Kaito KA105 Portable radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a tiny digital radio, including presets, at the 50-dollar price point. The size of a small bar of soap, the KA105 delivers crisp sound; it locks on stations; its AM reception is equal to its big brothers the Kaito 1101, 1102, and 1103.
But don't get this radio for shortwave. And don't get this radio for music. The speaker is too small to separate musical instrumentation. Talk radio is fine and that's what I'd limit this radio to. For a little more, you might be happier with the Kaito 1101. The latter sits with good stability on its stand whereas the 105 sits on a wobbly plastic slat that has a tendency to fall off.
I've had mine in the bathroom for over a year now and it pulls in the distant NPR Pasadena 89.3 with ease. For its limited use, it's quite effective. But I wouldn't buy it as an "everyday" radio.
If you need a little travel radio and you listen to talk, the KA 105 will be fine. But if you want musical fidelity, I suggest you upgrade to a Tivoli Audio Songbook, also a digital radio, for 160 dollars. If you want fidelity and don't mind analog tuning (with digital readout), you might look at the 99-dollar Grundig S350.

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Degen DE15 Ultra-thin AM/FM Shortwave DSP Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)Smallest pocket FM/AM/SW/FML DSP radio packed with all you need for a radio:
Digital tuning PLL, non-volatile memories, ATS (auto scan and store stations), digital volume control, clock/sleep/alarm functions, mute function, backlighting when any button pressed for night time user. Another nice feature is the USB batteries recharge function that you can plug into a computer and/or a wall adapter (3 rechargeble AAA batteries provided). Easy to use and master all controls of the radio.
Sensitivity and selectivity are excellent due to the DSP chip, I have tried to auto scan stations on FM band, and this unit scanned all available stations including the weakest ones. AM DXing listening is good too, I can hear 860 AM from Toronto, Canada (broadcasting in French), 570 AM from New York, 670 AM from Chicago - which are 400-500 miles away from where I live. SW is ok, you can't expect too much on this little unit with a short 10" non-swivel antenna, but you can still get lots of strong stations.
The only draw back are the audio fidelity (it's not an iPod!) for music listening (even though FM stereo separation is good) and the digital noise at low volume.
If you interest in latest digital radio with DSP, Talk/news on FM/AM or travelling with a sleep/alarm features, this unit is the right one to get at an affordable price. With a ~$50.00 you might be able to get a Sangean DT-210/400W for music listening with DBB but without an alarm clock, a SW band, non-volatile memories and built-in auto recharge batteries. You decide.

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ETON S350 AM/FM Shortwave Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This radio is of excellent quality and the receive on AM, FM and shortwave is very good. Being a ham radio operator I really appreciate the rotary tuning knob that has a fine tuning adjustment knob built in. I just can't see myself buying an expensive shortwave radio with no tuning knob. Half the fun of radio is being able to play with a VFO!
I also own the GE superadio that other reviewers have commented on. The Grundig does not feel and look cheap like the GE superadio but the GE superadio will outperform the Grundig in a side by side comparison. The superadio has two speakers that are designed for better fidelity and louder audio than the smaller Grundigs single speaker can achieve. When listening to weak stations in heavy static on the AM band the superadio did a better job of pulling out the audio.
The shortwave reception is the best part of the radio however and this radio is a real jewel for shortwave use! The selectivity is great, no overlapping of stations that is found on cheaper shortwave radios like the Sangean SG 622. The radios sensitivity is excellent also, I could not ask for better performane from a shortwave radio. I know I made the correct decision passing up some of the more expensive Sony and Grundig shortwave radios that look so tempting to buy but lack a knob to tune with.

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S350 AM/FM/SHORTWAVE RADIO - With the rugged look of a retro field radio and the latest in AM/FM/Shortwave radio technology, the S350 Field Radio features the best of analog and digital.The S350 is the perfect addition to active lifestyles that demand high-performance portable audio capable of receiving news and information from across the globe.

