Etón FR360B Solarlink Self-Powered Digital AM/FM/NOAA Radio with Solar Power, Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (Black) Review

Pros: Combination of emergency features, alternate power sources
Cons: Jack of all trades, master of none

While the Eton FR360 does many things, I bought this radio for 3 basic functions, all relating to emergency use.

1. Multiple power sources, notably solar cells and hand crank in addition to dry cells.
2. Weather radio, AM/FM as a necessary secondary.
3. Cell phone charger (via USB).

The ability to power this radio from multiple sources is good in theory but weak in practice. To maintain a battery charge sufficient to run the radio requires several minutes of cranking every 15 minutes. The solar cell's rate of charge cannot keep up with the radio's rate of discharge. This means that the radio will still require occasional cranking even if sitting in full sun. Given the effect that low charge has on radio function (more on this later) it's just easier to keep a set of spare batteries on hand. With the shelf life of modern alkaline batteries this is really the best option. It's not like this unit is ruggedized for go anywhere operation so don't imagine yourself riding out a hurricane in a waterlogged foxhole madly cranking so you can hear the weather report.

Radio reception is also less than what I expected of a $50 unit. Weather radio is intelligible. I don't expect great performance will make the voice sound any less robotic. I find there are two things that affect the radio performance. Fully extending the short telescopic antenna is a must for FM reception and battery power must be high. Operating from alkaline cells provides okay reception but with no power meter on the rechargeable battery (charged from the solar cells or hand crank) reception deteriorates with the battery charge without any indication. Not what you want in an emergency radio.

The most disappointing feature is the USB cell phone charger. The USB port derives its power from the crank only, not the batteries. This means that anything plugged into the USB port only charges as long as the crank is being turned. If you have a smartphone that takes several minutes to boot from a dead state then any appreciable charge that can be built up is expended before the phone is ready to use. I actually tossed an old Moto RAZR in with the FR360 because it boots fairly quickly, sips power and will provide 911 service without a contract.

While this review seems to cast the FR360 in a negative light consider that a few spare batteries resolve the major complaints and the solar cells and crank are really there for last resort use. (Seriously, who would crank or look for a sunny spot if they could just as easily duct tape three extra AAA cells to the back of the radio?) The radio isn't great but it's good enough for the intended purpose. The USB charge port is a bit of a disappointment but when all else fails, it's there. Is the FR360 worth $50? Maybe. It's a jack of all trades and when it's go time having only one thing to grab instead of three will probably be its greatest asset.

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Midland 74-250C SAME Handheld Weather Alert Radio Review

June 10, 2008: The National Weather Service issues a Tornado Watch for the entire state of Vermont. You would think this weather radio, turned on and with fresh batteries, would go crazy and sound an alarm, or at the very least display that there has been a tornado watch issued. Nope. This weather radio didn't. Other things I don't like about it: Difficult to set up. Difficult to get to the weather radio. VERY POOR RECEPTION!!!! I had to leave it in one specific spot in my house to get reception, and if I moved it a millimeter, it would lose it's signal. Would I reccomend it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! What I would reccomend is the Midland WR-100 model. Midland WR-100B SAME Weather and All Hazards Alert Monitor with Alarm Clock

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Etón FR1000 Voicelink Self-Powered Hand-Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Two-Way GMRS Clock Radio with Flashlight, Siren, and Cell Phone Charger (Black) Review

I ordered this product for a Christmas present. It arrived on timea and in perfect condition. I would purchase from this vendor again and again.

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American Red Cross FR1000 Voicelink Hand-Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Two-Way GMRS Clock Radio with Flashlight, Siren and Cell Phone Charger (White) Review

No question, this radio "looks good", seems like strong construction, and has quite a list of features. Yes, the flashlight, siren, and SOS beacon work well. The NOAA Weather channels seem to work, depending on your location. The GMRS/FRS radio performance is dismal. But most important to me as an emergency source of information - this unit fails its primary function: AM/FM radio reception. AM reception is nearly non-existent, and I live near very powerful AM stations. FM reception is very weak and includes a lot of static which I have never heard before on FM. Yes, I have tried the AM/FM radio bands in numerous locations - home, lake, mountains, flat lands. Little or no reception. One would think that with a digital display of radio station call signs that you could precisely tune in stations -- not so. For $150 - $200 and with a reputable name like ETON/Grundig, I expect MUCH more and much better performance. Like nearly all things these days, these units are made in China - so I believe ETON needs to look into their quality assurance process to ensure they are using top quality components and that assembly is complete. I have returned my unit - makes no sense at all to keep a radio which costs $150 but will not even tune in AM and FM radio stations. Also, I see many identical and similar reviews now across the internet - "pretty, feature rich unit; but very poor radio performance". I would advise against purchasing this unit until such time ETON acknowleges the problem and fixes it.

