Herculodge

Greg Adds Sync Detection to His C.Crane CSW

Most people love their C.Crane CSW radio. I'm not one of them. I don't get very good AM on mine. I sold two of them. But I post other people's experiences. Here's Greg's take:

There has been a lot written about the C.Crane CSW and its really good AM and FM reception. I recently bought one at  a Cabela’s store and I totally agree, it’s a great performer.  But the good performance just isn’t limited to AM and FM. The radio is excellent on shortwave too. With just the whip antenna, you can listen to a wide variety of international stations with fair ease and if you use a wire antenna, so much the better.

 

As an avid shortwave listener for more years than I want to count, I’ve owned a wide range of radios including various models built by Drake, a few Grundigs, a couple of Sonys, an Icom or two, a Sangean, a Radio Shack and even a Philco. I’d typically use the shortwave receivers for a few years or so and sell them to find another radio of interest. I almost always bought the radios in used condition because my budget wasn’t big and while I loved radios, rent and food were my top priorities.   

 

While I was enjoying my shortwave listening hobby, I’d pick-up a used external speaker here and there, and other accessories. Several few years ago I bought a SE-3 High-Fidelity Phase-Locked AM Product Detector built by Sherwood Engineering. It’s a really good device and adds sync detection and better audio fidelity to communication receivers. I used it with a radio made by Palstar along with an external speaker, and the SE-3 pretty much eliminated signal fading which meant I enjoyed hours and hours of shortwave listening.

 

Well, I sold the Palstar radio some time ago, but I kept the SE-3. The good news is the SE-3 is compatible with my C.Crane CSW and offers enhanced fidelity and sync detection on shortwave frequencies. I built a cable using one of the  plugs that came with radio, along with an RCA plug. And the rest was just plug and play using the radio’s AM output jack. 

The C.Crane CSW sounds really, really good now with improved fidelity and I have the ability to keep shortwave signal fading to a minimum.  Who’d a thunk you could add sync detection to the C.Crane CSW?

Sony CRF-5100 Earth Orbiter Bidding Today on eBay

No bids yet on this Sony CRF-5100. Speaking of Sony radios, the legendary Sony ICF-5900 is selling as a Buy Now for $175. 

AM Band on My 3-Year-Old Grundig G4000 Goes on the Fritz

I turned on my lightly-used bathroom radio today, my Grundig G4000, to 640 AM. It sounded like ten cats fighting inside a potato sack. I tuned to 570 same thing. I unplugged the radio and played it near a window with the batteries powering it. Same thing. 

In light of this G4000 breakdown, I've taken my Milwaukee 2590-12 worksite radio off the market and put it in my bathroom. I also took my Tivoli Songbook off the market. That will be my travel radio. Goodbye, G4000. 

They don't make radios like they used to. 

Panasonic Ultra -Slim Clock Radio Generates 40 Watts: $169 on Amazon

40 watts is a lot of volume on this Panasonic Ultra-Slim with iPod cradle, CD player, and remote. Amazon has tricky pricing. They are selling it for $200 but the hidden price you see in the cart via J&R is $169 with free shipping (I notice Amazon will give you a half a dozen pricing choices).

The reviews are positive, but people who buy this radio are unlikely to be focusing on tuner performance as it relates to FM and AM reception. 

The radio is described as a living room or bedside radio but at 19.7 inches wide I doubt anyone is going to want a footprint that big for bedside listening. 

I have to confess, though, I'm curious about the performance and I am intrigued by the price. If only I could sell more radios I don't need . . . 

Herculodge First Look of the Telefunken Partner 700 with Update

(Re-post)

I like three types of radios: military, giant, heavy, brief case types, and the other worldly. This Telefunken Partner 700 is the latter type. I paid $40 plus $20 shipping. 

It's heavy and solidly built. The speaker is LOUD. The FM tuner is sensitive, but what really shines is AM, which sounds like FM stereo with no background noise. 

The FM antenna swivels 360 degrees, which I find essential for pinpointing hard-to-get stations. The radio flips in the upright and prone position. The on-off and band buttons depress like tape recorder buttons. I wish this feature were used more commonly. It has an upscale feel. 

I got some hum on FM after adjusting the volume, but the hum went away. I get no hum on AM. This is an old radio, about 30 years old. I'll keep an eye on the hum and see if it's progressive or something that goes away once the volume settles. All in all, this was well worth $60. 

Update: The speaker sound and tuner performance impress me more and more as I continue to use the 700 in the workout room. This has to have the warmest fidelity of any of my vintage radios. 

Price Break for Acoustic Research Tube Table Radio with iPod Cradle

John has apprised us of a price break for the Acoustic Research Tube Table Radio with iPod Cradle. I first saw this radio for about $200 about a year ago. Today Amazon is featuring it for $99. While it's well reviewed on Amazon, I am skeptical about its AM reception. This tube radio appears to be made by Sangean. 

Acoustic Research is also selling an HD radio with iPod cradle for $133 and a digital clock radio with iPod cradle for $170. 