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Etón Raptor NSP200WXGR Solar USB Charger and Weatherband Radio (Green) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this even though I couldn't find any reviews because I figured it was worth a shot due to all the features it had. I really wanted to like it but I was completely disappointed. Right away I noticed the antenna was loose. I figured ok, not that big a deal and went into the quick setup book. Everything seemed easy enough to set. It was only until I got to the full instruction book that I started to get frustrated. Contrary to how this thing looks, it is not rugged at all. Right away they tell you that it's not splash proof or can even be used in high humidity. Also if you think you're getting a practical solar charger, radio, compass, etc you're wrong. They tell you takes 18 hours to get a full charge on the battery! And if you think you're getting a decent radio you'd be wrong as well. There were no instructions on how to start the radio! Not in the quick setup book or in the main instruction manual. The simply tell you turn on the radio! I played with it for an hour and could not get the radio to work! The instructions on how to power on and off the device were the same as the radio. The simply tell you to press the power button to turn the device on and off. I tried holding the power button down for 3 seconds, then 10 seconds and nothing! Great work Eton! You should stick to making Red Cross emergency radios. If you want a solar charger get a solio classic. If you want a radio get any old one with a hand crank. If you want an altimeter, barometer, thermometer, compass go to campmor.com or REI and you'll be able to find a clip on style device that does all that. I'm never buying another eton product unless I get the chance to check it out in person.

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Solar Charger with All-Terrain Guidance Functions

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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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Grundig G6 Aviator AM/FM, aircraft band and Shortwave Radio, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)This is indeed an excellent new product. It seems very well made and should last a long time if treated with care. The radio is both extremely small (almost the same size as the Kaito KA11!) and readily transportable yet the reception is still excellent on all available bands. It is certainly not a Kaito KA1103 by any means, but for its size and weight it is quite exceptional, plus it has the aircraft band frequencies (see below for further details).
I like being able to change the news/music switch in order to slightly improve AM and SW signal audio fidelity (on my unit it is certainly NOT a deep bass boost switch however with little tonal changes being evident as the switch changes its position). Unfortunately this is also NOT a narrow/wide bandwidth filter switch which is not available on this radio at all. Using the SSB (single sideband) BFO (beat frequency oscillator) tuner is also very easy and straight forward with a key press on the front of the radio and in fine increments using the tuning dial as well. Unlike some other radios, SSB tuning is also available on the G6 on the AM band as well as on SW which is a very useful feature. The separate ability to step tune in very small increments with the jog dial setting is also excellent in my opinion once a signal of interest has been located. The unit also has an attached 20 inch telescopic antenna as well as an external antenna jack which is especially nice for receiving the weaker FM/SW/Aircraft band stations as well as an earphone jack for private listening (including FM stereo). LW and MW (AM) stations are tuned using the internal and excellent ferrite antenna coil.
I rather like the digital volume controls as well. The steps between each setting are sufficiently small that quite precise control of the volume levels can be attained, especially when using earphones which is my most common mode of operating this radio given the smallness of its speaker (but still adequate).
In addition, the Grundig manual for the G6 although too brief and lacking in some important technical details is just fine to read with no English translation problems as with the Degen (Kaito) radio manuals for the KA1102/KA1103. Degen now makes the G4, G5 and G6 for Grundig (whose designs originated from the Degen engineering brainpower from some 6 years ago now). These radios are now advertised as designed in California (by the Eton Corporation) and made in China, but to be fair Grundig has capitalized on a proven Degen/Kaito design and greatly improved on the ergonomics for using these fine radios.
The availability of the complete LW spectrum (formally from 153-279 KHz), but continuous on this radio from 150 KHz all the way to the start of the AM (MW) band at 520 KHz and of the Aircraft bands (117-137 MHz) and of the complete SW spectrum (1.711 to 29.999 MHz) on this unit is also true of the G5 as well (with the exception of the aircraft band). The Eton Corporation will soon start to advertise the availability of the complete LW band features on these new Grundig branded radios since it was originally and inadvertently overlooked by the marketers. (If you still have any doubts read the back of the radio in zoom mode on this website). The Sony ICF-SW7600GR also has the full spectrum of LW/AM(MW) and SW bands too and has advertised it all along, but that radio also lacks the aircraft band that is available on the new G6 Aviator radio. Especially for international travelers, the 10 KHz AM tuning step for N. America can also be changed to the 9 KHz step that is standard in Europe and Asia too.
