Radio set also known as radio receiver or receiver is an electronic device that detects radio signals and transmits it into usable form. The use of radio receiver is common among old people in Nigeria, younger Nigerians prefer to read news published on websites with their smartphone or laptop.
Despite this, the government still invest much in radio houses because it is a tool they use in passing most important information especially during electoral campaign. Students in the mass communication department go to various radio houses for their industrial training, during this period students usually invite their friends to listen to them on radio and rate their performance.
These two major factors has made it almost impossible for radio receivers to stop selling in Nigeria. In this article we will be pointing out some features to consider before purchasing a radio set in Nigeria.
1. Sensitivity: this refers to the ability of the radio receiver to detect and or receive weak radio signal, sometimes signal can be as low as 10–19 watt for signal whose frequency bandwidth is approximately 1 kilohertz and for a receiver to detect such signal makes the receiver stand out.
2. Selectivity: selectivity refers to the ability of the radio receiver to separate the desired signal from radio interference. Users should be able to switch between FM (Frequency modulation) and AM (Amplitude modulation).
3. Stability: stability is the ability of the radio set to provide enough duration without requiring any manual setup from the user.
4. Battery power: due to the poor electricity power supply in Nigeria this feature of battery power has become too important. Some radio receivers run on non-rechargeable batteries, some run on both rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries while some run on rechargeable batteries alone.
Not minding the kind of battery a radio set runs on a (rechargeable batteries are better) it is advised to purchase a radio set with a better battery power, this is because the cost of non-rechargeable batteries is on the rise and the poor electricity power supply in Nigeria has denied the frequent charging of rechargeable batteries.
5. Enticing features: Radio signals can go completely off sometimes due to poor electricity power supply in the radio stations and at night when radio stations are closed. This is why you should consider extra features the radio set possesses like allowing the play of music with an SD card or through a Bluetooth connection. This is to still serve you when radio signals are completely off.
6. Quality: they are a lot of companies producing radio receivers, so it is important to check the standard of a radio set by comparing between the companies producing radio receivers. This will enable you choose a good and quality radio set.
Thank you for this great idea shared, I will be purchasing a radio receiver next week.