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Eton Sound 100 AM/FM Radio, Silver Review

After many weeks of research I decided to buy the Eton Sound 100. Especially when the blue model came available at a big discount. The first day of use was exciting because the sound quality this unit produced was far superior to any bedside radio I previously used. But soon the quirks (bugs) became obvious. Here is my list of reasons for returning this item and opting instead for the Sangean RCR-22 (which has not yet arrived but I am hopeful)
1. The bass level was way too high. Needs a better balance. I had to stuff the back opening with tissue paper in order to dampen the bass a bit. If you are into big sound with really big bass then this is your unit.
2. The case rattles at the highest volume levels. I'm sure this would not be an issue if the bass wasn't so intense. This is a minor issue since I would rarely set the volume up all the way.
3. LCD display is way too bright and not adjustable. I read some reviews about this issue but thought they were whiners. I stand corrected. I had to cover the unit with a heavy-fabric ball cap at night just to get the light down to a normal level. I also had to turn it around so the back was facing me. Do not buy this unit if you are not willing to cover this unit at night in order to sleep.
4. Display hard to read when standing over or when not looking square into it. Also, VERY annoying is the fact that when the radio is on the display shows the radio station in large digits and relegates the time digits to the top corner of the display. You cannot read the time unless you are at eye-level and at least 12 inches from the unit while the radio is on.
5. The volume knob is buggy. Sometimes I'd turn it one notch and it would gain/reduce one or more levels. Sometimes it would gain/reduce just one level as I would expect. One time I used the remote to reduce the volume and it actually started to increase. Again this is a minor flaw but for a moderately expensive radio you expect good fit and finish on the most basic elements.
6. FM reception not as great as I expected from some of these reviews. My car radio gets better reception. My bedroom is on the second story and the unit placed right under a window. Sometimes a station would sound decent with that antenna fully closed and tucked away. Then I would fully extend the antenna and that same station would sound worse (whats up with that?). Other times a station would sound better depending on where I was physically standing in the room. Felt like behavior from a dime-store radio. My top 5 favorite stations came in fine almost all the time so this may not be an issue for you. I am hoping the long reputation of Sangean's radio quality is an improvement.
7. Alarm clock a bit strange from what I was used to. You basically program the radio station and volume you wish to wake to at the time of setting the alarm. I was used to just setting the wake time and whatever was the last used station and volume level was your wake settings. I am not sure if this is an improvement. Given more time to get used to this I probably would have appreciated it.

I still give this unit a 3 because its big sound really blew me away and it's alarm clock functions are easier than my previous Sony unit. I barely needed the instructions manual and I was setup and ready to go in minutes. Other things I liked...

1. Cool styling
2. Very easy to set time/presets/alarm
3. Perfect size for a nightstand
4. Headphone jack for private listening
5. Line-in jack for mp3 player. Also a line-out for external speakers.
6. Only 3 buttons on the top of the unit which makes it very easy to find the sleep and alarm-off buttons in the morning.
7. Digital tuning (I love this) and automatically stops at next clear station when you are scanning. Scanning is really easy also, you just hold the up/down buttons in for an extra second.
8. Battery backup available, but not even needed for short outages. There must be a built-in capacitor that holds all your presets and the time for at least 30 minutes or more. This was very nice to find.

So there is a lot to like about this unit...if you don't care about sleeping in the dark and don't mind the other annoyances above. I would have gladly lived with all the cons above except for the issues I had with the display made me return it. The other stuff I can live with. The Eton Sound 100 feels like a 1st generation product. I look forward to improvements on future models because this unit really has a lot going for it as an entry model. I wish they would use an LED display, not LCD.

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Etón FR160B Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Black) Review

Take the description "emergency radio" to heart, as this should really be used in case of an emergency. The primary problem with this radio is reception. The width of the tuning dial is miniscule, which means that all the stations are virtually on top of each other. When scanning FM stations where the stations are densely packed together, such as in the 80s and lower 90s in New York City, where there will be five stations for every whole number on the dial (i.e., stations at 90.1, 90.3, 90.5, etc.), the radio will inevitably skip over certain stations because there is not enough space on the dial to properly tune in to them.

One should also be aware that the only power sources are the solar panel and the crank. There is no battery compartment. The solar panel seems to work to some extent, although the radio will not hold much of a charge from the solar panel, so if you want to use it at night you're going to have to crank it. Sometimes you will even need to crank it during the day if you listen to it for extended periods of time.

The sound is not bad for such a small unit. Much better than our Trutech clock/radio/cd player. However, the sound is not as good as larger portables.

Overall, this radio is very small, very cute, and would be good for traveling or camping. Not good as your primary radio for any extended period of time because you will be doing a lot of cranking. Also, if you live in an area where the FM stations are densely packed together, and you're interested in being able to pick all of them up, I would recommend something else.

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Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160R Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Red) Review

The Eton 160 is an incredible upgrade on exterior design. It seems slicker and better designed than the 150, but not necessarily a huge technological advance. Being able to charge on the go and use the solar to passively charge the device is a great backup.

