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Denny \Smitty\ Schmidt April 24th 07 02:56 AM

Cheap beginner radio
 
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty



Cato April 24th 07 03:28 AM

Cheap beginner radio
 
On Apr 23, 6:56 pm, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty


Sony 7600GR, Eton E100/ Grundig G100, Eton E5/Grundig
G5, Kaito KA1101/Degen DE1101,
Kaito KA1102/Degen DE1102. There are other radios that some people
here might recommend. All are good radios, some better then others. It
depends on your needs, and your listening habits, what you will be
listening to, etc. You will find some people here on this list
defending one over the other with heated passion.

Grundig S350? Good for casual listening. Sound is
somewhat better due to a larger speaker then many other radios.
However, it can drift and need retuning. There are good things about
it, but some other things that can be criticised. It depends on what
kind of listening you are doing and where you are using the radio. You
might prefer the Grundig S350DL, an improved version of the S350. Some
people like it, some don't.
A lot more info about the 350 models, and the other radios I
mentioned above can be found at the websites I mention below.
My suggestion is to buy a copy of Passport to World Band Radio
and read the reviews, and look at the reviews on Radio Intel at
http://www.radiointel.com/ and the reviews at eHam ......
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8
Best of luck,
Cato


ve3... April 25th 07 06:49 PM

Cheap beginner radio
 
On Apr 23, 9:56 pm, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Grundig s350, while condemned by the purists, is not totally
awful. I have had one for years and it is still regularly in use. It
has much more audio output than the current crop of portables and it
is easy to carry about because of its sturdy handle. I use it when the
signals are good and I am doing something around the house. Its
sensitivity on AM, FM, and SW is pretty good although it runs out of
audio on weak signals.
I have had no reliability problems, having knocked it about a bit,
but I notice that the volume control is starting to scratch a little.
The main problem with the s350 is the drift which makes retuning
necessary until it settles down. However, I haven't anything else in
my collection of radios that sounds so good and transports so easily.
The GE Superradio II sounds much better, but doesn't have SW.
The Sony SW 7600G is a much better receiver, but doesn't have the
volume.
The Zenith 3000 sound good, but is far too heavy to lug around.

The bottom line is that there is no one radio that is best for all
situations.
but if I could only have one radio, I would pick the Sony. If I were
on a tight budget, I would pick the Eton E10 which has proven to be a
good radio with lots of features. The s350 is a good value also.




Stephan Grossklass April 25th 07 08:19 PM

Cheap beginner radio
 
Denny "Smitty" Schmidt schrieb:

Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?


In addition to those already mentioned, KA2100 (a much better
alternative in the S-350's formfactor) and KA1103 (E5/G5 is same rx but
with much better ergonomics). Oh, and I'd only consider the E100 if
smallest size is a priority, it's not bad for such a small rx but does
have its limits (a KA1101 has a noticeably more advanced receiver
concept).

Stephan
--
Home: http://stephan.win31.de/
Weniger Meer ist mehr Mehr.

David April 26th 07 03:30 AM

Cheap beginner radio
 
On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:56:16 -0500, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:

Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty

Dual conversion is a must,IMHO.

RHF April 26th 07 08:44 AM

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL) or AM/MW Boradcast Listening (BCL)
 
On Apr 23, 6:56 pm, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty


SMITTY,

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL)
or AM/MW Boradcast Listening (BCL)

For 'portable' {Carry-a-Round} Shortwave Listening (SWL)
the Redsun RP-2100 would be my choice in the under
$100 range for a basic Radio with performance and sound.

IMHO - The Redsun RP-2100 is as good as any of the
GE Superadios and better than the C.Crane CCRadioPlus
with Kiwa Mods. Plus the Redsun RP2100 when the
Extra-Step that the Grundig S350 and Grundig S350 DL
-aka- Tecsun BCL-2000 & BCL-3000 did not go.

eHam Reviews - Redsun RP2100 Radio
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/6055
http://www.dxer.ca/component/option,...id,76/catid,7/

RadioIntel.Com Review - Redsun RP2100 Radio
http://www.radiointel.com/review-redsunrp2100.htm
-very well written by- Jay Allen

Redsun RP2100 Radio on eBay with English Labeling
http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ260070768278

Kaito KA2100 Radio {USA} -aka- Redsun RP2100 Radio {China}
KAITO KA2100 = http://kaitousa.com/KA2100.htm

Clock Radio Functions :
* Local and UTC Clocks
* Two Alarms {Timers A & B}
* Sleep Button
* Snooze Button
* Key-Touch Light-Up Feature

Looking for an Earphone Jack - It's There !
The Redsun RP2100 Radio offers FM Stereo
via the Earphone Jack -and- also features a
Pair of Line-Outs for external Left-&-Right
Computer type Powered Speakers.

