New Tecsun Radio Pl-380 DSP Fm Am Stereo World Band Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Tecsun definitely has a winner with with the new DSP (Digital signal processing) third generation (see below) Tecsun PL-380 radio! I am extremely impressed right out of the box with how well it performs on its own attached whip telescopic antenna and its large internal ferrite rod antenna even for quite weak signals with both very good sensitivity as well as selectivity on ALL bands. The current price of about $45 on Amazon (including FREE shipping) is a fantastic value and should be a great bargain for many avid radio listeners.
PROS:
1) A double conversion, PLL (Phase-locked loop), fully digital portable radio that that comes with a USB cable for providing power or charging capability from a PC and a readable and quite useful English manual.
2) Excellent weak signal reception on ALL bands (LW/AM/FM/SW) using three separate band selector switches with LW and AM band selection toggled on the same switch. It really performs very well!
3) It has fm stereo available through earphones (supplied) that can be turned off for the reliable detection of weaker fm signals.
4) There is a separate switch that provides backlight control and that nicely illuminates the display as well as an alarm for wake-up/snooze,etc with either a buzzer or radio setting.
5) A dedicated set of wide/narrow bandwidth controls using a switch that toggles through a series of bandwidths from 1 to 6 KHz (with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 KHz bandwidth settings).
6) Numerous tuning methods are available including a fine as well as a coarse tuning setting button for ALL bands and including an ATS (Automatic tuning and storage) storage system for 550 presets, direct keyboard frequency entry without hitting an "ENTER" key, up/down scanning keys, a fine and smooth, manual tuning knob, etc.
7) It also has a separate ETM tuning system (tuned with a dial and not a knob as on the PL-310 radio) for storing a set of weak signals while traveling to another location. The nice idea about this system is that the standard ATS presets are NOT modified at all and do not have to be reset when returning to your home location (but limited by a total maximum of 550 presets).
8) Very high quality and very readable display with many many icons for indicating battery life, wide/narrow bandwidth filter setting choice, fm stereo setting, etc. Clock time and station frequency are displayed simultaneously. The display also has a new and fully digital readout of both the signal strength and of the signal to noise ratio which are continuously updated at quite frequent intervals.
9) Good battery life is available using 3 rechargeable AA batteries (supplied) and the unit can be separately powered by the included USB cable as well.
10) Easy channel memory presetting and automatic preset recall of the 550 preset memory locations.
11) It also has a digital volume control with a side-mounted wheel with 30 available steps.
12) Finally, but not least of all, we note that this is Tecsun's third generation development of utilizing the recent DSP internal chip (from the USA). In this radio they have now developed a better system for reception of weak am signals that prevents the drop-out signal behavior that has been found by many to be more common on the Grundig G8 (Tecsun) clone and on the Tecsun PL-310 for example. As with all technical developments this is by necessity a compromise solution which will probably be further enhanced overall in the near future.
13) I personally actually prefer the Tecsun PL-310 overall as a useful lw/am/fm/sw radio, but the PL-380 does have some very nice enhanced features that are now incorporated as noted in 12) just above. There is also now an even newer Tecsun, the PL-360, a quite small, vertically oriented DSP receiver that also seems to be a fine quality radio product as well.

CONS:
1) Smallish speaker, but the sound quality is very good for its size.
2) There is no external antenna port on the PL-380 which is surprising since the internal ferrite rod antenna is shorter on this unit in comparison to the Tecsun PL-310 for example. It is also somewhat surprising since the Tecsun PL-380 is also slightly longer overall that the Tecsun PL-310. An clip-on external antenna is also provided with the unit however.
3) No synchronous detection circuit (for controling of fading due to interference) is available which is present on the SONY ICF-7600GR for example.