The three-led light is extremely bright and runs on extremely low battery power. The weatherbands tune in perfectly, with AM/FM stations sometimes requiring the antenna pulled completely out.

The dynamo crank seems relatively strong, but slightly oversized when needing to crank it for a while--as in charging a phone.

One thing has been added, a cell switch on the front of the radio, which designates all power to charging an added device. But one thing has been removed, the AC power adaptor option has been removed since the 150--it was unnecessary anyways.

I haven't worried about breaking the device and I've dropped the radio before--no problem resulted. I've already found it useful in a storm we had today in Colorado! Great device!

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Etón FR600R Solarlink Self-Powered Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Red) Review

For the price, the features packed into this radio are extraordinary. It has everything to make it a great radio for unexpected power outages and storms. As a con, the band selector is very soft, It is not easy to choose the band and go straight to it since there is no audible and only very slight tactile clicks between bands. Something a little more rugged and distinct would have been nice. I would be willing to pay more for a more rugged version if they made one. Altogether, a good radio, but it falls short of being great.

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Etón FR360R Solarlink Self-Powered Digital AM/FM/NOAA Radio with Solar Power, Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (Red) Review

Pros: Combination of emergency features, alternate power sources
Cons: Jack of all trades, master of none

While the Eton FR360 does many things, I bought this radio for 3 basic functions, all relating to emergency use.

1. Multiple power sources, notably solar cells and hand crank in addition to dry cells.
2. Weather radio, AM/FM as a necessary secondary.
3. Cell phone charger (via USB).

The ability to power this radio from multiple sources is good in theory but weak in practice. To maintain a battery charge sufficient to run the radio requires several minutes of cranking every 15 minutes. The solar cell's rate of charge cannot keep up with the radio's rate of discharge. This means that the radio will still require occasional cranking even if sitting in full sun. Given the effect that low charge has on radio function (more on this later) it's just easier to keep a set of spare batteries on hand. With the shelf life of modern alkaline batteries this is really the best option. It's not like this unit is ruggedized for go anywhere operation so don't imagine yourself riding out a hurricane in a waterlogged foxhole madly cranking so you can hear the weather report.

Radio reception is also less than what I expected of a $50 unit. Weather radio is intelligible. I don't expect great performance will make the voice sound any less robotic. I find there are two things that affect the radio performance. Fully extending the short telescopic antenna is a must for FM reception and battery power must be high. Operating from alkaline cells provides okay reception but with no power meter on the rechargeable battery (charged from the solar cells or hand crank) reception deteriorates with the battery charge without any indication. Not what you want in an emergency radio.

The most disappointing feature is the USB cell phone charger. The USB port derives its power from the crank only, not the batteries. This means that anything plugged into the USB port only charges as long as the crank is being turned. If you have a smartphone that takes several minutes to boot from a dead state then any appreciable charge that can be built up is expended before the phone is ready to use. I actually tossed an old Moto RAZR in with the FR360 because it boots fairly quickly, sips power and will provide 911 service without a contract.

While this review seems to cast the FR360 in a negative light consider that a few spare batteries resolve the major complaints and the solar cells and crank are really there for last resort use. (Seriously, who would crank or look for a sunny spot if they could just as easily duct tape three extra AAA cells to the back of the radio?) The radio isn't great but it's good enough for the intended purpose. The USB charge port is a bit of a disappointment but when all else fails, it's there. Is the FR360 worth $50? Maybe. It's a jack of all trades and when it's go time having only one thing to grab instead of three will probably be its greatest asset.

Buy it here now!

Etón FR600B Solarlink Self-Powered Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Black) Review

For the price, the features packed into this radio are extraordinary. It has everything to make it a great radio for unexpected power outages and storms. As a con, the band selector is very soft, It is not easy to choose the band and go straight to it since there is no audible and only very slight tactile clicks between bands. Something a little more rugged and distinct would have been nice. I would be willing to pay more for a more rugged version if they made one. Altogether, a good radio, but it falls short of being great.

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Eton FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger, Blue Review

I got this product for my father for Father's Day. He loves these all-in-one gadgets. The Solar energy works perfect, the radio was the first thing I tested. The crank works well and the LED is pretty bright.

I didn't really understand how to work the cell phone charger, there weren't solid instructions, but then again I only spent a total of 5 minutes testing the thing out before I wrapped it up.

The way I see it, the two most important things a person would need from a gadget, should there be a black out, are a radio and a flashlight. That's exactly what this little thing does.

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Eton FR250 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic Silver Review

This little radio surprised me. After reading many reviews, I purchased the radio from Tanga.com for $22. While it is a bit fragile and cheaply built, it does have good sound, and the tuner works well. Speaker volume is quite loud and the sound through the headphone jack has excellent bass.

