The second problem is that the tuning wheel is so sensitive that getting it on the right frequencies is a battle. The first is that no matter what I try and do it will not tune below 537 kHz which means any stations on 531 kHz cannot be heard with this radio. The tuning control moves 1 kHz at a time however I found two problems with this. My first check with this radio was across the Medium Wave AM broadcast band, this was where I found the first problem. After removing this with a pair of fine nose pliers and inserting the two AA batteries the unit requires I powered it on, this is done the way a lot of cheaper radios do it, you turn the volume control from the off position until it clicks and then you adjust the volume to the level you desire. The fit and finish is quite rough and I managed to catch my finger on a plastic barb left in the battery compartment when it was made. Looking over the AR1741 unit it is clear that this is not anywhere near a well built unit as even the AR1745.
On opening the box once I returned home to Launceston I found a very basic kit in front of me, the radio unit itself and a pair of earphones plus the small and almost useless user manual are all that are included with it. Power: 4.5VDC mains plug pack or 2 x AA batteriesĪ couple of weeks ago I spotted this radio while shopping at Jaycar in Hobart, the price was right at $24.95 and based on my previous experiences with the AR1745, AR1747 and AR1748 which had all been very positive I thought this might be a good “backup” radio to add to my Ultralight DXing setup.It can be either battery or mains powered (batteries and power supply sold separately), has a 3.5mm headphone socket and comes complete with a lanyard for portability. It features full clock functions with an alarm and receives AM, FM and SW. This multi-band pocket radio has digital tuning and has a large backlit LCD. “Radio Receiver AM/FM/SW with LCD and Clock (AR1741) Tas Ultralight Broadcast Band DXing: Digitech AR1741 Review