In article .com,
"Joe Analssandrini" wrote:
In article .com,
"Joe Analssandrini" wrote:
P.S. Some people here have "complained" that Eton advertises
heavily in PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND RADIO and this somehow makes
pASSPORT's reviews "suspect." One need only READ many of the
reviews of Eton/Grundig radios in PASSPORT to see that this
"suspicion" is absolutely groundless. PASSPORT "calls 'em as they
see 'em." PASSPORT is DEFINITELY the best SW review source we
have and should be supported by all of us here, at least in my
opinion. No one else tests SW radios in their own laboratories
and prints their findings (and, as readers know, they often
differ from manufacturers' own published specifications). And if
Eton is a big advertiser, I say MORE POWER TO THEM! What OTHER
company supports the shortwave listener the way Eton does?
mike maghakian wrote:
one of the disadvantages of the internet is that any asshole
can post an opinion on the E1 even though he has no
qualifications for making such assertions. In addition to
people who are intelligent like Guy Atkins, there is another
source who people should not argue with in this case. Dave Z
and Larry Magne both assert the E1 is outstanding !
read this: http://passband.com/pages/receivernews.htm
Dear Mike,
You are quite correct in your assertions. I myself have been
impressed by the specifications of the Eton E1. However, I have
not bought one and do not plan to buy one in the near future for
the following reasons:
It has no MW Ferrite antenna. This, I understand, is due to
digital "hash" that cannot be corrected and would be picked up by
such an antenna.
It has no handle nor is there any easy or convenient way of
adding one to the radio.
Those two points are significant to me but relatively minor. The
major problem I have is:
It does not feature DRM, DAB (Canadian or European), or IBOC. (I
personally have no interest in any form of "pay" radio. In my
opinion it is only a matter of time before advertisements become
common on virtually all "satellite" radio channels and the
listener will STILL be paying month after month for this
"service!" After all, look at the cable-TV model where this has
already happened.)
But I digress. In other words, in my opinion, the Eton E1
actually breaks no new ground. Its specifications, extremely
good, nevertheless appear to show that the radio will peform just
about the same as the Grundig Satellit 800. (And regardless of
what anyone tells you, the Satellit 800, again extremely good, is
not at all in the same league as, say, the Drake R8B, the JRC
NRD545, or the AOR AR7030 Plus. This, by inference, would also
apply to the E1 which does, however, offer far better performance
VALUE for money than do the tabletops mentioned.)
I am waiting to see if Degen introduces their rumored new model
the DE-1108 and if it does feature the newer modes of reception
as well as offering superb performance.
However, I do understand, from owners, that the E1 is a good and
satisfying set and that, if one does not already own a radio of
this caliber, the E1, with all its "faults," is a good one to
buy. After all, there has never been nor is there ever likely to
be a "perfect" shortwave radio. And Eton has always been a very
customer-centric company, offering superb service before and
after the sale.
Should Degen's proposed new radio not live up to expectations,
there may be a new Eton E1 in my future, after all.
Telamon wrote:
The other radios you mention do not have built in antennas of any
sort.
The E1 is designed as a portable radio.
Dear Telamon,
I'm not sure I follow you. The E1 IS a portable and it is a portable
without a built-in ferrite antenna for MW. This makes little sense to
me. (Why couldn't they have fixed the digital "hash" which would
evidently plague such an antenna in this radio?) The Grundig Satellit
800 DOES have a ferrite MW antenna. (Naturally the tabletop radios I
mentioned do not have one, those radios being designed for use with
significant external antennas on all bands).
If you read PASSPORT's latest "Receiver News" on their website, you
will see (in their June 6 post) that "the E1 is being seriously
treated by certain cognoscenti as a viable alternative, rather than
complement, to pricey tabletop supersets. (Lawrence Magne)."
I feel that, based on my experience with the Grundig Satellit 800
(which has similar specifications), the E1 has certain shortcomings
which, though perhaps minor to most, are somewhat important to me. I
would like to have a good portable SW receiver in the mid-size (about
12" wide) range. Right now I have my doubts about the E1 (of course I
could be totally wrong) and am waiting to see if Degen does, in fact,
offer a competitive radio with more advanced reception features.
But, if they do not, I may at some future time buy an E1. We'll see.
By the way, your comments on PASSPORT are right on the money. I wish
we could convince the "nay-sayers" on this group, many of whom seem
to want to gripe for gripe's sake (my opinion). That book as well as
the WRTH are darn-near essential for the best enjoyment of this hobby
(my opinion, again).
Size and portability put increasing demands on the design. Going from
table top with unlimited power to a portable that draws from batteries
and smaller size puts more constraints on what you can do with the
design. Smaller generally means fewer features and not as great a
dynamic range as an example. However these factors can be overcome by
spending more money on the design.
You usually put a radio in a class and compare it to other radios in its
class. The E1 cost more than other portables but not as much as the
table top radios and it straddles these categories. I just think it is
an unfair comparison between it and the table top radios as much as it
is to compare it to smaller less costly radios.
Comparing the E1 to the Satellite 800 or Sony ICF-SW777 are fair
comparisons. They are all portables and in a same price range.
--
Telamon
Ventura, California