The LED lamp has good brightness, but will drain the internal battery quickly.
The siren is annoying and I have no idea why it is there.
The Shortwave tuner does work, although it wouldn't be too useful for someone who wanted to seriously listen to world radio.

I purchased this radio for travel and camping, intending to never use batteries; only use the wind-up feature. And so far, it has worked well. The rechargeable battery inside the radio is a small cordless phone battery, and when it eventually conks out, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a new one.

This radio is definitely for indoor use, much like a family would use during a power outage. I am stretching it beyond it's design just by taking it tent camping.

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Sangean PT-50 AM/FM Stereo SW Shortwave World Band Digital Travel Radio with World Time Review

This radio only can tune in stations via an old-school tuning knob, making it a MAJOR pain to go from one station to another!!! It has NO preset capability!!! And what "genius" decided to NOT include a power cord??? I would've had to shell out $25 extra at Radio Shack just to be able to plug this freakin' thing in!!! You're better off getting this model:

Sangean PT-80 AM/FM Professional Digital Stereo LW/SW Shortwave World Band Travel Radio

It has preset capablity, auto tuning, an included power cord, and an optional antenna to improve shortwave reception. You'll get more bang for you buck when you get this model.

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PORSCHE DESIGN BY Eton, Table Top Stereo System with Dock for iPod/AM/FM/Shortwave/RDS Review

Right from the beginning the creative genius of Porsche Design is apparent. The all black, heavy cardboard outer box slides open to reveal a cleverly packaged grouping of components, accessories and instructions. Safely ensconced in a form fitting foam cutout it would take one deranged delivery driver to damage this system while in transit.

Your package comes complete with the base unit, a universal "Made for Ipod" docking station, power supply, remote control (more on this later), AM loop antenna, multi-lingual instructions and warranty card(s).

My overall impression of the P'9120 is very positive. The instructions were simple to follow and setting it up was a snap. The clean lines and linear design are exactly what you would expect from Porsche and Etón. The ergonomic controls were intuitive and easy to operate. The sound quality is exceptional and did I mention the shortwave radio? If you're not familiar with shortwave, this radio (with its built in antenna) gives you a great opportunity to explore the hundreds and thousands of stations broadcasting worldwide on this unique range of radio waves. It's a great big world to explore!

FEATURES:

* Double wall construction for superior acoustics. Okay, admittedly we're not audiophiles here at 993C4S, so we can't break this down in scientific terms. However, whatever it is, it works! The unit sounds great.
* OLED alphanumeric display.
* AM/FM/Shortwave with separate Made for iPod dock.
* Metal remote control with torch (that's a flashlight for all of here in the US.)
* XM Satellite ready (don't forget that Sirrius and XM are now one.)
* Dual alarm clocks (this is a must in our garage as we depart at separate times.)
* Back-up power source for your presets and clock in the event of a power-failure.

If asked, my only two suggestions for improvement or change would be as follows:

1. Provide some type of back lighting for the remote. While I like the heft and feel of the remote it becomes a challenge to use in the dark (tough to shuffle through the soundtrack to Le Mans) even with the built in flashlight.
2. At this price range, the four batteries needed to provide the back-up power source for your pre-sets and clock settings should be included.

I believe you get what you pay for; in this case a high quality table top stereo system with exceptional features, sound and design.

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American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (Red) Review

Compact, high build quality for price. Radio works fine for weather, but I wouldn't want to listen to music on it for very long. Crank doesn't feel like it'll break after 60 seconds. Three-LED flashlight is fairly bright for a small dynamo flashlight. Ordered the free cell phone adapter from Eton, but haven't been able to test that part yet.

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Sangean ATS-606AP AM/FM Digital Compact Shortwave World Band Receiver Review

After much research for a small radio that can receive shortwave for an extended overseas trip, I settled on the Sangean 606. I already have a Sony SW7600GR (standard in the industry IMO) but wanted something smaller and less valuable (the Sangean is about 1/2 the size as the Sony).

Initial thoughts were that 1) it was chunkier than I was expecting and 2) the plastic casing seemed cheap.

I've now lived with it for ~2 months and I'm thrilled. Reception for FM and AM is on par with the larger and more expensive Sony and it is marginally easier to use. I also prefer the sound of the Sangean over the Sony (NPR talk radio mostly). With automatic station setting, fine tuning, alarm, light, etc., it is an ideal travel radio. Other nice features at this price point is the protective case, SW reel antenna, and AC adapter (not included with the Sony!). I've used it daily for ~2 months on the same set of batteries.

If I were doing a lot of shortwave listening the Sony would still be preferred, and the quality feel of the Sony is 2nd to none.

Biggest complaints? the flimsy up/down tuning buttons and that Amazon suggests buying an additional antenna that already comes with the radio.

Full disclosure- this is my 4th Sangean but that just speaks to how good they are in receiving tricky AM & FM radio stations.

UPDATE: I paid ~$115 for this Sangean and when I bought my Sony SW7600GR it was ~$200. If you can get the Sony for ~$25 more than this Sangean, I'd probably go for it. Just make sure it is the same made in Japan radio it used to be!