One negative item is that the airband can not be automatically scanned like all of the other available bands on this radio. Another very negative item (see also below for those of you who live in heavily urban areas with lots of simultaneous interfering signals possible), is that there is no RF gain switch (DX/normal/local, etc.) on this radio at all either. Considering just how sensitive the front end of this radio is to weak signals, this is a very surprising error of omission in my humble opinion and one that should be rectified by Grundig (PUN intended!).
The G6 even has alarms and time zone capabilities and 700 memories that can be labeled along with with multiple and very useful ways I might add to tune and store information in this very versatile, dual conversion PLL (phase locked loop) synthesized, diminutive "micro-receiver style" radio. These memories are arranged for all of the 100 pages with 7 memories to a page. Each of these 100 pages can be labeled alphanumerically in groupings to boot. The presets can also be chosen on each page randomly regardless of the band. On another website there is a discussion of some occasional small microprocessor problems when loading two adjacent presets on a single page. The radio apparently can lock up, but it is easy to unlock and simply reload the page once again with no further preset storage problems.
There is even an on-screen clock as well as the day of the week and a battery level indicator, a hold switch for locking all of the buttons as well as a separate lock switch chosen through the jog dial for the tuned frequency. There is also a very nice on screen and very detailed signal strength meter and a nice orange back-light system. The radio can also charge batteries inside the radio (sounds like the KA1102/KA1103 proven technology once again- eh?) and it even comes with a one year warranty, a slip case as well as a AC/DC adapter charger. It runs on 2 AA batteries normally while in its portable state. It even has a nice carrying strap permanently attached to the radio as well which is a nice touch given its very small size. For you collectors, there is even a Buzz Aldrin special edition version of this radio advertised on Amazon, but apparently it is not yet available (as on early May 2008).
UPDATE: May 27, 2008:
I am in Alabama on travel and I too have now experienced very significant bleeding of apparently high power am stations directly on to the aircraft band at several frequencies. As a heads up, this just goes to show that to adequately test any radio it should be done at several locations. However, I have experienced none of this am frequency bleeding at my home location in the high mountains of New Mexico for example. This suggests that the dual conversion available at two IF (intermerdiate frequencies) in this radio are not adequate in some locations to adequately block unwanted noise from the aircraft bands.
June 18, 2008 UPDATE:
Yes, as I had previously indicated above, the G6 Aviator is a PLL (Phase locked loop) dual conversion receiver with a digital display and 700 presetable memories (Information recently confirmed by Walter Hess, Technical Support Manager, Etón Corporation, 1015 Corporation Way. Palo Alto, CA 94303 USA)
Finally, I look forward very much to having the fun of using this radio for the high quality sounds of music, news and just general LW/AM(MW) broadcast band, shortwave and aircraft band listening from all over the globe for a very long time.
September 8, 2008: UPDATE
For those of you who really really like this radio (and there is a lot to like), in order to compensate for its extremely good sensitivity (except perhaps in the am band), a trick that I learned about by reading other web reviews is to actually shorten the whip antenna length significantly when bleeding and other interference occurs. This allows the arriving radio signals to not overload the system and be received with very significant improvement. Ironically, usually we are always interested in lengthening the radio antenna (especially outdoors if it is not too noisy at the radio frequencies of interest). I hope that this may help you to continue to enjoy your new Grundig radio! Out in the open countryside this bleeding is NOT a problem at all, so only the big city radio listeners (or travelers to big cities) need to be beware of this potential problem for the G6.
April 11, 2009: UPDATE
One very nice feature of the 24 hour clock system is that it is fully adjustable for traveling including a GMT (Zulu or UTC) setting. With the radio off you simply press and hold the #8 key until a long list of coded city names appears. Next, you simply choose the time zone code closest to the one that you are currently within using the tuning knob and wait 8 seconds and you are all set (it is then automatically stored until you change it again). If you desire to know the Universal (UTC) time separately, you simply choose the "GMT" choice briefly to find the time in Greenwich, England and then repeat the above procedure and go right back to your current timezone location. (Unfortunately there is no provision in the G6 for entering the date or activating daylight savings time so at certain times of the year your indicated GMT time could be up to 1 hour off unless you live in Arizona, etc.) As you continue to travel this process is easily repeated as often as may be needed.


