Milwaukee 49-24-0280 V28 28-Volt Lithium-Ion Job Site Radio

by Milwaukee

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Milwaukee 49-24-0280 V28 28-volt lithium-ion job site radio has rugged plastic construction, a steel handle, a blow-resistant base, and weather-proof speakers. Features include an fm radio, digital clock, NOAA weather radio, auxiliary port for CD player, 12-volt power port. It operates on 18-volt or 28-volt lithium-ion or 12- to 18-volt NI-cad batteries, or standard 110-volt outlet. A storage bag is also included, and 10-foot cord. It weighs 22 pounds and comes with a 1-year warranty.

From the Manufacturer

Powered by a two-way Rockford Fosgate 44-watt sound system with a 3-stage Punch EQ bass boost, the Milwaukee 49-24-0280 V28 Site Radio provides crystal clear sound over all volumes. It features an impact-resistant shell, steel handle and a blow-molded base. It operates on 120-volt AC power, 12- to 18-volt Milwaukee Power Plus batteries, and new Milwaukee 18- to 28-volt lithium-ion batteries. Additional features include 20 station preset; digital tuning; digital clock; FM stereo/mono; N.O.A.A. weather band reception; 12-volt auxiliary power port for portable music players and cell phone charging; audio auxiliary input for CD player, MP3 player, or iPod; detachable storage bag; and a 10-foot cord with pass through-plug so it won't tie up an outlet.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 21.2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000EX4I1K
• Item model number: 49-24-0280
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,659 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent radio with some great features..., June 4, 2006

By 

lee280zx "lee280zx" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Milwaukee 49-24-0280 V28 28-Volt Lithium-Ion Job Site Radio (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is the new version of Milwaukee's jobsite radio. In addition to AC power and 12-18 volt NiCad batteries, it also runs on Milwaukee's new 28 volt lithium batteries. (Milwaukee plans to market 18v lithium batteries that will work with its already-existing 18v tools. I presume, from the item description, that those batteries will also work with this radio.)

>>>NOTE: This radio, like the previous Milwaukee jobsite radio, does **NOT** charge the cordless tool batteries it runs on. I emailed Milwaukee about this, and was told that they did not incorporate a charger because the focus of this radio is sound quality and radio reception.

I run my radio on Milwaukee's v28 lithium batteries. I would expect the same performance from Milwaukee's other batteries, with the exception that Milwaukee states that this radio will run longer per charge cycle on the v28 batteries. I'll edit this post to include the average run time for a v28 battery after I've used it several times.

Both the reception and sound quality on this radio are fantastic. The sound quality is so good (and loud, if you want it loud) that you'll be glad to listen to this radio anywhere, any time. If you like bass, the Punch EQ offers 3 levels of bass-boost. The first, or lowest, level is plenty for me. I usually listen with the bass boost off entirely.

I previously owned a Bosch PowerBox jobsite CD/Radio. The PowerBox offers many more features (including charging batteries), but I eventually returned it due to its extremely poor radio reception (even with their new external antenna) and inferior speakers.

The Milwaukee's 12 volt DC output jack (like your car's cigarette lighter plug) allows you to use the radio to power an Ipod, satellite radio, cell phone charger, etc. I particularly like the fact that this plug works when the radio is running on battery power (the Bosch PowerBox's 12v plug only works when the PowerBox is plugged in and running on AC current).

The nylon bag on the back of the radio is removable and measures 11" x 8.5" x 2.5", so it's large enough to store quite a bit of stuff (Ipod, CD player, CDs, patch cables, cell phone lighter-plug cable, etc.). The bag has dual zippers so you can leave a small opening at the top for your external audio device's connecting (patch) cable without risking the device falling out. There is also an elastic strap inside the bag to hold things in place, with spaces for 3 pens/pencils.

The LCD clock readout is visible even when the radio is off. In fact, it's visible even when the radio is unplugged and there is no battery pack in it. It's powered by two "AA" batteries (included).

This radio shuts down automatically when whatever rechargeable battery pack you are using gets low. This is important because you NEVER want to completely discharge any cordless tool battery. Doing so can cause cells within the battery to reverse polarity and become ineffective. The battery might still work if this happens, but it won't be producing as much voltage.

