how are these radios?
any good thanks jack

I have one. I enjoy it very much. It is quite good on most shortwave
and AM (MW) frequencies. Also very nice with FM and has good sound
through the headphone output (in stereo). The whip seems to have good
sensitivity as well. For the money I think it's great. It does not do
so well on SSB, and has trouble with weaker signals, but if you will be
doing primarily program listening, this is probably one of the best
portables out there. Mine doesn't do so well indoors (it is excellent
if used outdoors), but I live in a very RF-noisy apartment
building...if you'll be using it inside, you might want to string up an
outdoor antenna before hand, or looking into an active antenna of some
kind.

jwb wrote:
how are these radios?
any good thanks jack

how are these radios?
any good thanks jack


Compared to what, a Sony 7600GR? Nope.
(see "Sony 7600GR any thoughts?" thread. )

jwb wrote:
how are these radios?
any good thanks jack


For the price, these are an excellent buy. They lack sync detection
and, for me, the display is a little difficult to read unless it is held
at just the right angle. Otherwise they have excellent audio, great FM
stereo with earphones and the ability to receive SSB transmissions. They
are very durable but tend to consume batteries at a rate a little above
average.

Anything with the "SONY" label is very susceptible to being pilfered if
you do much traveling. The YB400 is presently just a tad too funky to be
a hot item on the black market.

I own a lot of portable SW radios and the YB400 is the one I use the
most because it ranks most highly considering performance against
replacement cost. It takes a licken' and keeps on ticken'! It performs
well and baggage handlers aren't interested in stealing it. It has
survived many "drop tests" and supplies beautiful FM stereo. SW DX
depends on your choice of antenna, but mine performs unusually well from
the whip.

Unless you can find a killer deal on a sony 7600, you should go for the
YB400. If you are looking for a "traveler," I would go with the YB400.

Worth exactly 2 cents....Your mileage may vary...

Tom Nelson KD6EVM