For Distant FM Radio reception the Redsun RP2100 has
a separate External FM Antenna Input. And -if- Distant
FM Radio reception is your goal then this is a must-have
feature. Which means you-got-to-have an External FM
Antenna to Hear-what-you-want-to-Hear from afar.

Plus there is also a separate External AM/MW Antenna
Input : Should AM/MW DXing become an area of personal
interest. Here a medium size 14" ~ 18" Box AM/MW
Loop Antenna can make this Radio 'come alive' on the
AM/MW Band.

Any yes there is the mystery and wonder of Shortwave
Radio to be explored with the Redsun RP2100 Radio.

the redsun rp2100 radio - i like it ~ RHF

[email protected] April 26th 07 10:40 PM

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL)or...
 
Check the Walgreens stores in your area. www.walgreens.com They have
some cheap AM FM Shortwave Radios for sale.Sometimes they have some of
those radios and a bunch of other thingys marked down half price.
cuhulin


Du_Hicky April 30th 07 01:06 AM

Cheap beginner radio
 
Denny "Smitty" Schmidt wrote:
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty


DE1103/KA1103

D_H

Roadie April 30th 07 04:27 PM

Cheap beginner radio
 
On Apr 23, 9:56 pm, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty


The Degen DE1103 would be a good choice that is priced well under
$100.00 The Sony 7600 could also be a good choice, but the lack of a
tuning knob is a significant omission.


I Love LA May 1st 07 12:21 AM

Cheap beginner radio
 
On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:56:16 -0500, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:

Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty

All of the radios listed by others are good. My personal favorite is
the Degen 1102. This is in my opinion the best sub $100.00 radio you
can buy.

Hope this helps.

Telamon May 1st 07 03:26 AM

Cheap beginner radio
 
In article om,
Roadie wrote:

On Apr 23, 9:56 pm, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty


The Degen DE1103 would be a good choice that is priced well under
$100.00 The Sony 7600 could also be a good choice, but the lack of a
tuning knob is a significant omission.


I don't find that a problem with the up/down 1 and 5 KHz buttons and
direct entry. Don't miss the tuning knob at all.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

Will May 1st 07 10:12 PM

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL) or...
 
On Apr 26, 4:40 pm, wrote:
Check the Walgreens stores in your area. www.walgreens.com They have
some cheap AM FM Shortwave Radios for sale.Sometimes they have some of
those radios and a bunch of other thingys marked down half price.
cuhulin


The cheapy Walgreen's "Lifelong" analog-tuned radio is about
the same as the Bell & Howell model often seen in catalogs
(a different radio but equivalent performance -- both bad). The
problem with these junky radios is that they are so poor (worthless
dial calibration, many image problems, practically impossible tuning)
that they turn off a novice to the whole idea of SW listening.
Those of us who are experienced SWLs can play with these just
for fun and compare them with our better radios, but someone
without that background will think that all SW equipment is as
hard to use and irritating in operation.

There's a Coby digital-readout model which is also pretty bad (it was
actually reviewed and panned in Passport), but there IS one cheapy
digital-readout model that is sold as the Electro-Brand 839 (if I'm
remembering the number right) and the jWin JX-M14 that is
actually usable as a radio -- here's a RadioIntel review:

http://www.radiointel.com/review-jwinjxm14.htm

I have the ElectroBrand version and bought a batch more to give
as presents. They were available on the net for under $10 each
with free shipping when I got them.

For an actually usable and enjoyable SW radio, you can't beat
the Kaito/Degen 1103, and I got mine for about $80 in the Kaito
version with an English manual and power supply & packaging,
which is better in my opinion than trying to save a few bucks
by going with the Chinese-language Degen. If you can find a
deal on the Eton S350DL (some were being sold on Amazon
last year for $35 and I kick myself for not buying several to
give as presents!), even though it has image issues and is
analog-tuned with no digital memory features, it is a reasonable
radio for a novice. Fine sound, a decent-sized frequency readout
good for people with poorer vision, fine local MW & FM
performance. I use mine more for the latter than for SW, but
it gets WBCQ well when I use it for that.

73, Will


[email protected] May 1st 07 10:45 PM

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL)or...
 
Did you ever eat at Cheap Charlies floating boat restaurant on the
beautiful Saigon River in beautiful Saigon? I guess that's what made me
think about those cheap radios at Walgreens stores.

Back in the day,A La 1964,you wasen't ''Hip" unless you went to Cheap
Charlies at least once and spoted a Rolex wris****ch on your wrist,,, I
did both.One of the best meals I ever had in my life was at a little mom
and pop restaurant (those really are the best kinds of restaurants) up
the street from where we were unloading ammo from a small barge
boat.Roast Duck and Rice with all the trimmings,cost me about one
dollar.
www.devilfinder.com Cheap Charlies Floating Restaurant Saigon Vietnam
cuhulin


[email protected] May 2nd 07 01:33 AM

Cheap beginner radio
 


Agree,

the Degen DE1105 ( Very similar to the Degen DE11) is a good choice if
you want a double reduction Shirt Pocket Sized Shortwave radio . ..