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Sangean ATS-404 AM/FM Digital Shortwave World Band Receiver Review

The Sangean ATS-404 AM/FM Digital Shortwave World Band Receiver is a great little radio. I have had mine for a bit over one month and really do like it. However, it is somewhat larger and heavier than I thought it would be. I bought it to take along on overseas trips, but I am afraid it is going to be too bulky for comfortably stuffing into my carry-on bag. Oh well, the unit is going to be a lot of fun at other times.

So far, I have not been troubled by the short battery life (20 hrs.) described in previous reviews. I suppose that could be a problem under certain circumstances, but AA batteries are easy to replace anywhere in the world that has paved streets.

I am a bit shy about describing my experience with the Sangean ATS-404 because several of the earlier reviews were apparently made by radio experts or aficionados much more knowledgeable than me. I am just an ordinary guy that likes to listen to the radio once in awhile, but I do have some observations from my experience with it that might be helpful.

First, the radio is touted to be an entry level shortwave unit. I thought that shortwave stuff might be fun to play with, but I quickly found out that listening to most programs from Europe and elsewhere is silly because I am usually asleep when they are broadcast. Nighttime is apparently best for shortwave reception. I find it best for sleeping. Further, the interesting shortwave broadcasts are hard to find among all of the bands and frequencies available.

Yes, I admit it--I am in over my head with shortwave. I even bought a book about shortwave radios that included programming schedules. I am still confused. I suppose a true shortwave fan might find this radio more usable in this area than I have so far.

The radio has a great "preset" feature that I like and use all of the time. Radio stations are easy to program in and to scan. I enjoy the sleep feature, the dual time display and option to lock the radio for travel so it doesn't turn itself on in the airport like my last radio did.

The AM and FM stations come very well and the digital tuning seems to be right on target every time. The Sangean-404 comes with an AC adapter which is nice, but it doesn't charge batteries in the radio. There is a backlight for the display window, but it is sort of feeble and is almost useless except in complete darkness--like maybe a cave or a closet with the door closed.

A set of low end ear buds is included along with a rubber-like envelope that serves as a case. I haven't used either one yet.

I think maybe this review sounds more negative than positive, but I didn't mean it to come out that way. The Sangean-404 is a dandy radio, I use it every day and I do recommend it.



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C. Crane Sonido Radio Review

This is a great, but not perfect, radio. After hearing much about the C. Crane radios and reading reviews, I thought I would give the Sonido a try.

I am a UPS driver, and need a portable radio for my package car. This model definitely meets most of my needs. For it's size, it kicks out an adequate amount of volume. It uses 4 D size batteries and a week into it (10 hours a day) it still has 2 of 3 battery indicators remaining.

The only knock on it is that there are a couple of AM channels that should be coming in somewhat better than they do. Other than that, I would highly recommend this radio to anyone who is looking for a smaller, attractive, and great sounding radio.

**UPDATE**
I finally had to change the batteries. At about 80% volume, roughly 10 hours a day, they lasted 14 days...so approximately 130-150 hours. Not bad!

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Coby CXCB91 9 Band AM/FM ShortWave Radio Review

I'm sorry I wasted my money. This sad excuse for a multi-band radio has poor performance on all but the FM band. Tuning is very difficult because of slippage in the tuning mechanism - turn the tuning knob and nothing happens, turn it further and it whips right past the station you are attempting to get. Must stations of any strength appear at two places on the dial showing poor image rejection. Don't waste your money. I tossed mine into the trash can.

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Grundig Traveler II Digital G8 AM/FM/LW/Shortwave Radio with Auto Tuning Storage Review

All reviewers have been unanimous in their praise of this Chinese-made model, but they may be unaware of the primary reason for this radio's breakthrough AM and FM selectivity. The Grundig G8 is a clone of the Tecsun PL-300WT Chinese-market model, and it contains a DSP (digital signal processing) IC chip which controls all of the AM and FM functions. This fact is not mentioned in any of the Grundig advertising, although it is common knowledge among the Ultralight Radio AM-DXing enthusiast group.
The G8's AM selectivity is in a class by itself among pocket radios, as is its FM selectivity. FM sensitivity is also outstanding, providing reception of fringe stations typically only heard on communication receivers. Although my G8 model from Amazon arrived with very good AM sensitivity, there have been variations in the AM sensitivity levels of the identical PL-300WT Chinese-market models, due to the Tecsun company's manufacturing process (specifically, their neglect in matching the inductance of the loopstick coil to the value required by a varactor in the DSP chip). Since Tecsun also manufactures all of the G8's for Grundig, this may also be an issue with these G8 models, although it's too early to tell.
Despite this, the Grundig G8 is a superlative value for both AM and FM DXers, especially with Amazon's free shipping option. This model's DSP-enhanced performance is sure to please those who enjoy fringe-station chasing on either band.

