May 2nd 04, 10:22 PM
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In article ,
says...
I'm looking to buy a SW radio for my father in China so he can listen
to VOA broadcasts. I've looked online at some reviews and am not sure
of how important certain specs of the radios are relative to price.
(i.e. what is the advantage of the $100 radio over the $30 radio).
Could anyone suggest a good radio for me, or tell me what I should be
looking for in a prospective radio?
If all you want is to receive VOA, there are several Chinese
manufactured radios that will do the job nicely and your father can
probably pick up in China very cheaply. The Degen DE-1102 has received
pretty good reviews. It has digial tuning, SSB, quite a few memories,
etc. It goes for about $60 delivered in the US. I would think well
under half that in China. The Tecsun PL-230 is a little bit cheaper and
gives up the SSB, but appears to be otherwise comparable to the Degen.
Considering the small price difference (at least in the US) I'd probably
go with the Degen to get the SSB. These are both portable radios that
are just a bit too big to be considered pocket size.
For even less money there are some pocket-sized portables that perform
remarkably well considering the cost. I have a Tecsun R-919 that cost me
$30 delivered in the US. It also has several shortcomings, including a
filter that's a bit too wide and being somewhat touchy to tune on SW.
But for the money and the size, I really can't complain.
If you're looking for something a little larger with better sound
quality, the Tecsun BCL-2000 is a pretty good deal for the money. It's
not without its faults (like being rather drifty before it warms up),
but the sound is pretty good and I'm sure it will pick up VOA and the
other major broadcasters without difficulty.
If you're looking for really big, room-filling sound, the Chinese
version of the Drake Satellit 800 might be an option. This is an
impressively large and pretty serious SW radio. It lists for about $500
in the US, though smart shoppers can find them for $400 or less. I have
no idea what the Chinese version would go for in China. (And,
unfortunately, I don't recall the model number either.)
I've been suggesting Chinese-made radios because they're cranking out
some pretty decent quality product that I assume goes for a lot less in
China than it does in the US. If you're set on buying something in the
US to send to him in China, the Sony ICF-SW7600GR would be a good place
to start looking. It goes for about $150. Another good choice is the
Sangean ATS-909 (about $250 list). If you don't mind buying used, there
are hundreds of radios on ebay. The Radio Shack DX-398 is a rebadged
ATS-909 that usually goes for about $125 on ebay. (Radio Shack
discontinued the DX-398 a couple years ago.)
-- Jay
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