PRUNUS J-136 Portable AM FM Radio

Ryukyus Command

February 14, 2026

Prunus J-136 isn't bad if you are a FM-only listener.

I ordered this Prunus radio along with the Panasonic RF-2400D. The Prunus was to be my bedside radio. Long story short - the Panasonic's sound quality and sensitivity were vastly superior compared to the Prunus. I actually compared the two units side by side. On both bands (FM & AM), the Panasonic performed immaculately. If you are only a FM listener, the Prunus does a good job, but the Prunus seems to pick up noticeable background noise on the AM band since its speaker sounds tinny. Also, the tuning knob is unorthodox - when you jog to the right, the dial pointer moves to the left and vice versa. In terms of build quality, it wasn't bad at all. However, the power LED was on the side which didn't make any sense at all. Since I listen to AM, I decided to return the Prunus.

Really fun, doesn’t pick up all stations.

Ot sounds really good and is easy to use; however, it only picks up about 5 FM stations in San Francisco.

I bought it discursively to play classical radio and it current pick up 90.3 AT ALL. Luckily, it at least picks up KQED. KQED is 88.5 fm, but you can see how it appears to be tuned in the photo.

1:38

Working in mobile home ! Great

0:10

Perfect little patio radio

This is exactly what I wanted for my small outdoor cabana in my backyard. Great reception, clear sound, seems durable, easy to use and reminds me of old school radios when I was a kid. Couldn’t be happier.

Tiny but mighty

It may be small but it has a good speaker. Although the AM station I did notice it had like a thumping noise, not sure if it was caused from shipping but overall works good. Easy to use.

Awesome portable radio

I’ve been on the lookout for a portable radio while working in the garage or outside on projects and ran across the PRUNUS J-136 Portable Radio. This radio comes with a ton of features. First off, it’s got the classic knobs for station and volume adjustment. On the right side, it features a Mic In or AUX In port, band switch: SW1 (5.9-9.5MHz), SW2 (9.5-18.0MHz), AM (530-1600KHz), and FM (88-108MHz). It has a DC 4.5V IN, however the radio didn’t come with a DC adapter. Finally, a red power light so it’s easy to see at distance if the radio is on. Left side there’s AC IN and this radio includes a non-polarized cable (2-prong).

The radio also includes a carrying handle which is super nice when trying to move things, especially if running on battery, and a fairly long antenna which does well, even on stations that are weaker in our area. Finally, on the back is a battery cage for 2 D-cell batteries which runtime will depend on a number of factors, however if it’s like any older portable radio it should last a while.

This radio gets really loud, I normally only have it at a fraction of the volume for the immediate area but would be super nice to have while out camping or relaxing. The only downside with the unit that I received is that the there’s a weird smudge (shown in my pics) across the labels in the front which looks like either a manufacturing defect in the plastic or the device was handled by someone with some kind of adhesive on their hands. Unfortunately, I couldn’t clean it off. I tried a damp rag and eventually went for a bleach wipe (not leaving it on for long and wiping off the residue). I’m not going to try with anything stronger as I worry I’ll ruin the label. It’s only noticeable when light reflects on it and doesn’t affect operation, so in the end it's not a huge deal to me.

Overall, I’m really happy with this radio and I’m looking forward to using it for many projects and family outings to come. I would highly recommend it.

You'll be impressed how small it is. It receives radio stations nicely. Solid emergency radio.

It operates as simply and easily as any transistor radio. The reception is very good. My first photo is to provide you with a solid understanding of the size. The dimensions are comparable to two paperback novels.

I do not have to raise the antenna to receive most stations, and they come in very clearly; as clear as a digital signal through a cable. Granted, I do live in a major metropolitan area, close to radio transmitters, but not buried in the concrete of the thickest buildings.

As you can see, it is slightly smaller, and it only has one speaker. This is good because used batteries from the bigger radio will continue to power it, even after they can't power the bigger radio. The batteries probably last a little longer because it only has the one speaker.

The contrasting styles also gives you and idea how 1980's this radio looks, which is a plus for me. Retro-looking electronics are fun.

If you ever fool around with a radio from the 80's, whether you were around back then or not, you will usually find that it has excellent reception. Good reception seems to have fallen off from most radios by the early 2000's, but this little radio easily receives signals as well as one of those old 80's radios, and with far less batteries.

Both radios receive signals as well as one another. The larger one is really just there to make my point about battery longevity. Clearly, the PRUNUS radio can fit in a slightly smaller nook or cranny. I like it a lot.

