by a hasty purchase, and took it home. One drawback I will get out of the way was the silly packaging this came in. One of those awful sealed... Read review