Dear Mike,

You are quite correct in your assertions. I myself have been impressed
by the specifications of the Eton E1. However, I have not bought one
and do not plan to buy one in the near future for the following
reasons:

It has no MW Ferrite antenna. This, I understand, is due to digital
"hash" that cannot be corrected and would be picked up by such an
antenna.

It has no handle nor is there any easy or convenient way of adding one
to the radio.

Those two points are significant to me but relatively minor. The major
problem I have is:

It does not feature DRM, DAB (Canadian or European), or IBOC. (I
personally have no interest in any form of "pay" radio. In my opinion
it is only a matter of time before advertisements become common on
virtually all "satellite" radio channels and the listener will STILL be
paying month after month for this "service!" After all, look at the
cable-TV model where this has already happened.)

But I digress. In other words, in my opinion, the Eton E1 actually
breaks no new ground. Its specifications, extremely good, nevertheless
appear to show that the radio will peform just about the same as the
Grundig Satellit 800. (And regardless of what anyone tells you, the
Satellit 800, again extremely good, is not at all in the same league
as, say, the Drake R8B, the JRC NRD545, or the AOR AR7030 Plus. This,
by inference, would also apply to the E1 which does, however, offer far
better performance VALUE for money than do the tabletops mentioned.)

I am waiting to see if Degen introduces their rumored new model the
DE-1108 and if it does feature the newer modes of reception as well as
offering superb performance.

However, I do understand, from owners, that the E1 is a good and
satisfying set and that, if one does not already own a radio of this
caliber, the E1, with all its "faults," is a good one to buy. After
all, there has never been nor is there ever likely to be a "perfect"
shortwave radio. And Eton has always been a very customer-centric
company, offering superb service before and after the sale.

Should Degen's proposed new radio not live up to expectations, there
may be a new Eton E1 in my future, after all.

Best,

Joe

P.S. Some people here have "complained" that Eton advertises heavily in
PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND RADIO and this somehow makes pASSPORT's reviews
"suspect." One need only READ many of the reviews of Eton/Grundig
radios in PASSPORT to see that this "suspicion" is absolutely
groundless. PASSPORT "calls 'em as they see 'em." PASSPORT is
DEFINITELY the best SW review source we have and should be supported by
all of us here, at least in my opinion. No one else tests SW radios in
their own laboratories and prints their findings (and, as readers know,
they often differ from manufacturers' own published specifications).
And if Eton is a big advertiser, I say MORE POWER TO THEM! What OTHER
company supports the shortwave listener the way Eton does?

mike maghakian wrote:
one of the disadvantages of the internet is that any asshole can post an
opinion on the E1 even though he has no qualifications for making such
assertions.
In addition to people who are intelligent like Guy Atkins, there is another
source who people should not argue with in this case.
Dave Z and Larry Magne both assert the E1 is outstanding !

read this: http://passband.com/pages/receivernews.htm

In article .com,
"Joe Analssandrini" wrote:

P.S. Some people here have "complained" that Eton advertises heavily
in PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND RADIO and this somehow makes pASSPORT's
reviews "suspect." One need only READ many of the reviews of
Eton/Grundig radios in PASSPORT to see that this "suspicion" is
absolutely groundless. PASSPORT "calls 'em as they see 'em." PASSPORT
is DEFINITELY the best SW review source we have and should be
supported by all of us here, at least in my opinion. No one else
tests SW radios in their own laboratories and prints their findings
(and, as readers know, they often differ from manufacturers' own
published specifications). And if Eton is a big advertiser, I say
MORE POWER TO THEM! What OTHER company supports the shortwave
listener the way Eton does?

mike maghakian wrote:
one of the disadvantages of the internet is that any asshole can
post an opinion on the E1 even though he has no qualifications for
making such assertions. In addition to people who are intelligent
like Guy Atkins, there is another source who people should not
argue with in this case. Dave Z and Larry Magne both assert the E1
is outstanding !

read this: http://passband.com/pages/receivernews.htm

Dear Mike,

You are quite correct in your assertions. I myself have been
impressed by the specifications of the Eton E1. However, I have not
bought one and do not plan to buy one in the near future for the
following reasons:

It has no MW Ferrite antenna. This, I understand, is due to digital
"hash" that cannot be corrected and would be picked up by such an
antenna.

