Hmm... sound interesting... so maybe we could fit a decent-sized ferrite inside there. I do share his concern about the internally generated noise, too, though. I wonder if it might be possible to fit 2 AAA batteries in the area where the built-in bar is (cutting plastic as necessary), and put a 4"x1/2" or 3"x3/8" Amidon-61 bar in the battery compartment?
But then there's also still the issue of making it usable in vertical orientation. I wonder if there's a place to put, say, a 2"x1/4" or 3"x3/8" Amidon-61 bar on one side of the radio, with a switch to select between the two antennas? It would be kind-of awkward to put the radio in my pocket (for carry-around hands-free use) in horizontal orientation.
http://picasaweb.google.com/PianoPlayer88Key/GrundigG8TypicalUse?authkey=Gv1sRgCIrn_5Pbj_6nKQ#5374564183454699378
That's actually a Grundig G8 that I had bought from Radio Shack, then returned, before I got the PL-380, but it's the same size, basically, and you can see that it isn't exactly a very pocketable radio. I am able to get it in there, but it looks (and feels) a bit awkward. If I could use it vertically without sacrificing more than a couple dB of sensitivity, it would be nice.