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With the Aviator at your side, you'll always have great listening options. Tune in to AM, FM, aircraft band or Shortwave frequencies easily with direct keypad entry. Or, use the STOP tuning feature to browse stations and stop on the next available frequency. You can also use D5 tuning to get a taste of what's playing stop on the next available frequency for five seconds at a time. Use the international clock and wake-up alarms to keep you on schedule, wherever your travels take you.

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Sangean ATS-505P FM Stereo/MW/LW/SW PLL Synthesized World Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)- a nice radio and top rated by Radio Netherland
- here are my nitpicks:
1. LCD backlight only stays on for 7 seconds
2. 1KHz tuning increment setting is inconvenient (you have to push in and turn the rotary knob first, and it only lasts for one tuning session)
3. too few SW memory settings
4. the back stand is useless unless you use the radio while sitting at a desk - a much better approach is to take an 8x10 sheet of plexiglass, heat and bend to make a stand so the radio sits more upright for use...
5. the build feels 'flimsy' as the radio doesn't have a solid feel
6. there is a discernable (1-second) delay when entering digits in the direct-access keypad - you'll need to get used to the delay, and the keys require more pressure than you'd expect for a keypad..
7. battery life is not great

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Sangean America ATS-505P AM/FM Stereo/SW Radio ATS505P FM Transmitters

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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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Degen DE1123 DSP AM/FM/SW Pocket Radio with 1GB MP3 Player & Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this with the primary goal of time recording AM radio stations, specifically Coast To Coast AM with George Noory which airs locally from 1am to 5am. I thought this device would allow me to program in a 1am alarm time at which the device would come on and record the preset station. I'm still not sure if this is possible or not, but my inability to figure it out is making me want to return it. The problem is, the manual. This is not a simple radio to operate if you're looking to take it out of the box and instinctively know how to operate it. I'm usually good at that, but not with this radio. The functions of the many buttons and switches are NOT obvious. I dove into the manual, only to find the usual Chenglish that one finds in lower grade Chinese products. I can't understand why they pour so much effort into product development and scrimp on hiring a native English speaking person to write their manuals for English speaking markets. The manual claims, in its own way, that upon alarm, the radio will resume what it was doing when you last turned it off. So I set up the station I wanted to record, started recording it, set the alarm for 1am, and turned the radio off. Seemed simple enough. Oh, and you have to plug the earphone in because otherwise it would run the batteries down if the speaker was on because in order for you to have a useful volume for playback, the volume needs to be high during recording. The other odd thing is there's no way to program the alarm timer to turn the recording off. I checked the radio at 7am and it was still on, playing the station I wanted, but it didn't record anything. I'm still working on that but returning the unit is looking more attractive. Also, as another reviewer mentioned, the only tag for recordings is a folder and file number, nothing descriptive, so you have to remember what each recording is by its numeric label.
Some of the negative reviews stated the user couldn't even tune in stations. I think some of this may be due to the fact that you have to manually tell it you live in the US so that it tunes in AM channels in 10kHz increments, not the default Chinese 9kHz increments. Because of this, when I tried to tune to AM1180 the closest I could get was AM1178. Even though 1180 was a clear channel station, it was not clear as a bell, as it should have been due to the 2kHz offset. However, after I read the manual some more (ugh) and made the necessary correction, the reception was perfect, even inside my workplace where my old radio couldn't even pull in any AM stations. There's a simlar correction for FM stations which would block the lower end of the band if not adjusted properly.
So it is a handy, compact reliable receiver, but it has issues one should consider carefully before purchase.

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Kaito KA1102 - Portable radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Built in a factory in China famous for its radio electronics, the Kaito 1102 has become a beloved radio among techies and radiophiles alike for many reasons. Open it out of the box and you'll notice it's tiny, smaller than a thin-sliced sandwich. Its silver, modern exterior looks as updated as any new Sony or Sangean or Grundig. Then place it against its competition, the Sangean 505 (about 20 dollars more), the Sony ICF SW35 (about the same price) and you'll notice that the Kaito beats the other two for different reasons. First, the Kaito and the Sony 35 have similar, strong reception, on both AM and FM, but the Kaito wins because it has a vastly far superior speaker, crystal clear and capable of good sound for this type of radio. The Kaito and the Sangean 505 have similar good speakers but the Kaito has better reception, especially on AM. My only complaint about the Kaito is the owner's manual which has five different ways of showing you how to use the presets and the "pages," and only one of those instructions (I found out two hours and much trial and error later) is accurate. You must press the M/Lock key to activate your preset option and for some reason the manual only makes this vaguely clear in one of its instructions. But if you don't mind fiddling with the controls and scouring the manual with a patient eye, you'll find yourself in possession of a gem and discover why so many techies consider the Kaito 1102 a real buried treasure that stands up to the far more expensive Sony 7600 and Sangean 909.
Post Script: In the ensuing months I've bought the lesser priced Kaito 1101, almost identical to the Kaito 1102, and have found that the 1101 gets even better FM sensitivity. Many have expressed the same experience with the Kaito 1101. Thus I must conclude that for a PLL synthesized portable radio with presets, the Kaito 1101, which cost me thirty dollars less than the Kaito 1102, is the king of digital portable radios.
Update: In spite of its awkward ergonomics, which include two-step preset choice and strange push-button volume control, the Kaito 1103 amazingly gets even better reception than the 1101. The 1102 is last of the three but has the best ergonomics.