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ETON G5 AM/FM/Shortwave Portable Radio with SSB (Single Side Band) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had this radio for about a week now..
the instruction booklet is a little skimpy and setup can be confusing, however this is a fine radio.
FM selectivity is good, and quality through earphones is excellent, on SW the SSB feature is necessary to listen to HAM radio..its just a shame its not synchronous sideband detection..you must fine tune to select USB or LSB...Other than that the sensitivity is good, my only conclusion is that its not as good as my Satellit 800, but its also 1/20 the size and < 1/2 price.
There is a nifty "time zone" feature that allows the traveller to easily select which time zone he is in..the glaring omission however is that while GMT can be set (=UTC or world time and the basis for SW radio) all time zones are simply linked directly to GMT..or put it another way, there is zero capability to deal with any summer time...you need to muck about faking a time zone for BST, EDT or whatever.. this is a silly error.
The feel of the slightly rubberized surface is excellent, as is the display lighting and three methods of tune .. a rotary know (thankfully), seek, and direct frequency input.
If you are looking for a decent portable radio with SW, packed with the necessary features for enjoyable listening and without unnecessary frills, i cannot think of a better buy.

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AM/FM/Shortwave Portable Radio with SSB (Single Side Band). If you love listening to AM, FM, and Shortwave radio, owning the G5 means you'll never have to be without the sound you love. This is the world's leading portable, multi-band and single-side band radio. We've packed all these features into one compact unit, without compromising sound quality. Go ahead, take a listen.

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Kaito KA1102 AM/FM Shortwave SSB Radio, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my fifth Kaito portable radio and it is indeed an excellent product. It seems extremely well made and should last a long time if treated with care. The radio is both very small and readily transportable yet the reception is still excellent on all available bands.
I especially like being able to change the AM(MW)/SW narrow/wide (bandwidth) filter setting, the DX/local RF gain switch as well as the news/music (narrow/wide) filter switch in order to improve reception of any desired signal. Using the SSB BFO fine tuner on page 9 is also very easy and straight forward as well. The ability to step tune with very small increments on pages 7-9 is also excellent in my opinion once a signal of interest has been located.
I also really like the highly useful system of storing presets with the ATS system on page 0 and then being able to use the copy command to transfer them to other pages after they have been thoroughly edited into a useful list.
I also really like the very pleasant blue backlighting system on this radio with ALL buttons as well as the LCD screen being nicely illuminated. This is especially useful for nightime listening while going to sleep.
I didn't think that I would like the digital volume controls before I got the KA1102 based on other digital volume controls that I have tried previously, but I have totally changed my mind on this very nice feature. The steps between each setting are sufficiently small that very precise control of the volume levels can be attained, especially when using earphones which is my most common mode of operating this radio. In addition however, since the volume controls are totally digital, the common problem of accidentally turning an analog volume control knob and thus changing the volume level significantly from the last use of the radio is no longer a problem at all. Too many times my ears have suffered from not properly checking an inadvertent change of the analog volume control knob setting on other radios that I have used!
In addition, several people have complained about the poor English Kaito/Degen manual, but if you can't figure something out, just download the Grundig/Eton G3/G5/E5 manual (based on the recent reworking by Grundig of the poor ergonomics of the Kaito KA1103 radio) where all other relevant details are readily explained. Grundig/Eton has recently significantly changed the fine manual that was available online until February 2008, but the new manual is still better than the Kaito manual for providing many explanations for poorly explained features.
The unavailability of the LW bands on this unit is something that should be rectified by Kaitousa (pun intended) at some future date (although the Kaito KA1103 was introduced to make that specific correction among others).
Also a screen version of the signal strength meter (now done using 4 red LEDS, except in FM stereo mode where only three LEDS are used for an indication of the signal strength- see also below) should also be added as well as an indication of the DX/local switch setting.
One additional idea: Kaito should make future editions of this radio so that the internal AM/MW ferrite antenna could be disconnected from the system and replaced through the external antenna jack by either an indoor or an outdoor antenna for even better AM listening (UPDATE- 5/06/2008: This am antenna decoupling has now been done for the Grundig G5 made for Grundig by Tecsun/Degen, the Chinese parent company for all Kaitousa products. The G5 is the updated and more expensive version of the KA1103 with all its odd ergonomic problems corrected including the famous volume control problem). Kaito still offers an antenna that inductively couples to the internal ferrite AM antenna along the top edge of the radio, but that is a clumsy way to get even better AM reception in my opinion since there is no easy way to attach the coupler directly to the radio.
Finally, the choice of listening in the stereo FM mode seems to be presented redundantly (twice) on the KA1102 by the presence of both the 4th small red LED below the LCD screen and by an indication on the LCD screen itself (through the symbol, ST)?
I look forward very much to having the fun of using this radio for the very high quality sounds of music, news and just general shortwave listening from all over the globe for a very long time.