It has no handle nor is there any easy or convenient way of adding
one to the radio.

Those two points are significant to me but relatively minor. The
major problem I have is:

It does not feature DRM, DAB (Canadian or European), or IBOC. (I
personally have no interest in any form of "pay" radio. In my opinion
it is only a matter of time before advertisements become common on
virtually all "satellite" radio channels and the listener will STILL
be paying month after month for this "service!" After all, look at
the cable-TV model where this has already happened.)

But I digress. In other words, in my opinion, the Eton E1 actually
breaks no new ground. Its specifications, extremely good,
nevertheless appear to show that the radio will peform just about the
same as the Grundig Satellit 800. (And regardless of what anyone
tells you, the Satellit 800, again extremely good, is not at all in
the same league as, say, the Drake R8B, the JRC NRD545, or the AOR
AR7030 Plus. This, by inference, would also apply to the E1 which
does, however, offer far better performance VALUE for money than do
the tabletops mentioned.)

I am waiting to see if Degen introduces their rumored new model the
DE-1108 and if it does feature the newer modes of reception as well
as offering superb performance.

However, I do understand, from owners, that the E1 is a good and
satisfying set and that, if one does not already own a radio of this
caliber, the E1, with all its "faults," is a good one to buy. After
all, there has never been nor is there ever likely to be a "perfect"
shortwave radio. And Eton has always been a very customer-centric
company, offering superb service before and after the sale.

Should Degen's proposed new radio not live up to expectations, there
may be a new Eton E1 in my future, after all.

The other radios you mention do not have built in antennas of any sort.

The E1 is designed as a portable radio.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

On 14 Jun 2006 10:32:41 -0700, wrote:


RHF - Actually, I smile everytime I hear one of you suckers have ****ed
away $500+, for this already out-dated receiver ! And what did it get
you ? Nothing ! Got to have, "the latest and greatest" - thinking with
the wrong head ! You know the truth; that is why you always respond
with personal attacks.


Were youput on the Earth to save us from ouselves or what?

The E1XM is a fine looking unit, has very nice tactile attributes and
ergonomics, and performs better than 99.99% of the stuff that's out
there. Better even than it's semiprogenitor the SW8, which cost more,
had more bobos, and which still has a substantial cult following.

Don't knock success too often; makes you appear bitter.

In article . com,
"John S." wrote:

mike maghakian wrote:
one of the disadvantages of the internet is that any asshole can
post an opinion on the E1 even though he has no qualifications for
making such assertions. In addition to people who are intelligent
like Guy Atkins, there is another source who people should not
argue with in this case. Dave Z and Larry Magne both assert the E1
is outstanding !

read this: http://passband.com/pages/receivernews.htm

Interesting update on that radio, although a quality issue like a
wobbly optical encoder is worrisome on a radio in that price range.
But more to the point just exactly what is a "Pro Opinion" and why
should it be given any more credibility than than the collective
opinions of users on on eham, radiointel, Yahoo or this forum. Also,
because Eton appears to be the single largest advertiser in PBWR
occupying several pages in the version I read, should reviews of
their radios be taken as truly independent?

I would take the well written opinons in PBWR to be just that and
nothing more. They are another source of information about radios
but not THE source.

That said I am impressed by the E1 and am seriously considering
buying one. But my decision will be influenced more by the opinions
seen on fora than one review in PBWR.

The Pro opinion stems from the fact that they have test equipment and
the experience to make the measurements comparing the performance
against other radios.

You get the unvarnished good and bad from PBWR AND a relative feature
comparison to other radios in its class.