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Eton E10 AM/FM Shortwave Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was looking for a high quality portable that I could use at work and that was light enough that I could carry around with me while walking.
I have had the E10 for about two weeks and am very pleased with it thus far. FM reception is very good -- it matches my Sangean ATS 818 easily. AM reception is also good (altough reception is compromised at work- but this is true of any radio). Shortwave is not quite to the same level as my Sangean but it still very good especially for the price and size. Sound is surprisingly good for the size of the speaker.
My biggest complaint with the radio is the small size of the buttons and controls. Even as small as the radio is, it is clear that they could have designed it with larger and more well spaced buttons.
The E10 comes with rechargeable NIMH batteries, the only drawback is that they only charge when the radio is OFF. The radio will work with standard AA batteries as well. An AC adaptor/charger is included. It also comes with ear buds (For FM Stereo) and a windup shortwave antenna. A carrying case is included (I use mine everyday).
If you like memory presets, you will love this radio. It has 500! (so far I have used only about 25 of them!).

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Imagine a radio that combines strong performance for fantastic reception and all of today's digital wizardry, bringing the world to your fingertips. The E10 is where intelligence meets performance.

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Kaito AN-03L - Radio antenna Review

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(More customer reviews)From what can be seen on the Amazon website as well as on other sites, this Kaito reel antenna (AN-03L) is essentially the same as the Sangean ANT-60 antenna (and 50 % cheaper in price!) right down to the supplied connector for a whip antenna (for radios without an external antena jack of any kind). The only notable, albeit quite small, differences are the presence of two separate finger holds used to reel the antenna back up when finished listening and a separate small attachment for hanging the unit up on a hook in the wall or on the ceiling, etc.). This Kaito antenna is designed to improve reception on FM/SW as well as for TV (UHF/VHF) and for the Weather bands for any such radio. AM (MW) reception is separately controlled by a ferrite antenna coil that is comonly incorporated inside of most radios. I have used this Kaito antenna on my Kaito KA1102. The antenna is 7 m (~23 feet) long which should usually be placed as high as possible near an outside door or window of any building for the best reception improvement. I have found an excellent improvement for weaker signals on the FM/SW bands (too long of an antenna can overload some radios like the KA1102, but this length of wire is perfectly adequate whereas other longer external antennas will not be. Always check your radio manual first before investing in a very long external antenna!). It must be remembered that the antenna not only allows an amplification of signal, but also of the prevailing background radio noise level so if it is very noisy at the time of reception at a certain frequency, the improvement in "hearing" may not always be as good as at other times when the background noise levels are much lower. Overall I am very happy with this very inexpensive purchase which is a simple passive fix for a generally quick improvement of signal strength for the weaker FM/SW radio waves.

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Kaito KA1103 - Portable radio Review

