Why You Can Trust CNET Bush Walker BPR07DAB review: Bush Walker BPR07DAB
We can't fault the Bush Walker's simplicity or portability, but it's still a DAB+ radio that is only of interest to those who spend a lot of time outdoors.
Design
Bush's latest portable DAB+ radio isn't just called the Bush Walker because it's a funny product name.
Bush Walker BPR07DAB
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Well, OK, we're pretty sure that the slightly amusing nature of the name has a pretty big part to play in why this particular radio is so defined. But it's also because it's an incredibly small and light DAB+. We've seen portable pedometers larger than the Bush Walker. Bush's release notes describe it as "not much bigger than a matchbox" and it's accurate enough, with a central set of squishy directional buttons sitting below a simple backlit LCD display. The rear of the Bush Walker is large enough for the two AAA batteries that power the unit, and not a whole lot else besides.
Features
As DAB+ radios go, the Bush Walker is understandably on the simple side. It allows for four quick preset stations, along with scrolling through a list to select all other stations, can display RDS information (where it's broadcast) and can quickly mute the incoming radio.
The one thing you don't get in the main radio body is an antenna. That might seem like a rather vital omission for a radio of any type, but the Bush Walker uses a trick beloved by many mobile phones with in-built radio functions. The headphones that you plug into the unit act as the antenna. A pair of painfully ordinary bud headphones with adjustable tips are provided in the box.
Performance
The simple button layout of the Bush Walker make it very simple to set up and use, at least initially. The tiny backlit screen can be rather hard to read, and while it does support scrolling text, we found our eyes looping back into our heads if we stared at it for any significant length of time.
The use of headphones as the antenna for this radio gives it a particular reception quirk, at least in our tests. Taking the Bush Walker out for a walk or jog, and it performs quite admirably, whether you're streaming talkback radio or music. The moment we stepped inside, however, the music died.
Then came back again.
Then died. The antenna by way of headphones solution doesn't seem to pick up signals anywhere near as well once you're indoors. For such a portable unit that might not be a great problem, but if you were planning to use this as your all-in digital radio solution, it's well worth keeping in mind that it's not best suited for indoors use.