SUMMARY. The Centrios portable radio covers AM, FM stereo, SW 3.2 to
26.1, TV 2-13, and the WX band. It is sensitive and stable on all
bands and has strong clear audio from two speakers. It has digital
readout and 45 memories. It has a built-in power supply plus four D
cells. It has a bandwidth of about 10 khz which makes for pleasant
listening on the SW and AM bands. It cost $89.95 at The Source in
Canada and is also distributed in the
USA.
DETAILS. I first noticed the Centrios about two years ago but it
looked like a frog covered with Asiatic bling and I recoiled in
horror. This newer model is nicely styled in aluminum and black and
has sturdy parts from the fold-up handle to the buttons and switches.
It is about 12"x7"x3" (slightly larger than the S-350). It is the
first radio I have seen that does a good job on such a range of
frequencies and modes. It is not quite as good as the Superradio II on
AM but close. On SW it is quite sensitive and remarkably sensitive on
the FM and TV bands. Conditions were poor on SW but I had no trouble
separating stations and there was plenty of gain. There was no drift
noticed and the Centrios received most of the stations heard on my
Kenwood. While the wide bandwidth made for pleasant listening, the
radio does not have the circuits required for serious dx-ing. It is,
however, an excellent radio for the general listener whose interests
cover AM, FM, SW, TV and who refers to the WX band from time to time.
The software is pretty basic with 5khz steps on SW and 10 khz on
AM. There are 10 memories for each band and you have to skip up
through the various meter bands to direct enter. The buttons and
digital readout are arranged thoughtfully in a central pod and are
easy to find in the dark. The D cells last a long time.
My main complaint is with the retina-scarring on-off led. It is
bright even in direct sulight, but in a dark bedroom, it is blinding.
The problem was solved with the application of a bit of black tape. I
did notice when I was in town that some of the TV and FM stations put
a few audio spikes in the SW band. This may be a problem for those in
RF-loaded locations. The Centrios has replaced my old "drifty 350" for
general carry-around use: sometimes I listen to SW, sometimes to FM or
TV and sometimes I check the weather. It's nice to have it all in one
box.
For those in the USA, the agents a Orbyx Electronics, LLC,
501 South Cheryl Lane, Walnut, CA, 91789