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(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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ETON Satellite 750 AM/FM-Stereo/Shortwave/Aircraft Band Radio with SSB (Single Side Band), Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I finally took the plunge and had to find out for myself about this nice looking radio. People complained about SSB reception and the Filters. I was glad I made the decision to purchase this radio as my radio has none of these issues with a serial number in the 1400's! A QSO was going on this morning on 3872.00. I turned on my Yaesu HF rig to verify the this was exactly 3872.00 LSB. To start the comparison against several other radios, I placed the ETON E-1 on 3872.00 and hit LSB and bingo, audio was fine as you would expect it to be. Time for the Sony ICF-2010. Same results, first I hit the USB and audio was weak but audible, hit the correct LSB setting and audio was loud and clear.
OK, now onto the Satellit 750. Placed the radio on 3872, hit USB, BFO set at 1 o'clock position, Normal, and audio was weak but audible, hit LSB and audio was strong and clear. The 750 acted exactly the same as the Sony did .....
This tells me that the 750 has absolutely no issues with SSB reception...
Naturally the operating instructions are not clear on the 1 o'clock position for SSB control. It came from the factory set at 1 o'clock. My Collins 75A-4 has a 1 o'clock position for LSB and a 11 o'clock position for USB, the 750 acts the same way... Since the 750 tunes in 1 KHz steps, you will need to tune the SSB knob at times, but the USB and LSB bandpass circuitry is fine. Yes they should have made the radio tune in 100Hz steps when SSB is on, but that is not the case. The E-1 does tune in 10 Hz steps so it does not need this. The Sony tunes in 100 Hz steps so you can get SSB Close but not exact.. For that reason the 750 is better than the ICF-2010... I used the narrow filter for these test.
OK, now to the issue of the wide filter... After playing with this for about 10 minutes on local AM stations and I mean STARING closely at the S-meter, I would say that the filter has a very slight kick up on the very edges, I mean out at 4 KHz offset. + or - 3 KHz the signal just rolls off, normal operation, as you hit 4 KHz on each end the S-meter might move up a tad, but at 4 KHz you are already loosing signal and reaching the end of the filter. But +- 2 khz the S-meter is flat.. If something is obvious, I do not see it. Tune in a station, S-meter is peaked , tune away either side and the s-meter will fall off as you hit 5 KHz in wide mode. I used the attenuator to keep the s-meter in its mid range.
I am not saying something is not present, but after close examination I see nothing that indicates a problem. I have the Scott and BR sports show on now, 1090, XX1090 San Diego, and have it in wide position for full audio... Sounds great!
OK, all this positive talk, must be something that concerns me, right?? I do have a concern about the battery cover. It does look very delicate, as does the entire radio. This is not a radio to drag off to the beach,,, This is not to say that the battery cover is not strong and one just needs to be careful. The E-1 battery cover has the same concern but so far after many battery changes, the Eton E-1 cover is still fine.
This radio is a fun to use. Keyboard entry is fast and flawless, can't say that about the E-1. E-1 needs to have the decimal pushed, 750 does not... I have not got into the memory or scan functions or timer mode yet.. That should be straightforward...The Monitoring Times review is way out of line... He made non qualified assumptions with many parts of the evaluation. He was concerned it was only a dual conversion and not a triple conversion and might have issues with strong local signals. Here in San Diego, NOT THE CASE.... Plus with an RF gain and 3 position attenuator, you would never have an issue. With Zero attenuation and full RF gain and tuning around a 75K watt AM station, 690, no issues, and I was able to NULL out with the top antenna 90% of this powerhouse station.. Larry Van Horn has done a great injustice to this radio in Monitoring Times. I was skeptical, but had to just prove to myself, I am glad I took the plunge, this radio is not being packed up for return to Amazon... Now I have to figure out where it is going to go in the house. I honestly think it may replace the Sony ICF-6800W now sitting next to my Sangean WFR-1 WiFi radio.. You just have to love radios that have a real S-meter to use...

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AM/FM-Stereo/Shortwave/Aircraft Band Radio with SSB (Single Side Band). When you want full shortwave capabilities and a classic design, choose the Satellit 750. Advanced DSP technology and a 360-degree rotating AM antenna enhance the radio's tuning sensitivity to help you pull in weak signals. You can listen to AM, FM , Shortwave with SSB and aircraft band frequencies, and you can program in up to 100 of your favorites for each band. You can also connect your MP3 player for even more listening choices. Hear what you want to hear.

