20 years ago a radio of this quality would have cost over $1000 dollars. I bought it for a trip through scandanavia. It was my best friend on the trip. The ability to follow European FM spacing (Which is different than ours) makes this radio a must for international travellers. I continue to use it here for stateside. AN external anteanna really does help though, and the included reel out one will show an improvement. Its also not too bad on batteries. Worth it at the price offered.