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Same cheap junk as Tecsun/Eton BCL-2000,3000 !

"Million-Dollar Looks for $100" - Analog w/digital display receivers
do not have the stability of digital phase-locked loop (PLL)
receivers.

I opened up the back of the radio, before returning it to RadioShack -
it was mostly hollow inside, very cheap, low-grade plastic, and with
1960s-grade electronics. The front filter and band switches and
tuning knob are flimsy. When putting the radio back together, I was
very careful not to over-tighten/cross-thread the screws, but as soon
as, one of the screws started to tighten down, the plastic started to
crack. Because of the very cheap quality construction, the radio is
very light-out-of-the-box, until the 4 "D" size batteries are
inserted.

The filters do a minimal job and only muffle the very good audio. The
RF gain control can always be set on maximum, so it only acts like a
DX/LOC switch. Even the newer model drifts off the tuned frequency,
despite a kludged fix, that only causes ergonomic problems - once a
frequency locks on, it still drifts, causing one to have to retune
way past the desired frequency, to break the lock. The S350 has
significant tuning backlash, which is partly responsible for the
frequency drift. There are images all over the SW bands, being a
cheap, single-conversion superhet. The speaker grill is plastic, the
digital readout is low-resolution, the antenna doesn't lock into
place, and the carrying handle is cheap, smelly, imitation-leather.

Instead, I bought a Radio Shack AM/FM (for AM DXing) model 12-898 for
$25; it has digital PLL tuning (prevents drifting), DX/LOC switch,
hi/low tone switch, 3" speaker with metal speaker grill, internal
ferrite-bar antenna, lock switch, 20 station memory, almost as
sensitive as the S350, and much better quality - even the antenna
locks into place.

Don't be fooled by the "Grundig" name - it used to be made in
Germany, but is now made in China, by Tecsun/Eton. Check out the
Tecsun/Eton brand of this radio on Amazon (same junk), and
show, "lowest rating first", also, look at the reviews for Grundig
G2000A. Tecsun/Eton is becoming known for marketing jazzy, pretty
radios that are poor quality/performers; they bought the rights to
market products, under the "Grundig" name, hoping consumers will
think they are still made in Germany.

With all that being said, with the restructuring of the 50K watt
clear-channel AM stations, in the 1980s, AM DXing is not what it used
to be, in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, many stations out West
now have to use directional antennas, that cannot be picked up on the
East Coast. All the hype about the CCradio, Superadio III, and S350
being, "DX machines", is nonsense, and with the clear-channel
situation, certainly not worth the extra expense. With the Radio
Shack receiver, I can easily pick up WWL 870 New Orleans (1000
miles), WHO 1040 Des Moines(900 miles), WABC 770 New York, and my
favorite, WLW 700 Cincinnati - same as the S350. These stations can
easily be picked up with standard car radios.

For just, as little as $30 more, one could purchase the Sony ICF-
SW7600GR instead; it has digital PLL, SSB, and synchronous detection -
the ICF-SW7600GR is many times the radio compared to the S350 (I'de
be kicking myself, if I was stuck with the S350).


It's a $100.00 radio. I knew when I bought mine I was buying a $100.00
receiver, and didn't have expectations of anything else. I was plesantly
surprised. I like it. The sound is great, and contrary to a lot of people,
I use it a lot for shortwave. Not for DX,ing distant signals, but for
listening to programing, it does fine. The drift settles down after a while
and I dont find myself haveing to correct it that much, but, I've never seen
a shortwave radio I dont like fiddling with the knobs and switches with
anyway, so I dont consider it a chore.

Hell, whats SW listening if you cant turn the knobs, flip the switches and
just coax the tuning knob just to where you want it. It's all a part of the
hobby to me.

I have home theater equpment if I want everything to be DVD & CD sanitized.
I just bought a Pioneer 7.1 receiver, and now that it's set up for the room
accustics all I have to adjust in the volume. So, I like my shortwave
radios to bring me back to the old days of "tuning around" as they used to
say.

Oh, and taking the back off, and then cracking it while screwing it back
before returning it is pretty tacky IMO. Someome else will probaly buy it
after you experimented on it. That sucks.