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Same cheap junk as Tecsun/Eton BCL-2000,3000 !
"Million-Dollar Looks for $100" - Analog w/digital display receivers do not have the stability of digital phase-locked loop (PLL) receivers. I opened up the back of the radio, before returning it to RadioShack - it was mostly hollow inside, very cheap, low-grade plastic, and with 1960s-grade electronics. The front filter and band switches and tuning knob are flimsy. When putting the radio back together, I was very careful not to over-tighten/cross-thread the screws, but as soon as, one of the screws started to tighten down, the plastic started to crack. Because of the very cheap quality construction, the radio is very light-out-of-the-box, until the 4 "D" size batteries are inserted. The filters do a minimal job and only muffle the very good audio. The RF gain control can always be set on maximum, so it only acts like a DX/LOC switch. Even the newer model drifts off the tuned frequency, despite a kludged fix, that only causes ergonomic problems - once a frequency locks on, it still drifts, causing one to have to retune way past the desired frequency, to break the lock. The S350 has significant tuning backlash, which is partly responsible for the frequency drift. There are images all over the SW bands, being a cheap, single-conversion superhet. The speaker grill is plastic, the digital readout is low-resolution, the antenna doesn't lock into place, and the carrying handle is cheap, smelly, imitation-leather. Instead, I bought a Radio Shack AM/FM (for AM DXing) model 12-898 for $25; it has digital PLL tuning (prevents drifting), DX/LOC switch, hi/low tone switch, 3" speaker with metal speaker grill, internal ferrite-bar antenna, lock switch, 20 station memory, almost as sensitive as the S350, and much better quality - even the antenna locks into place. Don't be fooled by the "Grundig" name - it used to be made in Germany, but is now made in China, by Tecsun/Eton. Check out the Tecsun/Eton brand of this radio on Amazon (same junk), and show, "lowest rating first", also, look at the reviews for Grundig G2000A. Tecsun/Eton is becoming known for marketing jazzy, pretty radios that are poor quality/performers; they bought the rights to market products, under the "Grundig" name, hoping consumers will think they are still made in Germany. With all that being said, with the restructuring of the 50K watt clear-channel AM stations, in the 1980s, AM DXing is not what it used to be, in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, many stations out West now have to use directional antennas, that cannot be picked up on the East Coast. All the hype about the CCradio, Superadio III, and S350 being, "DX machines", is nonsense, and with the clear-channel situation, certainly not worth the extra expense. With the Radio Shack receiver, I can easily pick up WWL 870 New Orleans (1000 miles), WHO 1040 Des Moines(900 miles), WABC 770 New York, and my favorite, WLW 700 Cincinnati - same as the S350. These stations can easily be picked up with standard car radios. For just, as little as $30 more, one could purchase the Sony ICF- SW7600GR instead; it has digital PLL, SSB, and synchronous detection - the ICF-SW7600GR is many times the radio compared to the S350 (I'de be kicking myself, if I was stuck with the S350). |
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