I have the 1103 and just recently acquired the E5. The 1103 was and
early one and it has the frequency tuning bounce problem. It is
frustrating to tune and the ergonomics on this radio suck.
The E5 is very user friendly. The tuning knob works like a
charm. The nicest tuning on a portable I think.
If you can afford the extra $ go with the E5. Performance is
about the same.
Re the S 350. I was listening for R. Australia on 17795
recently. The S350 heard nothing whatever on that freq while the E5
managed a rough but copyable signal.
Bob



On Jun 25, 7:40 pm, "R Jamieson" wrote:
Being new to shortwave listening and looking for a good portable around
$100... what's available.
Are these as good as they say in the ads?
The E 5 looks like it's got all that I could use but not having a chance to
try it outside the store, how well does it really work? Any problems with
it?
I look forward to your expert commentary and thanks.

Finally settled on and Eton E5. After many many searches, contacting "The
Source" head office for assistance in finding one "not a demonstrator
model", at their stores, I finally got one "new" in the box with all
accesories.
The first one was picked up at a downtown store where the online site
indicated that they had three.
When I got there the clerk, Hugo, told me that the manager had put two aside
for himself and that the one I was buying was not a demonstrator, yet it
took him 20 minutes to find it in the back room.
I get the thing home and it doesn't work. 'Phoned the store "Circuit City"
and now he tells me that somehow I managed to get one that was supposed to
be sent back for repair. OK......lets return it to a Circuit City store a
little closer to home.
I enter the store and explain my problem and ask for a refund. At that the
clerk opens the till and "voila", he says he doesn't have enough cash and to
come back later.
On hearing that I started to get a little heated.
Go sell something, I told him, or take out a loan. I'm not leaving here
until I get a refund. With that the money mysteriously appeared and I was
on my way, empty handed as they too were out of the E'5s.
I contact someone at customer service and explain all that's been happening
and she tells me that both stores are in for a little training and she will
call me back with her results of a search for an "in box E5".
She phones back shortly and tells me that the store that I have just been in
and received the refund from, do have an E5 "in the box", not a
demonstrator, and to get over there before they loose it. (When I returned
the first radio, they said that they didn't have another E5 and asked me if
I'd like to order one). Strange, strange.
Anyway I picked up the radio, it was not the one I had returned, and it was
as they said, unopened in the box.
I pay for it, tell the manager he's made his profit for the day, turn out
the lights and go home.
Have you noticed lately how little inventory Circuit City acually has at
some of their stores? 'More returns than retail merchandise.
At last I get to try out the E5 and it is as good as the group says. The
sideband signals are coming in loud and clear (6604, 8918, 6501 etc)and
that's just with a 6 foot length of wire clipped to the whip! The 700
memories are a fantastic feature as is the paging and "4 letter" tagging.
Sounds better than one would expect for it's size.
That non-slip finish is great too.
A little noisier with the wall wart but I think I'll just run it from
batteries..........Very good battery life!
Thanks to everyone who responded with their "hands on" comments.
I hope my experiences with these retail outlets (both of them) are an
isolated incident.
Thans again.


The
"Joe Analssandrini" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jun 25, 10:40 pm, "R Jamieson" wrote:
Being new to shortwave listening and looking for a good portable around
$100... what's available.
Are these as good as they say in the ads?
The E 5 looks like it's got all that I could use but not having a chance
to
try it outside the store, how well does it really work? Any problems
with
it?
I look forward to your expert commentary and thanks.

Dear Sir,

With regard to the eHam review of the Sony ICF-SW7600GR, I should have
given you the specific link which is:

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1534 .

Sorry about that and I hope you find this interesting.

Best,

Joe

On Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:01:22 -0400, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:

I really wish people would stop referring to the DE1103 as the "same radio"
as the E5/G5. It is not.

It may use the same basic circuitry, but the build quality and ergonomics
are vastly different. The DE1103 performs well, but is cheaply built and a
pain to use. The E5/G5 is a completely different radio; well built with a
very nice feel, and much much more user-friendly.


wrote in message
roups.com...
On Jun 26, 1:40?am, "R Jamieson" wrote:
Being new to shortwave listening and looking for a good portable around
$100... what's available.
Are these as good as they say in the ads?
The E 5 looks like it's got all that I could use but not having a chance
to
try it outside the store, how well does it really work? Any problems
with
it?
I look forward to your expert commentary and thanks.

Get the Degen 1103 - it is basically the same radio and only $65
including S&H.




Well, same radio or not (and I'm not a techie expert) but for $100,
you couldn't go wrong with the DE or Kaito 1103.

