I am looking for a scanner so that I can have portable coverage from 100 kHz
to at least 850 MHz, with SSB/CW as one of the modes.

I have tried the Alinco DJ-X10, and returned it as faulty because the
performance was awful (very deaf below 90 MHz with the supplied antenna, and
blocked horribly with a short wire), and have been told that it was in
perfect working order.

Any suggestions for an alternative that I could try around the same price
that will give reasonable sensitivity down to 100 kHz as a portable (no wire
antenna), and with minimal or no blocking if a wire antenna is attached.

regards

Henry