I own all of these radios. Before I start pontificating, let's all
repeat the daily mantra:

"There is no ONE best radio"

So, when in doubt, buy all of them! ;-)

IMHO:

The best compact portable on the market is probably the Sony 7600GR.
The lack of a knob is a bummer. But the addition of a sync detector is
big. It enables you to dig very understandable signals out of the
crowded bands. Made like a tank, as was the 7600G. Seldom do you hear
of someone having a problem with one of these radios. Awesome
mediumwave reception.

Coming in close second in the compact category is the tiny Eton E5,
AKA the Grundig G5. Incredible sensitivity. Good filters enable decent
selectivity. Good audio. Built-in SSB clarification. Lot of radio in a
tiny package. The E5/G5's volume control is the major difference
between this radio and the cheaper Degen DE1103.

Almost tied for second is the Redsun RP2100, AKA the Kaito KA2100 and
the CC Radio. Don't confuse this radio with a Grundig S350. The S350
is a joke, the RP2100 is a really good radio. Better audio and
mediumwave sensitivity than the first two receivers mentioned in this
post. Doesn't have a keypad, but does have a button that let's you
move quickly between bands. Ends up in third mainly due to PAL antenna
connector and the need for an outboard SSB decoder.

Trust me - you won't go wrong buying any of those receivers. They're
all pretty impressive. Stay away from the S350 - it's single
conversion design results in all kinds of ghost images.

Mike Bryant
Fern Creek, KY


Could someone who has some extra time compare the models I have listed
above and see which might be closest to meeting my needs. I would like
to still keep it portable and not be too bid of a monster.

Thanks, friends,
Haci

Maybe by this time, next year, I will be asking more interesting
questions...I hope.

"Mike" wrote...

Almost tied for second is the Redsun RP2100, AKA the Kaito KA2100 and
the CC Radio. Don't confuse this radio with a Grundig S350. The S350
is a joke, the RP2100 is a really good radio. Better audio and
mediumwave sensitivity than the first two receivers mentioned in this
post. Doesn't have a keypad, but does have a button that let's you
move quickly between bands. Ends up in third mainly due to PAL antenna
connector and the need for an outboard SSB decoder.

Mike,

My Tecsun BCL 2000 (aka Grundig S350) is far from a "joke".
It gets great MW reception, excellent SW reception, and with
my addon FM antenna I get some distant FM stations also. The
sound from the speaker is fantastic for a portable.

The only thing I don't like is the drift on MW and SW. However,
I've basically overcome that by just leaving the radio on to warm
up sufficiently... after it's warm there is virtually no drift on MW/SW.
The RF gain knob adds nothing after about halfway, but I've always
thought that was not much of a problem.

The cost at the time I got it from eBay was about $65 delivered, so
that is a big plus for me.

That said, I would love to get the Redsun / Kaito 3000 or 3001 if
they are ever produced for consumers. Everything I've heard about
the 2100 is positive and and I'd already have one if I wasn't waiting
for the next generation 3000. Has anyone heard some news? The last
I saw was that one version (the 3001?) was cancelled and the other
is on hold while Redsun devotes time to making other radios for Asian
consumers.

Thanks for your input on all the radios, and your other on-topic posts
in this group. You've helped me improve my listening skills and given
me lots of insights into what's on and available in the southeast US.