Dear "Cuhulin,"

It's a pity that the gentleman who started this thread is insistent
upon comparing just the Grundig S350 and the GE Superadio III, both of
which are, in my opinion, mediocre RF designs and, what is worse,
they're poorly constructed (the S350 in China and, though my early III
model was made in Maylaysia, nowadays I'm sure that the GE Superadio is
made in China as well and to a pretty poor construction standard - even
my Maylaysian-made one, indeed all of my samples, is certainly no
barn-burner).

That's not to say that ALL products made in China are poor, however.
Some are good - the Sony ICF-SW35 for example - but most ARE poor. They
do not hold up over the long haul, at least in my personal experience.
(I evidently have had the same experience with Sangean models that you
have had; they just don't last. I won't buy any more of their products;
I work too hard for my money as I'm sure you do.)

The Sony ICF-SW7600GR is made in Japan and to a very high and
consistent construction standard. I know. I own two (2) ICF-SW7600G
models (the predecessor to the current model) and three (3) ICF-7600GR
models. Yes, I have read that a few people have had quality-control
"issues," but I have not. All five, which were purchased from Universal
Radio, arrived in perfect condition and have remained that way. All are
in current use. The oldest is seven years old and the youngest is three
years old.

You won't go wrong in buying the radio from J&R Music World. I have
dealt with them for many years and have always found them fair and
reliable. Their packing is first-rate. If you do unfortunately happen
to get a "dud," they'll exchange it for you right away and with minimal
inconvenience on your part. And, at least in the case of the '7600GR,
right now their price can't be beat.

Please let us all know your impressions of the radio when you do get
it. Remember - it's not "perfect;" most notably its image-rejection is
not all it should be, but, by and large, it is a superb instrument and,
as I've stated, in my opinion it is the best small portable radio being
made today.

I wish we could persuade the creator of this thread to reconsider, but,
of course, his choice is his choice and that's nobody's business but
his own.

I hope he'll be happy with whichever of those two radios he buys, but
I'm afraid I believe he'll regret his purchase. I hope I'm wrong in
this assessment.

I do wish you the very best of luck with the ICF-SW7600GR and I hope it
brings you many hours of entertainment and enjoyment.

Best,

Joe (Opinionated but Lovable!)

P.S. I do have to disagree with you about the Select-A-Tenna. Yes it is
priced higher than it need be, but, at least in my experience, it works
very well indeed, especially with the Sony radio. It looks "cheap," but
it holds up. Mine is about ten or twelve years old, I believe. (Maybe
older.) I bought it from the Herrington catalog.

Opinions do vary, that is for sure. I think I will pick up my phone
and
order a Sony 7600GRradio from J&R tonight or in the morning. I want to
try one out.
cuhulin

Joe,I am not kidding at all about the select-a-tenna.I ordered the
lowest price select-a-tenna (about $57.00) at the same time I ordered
the Sangean AM/FM/TV/Weather radio from ccrane company.That was about
seven years ago.I read the select-a-tenna directions carefully and I
tried that select-a-tenna gadget every which a way from sundown and in
all kinds of positions only my girlfriend knows about.I could not notice
any impovement at all in the reception of that radio and some of my
other radios I have here either with that select-a-tenna or without that
select-a-tenna.I am glad you are having good luck with your
select-a-tenna though.I have been burned twice on two antennas I have
bought before,my Tiny-Tenna and that select-a-tenna I sent back to
ccrane company with that Sangean radio and I also sent back the Sangean
ATS 909 radio to ccrane company too.I am going to buy a Sony 7600 GR
radio from J&R and if I am not more than satisfactorily impressed with
that radio when it gets here,back to J&R it goes.Sometimes,I think I
have better luck buying my old radios from Goodwill and other similar
junk shops.
cuhulin

JIM,

Dear "Cuhulin,"

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Sony ICF-SW7600GR. If you
value quality-construction in a portable radio, along with very good
performance, I believe you will really appreciate this receiver.

As I stated it has its flaws; ALL sophisticated short wave radios do.
But this radio has been in production for many years; the 'GR is really
just a "refinement" of the 'G model which debuted in 1994 - it adds
more memories and those memories are now non-volatile - but performance
(and build-quality) is the same.

If "number one" hadn't been any good, I wouldn't have bought "number
two," "number three," "number four," or "number five!"

By the way, you might want to consider buying rechargeable NiMH
batteries for the radio. (Look for ones with 2000 mAh rating.) This
makes operation very economical. Don't waste your money on an
AC-adapter; it's not necessary, the ones offered are
exhorbitantly-priced, and some add "noise." Those rechargeable
batteries last a VERY long time and then you just recharge them!

