BorgJohnson HS912R Review
Posted: Sunday, December 11, 2005
by LWN
LessWaiting.com
This radio enables reception of ten shortwave bands as well as AM and FM. The FM band is longer than usual, so you can also receive the Japanese FM band (76-90MHz) if you travel to Japan, or the audio for part of the television band. It has a built-in speaker, DC power jack, earphone jack, telescoping antenna, and wrist strap. It is not quite small enough to be considered a pocket radio, but the slightly larger size seems to improve its performance as compared to most pocket-size shortwave radios. It has good sound quality, not the tinny sound produced by some pocket radios. The slightly larger size also makes it easier to insert and remove batteries, and the radio doesn't tip over easily. Unlike most smaller radios, it uses 2 "D" size batteries, which gives it much longer battery life. AM and FM reception are both fairly good. Shortwave reception is good for a radio of its size although certainly not as good as most of the more expensive shortwave radios. It was possible to receive stations in Holland, Germany, Cuba, Vietnam, Taiwan and China, although not all at the same part of the night. Stations in Indiana and Florida came in clearly. The telescoping antenna turns 360 degrees, not just straight up or left and right. Reception does not change greatly when the radio is put down or moved slightly, unlike most of the pocket-size radios. The instructions were very minimal but the radio is easy to use. Overall, this is one of the best inexpensive (under $30) shortwave radios, especially when considering sound quality and battery life.
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Top-level comments on this article: (9 total)Where can I purchase this Borg Johnson HS912R radio? You say it's "inexpensive (under $30)".Occasionally they can be found elsewhere, but the best place to find this radio is on eBay.
I have this Borg Johnson shortwave radio (HS-912R). But I cannot find the batteries for it to make it truly portable. Has anyone ever heard of DC 2X1.5V SIZE(UM-1) batteries?
It uses regular "D" batteries, like you would put in a large flashlight.
I have a hs-912r needs repair where can I take it by cleveland Oh?
Helpful...unit is useless for FM in USA.
FM works fine on mine, are you sure the batteries are good? I'm in a rural area, maybe that makes a difference
I also have a HS912R, it only works on AM. Shortwave, FM and TV all inoperative.... Would be a nice little radio if it worked. ( no wonder the guy gave it to me!) :)
FM only receives 3 country channels and all the other are so pointless nobody would want to hear them. Is there some guide for the channels?
I bought the HS-912R today. I can not find the on/off switch. Could any one of you please leave a reply for me. Thank you. Scott. Minnesota, U.S.A.
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