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Kaito Electronics Inc. KAIR168 Wireless WiFi Internet Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)I have one if these that I purchased on ebay and I also have an RCA RIR200. This radio seems to have better wifi connectivity than the RCA since it has an external antenna but I had to buy a new WRT54G wireless router to get the RCA working so that might be the reason it works well. If you still have an old 802.11B wireless router plan on getting a new G router for best performance. The IR-168 can play not only internet stations but also MP3's from an SD card plugged into the front, sort of like a big amplified iPod. They also claim it's a media player that can play files such as MP3's stored on your local computer using Upnp but I couldn't get that to work at all with Windows XP Pro or Vista. Even thought Upnp was enabled and the file folder was shared the radio said it couldn't find any Upnp devices or shared files even though the PC's could see the radio and access it's webpage to program in favorite stations. It worked great using Windows 7 Beta though and all I had to do was put the files to be played in My Documents in the Music folder and make sure it was shared. I didn't need to use Windows Media Player 11 like they say and don't see any need for that at all.
It only has one speaker but it's large and gives good sound whereas the RCA has two smaller speakers for stereo but the RCA is not as loud. The IR-168 can play stereo using amplified speakers plugged into the back or with headphones and Kaito has a second optional speaker available. The sound is much better using the second speaker but it's expensive at $30 but any 8 ohm speaker similar in size to the first one will work. The IR-168 comes with a tiny credit card size remote that's nearly useless but all the functions can be accessed using the front panel buttons. It uses a website called iradio168 dot com to find the 10,000 or 11,000 radio stations from around the world while most other internet radios use Vtuner or Reciva. Vtuner and Reciva let you go to the website to find stations and try playing them to see how they work but iradio168 does not although they claim to be working on that. The RCA can also play music from Slacker Radio and get weather forecasts but the IR-168 does not do that, only plays internet stations. Although I haven't found one there might be some stations out there streaming weather since there are some stations streaming police and airport radio scanners. Iradio168 dot com is a new site that doesn't have many US radio stations yet although they have lots of stations listed for China, Germany and other countries in Europe and a lot of stations in Canada since the radio is sold in Germany and Canada also. You can log on to the iradio168 dot com forum and have stations added if you want but you can also store favorites right into the radio's memory using a web browser so you don't have to browse through thousands of stations on the website to find them, which is a lot easier. There is also a list of 500 Top stations stored in the radio's memory but that seems to be just a bunch of random stations with names like Top40 or Golden Oldies so it's impossible to tell what they really are and there doesn't seem to be any way to edit them to add more or fix ones that don't work. There are a lot of different kinds of stations out there streaming different kinds of formats but this radio can play most of them. It does have trouble with some Clear Channel stations in the US such as KFI 640 AM that want to open a webpage for ads and send down an .asx file that only plays in Windows Media Player but it can play BBC stations that are hard to play on a PC unless you install the Real player then you might still get an error saying you can't play it because you aren't in the U.K. but that doesn't bother the IR-168. I found the gray on blue text hard to read so I replaced the blue LEDs that light the front panel with white ones to make the display clearer and easier to read.
They don't list many specs listed here so I have them below:
Specifications:
* Audio Streaming Formats Supported : MP3, WMA, Real Audio and OGG
* Firmware upgradeable through Internet without PC
* Support for ID3 & WMA tags (Album, Song and Artist)
* 4 line display, (128 x 64 pixels) for radio data with auto off backlight
* Automatic WiFi network scanning
* Support WiFi Security standard (WEP, WPA, WPA2)
* Speaker Power 3W RMS 4 ohm
* Supports Summer Time adjustment
* Display cities along GMT timings
* Auto-upgrade with the use of PC
* Compatible to 54Mbps IEEE 802.11 b/g
* Fireware upgradable via WLAN / Ethernet
* 3.5mm Headphone Jack / Audio Line out
* Power 110v - 240V, 9V, 1.3A DC input
* AC Adapter with CUL approved
The IR168 forum seems to be getting overrun with spam so I've started a new ir168 group without spam on Google Groups called iradio168-internet-radio-group. All messages are moderated. I'm going to have all the fimware on file, links to BBC station work-arounds, internal photos, lists of stations in the ir168 file, etc.
iradio168-internet-radio-group at googlegroups dot com
Update, the iradio168 dot com web site that was provided by the radio manufacturer is now down so the radio is not able to get the big file with the list of all the world wide stations when it's turned on. That's not really a big loss since they haven't updated it for over a year but it means that stations have to be added manually now by browsing to the radio's web page and entering the station URL by hand like they say to do in the manual for adding Favorites.