Sorry about your experience with Select-A-Tenna. Mine works just fine
and really improves MW DXing. I even use it sometimes with my Grundig
Satellit 800. I have never been tempted by the "Tiny-Tenna." I like the
Sony AN-LP1 antenna with the '7600's; it's especially convenient for
travel. The AOR WL500 Window Loop antenna, though far more expensive,
also PERFORMS far better.

By the way, I have noticed some of your comments elsewhere regarding
the Wellbrook ALA 330S antenna being "overpriced" and a design you
could duplicate yourself. Well, I own one. Many people have tried to
duplicate it but, so far, none have succeeded. In my location, which
has an abundance of local electrical noise and other forms of
interference, the Wellbrook antenna has been nothing short of a miracle
and, believe me, I have tried many, many antennas over the years. The
Wellbrook works. Period. There is currently NO other comparable
antenna. If you're lucky enough to live in an electrically-quiet area,
well, a long-wire or other similar outdoor antenna is generally the
best you can have and all you need (I wish I could have one), but if,
like myself, your location is "less than ideal" electrically-wise, then
you must experience the Wellbrook to believe it. I bought mine out of
desperation; it's the best money I've ever spent (on the short wave
hobby). I can't have any outdoor antenna due to HOA restrictions, but,
with the Wellbrook, I don't need one. (Mine is attic-mounted on a
rotator.) The signal-to-noise ratio it offers is breathtaking. I don't
know what Andy Ikin puts into his antennas, and, frankly, I don't care.
It's enough that he makes the antenna available to us and for that I am
eternally grateful to him.

Sorry about the "diatribe" and for being somewhat OT on this thread.
Again, I wish you the best of luck with your new Sony radio.

I see in the previous post "RHF's" listing of some dealers from whom to
buy the GE and/or the Grundig. The listing is good. If price is
paramount, then "Radiodud" might as well go with the GE for $38.00 but
I firmly believe it is money thrown out.

Best,

Joe (As always, Opinionated but Lovable! - and, regarding the GE
Superadios, The Voice of [Sad] Experience)

Joe,I am not kidding at all about the select-a-tenna.I ordered the
lowest price select-a-tenna (about $57.00) at the same time I ordered
the Sangean AM/FM/TV/Weather radio from ccrane company.That was about
seven years ago.I read the select-a-tenna directions carefully and I
tried that select-a-tenna gadget every which a way from sundown and in
all kinds of positions only my girlfriend knows about.I could not
notice
any impovement at all in the reception of that radio and some of my
other radios I have here either with that select-a-tenna or without
that
select-a-tenna.I am glad you are having good luck with your
select-a-tenna though.I have been burned twice on two antennas I have
bought before,my Tiny-Tenna and that select-a-tenna I sent back to
ccrane company with that Sangean radio and I also sent back the
Sangean
ATS 909 radio to ccrane company too.I am going to buy a Sony 7600 GR
radio from J&R and if I am not more than satisfactorily impressed with
that radio when it gets here,back to J&R it goes.Sometimes,I think I
have better luck buying my old radios from Goodwill and other similar
junk shops.
cuhulin

Joe,there is a radio station in Monticello,Mississippi and I think that
radio station is only on the air in the daytime.I think you can find
that radio station at, www.forthepeople.org in Chuck Harder's radio
station list somewhere around there or www.dogpile.com Radio
Stations Mississippi or Mississippi Radio Stations

I live in the West side of Jackson,Mississippi and I do not believe
there is a radio in the World,be it a super super duper radio that cost
$80,000 or ten million hundred million and eighty thousand dollars that
can pick up that radio station in Monticello,Mississippi and this is
flatland territory around here (we are not hillbillys) and nothing much
of anything between Jackson and Monticello that would interrupt any
radio signals.I realize it is a low power (I think) radio station in
Monticello.I would just love to see such a radio.Monticello isn't all
that far from Jackson either,about 70 something miles or so,you can look
it up in a Rand McNally Road Atlas if you want to.By the way,back in the
1970's,I bought a 1922 Ford T model chassis for $250.00 from a guy in
Monticello.His wife was having a baby and they already had a house full
of kids.Well,y'all know how that goes :{)
cuhulin

"John Plimmer" wrote in message
...
Remember, on this group you are going to get all sorts of opinions - some
weird and some plain dead wrong. caveat emptor
I have a GE SRIII and can say without fear or favour that it will be the
most likely to get that faint MW station you are trying for.
I have owned many portables Sony 2010,7600 and various Sangeans, but on AM
MW the GE SRIII stands head and shoulders above the rest for getting that
really faint far off DX on AM MW.