Bought a DE1103 for ~$CDN90 including shipping from Heung Kong two
years ago, and never regretted it.

Its basic sensitivity gives my newer Eton E1 a run for its money; the
E1 of course has Whistles and Bangs but for "garden variety" Major SW
Broadcaster reception, you'd be hard-pressed to beat the DE/Kaito
1103.

Maybe my next one will be an E1.........50 miles from Durham Radio.
I had a Grundig Satellit 700 with a full compliment of eprom memories about
10 years ago.
I found that it wasn't that sensitive, even connected to an outside arial.
The YB 400 seemed to grab stations better but oh the toys on the '700.
That alpha numeric display was great.
I bought the set "nearly new" so maybe the original owner had accidentally
placed a static charge either on the whip or at the ant. IN and may have
damaged the first RF input transistor leaving the set in a poor receive
condition.
I'll bet the E1 has great receive capability.
"RHF" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jun 29, 5:51 am, m II wrote:
R Jamieson wrote:
Finally settled on and Eton E5. After many many searches, contacting
"The
Source" head office for assistance in finding one "not a demonstrator
model", at their stores, I finally got one "new" in the box with all
accesories.

The Source has had the Eton E1 in their online catalog for a year.
Nothing in the stores. It was supposed to arrive *last* August.

The staff seems to be more concerned about selling you a cell phone than
a radio. A while back they tried to tell me that a 5k pot was variable
capacitor. Staffing problems are happening everywhere.

They list the E1 as 599$ (Canadian)

I'm glad they didn't have one, as I've found this:

$438.97 (Canadian)

http://tinyurl.com/3dnoet

mike

Mike - Not a bad price at Durham Radio Sales
{Canada} for the Eton E1 XM Radio which
comes to 'aboot' $414USD ~ RHF
.
Eton E1 Radio Owners and Future E1 Owners
Including 'future' Grundig G1 Radio Owners
Check-Out the Eton E1 Radio Group on YAHOO !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ETON-E1-XM-Radio/
Here is your News, Information and Help Center for the
-For- ETON E1 RADIO INFO = http://tinyurl.com/9lfd7
Eton "E1" AM & FM + Shortwave 'World Band' Receiver
-For- ETON E1 RADIO HELP = http://tinyurl.com/9lfd7
with optional XM-Satellite-Radio.
-For- ETON E1 RADIO NEWS = http://tinyurl.com/9lfd7
. . .
.
. .
.
. . . O u t !

R Jamieson wrote:

Finally settled on and Eton E5. After many many searches, contacting "The
Source" head office for assistance in finding one "not a demonstrator
model", at their stores, I finally got one "new" in the box with all
accesories.

The Source has had the Eton E1 in their online catalog for a year.
Nothing in the stores. It was supposed to arrive *last* August.

The staff seems to be more concerned about selling you a cell phone than
a radio. A while back they tried to tell me that a 5k pot was variable
capacitor. Staffing problems are happening everywhere.

They list the E1 as 599$ (Canadian)

I'm glad they didn't have one, as I've found this:

$438.97 (Canadian)

http://tinyurl.com/3dnoet




mike

On Jun 29, 5:51 am, m II wrote:
R Jamieson wrote:
Finally settled on and Eton E5. After many many searches, contacting "The
Source" head office for assistance in finding one "not a demonstrator
model", at their stores, I finally got one "new" in the box with all
accesories.

The Source has had the Eton E1 in their online catalog for a year.
Nothing in the stores. It was supposed to arrive *last* August.

The staff seems to be more concerned about selling you a cell phone than
a radio. A while back they tried to tell me that a 5k pot was variable
capacitor. Staffing problems are happening everywhere.

They list the E1 as 599$ (Canadian)

I'm glad they didn't have one, as I've found this:

$438.97 (Canadian)

http://tinyurl.com/3dnoet

mike

Mike - Not a bad price at Durham Radio Sales
{Canada} for the Eton E1 XM Radio which
comes to 'aboot' $414USD ~ RHF
..
Eton E1 Radio Owners and Future E1 Owners
Including 'future' Grundig G1 Radio Owners
Check-Out the Eton E1 Radio Group on YAHOO !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ETON-E1-XM-Radio/
Here is your News, Information and Help Center for the
-For- ETON E1 RADIO INFO = http://tinyurl.com/9lfd7
Eton "E1" AM & FM + Shortwave 'World Band' Receiver
-For- ETON E1 RADIO HELP = http://tinyurl.com/9lfd7
with optional XM-Satellite-Radio.
-For- ETON E1 RADIO NEWS = http://tinyurl.com/9lfd7
.. . .
..
. .
..
.. . . O u t !