Tom Holden wrote:
Comparisons are often invidious. The SSR-1 was made 20 years before the
DX-394. Its published specs suggest it had superior selectivity, similar
sensitivity, but had poorer tuning accuracy, resolution, image and IF
suppression compared to the stock DX-394. The SSR-1 had no tuning memories;
the DX-394 has 160 plus remembers the last frequency tuned on every one of
16 bands and is much easier to tune - the pre-selector auto tracks. A modded
DX-394 can have improved selectivity.

The FRG-7 is also almost 20 years before the DX-394's time. Interestingly,
it, too, was the subject of modifications similar to some performed on the
DX-394 - AGC, selectivity and noise limiter being common. Had
rec.radio.shortwave been around then, I'm sure it would have had many more.
The published specs are skimpy but the stock DX-394 matches on selectivity
and betters it by 6dB in sensitivity. FRG-7 tuning is cumbersome and has no
memories. There is a 194 member FRG-7 user group on Yahoo vs a nearly 600
member DX-394 group.

The DX-394 is a very stable, microprocessor controlled radio, exhibiting
negligible drift from turn-on. If WG's has a bad drift, then it's
exceptional. However, there have been reports of ment that adversely affects
SSB/CW operation - whether factory or user misalignment or aging has caused
it remains a mystery. I have 3 of them; one was off by 1kHz but was usable -
there was a decidedly different spectral distribution for USB vs LSB speech.

If you can afford a higher class radio go for it. If you can't, you'll get a
great bang for your buck from a DX-394. For more info about the DX-394 and
the myriad mods that can be done to it, join
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RADIOSHACKDX394/.

Tom

Tom - great last name!

I think the point is the DX-394 tends to be getting expensive on ebay.

I've seen some dx-394's bring $250.

Quite a few close in the general range of $200.

Personal tastes vary, but I think a used ten-tec rx-320 offers more bang
for the buck in the $200-$225 range.