The opinions in PBWR are generated from a panel of people not just one
person so reading it gives you a broader perspective then you get from
a persons personal review. An example is that a noise blanker may not
work on the type of noise around one persons residence where the other
people on the panel had no problems. This will be reported in the
review.

I think PBWR is a great place to start for reviews of a radio comparing
it to others in it class and to then follow it up with reviews on the
Internet that you mentioned.

Obviously you need to weed out the nut case opinions. Some people just
do not make sense like using the incorrect bandwidth for a mode and
then reporting the sound is muddy as an example of a worthless opinion.
If you read an opinion that states you need to spend days with a radio
to learn how to use it to get the most out of it should be a good
warning sign that it is not a good review as there are a small set of
interacting controls and it only takes a minute to go through all the
permutations of adjustments.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

On 14 Jun 2006 14:51:01 -0700, wrote:



Yea, "it's fine looking", just like all the Grundig/Eton receivers,
but that's it. I really wonder, if the E1's performance, over a $150
Sony 7600GR, would be worth justifying an additional $350 - I'm sure
not ! You all are not getting nearly your moneys worth !
Yes, I was put here to keep all you "ham shackers", from ****ing it all
down the toilet ! But we must have the, "latest and greatest", even
though it will be useless in a few years ! Not my problem ! Remember,
you need to have some extra cash to buy those Star Wars uniforms for
the next convention !

Sony's are mass market hit and miss QC overrated plastic crap shoots.

Eton is a shortwave niche manufacturer who cares. The Sony lacks IF
shift, multiple bandwidths, meaningful tone controls, a decent audio
amplifier, and most of all... CLASS.

In article .com,
"Joe Analssandrini" wrote:


In article .com,
"Joe Analssandrini" wrote:

P.S. Some people here have "complained" that Eton advertises
heavily in PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND RADIO and this somehow makes
pASSPORT's reviews "suspect." One need only READ many of the
reviews of Eton/Grundig radios in PASSPORT to see that this
"suspicion" is absolutely groundless. PASSPORT "calls 'em as they
see 'em." PASSPORT is DEFINITELY the best SW review source we
have and should be supported by all of us here, at least in my
opinion. No one else tests SW radios in their own laboratories
and prints their findings (and, as readers know, they often
differ from manufacturers' own published specifications). And if
Eton is a big advertiser, I say MORE POWER TO THEM! What OTHER
company supports the shortwave listener the way Eton does?

mike maghakian wrote:
one of the disadvantages of the internet is that any asshole
can post an opinion on the E1 even though he has no
qualifications for making such assertions. In addition to
people who are intelligent like Guy Atkins, there is another
source who people should not argue with in this case. Dave Z
and Larry Magne both assert the E1 is outstanding !

read this: http://passband.com/pages/receivernews.htm

Dear Mike,

You are quite correct in your assertions. I myself have been
impressed by the specifications of the Eton E1. However, I have
not bought one and do not plan to buy one in the near future for
the following reasons:

It has no MW Ferrite antenna. This, I understand, is due to
digital "hash" that cannot be corrected and would be picked up by
such an antenna.

It has no handle nor is there any easy or convenient way of
adding one to the radio.

Those two points are significant to me but relatively minor. The
major problem I have is:

It does not feature DRM, DAB (Canadian or European), or IBOC. (I
personally have no interest in any form of "pay" radio. In my
opinion it is only a matter of time before advertisements become
common on virtually all "satellite" radio channels and the
listener will STILL be paying month after month for this
"service!" After all, look at the cable-TV model where this has
already happened.)

But I digress. In other words, in my opinion, the Eton E1
actually breaks no new ground. Its specifications, extremely
good, nevertheless appear to show that the radio will peform just
about the same as the Grundig Satellit 800. (And regardless of
what anyone tells you, the Satellit 800, again extremely good, is
not at all in the same league as, say, the Drake R8B, the JRC
NRD545, or the AOR AR7030 Plus. This, by inference, would also
apply to the E1 which does, however, offer far better performance
VALUE for money than do the tabletops mentioned.)