Performance is comparable to the Sangean 606A.

This is an excellent small shortwave radio, perfect for outdoor
activities

( Hiking / Biking, trekking)

or just wandering around in the early A.M. getting a bit of excersize
and picking up the odd signal bouncing down from above . .

http://www.radiointel.com/review-degende1105.htm





On May 1, 5:06 am, Cato wrote:
O.K., here is how it is with me. I love pretty well all my radios. But
for a radio in the $100.00 range? O.K. lets go a bit over and a bit
under $100.00.
I like my Sony 7600, my Eton E5, my Kaito KA1102. These all have
SSB, and dual conversion.

I also like my Kaito KA1101, Eton E100 and Degen DE11. None of
these has SSB. But I still like them.
Of these three, only the KA1101 is dual conversion, and has wide/
narrow filters. The other two are only single conversion but are
really small, which I like for backpacking. There are times for me
when I simply need something smaller then my Sony 7600, Eton E5 or
Kaito KA1102. They are great radios, but when backpacking in the
wilderness, when size and weight are extremely important, they stay
home and one of the little ones, Eton E100, or Degen DE11 goes into my
backpack for the canoe and trail. (with either a little wire extension
antenna or one of the compact Degen active loops).
Cato




Dennis May 2nd 07 04:59 PM

Cheap beginner radio
 
On Apr 23, 6:56 pm, "Denny \"Smitty\" Schmidt"
wrote:
Are there any decent SW receivers in the hundred dollar range? What about
the Grundig s350?
Thanks
Smitty


I own both the Kaito KA1101 and KA1103. Both are excellent. If you
live anywhere near an AM transmitter site the 1103 is the better
choice unless you don't care about the AM band. The wide filter on the
1101 is a little bit too wide. I paid $50 for the 1101 (a demo) and
$80 for the 1103, which just arrived yesterday. The 1101 is smaller.
Both are very hot off the whip. It doesn't do SSB but the 1103 does
and a lot better than I expected. Both work well with the windup SW
antennas (23 feet long) available or the short wire antennas that come
with the radio.

I also have the Sony ICF-SW7600GR but it's around $150 right now. It
has synchronous detection, which minimizes fade distortion and
improves selectivity. The Radio Shack DX-398 can be a good choice but
it's been discontinued; it's identical to the Sangean ATS-909. The two
main down sides to it is that it's pretty deaf off the whip and the
ferrite bar. Outboard antennas (I use a passive loop for AM) are
needed before it comes to life and it becomes a real radio. It goes
through batteries like crazy. They pop up on eBay once in awhile. If
you travel the DX-398 is probably not a good choice because of the
need for external antennas to get good results.

Happy hunting.


Will May 2nd 07 07:36 PM

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL) or...
 
On May 1, 4:12 pm, Will wrote:

but there IS one cheapy
digital-readout model that is sold as the Electro-Brand 839 (if I'm
remembering the number right)


I checked last night -- it is the ElectroBrand 859
(not 839).

Will


Will May 2nd 07 07:41 PM

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL) or...
 
On May 1, 4:45 pm, wrote:
Did you ever eat at Cheap Charlies floating boat restaurant on the
beautiful Saigon River in beautiful Saigon?
cuhulin


When in Saigon, I mostly ate at one of the BOQ messes;
where I spent the most time was the Hoa Trang on the beach
in Nha Trang -- that was our team hangout. There was also
a great fancy French restaurant in Nha Trang but I don't recall
the name. What was neatest about it was the teak-framed
window screens, divided into separate screen squares. Each
square had its resident lizard that kept the flies & other flying
insects' population down... :-)

73, Will



Drifter May 3rd 07 12:32 AM

$100 Beginner 'portable' Radio for Shortwave Listening (SWL)or...
 
Will wrote:
On May 1, 4:45 pm, wrote:
Did you ever eat at Cheap Charlies floating boat restaurant on the
beautiful Saigon River in beautiful Saigon?
cuhulin


When in Saigon, I mostly ate at one of the BOQ messes;
where I spent the most time was the Hoa Trang on the beach
in Nha Trang -- that was our team hangout. There was also
a great fancy French restaurant in Nha Trang but I don't recall
the name. What was neatest about it was the teak-framed
window screens, divided into separate screen squares. Each
square had its resident lizard that kept the flies & other flying
insects' population down... :-)

73, Will



Hi Will. if your fancy French was outside the wire, it could have
been the Rainbow club. i believe there was one more in the ville.
but, i can't recall it's name. the Rainbow was a great place for
steaks.

Drifter...


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