73, Gary DeBock (N7EKX)

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Grundig Mini GM400 Super Compact AM/FM Shortwave Radio with Digital Display Review

I bought this to carry to baseball games and it sure fits in a pocket well. The little speaker does a nice job, talk radio is tolerable and a ball game sounds OK as long as you are in a quiet place while listening. It's not great but for this size radio it's very acceptable. FM reception seems very good, AM is spotty at best, and SW I don't know enough about to inform so I'm not saying a word. A bass boost would have been a great option as well as a lock for the tuning (more on that in a moment).Now that I have said the most positive things I can about this radios lets move on to it's shortcomings.

The volume control is unguarded so when you drop this into your pocket or the supplied carrying case the volume goes to 11 and you either jump like an idiot or your ears are bleeding. Seriously the volume control is very easily rotated so it goes to zero while removing it from the case and all the way up while inserting back into the case.

This radio drifts, and I mean alot. You can tune in a strong AM station and just watch the digital tuning go up or down. Also as another reviewer wrote, if you hold it in the wrong place this will definately move your tuning point.

I wouldn't recommend this radio to a friend. It has a few good points, but the negatives really hold this radio back. I've thought about returning it but by the time I pay to ship it back to Amazon, it just isn't worth it. Sangean makes a good AM/FM pocket radio with a speaker....try that first. It's more expensive but you tend to get what you pay for. Another option is the CCrane SWP. I have one coming in after borrowing a pals. It isn't perfect but it's a much better product.

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Grundig M300Y Mini300 Handheld Shortwave Radio (Yellow) Review

This is the most frustrating purchase I have made in years. I bought this to listen to local baseball games at work and to have a travel radio for AM and FM listening. I don't use the shortwave feature, so I can't comment on that performance.

It uses an analog dial tuner. It is very sensitive and almost impossible to tune to the frequency. When you are able to finally get it tuned, it drifts off the frequency, whether AM or FM. The AM reception is really bad.

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Sangean ATS-909 All Band Digital Shortwave World Band Receiver Review

Stations come in well enough. But them settings and controls were a but hard for me and I had a Sony ICF 2010 from 1985-1992. I almost gaved the radio up, but then I found also an abbreviated set of directions to get the radi up and running. I have finally set the local time but could not set world time. I have used my National Geographic Weather Station and clock for my UTC time clock since there is a four hour difference between Eastern Standard Time and UTC. You can see it in the photo I uploaded/ And I have not figured out the memory settings either.

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CC SWPocket AM/FM Shortwave Pocket Radio Review

pros
-good am/fm sensitivity
-good value for the money

cons
-volume sucks big time, i can't belive cc radio/redsun (redsun of china is the manufacturer) let this irk get by.
-single conversion circuit only...wish it coulda' had dual conversion
-dx/local switch strictly for show

After one year of ownership, this is what I have to say. This is a solid little radio, will get the job done, but don't expect too much. am/fm is good and sw acceptable for it's size. Just as good as most other 50-70 pocket portables out there...at least according to 'passport to world band radio, 2008'..."Good sensitivity on all bands, with no digital hash"...
The problem with this little radio is unanimous...volume starts at one then jumps to three! Three being loud, headphones too (compared to one, which is inaudible)...from there the increments work normally...not good if your significant other is a lite sleeper!!
In all this is a descent pocket radio. It is too bad that it is hampered with volume troubles. Hopefully the next cc/redsun pocket portable will improve upon it.


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Sangean SG-622 AM/FM 10 Band Shortwave World Band Radio Review

I paid around $40.00 for this piece of junk. DO NOT BUY! We used the radio for less than 8 months before if broke. The company wants you to give them $8.00 to send back, and then the cost to ship and insure. By that time, you're up at around $15.00. Not worth it! Our little $10.00 radio was better than this one.

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C Crane C CSW Clock Radio with Snooze Alarm Review

I live in a multi unit condo complex which has lots in the way of electronic noise. Needless to say, AM radio is very difficult to receive due to all the external interference. Thankfully, the CC radio has solved the problem! I am able to get crystal clear reception at any time without worrying whether my neighbors are using their electronic equipment which can create unwanted obstacles to reception. I was able to 'plug and play' pretty quickly to enjoy talk radio at its best. Lots of ablity in the way of buttons and knobs to adjust the sound quality too. All in all, I am very satisfied with this purchase

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Grundig Satellite 750 AM/FM-Stereo/Shortwave/Aircraft Band Radio with SSB (Single Side Band), Black Review

I've been playing with my new Grundig Satellit 750 for several weeks and believe that I am now ready to give it an honest review after making performance comparisons with my other receivers, namely, the Panason RF-2200, the Sony ICF-6500W, the Sony ICF-2001D, and the GE Superadio III.