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Kaito KA1103 - Portable radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I own the whole lineup of Kaitos and the 1103 beats the others for FM sensitivity. The 1101 takes second, the 1102 takes third, and the 105 takes fourth. AM is similar on all models. But the speaker is also superior on the 1103.
Here's what I like about the 1103:
1. Powerful, crystal clear FM reception that is superior to radios that cost twice as much.
2. Warm full speaker sound for a radio of this size.
3. The cool factor of a radio that has so many innovations and is changing the radio industry, causing Sangean, Grundig, and Sony to wake up and start making more competitive products at better prices.
4. PLL synthesized tuning with over 250 presets or memories.
Here's what I don't like:
1. You have to press buttons or digitally enter for volume control. There is no spin wheel for quick volume change.
2. The analog display takes up unnecessary space on the radio.
3. AM, like all PLL synthesized radios, is well above average but needs improvement.
However, AM is more than adequate and as a whole the 1103 is my favorite PLL synthesized, dual conversion small radio. If I could only own two radios, a compact and an analog medium sized radio, I'd keep the Kaito 1103 and my Tecsun BLC 2000 (sold for considerably more as the Grundig S350), which gets great AM.
If you don't mind finding an English manual on the internet, you can spend half the money on the Kaito by buying its clone, the Degen 1103. Degen radios, the original Chinese versions, are Kaitos but only come with Chinese manuals and they need AC adaptor converters. The upside is that they are half the price of the American version Kaitos.
Post Script: I enjoy my Kaito 1103 more than ever because I placed it ontop of my Sangean WR-2 and hooked up an audio cable between the two radios. So I'm feeding the sterling 1103 reception through the Sangean's premium speaker. Great bedside setup. You could do the same for cheaper by just buying a good speaker and hooking it up the 1103.
Update: I don't recommend you save money by purchasing the less expensive Chinese clone Degen. The adapter gets hot. If you must get the Degen, buy a USA-built step down 110 converter to avoid fire hazard.
Update for 8-12-206: Both my Degen and Kaito 1103 have shut down making me think that they had lost all electric power or had "fried" inside but in fact they had "shut down" and only needed to be reset by sticking a paper clip end into the reset hole. Now they both work fine. In fact, I bought the Kaito because I thought my Degen had "fried." I was wrong. Keep in mind, these radios can be a little touchy and may need to be reset from time to time.