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ETON G6 Aviator Buzz Aldrin Edition AM/FM, Aircraft band and Shortwave Radio, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)
When the G6 arrived I must say I was a little shocked as I was expecting a larger package, but as the old expression goes "Size Makes no Difference",and that applies to the G6!
The build quality was extremely good, the rubberized coating and the "just right" weight make for a very good, solid feel.
After a brief scan of the operating manual I placed 2 AA Alkaline batteries in the G6 (you can also use NI-MH batteries and charge them in the G6) but I was very excited and did not want to wait one minute longer, I wanted to play now!
I powered the G6 up and selected the MW AM Broadcast Band, my favorite
for chasing weak, distant signals. I then thought to myself, I need a "Standard" in which to compare the G6. Being an avid radio collector I selected a Tough Act to Follow" radio from my collection for the AM MW Blue Ribbon. I chose my Panasonic RF2900.
Both radios had brand new alkaline batteries installed, as I did not want to deal with AC power line noise, induced into the units by operating from the AC Mains.
It was in middle of the day so I selected a station on 1360 KHz, KWDJ, 1000 watts day, in Ridgecrest, CA, about 100 miles from my location in Lancaster, Ca. At that distance the measured signal strength of KWDJ was less than 100 Micro volts/Meter (Measured on Potomac FIM 22 AM field strength meter)
I placed both radios on the same table ,and rotated the units so their loopsticks were optimized for reception from the direction of Ridgecrest, Ca.
Also note, that in Lancaster, there is a 1000-watt AM station on 1380 KHZ
Its transmitter, less than 3 miles from my location, and in the same heading as
Ridgecrest!
As I tuned the RF2900 to 1360 I heard Dr. Laura, pretty clear along with a fair amount of background noise.
I listened for about 2 minutes to make sure that the signal was steady, which it was.
Now it was "ShowTime" I powered the G6 up, and using the Jog Wheel, I tuned the G6 to 1360...and with the volume set about halfway....I heard Dr. Laura, with about the same amount of noise as the RF2900!
Needless to say, I was impressed.
OK I said, lets take a listen to the low side of the band.
How about a lowly 100 watt AM station XSURF on 540 KHZ in Mexico, over 100 miles away.
I rotated the radios toward Mexico, tuned the RF2900 to 540 ,and there in the noise was XSURF on 540.
I should call the G6, the "Little Engine that Could" because when I tuned it to 540 KHZ, there was XSURF with just slightly more noise than the RF2900, WOW!
The G6 had no trouble in pulling in most all of the Los Angeles radio AM signals which ranged from 75 to 100 miles away with only one 50,000 Watt signal.
Ok, I was convinced that the G6 had great performance on MW AM, but how about FM?
I went back to my radio collection looking for a portable radio to make the comparison, a unit with better than average FM reception, my Eton E5.
On FM a good test would be pulling in KGZO, 90.9 in Shafter, CA
Operating with only 1.9 KW of power, over 100 miles away.
This is a good test of sensitivity and selectivity as my location in Lancaster, Ca, is within the 1MV contour of Superpower 110,000 Watt KPFK at 90.7.
In the past the Eton E5 had no problem in pulling in the KGZO signal in full stereo, with only a slight intrusion from KPFK.
The Eton E5 repeated this task as expected.
After tuning the G6 to 90.9 and with a little playing with the rod antenna, there was KGZO in stereo with just a slightly more amount of intrusion by KPFK, but still listenable!
The G6 had no trouble in pulling in signals from all the Los Angeles FM signals from Mount Wilson, the location of 99% of Los Angeles FM Signals.
On more thing.... do not let the small speaker size fool you, this little baby can fill a small room with pretty good volume.
On Shortwave the G6 is comparable in selectivity and sensitivity to several of my Shortwave rigs including my Eton E5, my Sony 6500 ,and my Sangean 909. The BFO makes copy of SSB a breeze as well.
On VHF I can hear signals from Aircraft and from LAX and Lancaster's Fox Airfield.
On a scale of 1 through 10 the Buzz Aldrin Edition Grundig G6 gets a
BIG 10!
Chris Compton
Professional Broadcast Engineer, and Avid Radio Collector for over 35 Years
Lancaster, CA


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With the Aviator at your side, you�ll always have great listening options. Tune in to AM, FM, aircraft band or Shortwave frequencies easily with direct keypad entry. Or, use the STOP tuning feature to browse stations and stop on the next available frequency. You can also use D5 tuning to get a taste of what�s playing�stop on the next available frequency for five seconds at a time. Use the international clock and wake-up alarms to keep you on schedule, wherever your travels take you.

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Grundig NGS450DLB Field Radio (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ordered from Amazon and received my radio a few days after Christmas. As a radio enthusiast I have been in search of the perfect radio. My interests are mainly in MW dxing and have been looking for a modern radio with strong AM reception. My location is in North East PA on the outskirts of a small city. I enjoy listening to am stations located in Philly, Chicago and NYC. Two years ago I decided to look for a new radio that would have the ability to pick up my favorite stations during the daytime. I currently own several Grunding radios, the G3, G5 and G6 that I have purchased thru Radio Shack. (As a side note I must have bought and returned those models several times until I found a hot one that performed well). I was in search of a modern radio with AM performance close to my Sony ICF-2010. I must admit that this radio is very close and has better AM reception than my Sangean 909 and Sony ICF-SW7600GR. The 2010 is still the king, but I am very happy with this radio.
The FM performance is also very good, however my little Tecsun PL -310 with DSP has it beat. By the way, the 310 also has very good AM performance for it's size.
The s450 is a large radio, and when loaded with six "D" cells it gets quite heavy. Included with it is power adapter that in my comparison added little to no extra noise. Overall the radios build quality is decent. The tuning nob and most other switches seems ok, with the exception of the wide, narrow and FM switch. The display lights up well and there is a switch that will also light up most of the buttons on the front panel. The radio comes set with a annoying beep when turned on, but I found that if you hold the sleep button down when the radio is off it will disable this feature. So, in summary, this radio is not perfect but for me comes very very close with terrific AM sensitivity and for the money it is a great deal.

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