How is battery life on this radio? Has anyone tried using rechargeable cells?
596152
Batteries seem to last forever. I have both the 201 & 202, and in three years I've only changed the batteries for the 201. I've had the 301 for more than a year now and battery indicator is still full. I use it daily for 10-15 minutes.
596153
I've had the radio for 4 years and only replaced them twice. Didn't use rechargeable, just normal alkaline. They last a long time, guess it depends on how loud you have it and how long you shower.
596154
Alkaline D cells last for ages, several months for me when running 30-40 minutes daily (mostly FM, I only use Bluetooth on weekends). I switched to Sanyo Eneloop AA cells with D spacers earlier this year, and they still run 5-6 weeks. I swap 'em out when the meter shows one bar of three, don't wait for them to die, so they're probably good for another week.
596155
We bought this maybe a year ago.. Have not changed batteries yet. We LOVE this radio!
596156
Haven't tried rechargeable cells but after a year only on 2nd set of batteries. We use 2-3 hr a day
240962
Yes, the battery is rechargeable, and lasts from 5-12 hours depending on if you're listening to the radio (uses more power) or with sdhc card/usb drive (uses less power). You can also plug USB cord into an adapter (I use one from an old cell phone).
920149
I have used mine for 8+ hours straight a few times and did not have an issue with low battery. I was talking about a third of the time and listening the other two thirds.
1766500
The rechargeable batteries in mine last about 8 hours on a full charge with the radio playing. When I use alkaline batteries I get about 20 hours of play time.
1088684
It has a rechargeable internal battery which lasts about five hours. I love it! It gives me radio reception in rooms in which reception is bad to nonexistent. Also it can play while its recharging.
1358884
The only method I know of is to just let the battery run out of energy each time between the charges and then use the radio: fully charge the radio, then wait until it runs out of energy three times in order to get full battery life. The battery runs out of energy fairly quickly even if the radio is not played.
2267289
It does not ship with a rechargeable power source. You can use rechargeable "AA" batteries in the radio and they will recharge if given an external charger (not provided) like a USB-based cell phone charger. You will need a standard mini-USB (not micro) cable.
643678
I just got the radio last week. I charged it from my laptop USB connection. I believe the manual stated it will run about 10 hours at medium volume.It just has a cell phone battery. So if you are looking for something that runs for month on battery alone then this may not be for you.The box had a flyer from the distributor, offering a charger for $9.95. They send it for free if you review the radio.
1098776
No, in fact this radio lasts so long with one set of batteries is unbelieveable. That is why we have bought two already and I am ordering three more, one for each of my sons for Christmas. They won't have to borrow mine anymore for those camping trips.
617181
When I was looking at this, it was suppose to last about two hours per charge, but I barely get a full hour out of it with a sd card. So my guess is the battery might last longer with the radio, but I have not tried that.
250746
I use rechargeable and it played for over 80 hours in one sitting. Not bad.
1999599
Yes, I try to keep mine plugged in as much as possible. You do have to make sure it is in the off position (Radio Off)for the charge to hold. Mine has held a charge with just the batteries for 6 days and about 25 - 30 (volume dependent) hours of use - before failure. Better than most radios for reception - -when you see the antenna you will understand. Use it for yard work with an fm transmitter and take it deep in the woods for the local stations 70+ miles away. Durable, not the greatest fidelity, but adequate...small size makes it easy to pack anywhere...use it nearly every day!
1687200
I have owned this radio for 5 yrs. & no problems with radio or battery , As far as I can tell the battery can not be replaced & the radio is not intended to be opened and can't be opened with out damaging . :(
362937
It has a built in rechargeable battery that lasts about 10 hours with music on - longer if you just use the intercom feature. It recharges in a few hours.
2149434
Haven't tested this, but the directions that came with it says the radio will go on a fully charged battery for 4 hours. It takes 35 min. of cranking to get it fully charged, or it has a solar panel, which will fully charge the battery after 8 hours.
250747
Part of this answer is going to depend on the quality of battery you buy. here is my experience. I used Energizer batterys for the week of my vacation. The radio was on for about three to five hours for five days (20 hours or so) When I got home I took the batterys out and went back to using the cord because the radio stays in the house. i tested the batteries and they still showed an almost full charge so I put them with my spare flashlights. I would guess that the batterys would have lasted better than twice the time I used them for.
1511137
I agree this is a great radio (a little wide on the FM band, but very sensitive.) Batteries last a long time, I rarely use the adapter.