C.Crane Rep Explains Controversy of the C.C. Radio Plus to Herculodge

(Re-post from February, 2009)

A C.Crane represantitive called me to explain that he reads my blog and he wanted to clarify the issue of the C.Crane CC Radio Plus, a big tableside radio that has received a lot of bad reviews on Amazon over the years regarding a faulty LCD screen. These reviews have thwarted a lot of radio buyers from purchasing this model. 

The rep made three important points. One, any radio built before 2004 may have an LCD problem because Sangean, the makers of the C.C. Radio Plus, used a ribbon cable design that was vulnerable to moisture. C.Crane will put the adhesive back on this ribbon cable design free of charge.

The better news: CC Radio Plus models built since 2004, and that would mean the ones that are on sale new today, NO LONGER USE THE RIBBON CABLE DESIGN and therefore should have no LCD problems. Knowing this, I would never buy a used CC Radio Plus on eBay or anywhere else unless I was certain it was built after 2004. 

The third important point is that there should be a replacement for the current model in the next year to address among other things the imminent obsolescence of the TV band. He will send me updates, which I will pass on to you. 

(Re-post from February, 2009)

A C.Crane represantitive called me to explain that he reads my blog and he wanted to clarify the issue of the C.Crane CC Radio Plus, a big tableside radio that has received a lot of bad reviews on Amazon over the years regarding a faulty LCD screen. These reviews have thwarted a lot of radio buyers from purchasing this model. 

Hugo Warns That Most Radios You Buy Have Subpar AM Because of the Coil Position

Hugo has a lot of tech knowhow and he's learned that slightly moving the coil position on any ferrite antenna vastly improves reception. He writes:

Have you tried of adjusting the coil position on the ferrite antenna ? I've found that in almost all brands of radio I've bought (Sony,Panasonic, Tecsun, Redsun...), this coil isn't in the best pick signal position place , usually displaced up to 0.5" but with some exception like GE Superadio and Sangean radios, perhaps this is the reason you think they are better radios ?... Because after coil peaking they all seem to perform equally well.

Best Radio Picks As of November, 2009

Introduction: Here are some assumptions I made before making my choices:

1. You are more interested in AM and FM reception than “extras” like iPod cradles, cell phone chargers, CD player function, etc.
2. While speaker sound is important, it’s less a priority than reception. If you’re playing a lot of music, though, you might want a radio with the best fidelity possible.
3. You’re interested in build quality and overall quality control. Please take note that no radios today can match vintage radios in this regard.

 

Best Table and Clock Radio:

CCrane CCR-2: Great AM, good FM; FM reception doesn’t seem to be affected much by the telescopic antenna; speaker sound is greatly enhanced by turning up both bass and treble almost all; priced between $150-160, this radio may give sticker shock to some. A very reasonable alternative is the Sangean PR-D5. It has the same 200mm ferrite for outstanding AM reception, slightly less FM reception and mediocre sound from its two 2.5 speakers, but I use it every day in the kitchen for close-by listening and its overall performance is compelling. I compared it to the Sangean Sonido but the Sonido’s mediocre AM made me prefer the PR-D5 in spite of the Sonido’s superior speaker sound.

 Best FM Back-Up Radio:

On weird weather days when FM is significantly compromised, you may want a back-up FM powerhouse. My choice is the Grundig/Eton S350 DL, usually $99. Its mediocre AM sound and analog tuning may cause some buyers to look elsewhere but the only FM performer with similar power is the CCrane CSW and at $140 and the same mediocre AM reception as the S350 and ugly, harsh speaker sound, I say get the S350.

Best High-Fidelity Radio:

For purse sound, I can’t find anything that matches the Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo. Its smaller brother, the Solo, is very good also. But please heed this caveat: I’ve had three Duos and had to have Boston Acoustics replace them because the AM “fries.” This radio plays hot, and stays hot even when it’s turned on, and I’m speculating that the heat cooks the AM until it dies within less than a year. As a pure FM tuner, the Duo makes great sound but its AM problem makes me pinch my nose when recommending it. Too bad there are no other radios out there that come close to the Duo in fidelity. A more reliable alternative: The Sangean WR-2, clock radio or the aforementioned Sangean Sonido or save your money and use your Grundig/Eton S350 as your FM tuner.

Favorite Outdoor Portable Radio:

I just reviewed the $99 Milwaukee 2590-20 digital radio and felt that it in many ways eclipsed the $229 Tivoli PAL (I paid $130 for mine in 2005 and Tivoli replaced it recently when its rubber melted). But the 2590 is not that cheap when you consider you have to buy a battery and charger, which jack up the price to $190. I’m too lazy to be taking out batteries and recharging them, so I’ll stick with the PAL in spite of its analog tuner. You might just save your money and use the Grundig/Eton S350 has a portable as well. Its D batteries should last 200 hours or so.

Favorite Vintage Radio

I play my Panasonic RF-888 in my office every day, exclusively on AM. The sound is glorious with no background noise and makes any radiophile lament the quality of today’s radios. I bought mine in rare mint condition for $200, but I see them commonly sell for about $100. 

Toshiba Boombox RT-8700 in Good Condition Looks Very Nice

I really like the look of this Toshiba Boombox. Very intriguing. Current bid is $25 for this RT-8700.