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CC SWPocket AM/FM Shortwave Pocket Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)CCrane/Redsun (its Chinese manufacturer) definitely has a winner with with the CC-SWP(Pocket) radio! I needed a small AM/FM/SW radio for travel and have compared several portable receivers including the Kaito KA11, Grundig G6 Aviator, Grundig YB-550PE, Sony ICF-SW35, Grundig eTraveller VII, Kaito KA1101, Kaito KA1102 and the Eton E100, etc. I am still not completely done with all my evaluations, but I definitely think that the CC SWP (CCRANE Shortwave pocket) or the Redsun RP-300 radio (available directly from China) is a great, extremely small (and one of the smallest available!) and also inexpensive and yet a very excellent receiver! I am extremely impressed right out of the box how well it performs even for quite weak signals with both very good sensitivity as well as selectivity.
PROS:
1) A single conversion, PLL (Phase-locked loop), fully digital pocket-sized radio that comes with a velcro slip case, carrying strap, earbuds and a VERY readable manual heavily edited by CCRANE (available on-line on their website too).
2) Excellent weak signal reception on ALL bands (am/fm/sw1/sw2). It really performs very well!
3) It has a fine and very useful tone switch (Music/news) with stereo through the earbuds as well as a two position Local/DX switch (RF gain attenuator for SW frequencies). This "tone" switch works well on both FM as well as on SW frequenices, thus providing a very effective frequency filter for detecting weaker signals on SW.
4) Lock switch and backlight control (with 8 second duration orange backlighting illuminating the display, only from the left side however).
5) A dedicated DISPLAY button with a different set of information provided by sucessive key pushes with the radio either on or off.
6) Numerous tuning methods are available including a fine tuning knob for AM and SW and including an ATS (automatic station retrieval tuning system), but unfortunately NOT for the automatic storage of available radio frequencies, direct keyboard frequency entry, etc. Coarser tuning is also available from the up/down scanning keys themselves. FM frequencies however only have the coarse tuning step available (0.10 MHz) regardless of the tuning method used.
7) Very high quality and very readable display with many many icons for indicating battery life (at a low battery condition) and a signal reception TUNE icon (as on the two digital Sony radios still available) and that works extremely well, wide/narrow (Music/News) tone filter setting (AM/SW), etc. Clock time and station frequency are not displayed simultaneously, but can be found on two separate DISPLAY screens.
8) Very long battery life (up to ~70 hours) using only 2 AA batteries
9) Easy channel memory presetting and automatic preset recall system using the tuning knob for the recall of 200 (00-199) preset memory locations.
10) It has an easy to use reset control pin hole on the bottom of the radio.
11) It has an internal group of setting for storing key performance features such as 9/10 kHz steps for international travel, 12/24 hour world clock time, wake-up alarms with times and a stored radio frequency or separately using an internal buzzer alarm, sleep mode (0 - 90 minutes in 5 minute increments), etc. These items are indicated on the unit's dedicated DISPLAY key indicated earlier above.
CONS: These are all extremely small however and of no great significance to me whatsoever!
1) Smallish speaker, but the sound quality is very good for its size.
2) Volume controls are a little awkward and uneven in level changes. 16 digital levels are also indicated on the screen. In addition, on other radios switching bands from SW to FM for example can be a very instantaneous ear blasting situation, but not so on the CC SWP radio which has a time delay built in between switching the individual bands giving the user a reaction time to change (usually lower) the volume levels. If the uneven volume levels are of concern to you a $7.95 volume control switch can be bought directly from CCRANE to adjust the levels analog-style with a "potentiometer" {pot) and the volume buttons on the keyboard once set initially can be left alone entirely. Plans are also apparently underway for a second version of this radio to be issued by Redsun in China with the volume control level unevenness issue due to be corrected. Personally I have not found this issue much of a problem at all especially with the easily connected volume control switch which is inserted in series along with the earphones for easy listening.
3) Most keys are initially hard to get to function unless a significant pressing is made. As time goes on they are definitely getting easier to push much more reliably however.
4) Shortwave reception is done in two very broad, but separate bands with a small frequency gap from 7.50 to 9.0 MHz (this gap region is NOT a super important part of the overall SW radio spectrum however). The two bands for SW are SW1: 2.30 - 7.50 MHz and SW2: 9.00 - 22.00 MHz which covers the vast majority of the available shortwave meterband spectrum.
5) It doesn't recharge the batteries internally and the battery compartment door is NOT attached to the radio, but the door nonetheless fits very snugly as the unit is quite well made and yet also very inexpensive compared with many other radios.
6) There is no external antenna jack available, but the internal ferrite rod antenna and the telescopic whip antenna seem to both pick up stations very reliably.
7) Band scanning is a little bit slow compared to several other portable receivers, but reception is NOT muted during scanning so stations can be very readily identified for listening).
8) FM stereo reception is always supplied to the earbuds. There is no control switch to ever be able to turn it off. For the stronger FM stations that is just fine, but for very weak FM it is of course somewhat problematic.
9) It doesn't come with an AC/DC adaptor charger unit, but one is available at least and quite inexpensively.


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