Roberts Revival R260 FM/MW Portable Radio

A two band FM and MW portable in a real wood cabinet, tuned by hand and good for around 170 hours of listening on a set of D cells.

At a Glance

• Two band analogue: FM / MW
• Battery life: 170 hrs
• Loudspeaker: 3 inch
• Acoustically tuned cabinet: Real wood

The Revival R260 is a two band analogue radio: FM and MW, a rotary tuning dial and nothing else to learn. It suits anyone who wants a radio that switches on and plays, without menus, apps or a scan to sit through. The high-density wooden cabinet, leather-cloth finish and gold-plated fittings give it presence on a kitchen shelf or a workshop bench.

Battery life is the headline. Four D cells run the R260 for approximately 170 hours at four hours a day, which is around six weeks of daily listening before you think about replacements. Connect the supplied adaptor and the batteries disconnect automatically, so they sit in reserve for the days you carry it into the garden.

Nothing here needs setting up, and that is the point: a dial, two bands and a wooden box that makes an ordinary station sound worth hearing.

Ideal For

• Kitchen radio: Sits on a worktop and plays all day without a charger nearby. The rotary dial means flour-dusted hands can find a station in a second, no screen to read.
• Sheds and workshops: Battery power and a wooden cabinet suit a shed, a garage or a potting bench. There is no charging routine to remember; a set of D cells lasts and lasts.
• Gifts for traditionalists: For anyone who finds digital menus tiresome, the R260 has one job and does it. Turn it on, turn the dial, and the illuminated scale shows where you are.

Key Features

• 170 hours on D cells: Four LR20 D cells give approximately 170 hours at four hours a day on alkalines. Batteries are not supplied, so pick up a set with the radio.
• 800 mW output: A genuine 800 mW drives the speaker, which is more than enough to carry a talk programme across a kitchen or fill a small room with music.
• 3 inch loudspeaker: A 3 inch, 4 ohm driver in a high-density wooden cabinet. The size of the box does as much for the sound as the driver itself.
• Illuminated dial scale: Rotary tuning across FM 87.5 to 108 MHz and MW 522 to 1710 kHz, with a lit scale that stays readable in a dim room.
• Two aerials: A telescopic aerial handles FM, while an internal directional aerial picks up MW. Turning the cabinet a few degrees is often all a weak MW station needs.
• Tone control and headphones: A tone control rolls off high frequencies when a station sounds harsh. The 3.5 mm headphone socket mutes the internal speaker for listening late without disturbing anyone.

• Why analogue tuning still works: Digital radios ask you to scan, wait, then scroll a list. The R260 asks you to turn a knob. Everything on FM between 87.5 and 108 MHz, and on MW between 522 and 1710 kHz, sits somewhere on the illuminated scale, and you find it by ear. There is no software to update and no menu structure to relearn. For a lot of listeners that is not a compromise; it is the reason to buy it.
• Power it two ways: Four D size LR20 cells run the radio for around 170 hours of listening at four hours a day, which is the sort of figure that makes battery use practical rather than occasional. When there is a socket to hand, the supplied AC adaptor feeds the 7.5 volt DC input and the batteries disconnect automatically, so nothing drains while the radio is on mains. Carry it into the garden and it picks up from the cells again. Batteries are not included.
• The cabinet does real work: The R260's cabinet is high-density wood, finished in leather-cloth with gold-plated fittings and a carrying handle, and it is not only there to look the part. A 3 inch, 4 ohm loudspeaker driven by 800 mW of output has a rigid enclosure of real volume behind it, which is why speech has body and music does not thin out at the top of the volume range. A tone control trims high frequencies when a station is bright or a voice sounds edgy.

How It Compares

The Verdict

Strengths

• Approximately 170 hours from four D cells
• Genuine 800 mW output into a 3 inch speaker
• Acoustically tuned high-density wooden cabinet with leather-cloth finish
• Illuminated dial scale, readable in a dark room
• Telescopic FM aerial plus internal directional MW aerial
• Tone control tames harsh high frequencies
• Headphone socket mutes the internal speaker

Considerations

• FM and MW only. There is no DAB, DAB+ or internet radio, so digital-only stations cannot be received.
• No Bluetooth and no aux input, so phones, tablets and other players cannot be connected to the R260.
• Tuning is analogue with no presets, and the four D size batteries are not included in the box.

What's in the Box

• Revival R260 radio x1
• AC adaptor x1
• Instruction manual x1