The soft-grip handle is comfortable and the rubber-whip style antenna is perfect for a jobsite radio. You can also attach an external antenna to a provided external connector, but the reception is great so I don't see much need for this.

To connect an Ipod or other audio source, you'll need a cable that goes from the output of your audio source to radio's auxiliary input. For an Ipod, this would be a simple patch cable with a (male) stereo mini plug on each end.

A few extra features would make this an ideal radio for any occasion. Padding in the nylon bag would be great (after all, the radio is designed to survive falls and abuse). A remote control would be useful (especially if you're working on a roof or using it in your garage or home). And a "sleep" timer and headphone jack would also be nice.

Some of the features I suggest might seem out of place on a jobsite radio, but I think this radio could find a market with people who will never even visit a "jobsite." The sound quality is there, and the styling offers a real "wow" factor. This radio could be great as a permanent fixture in a kid's room, basement, garage, etc.

Regardless, I give this radio 5 stars because it is the best jobsite radio I've ever heard. More importantly, it is compatible with Milwaukee's v28 lithium-powered cordless tools, which are, without doubt, the best cordless tools on the market.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's holding up well., March 30, 2004

By 

MicTrik "mictrik" - See all my reviews

I heard a crash and then turned around. My radio was lying on the basement floor. I could have sworn I left it on top of the ladder...? Picked it up off the floor and placed it on top of a cardboard box; much more stable. No need to check the radio because it was still running and suffered only a small scratch on the bar handle. This radio is very tough indeed! It sounds great, has good FM and very good AM reception; the weather bands are tough to get but they do work. The unit will run on a Milwaukee cordless drill battery, plus the 12v DC outlet readily charges my cell phone and it has an auxiliary micro input that accepts any stereo source. All in all this is a great radio for a rough environment; though it would be nice to see it also function as a charger. This would allow you to leave your regular battery charger at home limiting the amount of gear you need to haul around. Milwaukee really should have included a charging circuit with this unit. I am sure they could have found a way to include charging without compromising the sound.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great rugged radio for anyone!, January 3, 2005

By 

TimInChicago (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

What others have said about the great sound is true, it's awesome. I'm not a pro so this radio goes back and forth from my shop to whatever part of the house I happen to be tearing apart on any given weekend. I have full confidence, however, that this could take the daily beating of a job site while still sounding and working great.

Compare this to the Bosch and Dewalt; it beats them hands-down on ruggedness and sound quality. The Dewalt doesn't hold any advantages to my eye and the only thing the Bosch has on this one is the GFCI outlets. If the Milwaukee had some outlets, I'd have given it 5 stars; I think that's a nice feature. The fact that the Bosch has a built-in CD player doesn't do anything for me. For starters, who wants to lug around a bunch of CDs that are just going to get scratched, dirty, lost or stolen anyway? Even if you do want to do that, use a cheap portable CD player and toss it in the pouch on the back of the Milwaukee. What you should really use, however, is your MP3 or MiniDisc player; pack more music in that pouch than you could listen to in a week. The Bosch has an input for these, but no pouch to my knowledge.

A few things you should know about the Milwaukee that you don't see in the pics here on Amazon:

1.) There is a removable black zipper pouch that is attached to the back of the radio. The pouch has straps inside to hold an MP3/CD/MD player and your cell phone along with some pencils, etc. There are also two velcro flaps, one on each side of the pouch to run your cords out of - one for the audio input jack and the other for DC power.

2.) You need to have Milwaukee cordless tool batteries if you want to go without AC power (I think all the brands do this). If you are away from AC power often and you don't have a Milwaukee cordless tool (or have plans to get one), that could be a deal breaker. As I'm sure you've already read, this radio does not charge tool batteries. So what - that's what chargers are for and every tool comes with one. Or, take the money you save buying this one instead of the Bosch and get the multi-bay charger from Milwaukee and charge 3 batteries at once.

The Bosch is more than twice the price of this one but even at the same price, I would pick the Milwaukee. I don't use my tools as hard as most of Milwaukee's customers do because I'm not a pro, but this radio adds to my already strong impression of Milwaukee Electric Tools.