Shawn wrote in with a question about the new Craftsman Bluetooth radio:
It looks like Craftsman has joined the Bluetooth radio/charger market. Would like to know what you think of it.
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There are actually two new Craftsman C3 Bluetooth radios – the compact radio I previously posted about, and the one Shawn asked specifically about, which is larger and built with an integrated battery charger.
I wish I could offer some hands-on notes about the radio, but sadly the test sample I requested three weeks ago must have gotten lost in the mail.
On paper, this looks to be a respectably equipped garage radio. It features an AM/FM tuner, wireless Bluetooth smartphone/tablet/laptop/device compatibility, a “built in AUX input cable,” a USB charging port, a tray for placing your smartphone on for charging or audio streaming, and a built-in C3 19.2V battery charger.
The radio can be powered by the “built-in power cable” or any C3 19.2V battery pack.
It seems unlikely that the radio has a built-in AUX cable. I think they meant AUX input port, or jack. I’m also thinking that the power cable is either removable, or maybe there’s a nice cord-wrap at the back of the unit.
Other seemingly nice touches include LED backlighting, a flip-down radio antenna, and a 2A max current output for the USB charging port. There’s also a 3.5mm output for “speaker expansion” or headphone use.
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More new Bluetooth radios: Porter Cable PCC771B | Dewalt DCR006 Speaker
To me this looks like a nice jobsite/garage/on-the-go durable radio option. It offers a nice array of features and design elements, and is reasonably priced too.
It’s looking like I won’t be able to test this out before the end of the year. If anyone has bought one and given it a go, please share your experience with it! Please of course also feel free to share your initial impression.
And, as always, please keep the great questions coming!
Steve Cox
The radio is nice, Good sound quality and it will get loud. Easy to link a android phone and play music. The cord is not removable, it is coiled under the bottom.
It does not have a built in AUX cable, It has a AUX jack, and comes with a 3 inch cable in the box.
If you are running off the battery you can charge a phone using the USB port, it will not play music through the USB, Just charge.
Cindy
Hello,
I was wondering if the radio comes with a battery pack, I seen in your post about the compact version of this radio, that you need to purchase a separate battery pack. Is that the case with this one as well?
Stuart
I am fairly confident that it does NOT come with a battery pack. Sears’ description makes no mention of one, which typically means it’s not included.
Cindy
Thank you for such a fast response!
Curtus
I’ve had my unit for 4 years and yesterday i tried powering off the unit it would not power off so I pulled the battery and unplugged it to power down. This morning it would not power up. Something in the electronics is fubar.