I keep it near the computer, and I easily turn it on while I work when the mood strikes me.

AM & FM very good. Shortwave not really working.

I tested this radio out, and was surprised at how good the FM quality was. Good reception, and good sound quality for a small radio. It was really good.

And the AM reception was good too.

But, the Shortwave reception was really bad on both bands. It did pick up a couple of signals, but those were usually staticy at best. Not really working.

So for the FM/AM reception, I recommend this, but not for the Shortwave bands.

Like it, but...

I like the moderate size, not large but not too small. The sound is very clear, without much base, and it gets very loud if the volume is turned up. The analog tuning is smooth, and reception is very good. But some stations tend to drift, and because of the analog tuning with good sensitivity, it's difficult to know exactly what station is tuned in. The radio operated equally well with batteries (2 "D" cells, not included) or 120VAC. The cord is too short, measuring only 48", but it's not a problem on a kitchen or bathroom counter. The antenna folds and stores out of the way in the top of the radio. One issue I have with the radio is the analog dial, it's backwards. The dial reads from right to left. I've never seen that before, but it doesn't seem to affect performance. This is a good emergency radio, but it's not something that would replace other media for music. It does have good voice quality for understanding talk radio.

Banyon G.

October 2, 2023

Better FM Reception Than My Older Prunus Radio

My kitchen radio since April 2021 has been the Prunus J-15, an older model. It has a flashlight, 2 SW bands, and good AM reception. However I've always been unhappy with the FM reception.

Enter this new model, the Prunus J-136. When it arrived it was smaller than I expected and I was concerned that the reception would not be so good, but it's actually good on both AM and FM. I'd say the sound quality is about average for a small radio - sounds a bit "transitor-y," but certainly listenable.

The J-136 does have it's minor issues though. For one, the AC power cord is in an awkward spot, on the left side instead of the back. However, it can also be powered by a 4.5V DC adaptor (not included) on the right side, or 2 D batteries (also not included). So at least there are other options.

Also, as other reviewers have noted, the dial moves from right (the lower station numbers) to the left (the higher station numbers). That is the opposite of how most radio tuning dials are ordered. No idea why they did that; it will take some getting used to.

The J-136 also feels and looks a bit cheap compared to my old Prunus radio and has no flashlight. However the J-136 does have an AUX input on the side if you want to plug a microphone, portable CD player, or other input in the back.

SUMMARY: Overall I'd give this one 3.5 stars. Sound-wise it is fine for a kitchen radio for casual listening. The reception on this radio seems to be an improvement to my older Prunus, but I'm not certain yet if this will completely replace the J-15. Once I decide I will update this review.

LOUD

We ordered this radio to help keep our dogs calm during the day when we’re not at home.

I’m 35, so I grew up listening to the radio. Man this takes me back!!

The antenna is LONG. The AM/FM dial is easy to turn. The volume gets LOUD!! Like, REALLY LOUD.

The sound is nice. Very clear.

You can use battery, or electrical outlet. It also had a DC volt plug adapter port, but the cord didn’t come in the box.

We live in the sticks, so I’m not sure how many stations we get out here. But we definitely receive enough.

-Wife

2:07

Great radio

This is a great radio. Easy to use and the sound quality is great. Got this for my mom who is very old school, she wants a actual radio on her bedroom. This is perfect for her.

Cute and loud but radio is backwards and not very good

Bought this for my wife, cause she wanted a simple radio. It’s nice how small and simple it is and it looks retro. Plus having the option to use it portably (on batteries) or with a plug is great. The aux chord option is great too. The sound and volume is decent for a cheap radio.

But there are three problems, at least. First, the numbers for the stations increased right to left, not left to right like most people are probably used to. This id counterintuitive. This means to change the tuner from 96.1 to 93.9, for instance, you move from left to right, rather than right to left. (See picture).

Second, at least for me, it didn’t pick up stations my other radio easily picks up in the same location. Lastly, there are several button-looking areas of the front that aren’t buttons and don’t actually do anything.

For 20 dollars I don’t expect a ton, but these seem like basic problems to resolve.

Nostalgic transistor radio like the ones I grew up using

If you're old enough to remember transistor radios, this will bring back a lot of memories. I got this because I enjoy listening to local radio and this radio offers excellent reception and clarity, but also gives a feel of nostalgia for the radios I used when I was young. It's very well made and can handle 4 different bands, SW1, SW2, AM, and FM. It can take batteries, but I really like that it came with a simple plug-in electric cable for continuous use.