I am waiting to see if Degen introduces their rumored new model
the DE-1108 and if it does feature the newer modes of reception
as well as offering superb performance.

However, I do understand, from owners, that the E1 is a good and
satisfying set and that, if one does not already own a radio of
this caliber, the E1, with all its "faults," is a good one to
buy. After all, there has never been nor is there ever likely to
be a "perfect" shortwave radio. And Eton has always been a very
customer-centric company, offering superb service before and
after the sale.

Should Degen's proposed new radio not live up to expectations,
there may be a new Eton E1 in my future, after all.

Telamon wrote:

The other radios you mention do not have built in antennas of any
sort.

The E1 is designed as a portable radio.

Dear Telamon,

I'm not sure I follow you. The E1 IS a portable and it is a portable
without a built-in ferrite antenna for MW. This makes little sense to
me. (Why couldn't they have fixed the digital "hash" which would
evidently plague such an antenna in this radio?) The Grundig Satellit
800 DOES have a ferrite MW antenna. (Naturally the tabletop radios I
mentioned do not have one, those radios being designed for use with
significant external antennas on all bands).

If you read PASSPORT's latest "Receiver News" on their website, you
will see (in their June 6 post) that "the E1 is being seriously
treated by certain cognoscenti as a viable alternative, rather than
complement, to pricey tabletop supersets. (Lawrence Magne)."

I feel that, based on my experience with the Grundig Satellit 800
(which has similar specifications), the E1 has certain shortcomings
which, though perhaps minor to most, are somewhat important to me. I
would like to have a good portable SW receiver in the mid-size (about
12" wide) range. Right now I have my doubts about the E1 (of course I
could be totally wrong) and am waiting to see if Degen does, in fact,
offer a competitive radio with more advanced reception features.

But, if they do not, I may at some future time buy an E1. We'll see.

By the way, your comments on PASSPORT are right on the money. I wish
we could convince the "nay-sayers" on this group, many of whom seem
to want to gripe for gripe's sake (my opinion). That book as well as
the WRTH are darn-near essential for the best enjoyment of this hobby
(my opinion, again).

Size and portability put increasing demands on the design. Going from
table top with unlimited power to a portable that draws from batteries
and smaller size puts more constraints on what you can do with the
design. Smaller generally means fewer features and not as great a
dynamic range as an example. However these factors can be overcome by
spending more money on the design.

You usually put a radio in a class and compare it to other radios in its
class. The E1 cost more than other portables but not as much as the
table top radios and it straddles these categories. I just think it is
an unfair comparison between it and the table top radios as much as it
is to compare it to smaller less costly radios.

Comparing the E1 to the Satellite 800 or Sony ICF-SW777 are fair
comparisons. They are all portables and in a same price range.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

GSW - Ah Yes ! - A Really Happy 'simpleton' - I Be )

Don't Worry - Be Happy ! )
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/dontworry.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Worry,_Be_Happy

gsw judging by your writing and tenor are a sad sad case ~ RHF

I have no complaints with people spending their money for whatever
radio,or radios.After all,it is their money.A Chevrolet is better than a
Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz,in my opinion.

Amazing things can,and are being created nowdays with new technology.
Do a search for, boingboing Complete Radar on a chip
cuhulin

It was me that asked niehs to add Dixie to their song list,about six
years ago.I also asked robokopp to add Dixie.I got an email reply from
robokopp,they said the Dixie song wasen't old enough.
cuhulin

On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:24:02 -0500, wrote:

I have no complaints with people spending their money for whatever
radio,or radios.After all,it is their money.A Chevrolet is better than a
Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz,in my opinion.

Amazing things can,and are being created nowdays with new technology.
Do a search for, boingboing Complete Radar on a chip
cuhulin

Technology peaked in the '70s. It's now doing more harm than good
(with the possible exception of medicine).