I once got WWKB Buffalo NY on it without an external antenna and that
station is 8,000 miles away from this QTH!
I have only one AM MW station some distance away and the ONLY portable
that
can pick up this station with listenable quality is my SRIII

Yes, the knobs are a bit wobbly and the tuning dial is very inaccurate,
but
it does not drift and for getting that single station you are after it
will
seriously outperform all the other portables on AM MW.

Concur. My Super Radio III is a ver sensitive receiver, especially for the
money. I cannot imagine how good it would be after a complete alignment.

The only drawback I've found is the poor filtering. I think there's a
business
opportunity for the enterprising, technically-minded individual who's
willing
to align the Super Radio III and install "tighter" filters, but the IF
bandwidth
issue is, in my mind, a nit to be picked.

I believe that it's a radio with outstanding "ears," and it performs
amazingly
well in a rural (i.e., RF quiet) setting.

73,

Steve Lawrence
Burnsville, Minnesota

Iffin a GE "super radio" (super,my ass!!!,I don't believe them radios
are super,Sears used to sell them and I tried one of them out,the Sears
saleslady went out in the parking lot with me at Metrocenter mall
www.metromalljackson.com and that super radio didn't show me ****! I
put it back on the shelf) turns up at the Goodwill thriftstore sooner or
later (that particular Goodwill thriftstore is only about seven tenths
of a mile South [[South is always best]] of my little doggys couch,there
are two more Goodwill thriftstores in the metro Jackson area) I can buy
that so-called super radio for about two dolllars.Those GE super radios
are JUNK,they were JUNK soon as they left the factory doors.
cuhulin

A few years ago, Sears stores carried the SR III. I bought a few from
them. What I would do was to take 6 D cells to the store with me. I
bought one and told the clerk that I was going to test it outside in
the parking lot and if it didn't perform correctly, then I would swap
it out for another one they had. One time I think I went through all 4
they had to get the best one. What I was looking for was dial accuracy
(none of them are, its just a matter of which is worst) and "birdies."


Not sure if Sears still carries or not. They had/have a money back
guarantee on everything.

wrote:
Hello. I've been hanging around for a little while browsing the NG,
reading opinions about different radios lately. I'm in the market to
get a radio that will primarily be used for AM DX'ing. I've got only
$100 to spend and I wanted to hear from those who had both the
Superadio III and the Grundig S350. I know in a sense this is
comparing
apples to oranges, but I've heard many good things about both radios.

I know this is a shortwave group, but I figured if I chose to get the
S350 that I could listen to shortwave. I've done research on both
radios and know what they have and what they don't have. Some of
these
questions have a couple parts to them. Here are the questions I have:

1) How is the sensitivity on both radios on both AM and FM? Is one
radio a good deal more sensitive than the other, or are they fairly
close?

2) How is the selectivity on both radios on both AM and FM? Is one
radio a good deal more selective than the other, or are they fairly
close?

3) How good is the quality on both radios? I mean such as the "feel",
the knobs, the switches, etc.

4) I live on the east coast and I primarily listen to 650 AM WSM, and
mostly to the Grand Ol' Opry. One of the main reasons I'm getting a
new
radio is because my basic (VERY basic) radios drift on 650 AM, very
badly. How would both radios handle 650 AM WSM, if anyone listens to
the station?

5) How good is the S350 on shortwave? A little drift doesn't bother
me.
I can put up with even a tad of moderate drift.

6) I've heard that the S350 could be found some places selling for
$50,
does anyone know of any online resellers that are selling the S350
for
$50 EXCLUDING eBay? The reason for asking is that if I could find one
for $50 or $60 I could then afford to get both radios.

7) I've also heard of one main problem with the SRIII. I've heard
that
the dial is very inaccurate. How true is this and it is a huge
problem
and can it be fixed?

8) Overall, with all things considered, if you could get either
radio,
which one would you choose and why?

I also know that these radios don't have presets, PLL and other
extras,
but that doesn't bother me. I've also considered other radios in the
price range and it came down to these two, mainly because they're
both
analog radios, which I like better than digital. I also realize the
S350 has analog tuning with a digital readout.

I'm sorry for all the questions but I figured this was the best place
to come to ask this question. Thanks for reading. :-)

Jim

Jim
I own both a GE Sradio III and (just obtained recently) an S350. For
AM BCB DX'ing I like the S350 hands down. The GE is a good receiver
but digital readout and in my opinion better selectivity in the S350.
Now...the GE is better for FM dxing if you do any of that. an
excellent receiver if you can find one used is the Sangean ATS803A.
(Was also the Radio Shack DX440). Digital
readout...sensitive..selective..good ferrite rod antenna.
"pound for pound" I've heard more and lower powered stations on the
S350 than on the GE. Just my take on it. 73
Greg