Build Quality:
I removed the back of the Grundig 750 and was amazed to find a very well layed out design. Looking from the rear, the speaker, with its huge magnet, was sitting there all alone with plenty of room for reverb. For a portable radio of this size, an impressive looking audio amp was the only component sharing this compartment. To the left of the speaker was a large printed wire board (PWB) that was mounted to what appeared to be a box in a box (with the radio chassis being the main box and the inside box framing everything on the front panel except the speaker). The PWB had its wire side facing to the rear of the radio and was essentially the cover of the box I mentioned, so I was not able to observe the number of components inside the radio or on the PWB. This main PWB had two large metal shields soldered to the wire side of the PWB, obviously to eliminate spurs. I removed about 8 screws from this main PWB in an attempt to remove it to view the rest of this beauty but decided not to go any further because there were numerous hard mounted plugs around the edges of the board and I did not want to risk breaking anything. So I stopped the disassembly process. I'll just say this. It was obvious from the design that this is a modern, clean, computer generated design.

The only build quality cons worth mentioning are: 1) this radio direly needs a foot to prop up the front (I used a 15 inch triangular architectural-ruler which worked perfectly); 2) the bottom section of the whip antenna was too tight ( I expect that many Grundig 750's, like the Panasonic RF-2200, will end up with a broken whip antenna.); 3) the ferrite MW antenna must use spring contacts that seem to lose contact at times - MW reception goes blank at times and a slight movement of the rotatable antenna corrects it - not a big issue, it only happened once during the week of testing.

Performance in a nutshell: For Shortwave, I would say that with the exception of the lack of SYNC mode, this Grundig 750's selectivity, sensitivity, and SSB usefulness are as good or better than the Sony ICF-2001D (2010). Tuning the SSB Ham bands was easy, and once tuned, it remained rock steady, absolutely no drift was observed. MW performance was the same as the Sony ICF-2001 except at frequencies above 900MHZ the Grundig far outperformed the Sony. FM performance was superior to the Sony plus the Grundig provides FM Stereo when using an external amplifier or a stereo headset.

Cons:
1) I find the memory usage of this radio to be too complex with the exception of using it in conjunction with the ATS mode which works very well. This is one area where the Sony ICF-2010 beats the Grundig. Sony's simple direct memory buttons are very handy and useful when compared to the memory sequence required by this Grundig (again, except ATS). By the time you finish sequencing this memory system you may as well just punch in the frequency directly. Speaking of memory usage, the radio provides a push-button switch labeled VM/VF. Via the manual I know that this switch is used to change the PAGE mode, but what does VM/VF mean?

2)The manual is severely lacking. It does not give proper information of the workings of the up/down switch and its relationship to the FAST/SLOW switch. Also, the manual fails to point out many of the features of this radio including its SCAN capabilities versus bands. (For those who may not know, this radio is capable of scanning the bands identified as Broadcast Bands by holding either the up or down switch for more than a couple of seconds. While Scanning, it will stop on strong stations for 5 seconds and can be stopped by hitting the up/down button again. Also while scanning, it will automatically skip the non-broadcast bands - I like that.).

Pros:
1)Very pleasing audio. After listening to this radio for hours while working at my desktop computer, I can say without hesitation that it has the most pleasing audio of any of my portable radios. I would call the audio quality extremely pleasing for personal listening. I agree that the GE Superadio and the Panasonic RF-2200 have great audio, but they are both a little boomy compared to this Grundig.

2)Except for the lack of a front foot to prop up the front, the design layout and ease of use could not be better. The feel and usability of the main frequency dial is superb.

3)The rotatable MW ferrite antenna works great except for the scratchy contacts that I hope Grundig corrects, but I would not put off buying the 750 for this reason.

4)Like most Grundig's before it, the 750 has the looks of a serious, great looking, communications receiver.

Conclusion:
To me, the discontinued Sony ICF-2010 has met its match, or should I say its replacement. And unlike the poor audio quality of the Sony, this Grundig has very pleasing audio. The only advantage of the Sony over this Grundig is smaller size and the fact that the Sony has a SYNC mode. So if you are looking for a great entry level digital portable radio, and the discontinued Grundig 800 is too large, this may be it.


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Grundig G6 Aviator Buzz Aldrin Edition AM/FM, Aircraft band and Shortwave Radio, Black Review

Did Buzz Aldrin really approve this radio? Kidding.

I like the pricepoint / feature / performance mix. You just should know that there are a few aspects of the electronics that are wiggy. When you are tuning, you'll find that it repeats frequencies, or jumps around a bit, usually 5, 10 or 20 measurement units on the small side of the shortwave number--for example, it may dial 9750 9745 9750 9755 etc. Once it repeated 6400-6200 and back up. Also, I am having extreme difficulty with the alarm settings. Often my unit doesn't turn on, or just goes to 87.9 fm or whatever is the start of FM. This is disappointing but I'm not going to bother trying another sample, because it's probably just not well made.

