It appears from past posts that AM/FM questions are fair game here; I
apologize in advance to any hard-core SWers.

I'm looking for the best, relatively inexpensive ($150) home radio
for listening to talk radio with the following
considertaions/constraints...

1.) I like to listen to a somewhat difficult to receive FM station
day & night which my home cheapie radios don't pick up well (though
the cars do very well). It would appear for FM you can't do better
than a Model One (http://www.tivoliaudio.com/product.p...139&cat=&page=)
(one such review: http://wkhr.org/articles.htm). The Boston
Acoustics Recepter is reported to perform as well as the Model One
(CNET says better --
http://reviews.cnet.com/Boston_Acous...2.html?tag=top),
though it's a bit more expensive.

2.) There's a local, fairly low-power (harder to hear at night than
day) AM sports station I like to listen to. In two of our cars I get
decent daytime reception. Nighttime reception is spotty at best.
Cheapie home radios don't pick up the station well at all.

It would appear the CC Radio
(http://www.ccrane.com/ccradio-plus-am-fm-radio.aspx) comes highly
recommended by many, though just as many seem to say the much less
expensive GE Superadio III
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=172282)
does as well if not better. This is apparently due to the longer AM
antannae in these radios.

The Model One seems to have fairly pedestrian AM reception
(http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...N%26tab %3Dwg).

3.) I like to catch NBA & MLB games (and the few late NFL games) on
AM late at night, no matter the station. I'm in the Carolinas, and
can catch 1120 from St. Louis, 880 from NYC, and 1000 from Cleveland
(iirc) in one car with varying results. The reception is pretty noisy
and usually goes in and out. But, depending on weather, I can usually
find something worth listening to in the car. Not so with any other
vehicles or home radios (though, strangely, my Sony Walkman picks up
AM fairly well, but perhaps only b/c it's so easy to move around for
better pickup). Again, I suppose the CCRadio or, more likely, the
Superadio would be the better choice out of the box.

4.) The Model One looks kewl.

5.) I want a fixed-location, indoor radio, so adding antannae isn't
an issue and battery power isn't a big plus.

Any specific recommendations/remarks would be appreciated, but I do
have one pointed question -- it appears a good, external AM antennae
like those at C. Crane (http://www.ccrane.com/am-antenna.aspx) or
perhaps even the kits sold here
(http://www.mtmscientific.com/loop.html or
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Underground/8585/) turn most any
AM radio into a pretty high-class receiver. Is that true? Would
something like the C Crane antennae or even a Radio Shack loop turn a
Model One into a great AM box? If so, why the upset over, eg, the
Model One's AM reception like the thread quoted at the end of 2.),
above? Is there anything about my desire for AM reception as
described in 2 & 3 that would override my irrational desire for 4,
were I willing to shell out for an AM antennae?

Thanks!

Ruffin Bailey