The 2009 Passport reference book concurs with my diagnosis of shortwave tuning wigginess in this model (they hypothesize that it is a Degen-made), so, it's no great surprise that other electronic features are wiggy as well. But basically, we're talking about shortwave for an affordable price. The sound is fine: I was listening to Wagner today on FM and had no complaints about this index-card-sized portable radio. With the skimpiest of antennas, and even with the attached antenna, I've also been listening to Radio Tirana, Ukraine radio, Bucharest, Venezuela, Japan, Taiwan, and of course all the usual suspects: REE, RFI, BBC, DW, and what-have-you, Russia, Cuba, China, etc.

In point of fact, shortwave may well be more stimulating and varied than cable, and costs a whole lot less. Also, it's a great hobby for children, who furthermore like astronauts!

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Grundig G5 AM/FM/Shortwave Portable Radio with SSB (Single Side Band) Review

This was not my first grundig, after many years of usage, I essentially wore the previous radio out... the G5 has many technological improvements, including easy usability. The buttons now light up in the dark which was a great addition. The ability to bring stations in at a strong signal is the reason i had i stay with the same brand. Just a really nice all around radio.

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Grundig S350 Deluxe AM/FM/Shortwave Radio, Black Review

Just set this up to use today. Very impressed so far. Pulling in distant AM and FM stations very nicely. It is a fun radio to operate and looks very nice. Currently have the line out to my stereo set up and that is impressive for music, not so hot for talk and sports, the radio speaker is better for that. The 90 min auto sleep function can be overiden on the DL if you wish. I live in the mountains of central upstate NY, surrounded by higher terrain in all directions especially to the North and West. Tonight I listened to Friday night oldies on 740AM from Canada. Hockey games in Philly and Chicago on AM. During the day and a little tonight, Binghamton NY oldies radio on 100.5FM. Also pulled in tons of short wave broadcasts tonight. I am not familiar with SW so I will have to learn the ropes with that. The wide setting is usefull to me and provided great listening on AM during the day for a couple of local am stations one 20 miles to the east and one 20 miles to the west. Not many good am stations available to me in my location during the day so the wide setting worked well during the day and the narrow was best at night when everything came to life on AM. Head phones gave very nice stereo on FM. The Duel tuning ratio knobs worked very well. No wobble in mine, but the display model on the floor was terible, it felt like the knobs were about to fall off. Everything work perfectly on the one I bought, nicely lighted freq indicator (digital) with analog tuning NICE. Clock, alarm, timer, swithes. For the price ($100) it does what it is suppose to do very well. The wip antenna for FM is a big one and very sturdy. The radio must have a very large ferrite bar internal antenna for AM given the fine AM it produces. The AFC operated OK. Although it works very well now without any external antenna help, I am going to try a C.Crane twin ferrite antenna with it which should really make it shine on AM. Be carefull with the battery cover it is thin plastic and it does not look like it would take much to break it when removing it to install the 4 D cells. Currently running mine with the AC/DC 6 volt adaptor. Overall - Glad I bought it. 5 Stars

UPDATE 4/23/09 after 2 months - Still think this is a nice little radio, I use it everyday for hours at a time. I have added the Crain Twin Coil antenna connected inductively and it makes a great combination. Fun radio for everyday use. I could not have asked for more for the money. Still 5 Stars !

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Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver with Single Side Band Reception Review

If anyone is considering, the Sony ICF-SW7600GR world band receiver radio, I suggest looking for another portable set. I read the reviews and then made the purchase. My main interest was to purchase a good shortwave radio.

This radio cannot pull in the signal very well at all even after clipping an extension wire onto the antenna.

I located an old Grundig YB305 portable digital shortwave radio to compare to the Sony. The old Grundig is far a better radio then the Sony. The Grundig YB305 pulled in every signal and locked on. The Sony scanned right over them as if they weren't even there. Here's a brand new Sony radio and I am going to have to see if I can get some warranty work to fix the problem.

To compare the sound, I will say the Grundig YB305 is better. There is a fuller rich sound for playing the FM music. Sony is okeh, but not great.

You would think that if it's a Sony it's gotta be good, but the Sony is a phoney.

Currently I am only using the Sony as an AM/FM radio.

I looked into warranty work and Sony will replace it with a refurbished one that may have cosmetic damage. I didn't purchase this radio to trade it in on someone's old refurbished radio. The cost to me would be the price for mailing the radio in, maybe $25. $25 extra to listen to SW...that is if the replacement radio will work as intended. Still taking a chance here. I am now attempting to locate someone who can maybe fix my radio. If not, I will continue to use it as an AM/FM only.

In the old days the radio could be brought to a Sony repair station to be fixed. There used to be one in the area but that is not the case now. Getting someone else to fix it is not worth the cost as the total would equal the purchase price.

Appears with the mass produced chinese @#$* products there is no quality control. You may get a good one or you may get a bad one. Word of advice, do not throw out the box right away like I did on trash collection day.

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